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What is the best protocol used in Home Automation systems?

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Question added by Ammar Ahmed , Electrical Engineer - Electrical and Safety Program (ESAP) Site Manager , International Committee of the Red Cross - ICRC
Date Posted: 2016/11/28
Muhammad Adeel Khan
by Muhammad Adeel Khan , Manager E-Power (Telecom Electrical System + Solar System) , Somcable Limited.

Popular Communications Protocol for products include X, Insteon, UPB, KNX, ZigBee and  Z-Wave

but some manufacturer also use  Ethernet, RS-,6LoWPAN, Bluetooth LE (BLE) for there products.

 

X

X, developed in thes, is the oldest home automation protocol. X is a simple system that uses the power lines in your home to allow communication between devices and appliances. Since X uses the power lines, it is very reliable but subject to interference from other electrical devices in the circuit. Special noise filters can mitigate this interference. X is a primitive system and can only perform about commands, sent one at a time.

 

Insteon

Insteon combines wired and wireless communication into a single system that offers great reliability and flexibility. The power line is typically used as a backup to the RF frequency used by the system. This allows commands to reach the proper destination with little to no interference. Insteon supports over, different commands and is one of the best options for upgrading the light switches in your home. Insteon offers limited compatibility with X devices, but with the proper equipment, you can streamline an older X system with Insteon technology.

 

UPB (Universal Powerline Bus)

UPB is a wired system developed in the lates as an improvement to the technology that undergirds X. UPB reduces the interference that sometimes plagues X by using high-power pulses to send its commands over power line circuits. UPB sends commands faster and can handle greater voltage loads than X, enabling a broader range of applications. UPB is fully programmable beyond the simple commands of X.

 

KNX

KNX appeared in Europe in the lates and earlys and spread from there to over countries. The system operates in much the same way as Insteon, except that in addition to power lines and RF frequencies, the standard system also supports the transmission of commands over wireless infrared, twisted pair wiring and Ethernet cables. KNX is normally installed in a twisted pair wiring setup, which effectively eliminates electrical interference. If you choose the twisted pair wiring option, it will be necessary to install new wiring throughout your entire home, unlike with the other systems in this guide.

 

ZigBee

ZigBee is a type of wireless mesh network that is completely unlike any of its predecessors. In a mesh network, every device acts as a relay to send and receive information. Commands travel by relay through the network of devices until they reach their intended destination. Due to the nature of a mesh network's relay system, the wireless network can become larger, stronger and more reliable with each additional device added. It is common to see ZigBee devices from one manufacturer that are unable to communicate with those from a different manufacturer, likely because each device uses different methods of programming to accomplish the same tasks. For this reason, manufacturers use ZigBee as a way to limit third-party devices in closed systems.

 

Z-Wave

Z-Wave is the golden standard of wireless smart house systems. Z-Wave uses the same mesh networking strategy as ZigBee; however, Z-Wave devices are universally compatible with one another. Z-Wave is available on every type of device that you would want in a smart home. It is not as fast or powerful as ZigBee but makes up for this by being more efficient   therefore it doesn't need to be as fast or powerful.

Marcelle Hobeika
by Marcelle Hobeika , Business Development Consultant , Lynx

Well, as a quick answer to your question, in my own opinion, KNX ( “worldwide standard for home control”) is the best protocol used in Home Automation systems, due to the wide varieties of KNX products related to all fields of use: HVAC, Lighting, Shutters, ... leading to Energy control in the residential market, and due the the simple wiring installation. However, we should always take into consideration many factors related to communication protocols: Speed, Cost, Reliability, Availability.. in order to chose the most adequate protocol rather than the best protocol.

  • Z-WAVE,ZIGBEE,WI-FI,BLUETOOTH.

João António Trigo Cândido Silva
by João António Trigo Cândido Silva , Technical and Marketing Manager , JUNG Middle East

To aswer your questions first of all I would ask a few other questions, before answering yours! 

By Home you mean an already built, under project or renovation? What funtions are you planing to have, how big is your home, would you include Audio and Video integration, cctv, HAVAC..., how big is your budget for it, would you be open to have some refurbishement done or you don't want to breack walls? This are just a few of the possible questions that should be asked, before sugesting any system. 

After the answers above, you could sugest a wired or wireless solution. A simple or more complex solution, with an open protocol or a closed protocol, one just to control a few lights and shutters, or one control the full house with remote control from your mobile.

Still, after this analises, you would need to make the client understand that a cheap solution may come with a hight price in the future. Probably it is a closed protocol with only one manufacture producing products for the system. If so, in a few years it may become obsolet and the manufacture may disapear. It can be OK if the solution only controls a few functions, like Home cinema lights, for example. By the other hand, a more expensive solution may be based in an open protocol and enable a mix of different products, solutions from different brands, that can complete your perfect Home automation system. 

I would suggest you to meet me, bring me your project, I would ask you a few questions and than I would suggeste you the best Automation System for your home. 

It could be KNX, ZigBee, Zwave, X10, eNet, Lutron, Crestron, AMX, enOcean, or none of the obove. It all depends on the solutions that fits your needs. 

Savan Nayak
by Savan Nayak , BMS service engineer , Axxon

Ethernet,Bluetooth,ZigBee and RF id

pouria kamalvand
by pouria kamalvand , Product Manager , GHADIR design and Processing co.

KNX, Zigbee, Z-wave, bluetooth, KNX is wordwide protocol, but Z-wave and zigbee using wifi and no need to rewiring.

رشيد لمراني علوي
by رشيد لمراني علوي , technicien , luisance

le KNX je travaille avec plusieurs marque comme lutron crestron 

ANIL  SAHOO
by ANIL SAHOO , HONEYWELL AUTOMATION INDIA LTD

LAN/WLAN USED IN HOME PROTOCOL SYSTEM

mohammed tarique khan
by mohammed tarique khan , CONTROL ROOM PANEL OPERATOR , JINDAL STEEL &POWER LTD

WI-FI,BLUETOOTH,THREAD,APPLE HOME KIT

Abdul Kalam Shaik PMI-PMP®
by Abdul Kalam Shaik PMI-PMP® , Senior Testing and Commissioning Engineer , STED Saudi Co.

A simple 2-wire BACnet protocol on dedicated network could be the best protocol for homelbuilding automation systems.

As I have worked on the several large & mega building as a BMS engineer, personally experienced the importence of Open protocals like BACnet, Modbus, LON, etc., mainly for the future expansion and data aquiring. Must be recommended dedicated network.

 

Rahul R
by Rahul R , Electrical Engineer , Zener Steward Electromechanical LLC

KNX/EIB (Konnex / European Installation Bus)

 KNX was developed specifically to meet the needs of electrical installations in buildings • KNX devices are installed, programmed and parameterised by fully qualified system integrators • KNX is well-established and can accommodate a huge range of functions • There are several thousand KNX-certified product groups available, covering every conceivable field of application • KNXproducts aretestedfor conformity by an independent third party test laboratories • KNX products are compatible with products from all manufacturers (interworking) • The PC software ETS can be used to plan, design and commission installations of KNX-certified products from any manufacturer • KNXsupports all communication media: TP (based on a standalone 2-wire bus cable), PL (Powerline), RF (Radio Frequency), and IP/Ethernet/WLAN

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