Hi,

I am not really familar with SCADApack, but it looks like not only a SCADA software package offering but a PLC system that is designed to work with it.  Practically, industrial software and tools are not a good match for home automation.  If nothing else just because of their expense - both purchase and installation.  SCADA systems in general have the ability to communiate with just about any PLC system due to communications standards such as OPC.  Unfortunately, home systems do no have this communication bridge available to them (at least I have not found one).  Of couse when you discuss home automation there are many different flavors available and I will in no way claim to be an expert or even well educated on what systems are available.  In past research, the most popular home automation systems use light and appliance control units that pass information back and forth via a signal transposed on the electrical wiring.  There is usually some communication master connected to the wiring also that handles messages back and forth.  There are also home automation systems that are like SCADA systems that are designed to communicate and control the field units.  Ok... backing up a bit - I am going to agree with you that controlling lights and theft prevention is pretty common.  Maybe I can suggest something that will still allow you to go with the home automation theme, but with a twist.  As I mentioned before, the industrial automation world and the home automation world dont really mix well.  What they are missing is something to link the two together.  I think if you develop that link, you would have a pretty good project (not to mention a possible money maker).  There needs to be a piece that allows the home automation software to link with the industrial I/O OR something that allows the industrial software to link with the home automation I/O.  Given that most home automation software is pretty basic compared to industrial automation software, I would suggest going at this by using the industrial software.  As I mentioned, industrial stuff is usually pretty expensive.  There are a couple exceptions that are worth looking into.  There's a guy that has a free HMI software package that is written in VB.  You can learn more here:

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiPzqc5jDlE 

You can also use the inductive automation software (www.inductiveautomation.com) either on a two hour trial or they will get you a free code for an HMI.  It is limited but it should not affect what you try to do. 

So what exactly am I suggesting you do?  To connect the previously mentioned HMI's to home automation components, you will need to develop some sort of interface.  Either OPC, OPC-UA, or some other driver that will allow the industrial software to communicate with the home automation I/O.  You may need to contact the maker of the VB package to get some direction on how to write something that will work with his system.  If you offer to let him have the code when you are done to post as open source, I bet he would give you all the help you need.  So why is this useful?  In the past when I "played" with home automation, I would have loved to have been able to interface a PLC into my system.  I could have taken the contacts from my security system into the PLC and still used the home automation stuff for lights and such.  The PLC could have triggered lights according to alarm contacts etc.  The industrial software mentioned already has the ability to talk with PLC's.  If you close the gap and allow them to talk with home automation components, it would bring both worlds together. 

Hope some of this helps.  Feel free to post questions on my ramblings.

Glad I could kinda help.  Yeah I understand that this is a school project.  What I suggested may or may not be a good one.  As far as hardware, you would need a computer to run the HMI on and a small PLC and some home automation stuff to show connectivity to all.   I would think you could find it used for under $150.  You may have to have VB to program the interface - not sure about that either.  The thing is, it doesnt matter what you can afford or do if the school doesnt like it.  I would suggest talking to your advisor and see what he thinks about it as a project.  You may have to research it a little if you are fuzzy on what I am suggesting.  Alternatively, you may want to talk with your supervisor and see if he has any project ideas that would work with the hardware he is willing to lend.  Also it would be worth bringing that question to your advisor to get an idea what kind of projects they like or dont like.  If you dont have any programming background, then my idea may not be the best one.  Another idea:  maybe a test stand that would simulate some of the things that the system you are working with would control in the plant.  I have seen stands, for instance, that allow the user to train on PLC's without affecting the real plant systems.  For example a control loop test stand that consists of a miniture blower, damper and pressure transducer connected to the PLC to allow the user to work on controlling the damper to control the pressure and to work on starting and stopping the blower.  Two months is a decent amount of time to research ideas, but I would be bouncing them off of your advisor to make sure what they expect and what you expect are the same.