Smart home - what modern automation systems can do. What can be automated in an ordinary apartment Home automation smart home

The main reason that home automation systems have not yet become so popular is the emphasis on lighting, which is usually done when they are promoted. After all, flashing light (like LEDs on Arduin) without getting up from the couch is self-indulgence, which has no practical and discourages people from thinking seriously about implementing and using home automation systems in their homes and apartments. No one needs to blink light (which is usually 90% of the functionality), but for example, it is convenient to control the heating individually in each room and saves energy = money. The sky-high prices for the (penny at cost) components of ready-to-sell home automation systems, together with the prices for their integration, only add fuel to the fire. I hasten to assure you that the most expensive component will be the $ 20 Arduino Mega. If we consider the issue as a whole, then I see only the following list of tasks that makes practical sense to centrally automate:
> climate control of temperature (heating / air conditioning) and humidity (humidifier / dehumidifier),
> control of natural light (blinds, shutters, awnings)
> and management of watering of lawns, flower beds and lawns around the house (if there are any and they still need to be watered).
From decentralized systems, it is convenient to have a local (without central control 1-2 sensors that control directly the backlight), triggered by motion (presence) sensors, low-power LED backlight stairs (sometimes floor) and parts of tables in the kitchen that are shaded from the usual ceiling lighting wall cabinets and shelves. The same illumination, in combination with the above, is indispensable at night when necessary, without waking up anyone and first of all yourself, get into the kitchen (and cut off something there from something and eat it with no one sharing) or into another institution without stumbling about prudently scattered children's toys. It also makes sense to turn on the main lighting with motion sensors ONLY in technical rooms: wardrobes, storage rooms, garage, laundries, etc. Motion detectors and centralized systems are not practical to use for primary lighting in residential areas. External and decorative festive lighting at home is most conveniently turned on from cheap ready-made blocks with light sensors and / or timers. Real security systems connected to response services (not just sensors and webcams scattered around the house) usually does not make sense to mix with systems smart home for many reasons.

Thus, let's start with the most relevant. An ideal object is heating that can be controlled for example: electric (batteries on wheels in the socket and wall batteries) and centralized or not very heating of a private house. In my example, we will consider working with a Thermo Pomp system (Heat Pump in North America) with oil heating by means of direct connection to the existing Control Unit (thermostat) and additional devices. In the first version of the system, I used the device and sockets of the X10 protocol. But, unfortunately, they did not perform well, due to the slow interface and very loud bangs when switching, which woke up everyone at home. Later I switched the system to radio sockets, which turned out to be much simpler and quieter than x10. These plugs are available in a huge assortment of radio frequencies and voltages. All this is applicable to a huge variety of other systems. It all started with the fact that my friend, along with a neighbor, unobtrusively dripped on my head about the huge role of a wonderful miracle - Arduino in modern society and that I, as a person who knows how and who loves to hold a soldering iron, is simply obliged to get infected with this Arduino mania as soon as possible. I waved it off in every possible way and said that the field of practical (not robot toys) use of her at home is very doubtful and based on a powerful microcontroller to make consistently lit LED rulers to illuminate the steps of the stairs (instead of one shift register and a generator), it's just a sparrow gun, and the rest is pampering ... But still, they managed to plant the grain of Arduino in my head, and like all the seeds with the arrival of spring and on the approaches of summer, the sprout began to break through. I don't like hobby projects for the sake of the projects themselves. Some kind of practical side must be present, and even more so resource ($ and time)-intensive projects for a family person must still have a high WAF (Wife acceptance factor) or, as my Dad says, it is easy to legalize it.

And as always, laziness was the engine of progress. We sat a little later than noon on the veranda, the sun was pleasantly hot, and at the same time, my son was sleeping in the bedroom on the top floor, and judging by the Chinese thermometer for $ 2 (which we had to reach and look at without waking up his son) the temperature was over 26. So now we need to go into the living room and turn on the central air conditioner, and then we must also turn it off so that it does not turn on every time the temperature rises a little. It is especially unpleasant to do this in the summer at night, having frozen under a light blanket, you have to jump up and again, without waking up all the household, run into the living room to the console and cut down this achievement of the last century. Then I realized that it was time to stop such an outrage and call a friend with the words "Where is your vaunted Ardunya, Give her here right now, we'll see what she is capable of!" I must say right away that I did not choose it at all and did not think that it would turn out to be so useless (for example, in working with strings), and even out of anger and powerlessness to fight it, I almost moved in the middle of the project to STM32. In the end, I still stayed with her, but first things first.

To make it easier to understand why everything was done this way and how you can spread my experience and best practices on your bread, let's start with a description of what I have / had at hand:
1) Private house in Canada (I would like to say that it is mine, but of course it belongs to the bank and no matter how absurd it may sound, it is not even profitable to have it fully paid at current rates) built in 1959 as they are called here Split Level those house is two-storey but half it is shifted vertically relative to the other half by the floor of the floor.
2) Arduino Uno (later, due to the small number of I / O for X10 and radio, Mega was required)
3) expensive and native Ethernet Shild. I could not start something and find an adequate library for ENC28J60
4) Desire, time and some money.
As is customary here, the bedrooms are on the top floor and for me it turns out to be on the floor above the living room where there is an ominous control panel for the heating and cooling system bolted to the wall. Here such systems are called HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), in fact, this is an ordinary huge (tens of thousands of BTUs or they measure them here in tons of something) split air conditioner, an external heat exchanger and compressor of which are on the street and inside the heat exchanger is built into central ventilation system, which takes air from the living room floor level with a one and a half kilowatt fan, drives it through two heat exchangers (one to the air conditioner, the other from an oil or gas burner) and drives it through a system of ducts to each room. Convenience and the very name of the heat pump is due to the fact that this device can drive freon in both directions and, accordingly, not only cool but also heat the air in the house. It should be noted that he can heat it more or less effectively only if it is warm enough outside 0 or -5 (depending on the model and design). If it is cold, then the heat pump will not work, and for this, you just need a tank with fuel oil or gas.

I started my project and ambitions small, so let's and we will analyze how this HVAC is made and how to operate it. In fact, it turns out that the devil is not so terrible. One of the conveniences is the liquid standardization of everything domestic and not very much in America, this allows you to cross hedgehogs with snakes according to an open, simple (sometimes too much) and well-known (usually ancient, condo) protocol / standard. In our case, the system itself (the burner fan, heat exchangers, you can buy one manufacturer, the air conditioner of the second, the humidifier from the third, and the Control Unit for all of this, from the fourth. Honestly, I don’t know if similar devices are also called / controlled in Europe, but I think that everything is either licked or very similar As far as I understand, such systems are already in Russia and they are transported from anywhere / cheaper, so you have a great chance of encountering just such a system.Let's look at the diagram of a typical system connection before we start crashing into the system.

As we can see, almost everything is clear at a glance. The only thing that needs to be explained is that the control unit is powered and the heat pump itself is controlled by variable 24 volts. which are supplied from the input transformer R and C. Line C is common and always connected. Accordingly, when R is applied (closure) to Y, O, W or G, it turns on, respectively. block. We will build on this. So if they include, then why are we worse? Let's make our new system will complement the existing one. Those controls can be carried out from the old remote control and controller as before, but only when necessary, the Arduino can disconnect the old system from control and take the furrows in its own hands and then give them back.

And we put them so that without power and generally disconnected, they retain the same design. R-0 disables the standard control module and transfers control to our Arduin. R-1-4 applies the correct voltage to the corresponding line. This control voltage R is supplied to each relay with a green wire. Of course, it's good to manage, but the system is serious and if we accidentally or not really turn on something wrong or in the wrong combination. For example, the heat exchanger will warm up and the fan will not drive air and remove heat from it, it can overheat and lead to a fire, but we do not need it at all. To avoid situations like this, let's do a triple defense. And so the first bastion will be the voltage sensors on each line S1-4 (there should be 4 of them).

They are a diode, two resistors (divider) and a small electrolyte. It can be a hinged assembly as shown in the photo. As a result, we can in Arduin know whether there is actually voltage on each of the control lines or not. Correspondingly, if the current state of the control lines (Y, O, W, G) does not correspond to what it should be, we display an error code and turn off the system. The next bastion is our additional temperature sensor in the heat exchanger chamber (plenum sensor). If it is too hot or cold there (close to 0C), then we again display the code and turn off the system. Obviously, it is impossible to power the relay directly from the outputs of the arduina, so you either have to pile up a transistor for each relay or buy a ready-made module with several relays and transistors on one board. I buy 99% of the components on Ibei. For example, the ibey is full of such 8 channel modules (8 Channel Electronic Relay Module) for about $ 9. or you can buy 4 + 2 (since in fact we only need 5 and one spare)

I used Chinese digital DHT22 as temperature and humidity sensors. which have proven themselves well. They only need three wires +5, GNd and Data. The wires can be long enough without loss of accuracy or signal. One sensor is thrown out into the street in the shade and under a canopy from direct moisture. One sensor in the house.
In a house already built many years ago, usually the biggest problem is getting new wires, so I tried to make the most of the current wiring. There are several libraries for DHT22. I had problems with everyone except this one. I put the internal DHT22 next to the wall-mounted controller. If in your house, as in mine, there was once an HVAC control system, then you should have as much as a 6-core cable going from the control unit to the place where the remote control itself with the indicator and buttons hangs. Modern remotes(like mine) require only 2 wires. Thus, we have at our disposal 4 already laid wires. In them, we run + 5V, GND, Data for the internal DHT22 and on the last Serial (UART) Tx from Arduina to display information on the display.

As a display, I used a small (2.5 cm) OLED screen with a serial interface.
YES it is a little expensive, but there are several unique differences from similar available ones: The presence of a Serial (UART) interface, which allows you to use only one wire to connect it, the presence of five digital pins on the screen controller (where we will connect an RGB LED for additional display of the system status) and finally, compactness combined with contrast and excellent readability both in bright light and at night and it does not illuminate the entire corridor at night like any LCD with a constant backlight on.

Further, the problem arose of how to place temperature sensors in each room, without additional wires, power and radio modules. As a sensor, I chose a digital DS18B20, (having good accuracy + - 0.5C) which needs only two wires (ground and signal). They can be hung on these 2 wires a lot in parallel (each has its own unique MAC address). But even stretching two wires in all rooms is a hell of a job. It dawned on me here. After all, a telephone cable has been laid in all the rooms and it is 4-core and at best 2 wires are used for the telephone (usually red and green), and the rest (yellow and black) go through all the places I need and remain free. Thus, without cutting the wires, but only exposing the required two, I soldered a DS18B20 to them in each room.
The total length of the wires turned out to be quite large, and if the signal wire is supported (by + 5V) with the recommended 4.7 kΩ, then in my case the sensors were practically not readable and I reduced the supporting resistance by half to 2.3 kΩ and everything worked fine.

Then I got confused with the pressure sensor and settled on an expensive BMP085 but it has an I2C interface, which again saves legs and the number of wires. Since he can still read the temperature, I put him in the basement, where it was closest and easiest to pull new wires (already 4). I tried to use standard telephone cables and connectors (RJ11) as much as possible so that the structure was disassembled and repairable.
When connecting this barometer on the same I2C bus as the RTC (non-volatile clock module), not very clear problems arose. They interfered with each other and until I put a short delay before reading the barometer, everything was not stable. Since short-term power outages are not so uncommon and the RTC module worth a dime I added it for non-volatile time. mostly needed when using x10. Using it, there was a desire to automatically synchronize it with NTP over the Internet (since we already have it), but something didn't work out for me to cross the webduino server and NTP. As a result, the NTP time (Unix epoch) is sent to the Arduino (and updated by the RTC) every time any settings or modes are changed in the web interface. Which has its drawbacks as it is taken by JavaScript from the time on the current computer or mobile device and is not always accurate and in the correct time zone.

I send commands to my radio sockets with Arduins using a penny ($ 2) transmitter module. They are a dime a dozen in ibey (search for "RF transmitter 315 Mhz ..") and in any store. The only thing is to choose the right radio frequency corresponding to your sockets. Unfortunately my sockets were not supported correctly by the RCswitch standard library. in the description of the library there is a list of supported chips, but do not be upset if yours is not on the list, it worked for me after analyzing the ether manually and without a library. Much has been written about similar plugs, working with the library. In particular, here: http://habrahabr.ru/post/213425 http://habrahabr.ru/post/212215 I used 110V sockets
... Despite the fact that radio control requires a non-standard solution, it is the simplest and most cost-effective solution to the task at hand. Namely, turn on and off electric batteries or any other device (not necessarily resistive) in time or manually, and sometimes turn on / off the outdoor light. Insteon, Zwave and others have many unnecessary additional functions but they are much more expensive and have problems with the openness of the interface so that Arduino can send simple commands to devices. The only problem with x10 sockets, Insteon and others is that they click very loudly during switching. This is especially annoying on a quiet night. Another nuance: x10 was sharpened and popular in North America and, accordingly, under 110 volts. Here everyone chooses for himself. Or pay a lot for:
Z-Wave - there are no ready-made sockets, there are strangely shaped relay modules that also click more quietly and they must be hidden somewhere, somehow in the walls, then walled up, it is not clear how to maintain them - change / repair them. But there were USB modules for sending commands. But for this you still need a microcomputer (perhaps a router will do) with the correct OS drivers, etc.
Insteon - there are sockets, but they also click disgustingly like x10, and as far as I understand there is no open module for sending commands, and the system is again sharpened for 110V;
You decide to bother with the integration and sending commands to this network or pay 5-10 times less for each radio device and, if necessary, sharpen the code for it. Like any other thing, everything for 110V is cheaper. Of course, there are also extreme ways, such as, for example, the idea described by several authors here, the idea of entangling the entire apartment (house) with a pair (and in fact a bundle) of hammer wires and collecting each control and controlled device from scratch manually using the 1-Wire protocol. Some have gone even further and are developing their own protocols ...

Also, as a kiter, I screwed on an anemometer (wind speed sensor). To measure it, I used a cup sensor available at hand with a reed switch closing 1 kOhm between two contacts when the cups rotate. The program uses an interrupt and measures the number of times + 5V is applied (transition from 0 to 1) to the digital input (coupled with 5 kOhm at the same + 5V). This value is multiplied by a factor suitable for your sensor and the wind speed in knots is obtained from the number of faults per second. Also, for each hour, the maximum and minimum speed values (gusts) are measured and the maximum for an hour is displayed. The current and maximum are given to the web. Each sensor must be individually calibrated and the correct factor selected. To control the garage door, I used a spare radio remote control from it and with the help of an additional relay (sixth) emulated pressing a button on the remote control (by opening the remote control and soldering the buttons in the contacts).

The communication protocol of a standard control unit of a thermal pump with its remote control (usually 2 wires) is usually closed and our arduina cannot know which mode and settings are set in the standard control unit, but with the help of our sensors we can know in which mode HVAC is now and although they also have there is a temperature sensor in the heat exchanger, additional protection with the help of Arduina will not interfere. I am often asked: Isn't it scary for me to trust Arduina to manage such a responsible system with my home? My code is open and transparent. I understand what is happening and can always catch and correct inaccuracies (if there are any left after six months of using the system). And most importantly, I can add any functions that I need. In the same box, most likely a less powerful controller and of course there is nothing to change and cannot be added. Without arduina, adding again limited functions like access from the Internet to a standard control unit costs a new box of hundreds of dollars. It all started not from the fact that I wanted to save money, but I needed functions that were convenient for me, which could not be bought for any money from equipment manufacturers. But of course, if you take into account the price of man-hours spent by me, and even if you just decide to do something like that on the basis of my and other developments, it is certainly cheaper to buy a ready-made project for this project, but say goodbye to flexibility and the necessary functions. This is about how to install FreeBSD and painstakingly long and for every reason to delve into the flea market of Internet knowledge and manually tweak it from the command line in comparison with Mac OS, beautiful ready-made but limited based on the same BSD. The main one is the inclusion of heating / cooling to the desired temperature, not forever or on a schedule, but only for an hour-2-4. It sounds simple and convenient, but is not present in any standard control unit.

If you want to control only a thermal pump without RF, RTC, barometer and other problems, the memory and legs will be enough for Uno (I did so in the first phase of my project). In the full version, you can't do without Mega. Let's take a look at the resulting functions and interface.

The interface itself is made within the framework of just one html page using Ajax technology for exchanging data with the Arduino web server (webduino) and is based on the JQuery Mobile libraries. Therefore, to work, you need several image files and the libraries themselves, which can be replaced with links.

In the upper left corner, we see the moon, which means that according to the day and night settings (in the first line of the blue block), the night mode is now. If the daytime mode there will be sunshine. Further we see our house. The house has a lot of temperatures in every room and in the center the temperature is tenth, this is the temperature in the living room at the main level. In green at the bottom of the house, we see the relative humidity inside the house. To the right of it is a snowflake, this is an indicator that the air conditioner is now working. At this place, the other operating modes are displayed with different icons (heating with a thermal pump or AUX or x10). If the icon is muted (translucent) then the system is in this mode but not active. Those. for example, in air conditioning mode up to a temperature of 21 degrees, but since now 20 degrees, the air conditioner is not active. If two modes are operating at the same time, for example, heating x10 and heating with a thermal pump, then two icons will flash sequentially. On the left and right of the house, we see rays, when pressed, they become bright and, when pressed again, they are muffled. This is the inclusion of external lighting at the house. I have an outside light in my backyard and in front of the house. Control is transferred at x10 and the numbers of the corresponding devices are written in the html (JS) code, Arduina only sends commands to the device numbers transferred to her from HTML. To the right of the house we see an automatic garage door. which opens and closes when you click on it. Above to the right of the house, we see the current (averaged over 1-2 minutes) or maximum per hour wind speed in knots. The wind speed value is highlighted different colors blue to red depending on speed and in accordance with internationally accepted Beaufort colors. On the top right, we see the temperature outside and below the current atmospheric pressure. The pink background for the pressure value is a graph of its relative change over the last 24 hours (x-time, y- relative pressure value). Under the pressure of green, the relative humidity outside.

Now let's look at the white select group and the SET button. The left selector selects the desired temperature / mode. Right for how long to turn on this mode. If the mode is active, then the labels will change slightly, as in this example
If the heating mode is active, then the button will additionally be colored red and if the cooling mode is blue. To turn it off, you need to leave the temperature and the selected mode on the left and the remaining minutes on the right, and then the SET button will change to OFF and pressing it will turn off the mode. The cooling or heating mode is automatically selected depending on the outside temperature. If outside is less than the value of the heat_temp constant described in the html (JS) file, then only heating will be offered, otherwise only cooling.

Now let's look at the blue x10 block. Clicking on the first line opens the general settings: ON - All Sockets Always On (for example in summer), OFF all sockets are always off (for example, if you are on vacation), Split - come into effect individual settings groups and rooms. Then you can choose from what hour the day starts and from what night. Remember to click the Apply button below to save your settings. further, each line reflects a group of rooms, which can consist of one or more rooms. I made a grouping by floors in my house. Some floors have only one room and some have more. For each group, we can set the ON mode - all sockets of this group are always on, OFF all sockets of this group are always off (for example, you need to turn on the vacuum cleaner and if the battery is running at the same time, it will blow the fuse), Split (available only for groups with more than one room) - the individual settings of the rooms within the group take effect, Day - maintain the specified temperature only during the day (always off at night), Day & Night - maintain the specified temperature for the day and another temperature at night. All of the above is available for each room, with the exception of Split. Remember to click Apply at the bottom for the changes to take effect.

The very last line is the Override setting. This mode was made to forcibly turn on the sockets in the selected room or luminaire for a while. For example, you need to heat the room as much as possible for a certain period in order for the child to massage there and after an hour continue to maintain the usual temperature in it. Or turn on the light outside for half an hour. On the left, you select the room on the right for how long to turn on the mode and press the Overrride button. If you need to turn off the mode on the right ahead of schedule, select OFF and click Override. All information is updated every upd_interval (constant from html file) seconds. Default = 60 seconds. When the information is updated, the entire upper part of the page with the house blinks.

I would also like to talk about the concept of combining sockets (pool). Let's say you have one large room one battery is not able to heat it at -5 overboard, or it will heat up for a very long time. You can put a second RF socket with the same code / address and plug the second battery into it and both of them will always turn on. What when relatively warm temperature will result in frequent clicking and turning on and off of these two or more batteries. There is another option you combine these batteries in the pool in the arduino code x10pools = (0,0,0,0,0,12,0,0,13,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0) ... Zero means there is no pool at the given socket address; number means the address of the pool's child socket. The child is turned on if it is colder outside than poolt (constant from the html file) or the gap between the desired temperature in the room and the current one is greater than delta_temp * poolf (constants from the html file). I would like to say more about delta_temp (constant from html file) is delta temperature. It is needed so that the modes do not often turn on, do not turn off, since the readings of the sensors can jump a little + -. Heating turns on if the current temperature is less than (required - delta_temp) and turns off if more (required + delta_temp). The default is 0.5 Grad C.

Now let's look at the issue of security. Of course, you can't leave the control of your home available to everyone. Since our system consists of a client (JS Ajax html page) and a server (Arduino), you can organize different levels of security. For example, you can put an HTML page on your computer, phone, tablet, etc. (without putting it on public hosting) and then only you (from devices with this file) will be able to open this control panel for your home systems. The Arduino web server weighs on an internal IP and therefore if you do not forward it to the outside world on the router, then the Arduino itself can only be reached from your internal network. Access to the HTML page itself can be password-protected on the Web server where you want to post it. It is also fashionable to set up an HTTPS server in relation to her. The simplest and, in my opinion, quite reliable is the public hosting of the page, but the page itself does not connect anywhere at startup if it does not pass the Arduino server address by the parameter (pre-configured Dinamic DNS and Port Foewarding). It looks like this in the browser, the following link is entered http://myhosting.com/index.html?http://myhome.slyip.net:8081/hvac. If an attacker accidentally stumbles upon your client page, then he will not be able to do anything with it without knowing the address of the Arduino server. This is the easiest and most convenient compromise option that I am currently using. Yes, I, too, all this design with a poor (slow does not support HTTPS, etc.) Arduino Web Shield server, in addition to which I also need to host the client page from the icon somewhere separately. And as soon as I get the famous TP-LINK TL-WR703N from china
a router that in a flash turns into a wifi bridged web server with a Serial (UART) interface to the Arduine, I will immediately screw it to the arduine (or her to it) and throw out this shield and juggle the wire. Thus, it will turn out even more than what I wanted so unsuccessfully to get from the STM32 controller, namely that everything was in one device (not a separate client page and a separate executive server) and a normal web server on which you can implement a decent degree of convenience, speed and security.

B last

The concept of "smart home" is divided into several components and has different ways of implementation. Firstly, the concept of a “smart home” is associated with efficient consumption of resources: energy saving, water saving. Secondly, with the organization of security: video surveillance, alarm systems. Thirdly, with automatic control of the operation of all engineering systems and electrical appliances: water leakage sensors, short circuit protection, etc.

The fourth element of a “smart home” is increased comfort, that is, the automation of actions that a person usually does on their own - from automatically turning on the light to controlling the coffee machine using a smartphone and tablet. According to experts, the market for home automation equipment and related smart devices of the Internet of Things (IoT) class experienced explosive growth last year. A clear indicator of its potential is the interest from the IT giants Google and Apple.

But from an architectural point of view, the main task of a modern "smart home" is not the ability to control household appliances at a distance, and strive for zero energy consumption. This can be implemented different ways... Just as one of the world's leading architects Ben Van Berkel (UNStudio) does in his recent W.I.N.D. , where automation and complex management of all systems are combined, or get by with the "entry-level" set of "smart home" DIY (Do-It-Yourself) for self-assembly.

The division between control systems that can be installed by the user himself and those that require a professional installer for their installation / configuration is gradually blurring. On the one hand, DIY systems are becoming more and more sophisticated, on the other hand, professionally installed systems are becoming more and more simple to set up and use, have a stylish design and a user-friendly menu. At the same time, they solve a variety of tasks, for example, the organization of climate control in a cottage with a winter garden.

When thermal comfort and protection from the blinding sun presupposes shading the window, while ensuring visual comfort and using daylight without obstructing the light, a dilemma arises that can be solved with external sun shades and the universal WAREMA climatronic® control system. and the height of the sun blinds, depending on the position of the sun, in order to cut off the hit of straight lines sun rays to the room and provide pleasant diffused light. This cannot be done in manual mode.

The compact WAREMA Climatronic ® sensor measures sun brightness, precipitation, temperature, wind speed and direction for all building facades. Based on this data, a comfortable climate is created in accordance with personal requirements. Programming is carried out on the device itself or on a computer using special software. In this case, control of up to 7 thousand drive mechanisms can be programmed. In addition, WAREMA climatronic ® makes it possible to control all connected consumers using a hand-held radio remote control of the WAREMA EWFS unified radio control system. So, without getting up from the sofa, you can separately control the sun protection device, turn on the light or install an artificial climate, and smoothly dim the lighting in the evening.

There are installations in which it is necessary to work out more complex scenarios, which include not only light scenes and climate control, but also security systems and energy control modes. This is the area of complex projects created using the KNX protocol. By the way, Warema works in this direction as well. To send commands to all the components that control the home, you need a system that can communicate with individual devices in the same "language." WAREMA KNX ® bus technology fulfills this task.

Images theneura.com, electronicsofthings.com, myblossom.com

Tips for beginners

Smart home technologies allow today to control almost everything. Some things, such as, for example, devices for turning on / off lights on command, are simple and inexpensive, others, for example, video surveillance systems, require more significant investment. Until recently, Smart Home systems attracted exceptionally rich eccentrics, today it is already, as they say, mainstream, i.e. familiar to many devices. And the development of these technologies, which received a powerful impetus due to the widespread adoption of broadband mobile internet, goes very quickly, it is not for nothing that electronic giants such as Apple, Google and Samsung have entered this market one after another.

Naturally, complex and voluminous systems that control everything in and around the house, which you access through a smartphone or tablet, are on sale and, if you have enough money, you can easily install them in your home. At the same time, today almost every company that deals with home devices and systems, or security systems, wants to take a bite of the pie of the home automation market and begins to release remotely controlled products. But so far, unfortunately, there are no systems that could unite all devices, regardless of who produces them and on what principle they work. Maybe Apple or Google will make us happy?

However, let's figure out what you can already use. And first of all, we will understand why this is necessary.

Why do I need a "smart home".

Automation makes your life in your home or apartment easier and better, moreover, it saves time and money. Here are some reasons to start building your smart home.

Automation improves efficiency. This applies both to the efficiency of the individual systems in your home and to the efficiency of the entire household. For example, because the automation system is capable of controlling multiple devices, you can turn off thermostats and turn off the lights at the push of a button when you go on vacation. You don't have to worry that you forgot to do something.
Automation saves you money. Only smart control of lighting, heating, ventilation or air conditioning can reduce energy costs by 15-20%, according to the developers of automation systems. For owners of their own homes, this also adds the ability to use non-standard heating or cooling systems, which also dramatically reduces the cost of electricity and allows you to quickly recoup your investment in a "smart home".
Automation is convenient. Ability to control many electronic devices(light, heating, audio / video, curtains and doors, locks, security systems, etc.) using a single touch device on the wall or just a smartphone - this alone makes you think about home automation.
Automation creates comfort. The ability to actively monitor various electronic elements at home provides the comfort in which the environment around you - from installing lighting to turning on the music center - begins to obey you.
Automation provides peace of mind... The home device control system allows you to avoid problems that can arise from forgetfulness or due to inability. From anywhere you can check whether everything is normal in your home and, if necessary, make corrections using your smartphone.

Smart home technologies

Before we start buying smart home devices, let's understand a little about the technologies that are used in these devices. There are a few different standards or the communication protocols that these devices use to communicate between themselves and controllers. Some devices are wired, some are wireless, and some are both. Be sure to check which protocol your device uses before buying so that all your purchases are compatible with each other.

X10. This is the oldest of the home automation protocols, which appeared back in the 70s of the last century (sounds terrible, but this is only about 40 years ago, and not in the days of Sherlock Holmes and the activities of the People's Will). It is now used for both wired and wireless communications. X10 does not boast insane speed or ultra-reliable connectivity between devices on a home automation network, however, this standard has long been debugged and many people still prefer to use X10.

ZigBee. This is another name for the IEEE 802.15.4 wireless standard used by the ZigBee Alliance group of manufacturers. The main advantage in this standard is that it creates a mesh network (mesh network), in which most devices are equal and communicate with each other on equal terms. The mesh network offers increased reliability and resilience. When one of the nodes stops functioning, the other nodes continue to work, connecting directly to each other or through other intermediate nodes. Moreover, this connection consumes very little electricity.

Z-Wave. Another wireless protocol owned by one company - a chip manufacturer, including for smart home systems Sigma Design.

Insteon... It is arguably the best protocol that combines a powerline communication protocol with a wireless protocol. Both work like a mesh network. All nodes of the Insteon network are equal and can communicate with each other. If one node fails, communication goes through the others. The protocol developer is Smartlabs. The protocol is compatible with X10.

WiFi. This network protocol is now used not only by computer systems. Very fast, works well. And it is not surprising that some manufacturers have begun to make smart home products that take advantage of the advantages of this protocol. Other protocols use less power and use less bandwidth, but the capabilities of WiFi are much more extensive.

HAI... This is a protocol used in professional installations over $ 50K. We'll leave it aside for now.

Smart home planning

Before you rush to buy those interesting devices that we will describe below, you need to plan everything in advance and decide on your goals. To do this, you need to make a short list of your actions.

Define your goals. Do you want to control your home by phone and check the bathroom temperature from anywhere in the world, or are you a little more modest in your desires? Write in detail what you ideally want to get. The right approach is to start small, but knowing what you want at the end is key to successfully completing a project. Try to figure out what will be most useful for you. Start with a security system, for example. Or here are some other examples.
Vacation system. Pressing one button on the keyboard will turn off the heating, the security system will go into the "On" mode, and the lighting will turn on in the evening in a certain order to simulate the presence of people at home. Or a mode in which, in the event of a call during front door, a picture of the caller comes to your phone, and you get the opportunity of a two-way conversation with him. And you can decide whether to open the door remotely for him (and then lock after he leaves).

Choose a standard for home automation. Basically, any one can be used. The main thing is to decide in order to select required devices... Now dominated by X10 and Insteon. Both are uncomplicated, the X10 is somewhat cheaper, and the Insteon can handle large amounts of data.

Define the phases of the systems installation. Devices for "smart home" make life better, but if you decide right away on a large-scale installation of devices, then after a while you may decide that you shouldn't have taken it up. Break the process down into stages, make sure that all the devices that you installed in this stage are working, and only then proceed to the next stage. The more detailed you draw the installation diagram, the easier your life will be when carrying out work.
Select a control system. For example, Activehome for the X10 standard is an easy-to-use solution, but with somewhat limited functionality. Or Powerhome is a good choice but difficult to master. Some systems allow using voice control, but they are not very friendly with the Russian language. Separate solutions allow remote control access.
Install the computer controlling the system... This computer needs to work 24/7, so choose a place for it where it will not interfere with anyone. Install the software, connect the X10 controller (or another standard of your choice).
Install home automation devices and modules. The number and list of devices and control modules depends on your plan. There are many of them, we will not dwell on specific devices here, for example, if you use X10, then a universal module can be used to control, say, a garage door. There are modules for lamps, or wall switches, most of them are very easy to connect. We will describe some devices below.

And a couple of comments.

To save electricity, use additional sensors that will allow, for example, the system to automatically turn off the light when you leave the room.
Where possible, use wired switch-type modules rather than plug-in modules. This will allow you to control lights and devices without using a smart home control system, if, God forbid, something breaks in it.
Keep in mind that automation requires an understanding of what you are doing, especially when you are dealing with electricity. Wrong actions can be dangerous for you.

Smart home devices

Statistics say that the most popular home automation project is building a security system. The creation of home theaters and home music control systems is in second place, followed by light and energy management. Then there is the integration of several systems with each other.

Learning Thermostat Nest

The Nest thermostat (owned by Google) not only controls the temperature in the house, but also decorates it. It was designed by the man who designed Apple's iPod. It works on WiFi network and you can control the temperature remotely using your smartphone or computer. It is not very cheap, but it will not be superfluous in any smart home. In addition, the Nest has an open interface, which will allow new devices to be connected to it in the future, as Google promises.

Wireless thermostat Honeywell

Honeywell Wireless Thermostat

This is another WiFi thermostat from Honeywell, which has been making home devices for decades and its line of thermostats offers many connection options.

The thermostat has a color touch screen and software capable of learning user habits, and can also control internal and external conditions to optimize the performance of heating and cooling systems. Thermostat settings can be pre-programmed on a schedule, or entered directly via a touch screen, computer or mobile device. The screen displays the room and outside temperature, humidity value, and local weather forecast. In addition, several versions of this device can be voice controlled.

Insteon

Insteon home automation system

Insteon is one that has a lot good reviews a home automation system that uses both electrical wiring and a wireless channel for communications. Insteon combines two-way and mesh technology to create a fast, reliable network that's compatible with anything from thermostats to home theater systems.

Insteon Starter Kit includes a hub and one dimmer module for dimming. The hub connects the entire system to the Internet (via a home router) and works with a mobile application that allows you to control the system from anywhere, program timers and your own "scripts", and monitor the system status. The hub can also send emails and text messages when sensors are triggered in the house. Insteon offers virtually everything from light switches and motion sensors to garage door openers, night vision cameras, water leak detectors, and more, according to manufacturers.

Kevo smart deadbolt

If you can open your car without keys, why don't you do the same with your house or apartment? One option is Kwikset's Kevo Smart Deadbolt, a bolt lock with a sensor ring on the outside and a Bluetooth 4.0 smart mechanism on the inside. Kevo uses several methods for opening at once: a key fob, an iPhone with the Kevo app, touching the said ring with a finger, and a password word for opening. However, according to user reviews, the application is not working very well yet.

Belkin WeMo

Belkin WeMo. Smart socket

It is an easy-to-install device that can serve as a great start for a smart home and that can be up and running within minutes of installation. Belkin WiFi sockets allow you to remotely turn on or off devices connected to electrical network Through them. Belkin has released a few other very handy devices - for example, the WeMo Home Light Switch, a motion sensor that allows you to activate devices plugged into the WeMo outlet, a video nanny with WiFi access. All this is controlled through a mobile application based on iOS or Android.

Philips Hue lighting system

Hue is a lighting system made up of lamps, light strips and a wireless bridge that is controlled via an iOS app. According to the company, “Each HUE lamp has 600 lumens of light output and can produce all kinds of white light, from warm to cold, as well as different options colored light. Each lamp uses 80% less energy than a traditional lamp. "The light can be steplessly dimmed and increased, its color can be rearranged, and all of this is possible from anywhere you can access the Internet. In addition, the app contains a number of" recipes "from experts light to help you concentrate or relax better. Hue system Compatible with a range of other smart home devices such as Belkin MeMo switches.

How much can you trust the "smart home"

An important question: what is the reliability of such systems that unite many "smart" devices, how sure can you be sure that after you tell him to close the front door through your smartphone, the lock will really click? Does such a system have "foolproof"?

All systems in the house, such as light, heating and security, are subsystems of a single automation system. The advantage of this system is that it provides very reliable control and integration of all subsystems. At the same time, almost always, when an automation system fails, the subsystems continue to work. This will only create some inconvenience for you. For example, you won't be able to turn off 20 lights at the same time by pressing one button, but you can still do it one at a time and in the usual way.

Note that the smart home system uses feedback from its subsystems and receives a signal if something goes wrong. In this case, a message comes to the user's phone and he can decide what to do in this case.

No more searching for a remote control or getting off the couch to adjust your blinds. Home automation controller will solve all these problems. The installation of an automation system improves the living system by replacing some of the body movements with a remote control, which, in the hands of the owner, is able to fulfill almost all wishes regarding control. The smart home system takes control of all home equipment and, with one click on the control panel, performs switching on, off and other functions.

Home Automation - Smart Home

Every year the smart home program is gaining more and more popularity, and hardworking specialists are trying to improve it and set it up for easy management. helps to remotely control curtains, lights, air conditioning and other equipment. Also, the control panel can be located either on the wall in the form of a touch panel or located in a device, for example, iPod, iPad and others.

Home control using a remote control is what is needed in every home. After all, it is so pleasant to wake up not to the annoying sound of an alarm clock and from the sun shining brightly in your eyes, but from the sounds of nature, while in a room slowly filling with light. All daily activities can start with your favorite music, you just need to make the appropriate amendments to the management system. With a smart automated complex, you no longer need to run around, turning off the lights and other devices, it is enough to leave the house, press the touch panel of the control system and everything will be done for you.

Smart home automation systems

Such a system simplifies life by providing the ability to control the house using a special remote control. Automated home control allows at a distance:

set certain lighting modes;
give a certain position to curtains, blinds;
turn on and off the air conditioner, heat supply and other equipment.

Everything you need to now be close at hand, within reach. The control is carried out by means of the touch panel, which is capable of performing the specified work of any device every day at a certain time. Thus, you can adjust the lighting on or set the operating time of the air conditioner. Devices that run on the Android platform and released by Apple can be used as a remote control.

The advantages of home automation systems weight. They are not only in the convenience of home control, because such a system allows you to save on electricity. Due to the fact that lighting and other devices will work at the specified time and as much as is required for a comfortable stay at home, you can forget about constant overpayments. All necessary adjustments are easily introduced, so the system can be adjusted to maximize resource consumption. Installed system warnings, will be able to notify in case of malfunctions or indicate possible failures.

04/13/2010, Tue, 18:04, Moscow time

V modern buildings dozens of engineering systems that are integrated into smart complexes. But the majority of Russians still live in ordinary houses, the "intellect" of which is hardly an urgent need, but rather seems to be a toy. What could be interesting about building automation for such consumers? What can she give, for example, in an ordinary apartment, and not in a country mansion or "cool" office building?

Almost everyone is interested in safety, comfort and efficiency permanent place residence. This is important in any apartment, although they can be very different - from economy to elite class. This and different areas, and cost. This means that the requirements for the automation of objects will differ significantly. Although the cost of complex automation projects is still subjectively high, it is worth remembering how much the first conventional PCs or cell phones cost and looking at these "miracles" of technology now. Prices have decreased tenfold.

It is important to understand that even in our high-tech age, equipment cannot be cheap without mass production. In addition, let's not forget that the main thing in building automation is services for users. Below are four examples of such services.

Switch - "turn off all"

This feature can be considered a must-see for home automation. It allows, for example, leaving an apartment (house), to turn off all unnecessary electricity consumers after that: lamps, electrical outlets, ventilation, etc. In addition to saving electricity, this can significantly increase fire safety dwellings.

Where to install a button with this function? Where it is convenient for residents. There may be several such buttons. For example, by installing a button at the head of the bed, you can safely "turn off everything" at night.

Of course, you should not unplug the outlet with the refrigerator on. It is also impractical to turn off electronic audio or video equipment with programmable timers, which may lose their settings when the power is turned off. It should only be noted that in modern switches, any key or button can be selected for such a function, while the rest can be used for ordinary functions of controlling lighting, curtains, etc. Note that you can program this function for any button when required - of course, if the apartment already has an automation system. True, for this you will have to call the master. And with some complication of automation, you can control such a function remotely, for example, from a PDA, via the Internet, i.e., as marketers like to say, from anywhere in the world. And the best thing is to provide for this function from the very beginning of construction.

Leakage protection

One can only envy those who did not survive the flood, when you have to throw everything and try to quickly turn off the water, then collect it in a basin or bucket, dry everything for a long time, change the parquet floor and negotiate "voluntary" compensation for damage with the neighbors living below. Now there are ways to successfully prevent the consequences of such emergencies. As a rule, the simplest apartment system for preventing leaks consists of water-sensitive sensors, a controller (control unit) and two solenoid valves or motorized ball valves to shut off the water supply. The sensors are installed in places of the most probable and rapid accumulation of water in the event of a leak, and the valves are mounted on the outlets to the apartment from the risers - to cold and hot water.

The principle of operation of the system is simple: when water enters the sensor, the valves are automatically closed, and further water flow is stopped. At the same time, an alarm sounds. There are sensors different types, including wireless (radio). However, they do not know how to determine which water should be shut off - cold or hot, therefore everything is usually shut off. Emergency Signal can be fed not only directly from the accident site, but also to the central panel. Or even anywhere - if it is a signal via SMS. You will still have to remove the water manually and only after eliminating the causes of the accident, turn on its supply (open the valves). This is usually done with a dedicated button.

When water enters the sensor, the valves are automatically closed, and further water flow is stopped

Of course, the valves can also be connected to the "turn off everything" button, then, for example, when you leave for a few summer cottages, you can protect the apartment not only from fire, but also from a possible flood.

There are a few Russian manufacturers who successfully promote such systems. But they are not in every "smart" home. The approximate minimum cost of a set is 8000-10000 rubles. At the same time, the cost of "pure" automation in the form of a controller is 1500-2000 rubles. about 20%. The rest falls on gauges and taps.

Calling the elevator from the apartment

Probably, everyone at least once in his life had to hurry up and literally save every second before leaving the apartment, and then get nervous on the landing, waiting for the arrival of the called elevator. So far, this is happening even in the most super-elite and modern houses. If you call the elevator directly from the apartment, it will save the time spent waiting for it.

Plant watering system

Imagine that on every windowsill where indoor plants grow, there is an automatic and compact watering system. From the common reservoir to the ground in the pots, there are thin tubes that have moisture sensors at the ends. The general principle is simple and straightforward. The earth has become dry - the required amount of water is fed into the pot, then a pause of 2-3 days, then watering again, if required. There may be a simpler option - watering on a weekly schedule. Experts will be able to calculate and install the required water capacity, which needs to be refilled once a week or two.

In addition to increasing the level of comfort, this saves time and hassle. As a rule, a woman who is already tired of the endless chores around the house. And just fill the containers with water - this can be entrusted to both husband and son.

Manufacturers do not offer such devices in a complex yet. Integrators, of course, can and are ready to assemble such devices, but even at exhibitions so far they do not demonstrate anything like that.

Vladimir Pasekov