KNX is an alternative and modern type of electrical installation. It has been used in office and administrative buildings for many years, but is increasingly used in residential buildings when the emphasis is placed on superior comfort. It forms the switchboard in the house and can thus allow various trades to interact with one another.
A question of software
As an open standard, KNX devices from different manufacturers can be installed. The system is technically based on the established EIB standard (European installation bus) and is down-compliant to this. In contrast to the conventional variant, the engineers at KNX have separated the control from the pure power supply.
The secondary use
A light switch in a conventional technique, for example, directly interrupts the current carrying line. A KNX switch first passes the command via a control line to a switching element which, in turn, interrupts the current to the lamp. The technicians call the signal sensors "sensors" and the controlled switching elements "actuators."
When is a KNX system worthwhile?
But not only switches work as sensors, but also thermometers, air humidity meters, window contacts, etc. provide signals that can be used by the KNX system for control tasks. They are all connected via a two-core cable.
Since all sensors hang parallel to this stripe, the expert speaks of a "control bus" (or briefly "bus"). The control bus operates with a safe low voltage of around 24 volts. If a resident presses a light switch, the switch (sensor) sends a control telegram to all devices connected to the bus.
The switching actuators thus receive their commands as they filter out their own control telegrams. As a rule, the actuators are installed in the control box. There are also the backup devices and the electricity meter accommodated. Depending on the application, the actuators differ according to their tasks. Simple switching takes over so-called switch actuators. There are also special building blocks, such as roller shutter or heating control.
The final programming ensures that switching signals are assigned to the signals of the sensors. The programmer can determine which actuators should react to the signals from the various sensors. There are no limits to the imagination.
Lamps can, for example, be grouped and switched by several sensors. It is indifferent whether they are triggered by a light switch, motion detector or twilight switch.
Even after the completion of all installation work, a switch can be assigned additional functions. And if it gets a bit tight, the technician simply replaces the individual switch with a variant with several pushers.
With modern interface modules, switching sequences can even be changed via a web interface. In general, there is no function that could not be realized. This allows the heating system to be switched on remotely with the smartphone, to lock the doors at the push of a button and to clear all lights centrally.
The KNX installation integrates almost all systems in one: the pure power supply of the individual sockets, the lighting, home intercom, alarm function, locking system, heating, air conditioning, ventilation and shading
All functions can also be implemented via a conventional installation. However, such insellations can not always be combined with one another and are not centrally controllable. Furthermore, a KNX system can be expanded very flexibly.
For example, if you need a wind sensor to protect a blind from storm damage, you only need to connect it to the bus at any point. It can then be immediately integrated into the programming of the existing system. In a conventional system, this is not always easy to do: whether the modules are not electrically compatible or simply not expandable.
But how can existing installations be converted into KNX? If you want to convert an apartment or a house using KNX technology, this is best done with a basic foundation. The electrical cabling in conventional design differs very much from the modern KNX variant. Several lines as well as the control bus must be relocated.
However, professionals can keep the walls as small as possible. For this purpose, the technicians have developed components which receive their control commands via the power line (powerline) or by radio (RF). A further advantage is that the installer can also install sensors or actuators, which otherwise could only be connected to the control bus with difficulty.
A KNX system can also save energy. Through heating and window sensors the system always has an eye on whether energy is being wasted. It can, for example, display the householder on a clear touchpad when a window is open in a room, while the radiator provides full power.
The programmer can even specify that a heating thermostat is automatically shut down when a window is opened in the room. This saves a lot of heating energy.
In addition, a night switch can ensure that all lights in the house are cleared. It also switches its alarm sensors. In addition, fire and smoke sensors increase safety in the event of a fire.
KNX systems are not always worthwhile. Essentially, their use depends on the object size and, of course, on the claim. If you want to control home automation centrally, require maximum safety and comfort, as well as expand the system flexibly, KNX is the first choice.
Because of the higher material and equipment costs, however, the home builder also has to reckon with significantly higher costs compared to the conventional electrical installation. Depending on the configuration, this can be up to ten times. A nerve center is not to have a bargain price.
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