Pierre's Lab

As discussed already, home automation is to send command to a fixture (lamp, bulb, thermostat or a coffee machine). The fixture will need to receive and execute the command and if needed report the command as executed.

Commands can be sent:

• Locally from the fixture on/off/Dim switch.
• From remote controls – including other fixtures switches.
• Computers – including PDAs, the Internet, dedicated computers (servers).
• Phones and voice command.
• …

Home Automation commands sent are formatted to be transmitted quickly and safely to the fixture, the 4 main transition modes are:

• Wirelessly (radio and/or IR)
• Through power lines
• Both wirelessly and through power lines
• Through dedicated wiring

Home automation can be greatly augmented with security management, monitoring, video and audio distribution and much more.

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Almost all technologies can be used in a single Home Automation environment. There is no need to worry about being locked in. Nevertheless, some technologies will require more work or more equipment than others:

• Computer based home automation will require a dedicated always on computer but will be more flexible and will allow many more features such as triggers.
• Power line transmission will be less expensive to implement but will be more sensitive to noise disturbance (electric motors, fluorescent lights…) and will greatly depend on the quality of the existing wiring.
• Dedicated wiring will be faster and have a great transmission success but will be much more expensive and much less flexible.

Several well known Home Automation technologies and brands:

• X10 – offers low cost power line transmission systems
• Insteon – offers average cost power line and wireless transmission systems
• ZWave – offers average cost wireless transmission systems
• UPB – offers average cost power line transmission systems with higher reliability than X10
• Crestron – offers expensive dedicated wiring system may be more commercial oriented.
• …