what is home automation, smart hub, home automation platform, communication protocols, how does home automation work
SMART HOME AUTOMATION
What is Home Automation?
Home automation system has two concepts Automation and Remote control.
Automation is scheduling or program devices to turn on and off on their own.
The remote control is controlling devices/ appliances from a distance
through an internet connection. IoT-based Home automation is a system that
can control electronic devices at your home. Lots of devices are capable of
doing these things where home automation gets cool is when you get lots of
devices working together on a single network. The devices include home
lighting, air-conditioning, home heating, blinds and curtains, garage doors,
security cameras, motions sensors, energy control units, and weather
sensors.
Smart Hub
Home automation solutions vary in functionality and scope, many systems
feature a central control panel, also known as a hub. The hub connects the
home Wi-Fi network and becomes a primary interface through which all your
home utilities can be controlled remotely. This system is expandable, which
means you can add more devices to this ecosystem as your requirement
grow.
A central device that controls many smart products and brings together
different devices. The connected devices in a hub are used to control all
the applications of the smart home remotely or you can schedule your tasks.
Many smart technologies are starting to build hubs for their devices like
the Amazon Alexa or the Google home.
Many home automation system providers develop applications for all popular
platforms. That allows homeowners to remotely control their home utilities
using their smartphones and tablets.
By configuring the hub with your home’s Wi-Fi network and installing the
application on your smartphone, tablet, or PC, you can add and connect to
all appliances ranging from thermostats, security cameras, and motion
sensors. No separate remote controls for different devices and avoid the
difficulty of manually controlling each device; you can control all your
home devices using your internet-enabled smartphone from anywhere in the
world.
What are the day-to-day tasks with home automation using a
smartphone?
·
Control home lighting
·
Monitor home security
·
Adjusting to home heating
·
Monitor weather conditions
·
Control blinds and curtains
·
Thermostat control
How to set up a smart home?
Turning your home into automation can go two routes, first is the
do-it-yourself route. This can be done by buying all the required smart
home devices, setting them up, and then connecting them all using a similar
platform such as Google Assistant, Alexa, or Apple’s Siri/ HomeKit. The
second option is using an integrator. The companies that make home
automation platforms and have regional installers that will come out and
install an integrated solution.
Google’s Nest page is making a play to consumers who want the type of
whole-home solution that the traditional smart home automation companies
provide. Big retailers like Best Buy will come out to your home and do a
consultation for free and they also offer paid installation services.
Popular home assistant platforms such as Amazon’s assistant, Apple’s
HomeKit, Google Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings are dominating their
voice assistant platforms. Not all smart devices can be controlled by
assistant platforms. Each platform has different standards to communicate
with different devices. It requires specific hardware requirements for
devices to work with their platform. Amazon, Apple, Google, and the ZigBee alliance all have decided to come
together and form a working group called Project connected Home over IP. Which plans to develop connectivity standards for smart home products
through security. They will have a universal communication standard for all
smart devices.
Why a smart assistant is important in your smart home?
The smart assistant can control all the smart home devices is very
convenient and enhance security at home.
For the example scenario, the way you are driving back from a day out with the family and you are
about a mile away from home. Your house knows you are coming so the
thermostat sets itself to 71, the security system disarms, the doors unlock
and the lights turn on in the entryway in the kitchen. Because the lights,
the door locks, and all the devices are in one network and connected to your
smartphone which knows when you are getting close to home. Everything
connected to a single hub is more convenient. Home security companies taught
their home automation capabilities. Because those control panels and the apps
that come with them make the perfect hub for all the connected devices.
Features of Home Automation
·
Energy saving
·
Remote access
·
Safe from electric devices
·
Home security
·
Instant alerts for elderly people
·
Modern lifestyle and comfort
Check out: Applications of Home Automation
Communication protocols
With smart home devices, there are several different technologies play
depending on the smart devices. Some devices use Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ZigBee,
Z-wave, or Thread.
ZigBee, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth all used the 2.45 GHz band where Z-wave uses
the 0.9 GHz band. Z-wave will have the greatest non-line of sight range
between devices due to its lower frequency but it will sacrifice some
bandwidth to do. The messages being sent by these devices are relatively
small but these technologies make them into more high-resolution
sensors.
ZigBee
is a local mesh network that consists of a hub that is directly wired into
your router and devices. The benefit of these types of systems is they have more range than a Wi-Fi network with one router. Sometimes
different smart devices require a different hub.
Wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi)
is a networking technology that allows devices to interact with the
internet. They exchanges information with each other creating a network.
Bluetooth
wirelessly transmits data between devices in short-range and uses specific
radio waves.
Z-wave
connects devices to a hub rather than connecting the devices. Once it is
connected to the hub you can control the devices through that hub or using
smartphone apps. This can be used in one central location for all smart
control devices through your house.
How does home automation work?
Home automation works with a network of devices connected via the internet.
Each smart device has sensors that use different protocols to communicate.
To manage these devices from connected application access through your
smartphone or tablet. These can be controlled or monitored remotely anywhere
at any time.
IoT platforms as service providers
Aws IoT
Azure IoT
Thingworx
Thingspeak
Carriots
IBM Bluemix
Final Thoughts
Smart devices are made to fit anyone with their specific lifestyle and many
brands are user-friendly which makes your life a little more convenient and
easier. The advanced level of customized automation is attainable and
accessible to millions of people.
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