The devices of a smart home are interconnected and can be accessed through a central point - smartphone, tablet, laptop. Home appliances such as door locks, televisions, thermostats, home monitors, cameras, lights, and even refrigerators can be controlled through a home automation system. The system is installed on a mobile or other networked device and is easily managed
Smart homes can have wireless or wired systems, or both. Wireless systems are easier to install.
There are three main elements of a home automation system: sensors, controllers and actuators.
Sensors can track changes in daylight, temperature or motion detection. Home automation systems can then adjust these settings (and more) to suit your preferences.
Controllers refer to devices—PCs, tablets, or smartphones—that are used to send and receive messages about the status of automated functions in your home.
Actuators are devices that control the actual mechanism or function of a home automation system. They are programmed to be activated by a remote command from the controller.
Services provided in the field of smart home:
Fire and carbon monoxide monitoring;
Remote lighting control;
Thermostat control;
Device control;
Home automation security systems and cameras;
Live video control;
Keyless entry;
Voice activated control;
Blind-Curtain automation system;
Ventilation automation system;
Voice automation system;
Let's talk in detail about what kind of possibilities the smart home system creates for us;
Control all home devices from one place:
You can conveniently control all the technologies in your home by connecting them through one device. In theory, all you need to do is learn how to use the app on your smartphone and tablet.; so you can perform multiple functions and interfere with devices in your home. This makes it much easier for new users to use the home's functionalities
Maximizes the security of your home:
When you add security and control features to your smart home system, you can maximize the security of your home. In this regard, there are many solutions. For example, a home automation system can provide motion detectors, surveillance cameras, automatic door locks, and other specific security measures at home, so you can monitor those security measures from anywhere at any time. Also, when the alarm goes off, you can be notified of events with automatic feedback
Increased energy efficiency.
Depending on how you use your smart home system, even more energy savings are possible. For example, you can program lights and motorized blinds to switch to evening mode after sunset, or automatically turn lights on and off when you enter or leave the house to avoid wasting energy.
Remote control of home functions.
The ability to remotely control your home's functions, check if the lights are left on, check who's at the front door or make sure you turn off all your electronic devices when you leave
Increased security:
Smart fire detectors, carbon monoxide monitors, pressure sensors and other home automation safety features can help protect your home from disaster
What is KNX?
Communicating control data to all building management components (or smart home devices/functions) requires a system that overcomes the problem of speaking “different languages” produced by different manufacturers.
KNX devices are used in lighting, blinds and shutters, HVAC, security systems, energy management, audio video, white goods, displays, remote control, etc. able to manage systems. KNX is an internationally recognized and world standard for smart home automation and building control.
How does KNX work?
The KNX bus line is the main central nervous system that allows all automation devices to talk to each other. During a new construction or renovation project, you can adapt your existing electrical infrastructure to a KNX automation system with a green bus cable installed in addition to the traditional power supply.
Actuators (DIM blocks, ON/OFF Modules, DALI Gateway, Fan Coil Control Units, Touch Screens, etc.) then process the data and produce output to convert it into actions.
Control and other logic functions (temperature controls, shutter control, etc.)
System devices and components (eg Line Coupler, Bus Coupler, IP Coupler).
Control4 is a provider of automation and networking systems for homes and businesses, offering a customizable and unified smart home system to automate and control connected devices including lighting, audio, video, climate control, intercom and security. The Control4 platform works with more than 13,500 third-party products and it is available in more than 100 countries. In August 2018, it managed 370,000 homes. The company is based in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Founded in 2003 by Eric Smith, Will West and Mark Morgan, Control4 debuted at the 2004 CEDIA Expo home technology trade show and released its first products later that year as an early entrant into the home automation market. In August 2019, Control4 completed a merger with consumer technology designer and manufacturer SnapAV, with John Heyman now serving as CEO, and the company was rebranded as SnapOne.
Products and services
Control4's home automation systems have been likened to an operating system for the home. The company offers products to manage climate control, home networking, home security, intercom, multi-room audio and smart lighting, universal remote control and voice control.
The company also offers items such as smart doorbells, smart sockets, security cameras, thermostats, centralized lighting panels, motion sensors and KNX devices. Systems can be controlled from the Control4 smartphone app, wall-mounted tablets, or a portable touch screen.
In addition to its own products and services, Control4 supports more than 13,500 third-party products, including Amazon Alexa-enabled speaker devices, the Google Nest smart home thermostat, streaming services such as Spotify and Netflix, Apple TV and Sony, Sub-Zero, Roku, LG, Samsung, Bose, Denon, Honeywell, Yale and Lutron products. With Control4, a homeowner can control "ventilation in the garage, stream music to speakers in several rooms of the house, every light, TV, thermostat, even the Blu-Ray player in the guest house" from iOS or a computer.
Control4 sells products under three brands:
Control4 for smart lighting, multi-room audio, multi-room video, HVAC, home automation controllers and smart home interfaces such as touchscreens, keypads, door stations and the Control4 app. Pakedge for home network infrastructure products such as routers, switches, access points, IP cameras and wireless controllers. Triad for speakers and sound amplifiers.
All the various building technology elements are then connected to the main KNX bus line according to the KNX standard for building automation. The KNX bus is routed in parallel with the power supply to all devices and systems connected to the network:
Sensors (such as switches, thermostats, motion and presence sensors) collect data and send it to the bus for processing.