Re: Photos of Home Automation

[Kevin Hawkins <yahoogroupskh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Wayne wrote:
> Thanks for that Ben,
> Hope you didnt mind :)
>
It's Saturday and Ben's probably hard at work with his new system so I
hope he doesn't mind if I answer a  couple of your Q's.
> If I'm understanding this all then, the star topology is only for the
> connections of the 240v side of things where each comes back to the
> control unit, any 'switch' or cbus controller then sits on this (and I
> guess this is where the name comes from) cbus 'lan' - almost like the
> old ethernet coax networking - wouldn't at all surprise me if you had
> terminators at each end of the 'pink' network :)
>
Funny you should say that. . There are terminators built into each unit
that can be software enabled or disabled - and also a pink plug in one
available.  The coax Ethernet chain wiring you mention has now mostly
been replaced by CAT5 star type wiring , which is more reslient to
network breaks. C-Bus networks use either topology and use CAT5 cabling.

All the other bits that don't handle mains switching sit on the pink
network - however you can star wire your old switches should you wish
back to 'input' units that sense the contact closures.  If you have a
hard to get to switch for wiring or a style you wish to keep then this
is a route you might consider.  There are also little matchbox size
'couplers' that you can use  that allow limited wiring length to switch
contacts - a few feet from memory.   The pink C-Bus cabling has
different insulation that makes it permissable to be used adjacent to
mains wiring - ie inside the consumer unit, although you should still
arrange maximimum separation both for safety and electrical noise reasons.

> By this same thought - if you wanted to say add another switch - find
> the nearest pink cable, break into it and add the switch? (thereby not
> having to run another pink cable back to node0?)
>
Yep - the C-Bus network is freeform in its topology (but no loops
allowed).  You can also add wireless switches that have inbuilt
dimmers/relays - that are plug in exchanges for your existing switches.
> Just back to the kit list - how many separate light circuits could
that
> dimmer handle?
>
The 12 unit wide  DIN rail mounted ones offer 8 channels per pack for up
to 1A per channel.  There are larger capacity dimmer packs that offer
fewer channels too, including non DIN mount  formats,  like one pictured
in Ben's setup.
> I guess to program this from your armchair so to speak is like
creating
> virtual links based on events from switches - 'switch gets pressed in
> kitchen -> toggle controller 1 - output 1 and output 2 (two lights
in
> kitchen :))' and I guess on the same event - these events could get
> fired from the lan interface as well - pc control etc ( 'dial in to
home
> asterisk phone system with mobile - input pin - turn on lights /
heating
> ?' - warm when we get home :) )
>
Well only sort of - the C-Bus network protocol is prorietory and there
are no devices that I know of that attach directly to it. However
Schneider make an interface module that converts the bus protocol to
another (still proprietory) serial protocol.  This is what is inside the
serial and Ethernet modules, and also other integration products like
the Comfort UCM and the gateway that I offer .     The basic, aka public
release of this serial protocol is available to people under a non
disclosure agreement and the full protocol is available only to C-Bus
Enabled partners.    Some software applications have implemented basic
control via the public release protocol.   Comfort offer a UCM which
maps the C-Bus group levels to counters within the Comfort security system.

I wanted an easy way to gain Ethernet  control and so I designed a
gateway that uses the full protocol and converts it to xAP which allows
any xAP capable application to fully integrate with the C-Bus system.
Many leading software automation applications now support xAP,  or,
should you wish to author your own application xAP is a very easy
protocol to implement.  The gateway also supports direct control using
HomeVision.

C-Bus divides its network functionality into 'applications' of which
lighting is just one.  There are many more for other purposes eg
security, triggers, sensors etc..

K


> Thanks again,
> Wayne.
>
>
>
> Ben McCormack wrote:
>
>> Wayne
>>
>> Let me try to answer those questions for you
>>
>> 1st thing - Cbus does not have a central 'brain' each cbus units
knows
>> about the others and how they are programmed.
>>
>> Top left hand units are for future expansion
>>
>> Top Middle is a larger cbus dimmer
>>
>> Bottom middle with 2 pink cables is the cbus to ethernet box -
This
>> allows me to program cbus from my armchair
>>
>> Yes there is a breaker for each circuit that is switched
>>
>> The Pink cable loops in and out of each cbus unit for cbus
communication
>>
>>
>> So lets wire up a single room with 1 Light and 1 switch
>>
>> 1 Twin and earth Wire from Light back to cbus modules that you see
top
>> right
>> 1 pink cbus cable looped through the switch
>> Thats all really - Took me ages to get my head around it
>>
>>
>> Right bottom half of the panels
>>
>> Left Hand side - Node Zero distribution board fed from the main
>> downstairs consumer unit about 25m away - Fed using the think
black
>> cable you can see pictures of. Fed from 62 amp breaker downstairs.
>> This will be used to power other odds and sods in the area
>>
>> Bottom Right - 2 Comfort Alarm Panels also have ethernet
capability
>> and connect to cbus
>>
>> At the moment I am just planning to switch lighting nothing more
yet
>>
>> Any other questions then fire away
>>
>> Ben
>>
>>
>> On 17 Jul 2008, at 18:23, Wayne wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>> Hiya Ben,
>>> Can I be a complete noob with this and ask some real basic
(and
>>> nosey!)
>>> questions . :)
>>>
>>> Looking at http://flickr.com/photos/thinkinghouse/2674566591/
(the
>>> overview of node0)
>>>
>>> Going across the top These look like a bigger version of a
>>> distribution
>>> panel - I guess the ones on the left give a nice lot of
expansion!
>>> being
>>> as there is nothing in there yet?
>>> The cbus box in the middle - is this the brains to it all? I
guess
>>> this
>>> is the bit you plug your lan into and get at it via ip?
>>> With the boxes on the right - do you have a breaker per each
'thing'
>>> that gets switched? do you /need/ those or are the little
control
>>> panel
>>> strips overly sensitive?
>>> Looks like there are 16 breakers in the top of each of those
panels
>>> but
>>> the right most has two controllers what's the difference?
>>> Am I right in thinking that each of the cbus strips that are
in each
>>> panel is just using a cat5 patch lead to plug back to the
brain unit
>>> (I
>>> cant tell what that little box is under the brain is or where
its
>>> hooked
>>> to).
>>>
>>> If this is the 'control centre' for it all - what type of
wiring is
>>> needed from a switch to turn on a light? again, all wired
individually
>>> back to the brain? (star topology?)
>>>
>>> The boxes to the lower right and lower middle - these are the
alarm
>>> panels? - nuff said there :) (although - do these have a lan
interface
>>> as well?)
>>>
>>> Lower left - looks like a regular distribution panel, any
reason for
>>> that with all the other stuff up there? What size feed is
coming up
>>> from
>>> your main house board (I've got a spare 32amp breaker itching
to go
>>> somewhere!)
>>>
>>> Are you just switching lighting with all this or can you do
regular 13
>>> amp sockets as well?
>>>
>>> Sorry for the grilling - just trying to get my head around how
you go
>>> about designing one of these things and how it all plugs
together.
>>> Hope you don't mind :-)
>>>
>>> Thanks
>>> Wayne.
>>>
>>> Ben McCormack wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> All
>>>>
>>>> As promised here are the photos from of the building of my
node zero
>>>>
>>>> Luckily I have a large wall in a large loft that is
perfect for node
>>>> zero. So I was able to spread things out and try and lay
them out
>>>> neatly.
>>>>
>>>> Sorry the photos are not tagged but I am sure most of you
will
>>>> recognise most items
>>>>
>>>> So far we have
>>>>
>>>> Zone Zero Consumer Unit
>>>> Some cbus Modules (Loads of expansion for later)
>>>> 2 Comfort Panels
>>>>
>>>> Now comes the best bit - All of this technology and I am
now able 2
>>>> switch the lights in 2 rooms on and off via cbus!!!
>>>>
>>>> http://flickr.com/photos/thinkinghouse/
>>>>
>>>> Enjoy
>>>>
>>>> Ben
>>>>
>>>> ------------------------------------
>>>>
>>>>


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