Core Elements of A Smart House

Carlo Gavazzi has a smart solution for domestic home automation. The system is built on the sound foundations of Carlo Gavazzi industrial counterpart, Dupline, which has a strong reputation in the world of distributed I/O for being robust and simple to install and commission. 

Core elements of a smart house

The smart-house system uses an advanced central controller based on the robust Windows CE platform. The controller contains the core program to provide the necessary control for the house, and is also the gateway to integrate third-party products such as alarm panels, audio systems and touchscreens.

Remote control is possible with a built-in webserver allowing access from anywhere with an Internet connection - ideal for switching on heating before you come back from holiday or if you just want to know the status of your home.

Simple wiring

A simple two-wire bus cable using free topology is all that is required to connect all the devices in the home to the controller. No additional power is required as most of the keypads are powered by the bus itself. The bus-based system makes for a very simple installation as well as the option to expand the system at a later date.

Keypads

Smart-house keypads for the control of lighting, blinds and heating have been designed to fit standard wall plates, with a wide choice of finishes and styles for the home owner. The AURORA 44 x 44 range will fit wall plates from Niko and Legrand, while the EUNICA 55 x 55 range will fit wall plates from Elko, Gira and Jung.

Smart-house keypads are supplied with white or anthracite covers to complement the chosen wall plate design. Each keypad button has two programmable LED indicators that can be customised to suit the home owner's requirements.

The backlit smart-house temperature display shows the room temperature from its built-in temperature sensor, while the four-button keypad allows heating and cooling set points to be adjusted between pre-defined limits. Manual override of heating or cooling, and energy-saving night setback can also be implemented temporarily, but returns to automatic control at the next time setting.

Sensors

PIR sensors complement the keypads to provide a stylish solution for the control of lighting and heating. Other sensors and devices are available for detecting outside temperature, light level and for interfacing to third-party devices such as heat sensors.

Output devices

The smart-house system has a broad range of output devices including relay modules for switched lighting, solid state output modules for heating (underfloor heating and radiator) together with a range of dimmers for scene control. The latest version of the smart-house dimmer has been designed specifically to work with the latest generation of dimmable LED fittings that are becoming available.

The controller

The smart-house controller is provided with a very simple and effective configuration tool. Using just three steps, installers first define a layout of the house by floor and then room. Next, all of the addresses are generated automatically for the input and output modules using the information from step one. Finally the control features required are defined in the functions section, and then the application can be downloaded to the controller.

Carlo Gavazzi's Control PC software makes it easy to add new functions and tweak the system via a Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet connection. Furthermore, the web server smart-house installations can be managed and interrogated via the Internet from a browser anywhere in the world.

The future

For the future, Carlo Gavazzi plans to introduce new platforms for energy management and building automation, along with the strengthening of its research and development activities. Specifically, a new modular Universal Web Platform (UWP) with integrated management, data logging and web communication features, is poised to drive the company to further growth in the areas of energy efficiency and building automation.

Conclusion

The two-wire addressable bus concept of smart house is a real benefit to installers. Not only does it reduce the overall amount of cable required but also allows for changes to the specification if the homeowner decides to add more hardware during or after the installation. In addition, the simple configuration tool used to program the controller also has a powerful diagnostic function, allowing the installer to develop a project more quickly without having to move around the property.