Home Automation Devices
What Is Home Automation?
Home automation is the automatic control of electronic devices in your home. These
devices are connected to the Internet, which allows them to be controlled remotely. With
home automation, devices can trigger one another so you don’t have to control them
manually via an app or voice assistant. For example, you can put your lights on schedules
so that they turn off when you normally go to sleep, or you can have your thermostat turn
the A/C up about an hour before you return to work so you don’t have to return to a
stuffy house. Home automation makes life more convenient and can even save you
money on heating, cooling and electricity bills. Home automation can also lead to greater
safety with Internet of Things devices like security cameras and systems.
lighting Control systems.
In addition to being able to be controlled remotely and customized, smart lighting
systems can detect when occupants are in the room and adjust lighting as needed.
Shutter And Curtain Control.
The motorized blinds with home automation allow you to manage their opening and
closing, as well as their programming depending on the incidence of the sun’s rays. All of
this saves time and energy in the home.
Universal IR Control
Control all of your IR devices such as TVs and air cons from a single remote. Set scenes
to automate your life! With the temperature and humidity sensor, you will be able to
automatically keep your home at the perfect climate.
Floor Heating Control
A smart heating system allows you to keep your home at the optimal temperature for
whatever you’re doing—whether it’s reading a book or entertaining friends—while saving
energy when it’s not needed.
Smart Door Locks
Smart locks definitely upped our home’s security. They locked automatically as soon as
we exited the home, but if we needed to let someone in when we weren’t home, we could
either unlock them through the app or give our guests a temporary passcode, certainly
safer than leaving a key under the welcome mat.
Smart appliances
These connect to wall sockets to transform simple home devices, such as lamps and
ceiling fans, so they can be controlled remotely via mobile apps and voice assistants such
as Alexa.
Home Automation System Components
While some home automation systems require hubs, some mobile applications connect
directly to a router, which connects directly to an automation device. Of course, it’s
preferable when there’s no hub, as that’s just an added cost on top of the cost of the
automation device itself.
Remote Control
The hallmark of home automation is remote control, which is done through either a mobile
application or through a voice assistant.
Mobile Application: The mobile application allows users to control their devices in realtime, whether it’s shutting off the outdoor lights or opening the smart garage door for a
neighbor. The app is also where users set schedules, create scenes, groups of automation
devices, and customize device settings, like having your living room lights set to the
perfect shade of blue. Most of the automation devices we’ve reviewed have apps for
Android and iOS devices, making them compatible with the majority of mobile devices
and tablets.
Voice Assistants: If home automation is the sundae, think of voice assistants as the
cherry on top. With voice assistants, you can use your voice to control devices, whether
that’s disarming a security system as you walk in the front door, showing your video
doorbell’s footage on your Echo Show device, or setting a timer on a smart speaker while
your hands are full of cooking utensils. Most automation devices work with one of three
voice assistants: Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri.
Control Protocols
The way that home automation devices connect to the Internet and each other is their control
protocol; if the smart devices are people, think of the protocol as their common languages.
Like on Earth, there are a few different languages, or protocols, that devices can speak,
including:
Bus Protocol: It’s a private protocol based on an electrical wired system developed
by different smart home companies and run on its proprietary protocol. this wires
required to connect relay modules with each other and control panels. for a minimum
solution we will need power supply module to provide solution with required DC
power. then we need an IP gateway module to link the system to the internet, so that
users can control the system by the phone or PC. more devices can be added to the
solution for more features, such as a wall panel, logic modules, etc.
WiFi: WiFi is by far the most common control protocol; it means that your smart
device will use the regular Internet provided by your Internet Service Provider. While
this doesn’t require an additional hub, note that it can slow your web surfing speeds
down, especially if you have a ton of different home automation devices set up at
once.
Z-Wave: Don’t want to mess with your home’s WiFi? Z-Wave is a wireless
technology that won’t interfere with your WiFi; rather, it operates on low power at
908.42 Mhz in the U.S and Canada.5
ZigBee: Similar to Z-Wave, ZigBee is a mesh network and universal language that
lets home automation devices communicate.
Thread: Thread is another low-power, wireless mesh networking protocol based on an
IP address open standard; it lets home automation devices connect to each other and
the cloud.
Bluetooth: Finally, Bluetooth is another mesh technology that lets people control and
monitor home automation devices and automate systems.
KNX Protocol: It is an open protocol that enables communication between various
devices and systems used in buildings, such as lighting, heating, ventilation, security,
and audiovisual equipment. The technology is governed by the KNX Association,
which oversees the development, certification, and promotion of KNX products and
solutions worldwide.
KNX operates on various transmission media, including twisted pair wiring,
powerline communication, radio frequency, and IP/Ethernet. This flexibility allows
for both wired and wireless installations, making KNX suitable for new buildings as
well as retrofitting existing ones.
Advantages of Home Automation
Like anything in life, home automation has its pros and cons. Overall, we think it’s more than
worthwhile, but it may not be for everyone, depending on your personal preferences.
Advantages
Remote access: Being able to control devices remotely means things like unlocking
the door for a plant sitter without having to leave a key under the mat.
Comfort: You know when you’re all comfy in bed but realize you’ve left the bathroom
light on? With smart light bulbs, you can turn them off from the comfort of your bed
without having to leave those high thread count sheets.
Energy efficiency: How many times have you left the heat on blast while you’re out
of the house for eight hours? With home automation, you can set things like
thermostats on schedules to make sure you’re not wasting energy. A study found
that Nest thermostats in particular can save about 12 percent on heating and
cooling costs, for example. That means that over time, these smart thermostats can
actually pay for themselves in savings.
Convenience: Being able to control devices remotely or via voice commands, set
them on schedules, and even sync them with the sunrise and sunset is nothing is not
convenient. Imagine being able to come down in the morning to freshly made toast
without you having to push a button!
Safety: Finally, there are many smart security products that can increase your
home’s safety, like sensors for doors and windows, security cameras that can detect
people, and video doorbells that let you greet whoever’s knocking from anywhere
with Internet.