Welcome to the website of HomeChip, which aims to be the best and cheapest supplier of 1-wire and other sensing and control products in Europe.
Thermochron failures
We have had some reports of thermochron failures recently. In all cases these seem to have been caused by water ingress. We have observed a general fall in resistance of thermochrons over the past 12 months. However, Maxim seem to have made efforts to address this issue and we are seeing a general improvement. If you need to immerse thermochrons for extended periods of time then we would recommend using the DS9107 capsule to protect them, or in less arduous environments, a zip-lok plastic bag can often suffice.
Shipping costs
We are frequently asked about shipping costs. We ship by registered post throughout the world. Your shipping cost will be calculated as part of the checkout process, before you select your payment mehod. If the weight of your order exceeds 10kg (UK) or 2kg (International) then you will have to contact us for a manual quote. For heavy or very valuable (>£2000) shipments we will usually recommend UPS, but if you want to use another shipping agent then please contact us. We can generally accommodate any shipping method you want. We are even happy for you to collect, but please call before turning up so we can make sure we put the kettle on.
What is 1-wire?
1-wire is a technology defined by Dallas/Maxim and used in their range of iButtons and other 1-wire sensors which can measure and control a wide range of environmental parameters. Communication with the devices is via a two wire bus consisting of data and ground. Each device has a unique, factory programmed address which cannot be altered and which is guaranteed unique. This fact alone makes them useful for key access and identification systems, but they have many other useful functions ranging from non-volatile storage, to temperature and humidity sensing, switching and voltage measurement.
What is an iButton?
An iButton is a 1-wire component sealed into a small stainless steel can, approximately the size of a camera battery. This packaging makes them very rugged, and under normal conditions almost indestructible. Some have an inbuilt power source, such as the Thermochron range which can be set to independently measure temperature which they store internally and report when read periodically. Thermochrons can work from -40°C to +125°C and so are perfect for measuring and monitoring processes. Their uses are really only limited by your imagination.
As well as iButton and 1-wire components we supply a wide range of 1-wire sensors and controllers supplied by iButtonLink, as well as a range of readers, software and hardware accessories. Browse our catalogue for information and ideas.
Please note that all prices in the catalogue are quoted excluding VAT.
VAT at the UK rate of 20% will be added at the confirmation stage of your checkout. If you are VAT registered and outside the UK, but within the EU, please quote your VAT number when you register and we will bill you without VAT. Customers outside the EU will also not be charged VAT. |
