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Home Automation without the cloud by Dr David Maddison Home automation can bring significant benefits and convenience, but it comes with major concerns over security and privacy. Regardless of whether you own your home, you should control it, not someone else. So it’s vital when setting up a ‘smart home’ to do your homework and choose a secure solution that will work in the long term. H ome automation allows lights, heating, cooling and various appliances to be operated by a central controller or hub. These may operate according to a pre-programmed schedule, using sensors (eg, to detect the presence or absence of a person in a room), by voice control or remote control, such as with a smartphone. For example, you can turn on a heater or an air conditioner before you get home so the house is comfortable when you arrive. That sounds great, but many home automation products are ‘cloudbased’, and there is some truth to the saying that “the cloud is just someone else’s computer”. Most home automation jobs can be performed entirely within your home and without using proprietary, closed solutions with unknown security. The “Internet of Things” (IoT) and home automation are closely related. IoT devices connect directly to the internet, while home automation devices usually communicate with each other and can be part of a closed system if no internet access is enabled. However, some devices like voice assistants, Ring cameras and video doorbells are IoT devices that can also be part of home automation systems. Home automation can also be used in mobile homes or caravans. Fig.1 shows a screen from a Home Assistant in a caravan. A little history The history of home automation goes back much further than many would think. Any domestic labour-saving device could be considered home automation. We might not think of the following as home automation because they are ubiquitous, but examples include washing machines, dishwashers, water heaters, sewing machines, motorised lawnmowers, clothes dryers and Fig.1: Home Assistant set up in a caravan. Source: ArsTechnica – siliconchip.au/link/ abqz 14 Silicon Chip Australia's electronics magazine siliconchip.com.au electric irons. They all save a tremendous amount of labour compared to earlier methods. The modern twist is that computerisation makes it easy to change programming without, for example, changing an electromechanical timer in a switchboard. You can even control many appliances now from a smartphone or similar device; sometimes via the internet, when not at home. Devices can also be made responsive to the environment, such as switching on an irrigation system when conditions are dry, turning on interior lighting at night when someone enters the room and automatically turning lights off when they leave. Some home automation products available today are shown in the panel on the right. Two main approaches There are two main approaches to central control. One is via a third-party cloud-based system such as Google Home, Amazon Alexa or Apple Homekit over the internet. The other is a system that uses control hardware located within the home, with or without an optional connection to the internet. One concern about cloud control is the possibility of losing control of your own home, as you are at the mercy of the company that operates the service. For example, in the United States recently, a delivery driver misheard a ‘smart’ doorbell greeting and complained to the company, which consequently shut the owner out of the home’s smart system for a week while the mess was sorted out. You can read about that in the NY Post article at siliconchip.au/link/abq5 Another concern is that the provider could go out of business and shut down the cloud services. Many cloud-controlled devices are propriety and locked to the specific company, meaning that the devices (which can cost thousands of dollars in total) become useless. That happened with Insteon products (www.insteon.com). Cloud services became unavailable, although local control of devices was still possible in that case. Fortunately, the company was purchased by a group of “passionate users” who reactivated the cloud services. Also, Home Assistant integration was developed for Insteon products, ensuring they could still be used regardless (see www.home-assistant. siliconchip.com.au io/integrations/insteon/). We will discuss Home Assistant later. A further example is Philips Hue light globes, which started as locally controllable, but after purchase, the terms were changed, making them cloud-dependent (see the panel for more details). Similarly, TP-Link made Smart Plugs that once worked without the cloud, but now require a cloud connection for their Tapo device (see www.tp-link.com/au/support/ faq/3417/#A11). Insteon users were lucky, but events such as the above mean it would be wise to retain full control over smart home devices. In this article, we will explore home automation options that don’t rely on a connection to ‘the cloud’, or at least where such a connection is optional. We will also give a brief overview of cloud-connected options, which might be required for certain services, such as voice control. There are also privacy problems with any cloud-based home automation; for example, see siliconchip.au/ link/abq6 Ideally, a smart home product should be directly controllable and usable without having to give your personal details to a third party or fees beyond the purchase price. Most should not even require an active internet connection, although it’s fine to have internet connectivity as an option, so you can make an informed choice about whether to use it. Communications protocols Home automation devices such as lighting systems and temperature sensors need to communicate with each other. All devices used will need to be compatible with your controller system. Most devices connect wirelessly, although some can be wired. Some smart devices can be controlled directly from a smartphone, tablet or laptop computer via their inbuilt protocols, such as Bluetooth or WiFi. However, to support a broader range of protocols like Thread, Zigbee, Z-Wave and LoRaWAN, a central controller, known as a hub (or server), is needed. We have an overview of various protocols used in home automation in the dedicated panel (on page 24). Controlled indoor items • Heating, ventilation and air conditioning • Air purifiers • Lighting • Motorised window blinds, curtains, shutters and external shades • Chain pullers for blinds • Curtain activators • Door openers • Domestic robots like vacuuming, sweeping and mopping systems • Pet feeders • Motorised button pushers • Smart TVs • Smart washing machines, dryers and dishwashers • Smart audio systems • Remotely switched power points and ‘smart plugs’ Indoor sensors and controls • • • • Occupancy sensing Temperature and humidity meters Voice control Internet control Home security devices • Indoor and outdoor cameras • Access control (smart locks), including garage doors • Fingerprint scanners and keypads • Door/window open/close sensors • Intercoms with cameras • Alarms (burglar, fire) and sirens • Detection of gas or water leaks • Smoke sensors Garden devices • • • • • • • • • Irrigation Automated greenhouse Robotic lawnmower Swimming pool control (heating, filtering, cleaning etc) Weather station Water control valve Rain gauge Soil condition sensor (moisture, nutrition, light and temperature) GPS tracker for pets “Integrations” An “integration” allows smart home Australia's electronics magazine January 2024  15 The Philips “Hue” light globe letdown Philips Hue light globes can have their on/off state, brightness and colour controlled via Bluetooth. One of their main attractions was that they did not require the creation of an account with Philips to use them. But now, their terms of service have changed, or soon will. Philips has told users who had purchased these lights hoping for accountfree (local) operation that they will need to have a Hue account to control their own lights; see https://twitter.com/tweethue/status/1704535648437256657 For further details, see www.androidpolice.com/the-philips-hue-app-­ require-log-in-account/ and the Louis Rossmann video titled “Philips changes terms AFTER the sale: requires data-sharing account to use a light bulb” at https://youtu.be/vR2j-r3pmng hardware or software from different organisations, companies or software suppliers to work together. An example is how the IKEA DIRIGERA smart hub provides integrations so that voice assistance and control by Amazon Alexa, Apple Home and Google Home work with the IKEA system. Another is that there are over 2500 integrations available for Home Assistant. If buying a device you wish to control via your home automation system, make sure it works with the system or has vendor or third-party integrations available. Systems that require an internet connection The following systems require a cloud connection but are mentioned here to give a more complete overview of home automation. Many local home automation systems like Home Assistant can have integrations for voice assistant products. Access to voice assistant products like Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri, plus IFTTT and Ring products, are among the reasons that internet access might be desirable for an otherwise offline home automation system. These are examples only; we can’t possibly cover every manufacturer or type of system. Amazon Smart Home and Thread, to ensure compatibility with a wide variety of devices. Many smart devices can be controlled without needing a hub; you just need your home WiFi, with an internet connection, and the app. Google Assistant https://assistant.google.com/ Google Assistant is an AI-based virtual voice assistant that can also perform home automation tasks or answer inquiries by voice command. It is used via the Google Nest (hub) smart speaker on Android, Chrome OS and iOS devices. Homekit www.apple.com/au/home-app/ Homekit is Apple’s home automation system. Some devices within the system require an active internet connection, but others may not. Siri can now work (with some restrictions) without an internet connection for iOS 15 and later with certain iPhones, as voice recognition is now done on the phone, not in the cloud. IFTTT (If This, Then That) https://ifttt.com/ IFTTT is an internet-based service that allows users to program conditional statements with “applets” (like programming macros) for a home automation system. The applets can be used to change the colour of a light at sunset, have a porch light turn on when you arrive home or synchronising an Amazon Alexa to-do list with Google Calendar etc – see https:// youtu.be/Y3u6rsXJas4 A huge number of applets are available, or you can make your own. Zapier (https://zapier.com/) and Microsoft Power Automate (siliconchip. au/link/abq8) are similar services for businesses. Ring https://ring.com/au/en Ring makes a variety of security cameras, doorbells and home automation devices. The devices require an active internet connection, plus a subscription to record video. Amazon Fig.2: the SmartThings Station hub and smartphone app. Source: Samsung – siliconchip.au/link/abqw www.amazon.com.au/b?ie=UTF8&node=5425665051 Amazon Smart Home comprises Alexa and Echo. Alexa is the artificial intelligence (AI) service, while Echo is the physical device, the hands-free speaker unit. It requires an active internet connection. There are many Alexa-compatible smart home devices, such as smart lighting, switches, thermostats, cameras (including Ring) etc. Google Home siliconchip.au/link/abq7 Google Home is based on Matter 16 Silicon Chip Fig.3: the structure of the cloud-dependent SmartThings automation system. Australia's electronics magazine siliconchip.com.au owns Ring; it has been the subject of controversy, as they were handing private videos over to police without warrants or owner consent. SmartThings of devices via Zigbee, Z-Wave Plus, Matter, Thread and WiFi. Aeotec also produces its own devices. www.smartthings.com/ SmartThings is a powerful home automation system based upon the SmartThings Station hub, shown in Fig.2 (which doubles as a wireless phone charger). It is Matter compatible, so it supports any device with the Matter logo. It also supports IFTTT style conditional automations. The Station does not support Z-Wave. An active internet connection is always required for SmartThings – see Fig.3. There is an Android and an iOS App to interact with it. A supported devices list is at www.smartthings. com/supported-devices Home automation systems that may work offline The following smart home systems can work without an active internet connection but may require an internet connection for initial setup or to update software. They could also require an optional internet connection to support voice assistant or other services. Our research shows that the most popular and well-supported offline home automation systems are Home Assistant and Hubitat. Readers should make up their own minds, but they are great starting places. No one wants to buy a smart device and discover that the company has gone out of business, and your device is no longer supported. That is much less likely to happen for open-source devices since others can easily take them over. Both Home Assistant and Hubitat are open-source. Note that not all home automation systems will support everything, but it is possible to connect two systems if one does not support particular devices. In fact, we have heard of Home Assistant and Hubitat being joined, to name one example (an integration exists for that). These are examples only; we can’t cover every manufacturer or type of system. There are simply too many. Aeotec https://aeotec.com/ Aeotec can work without the internet except for voice control via the app – see Fig.4. It supports a wide variety siliconchip.com.au Fig.4: the Aeotec Smart Home Hub and related devices. Aqara www.aqarastore.com.au Aqara uses Zigbee and will work without an internet connection as long as remote access, updates and thirdparty cloud services such as voice assistant aren’t used. A wide variety of products are offered. C-Bus A cautionary tale If you install a proprietary home automation system, you might end up having to pay a lot for a contractor to alter it in future, as the original installer may lock the code. I have a friend with a C-Bus system but the original installer is unknown, the system is passwordlocked and he would have to pay another installer a lot to reprogram the system to add to or alter it. Make sure any installer gives you the password if they use one. We can’t see any reason why it shouldn’t be written on a label on the system itself; if someone has access to the hardware, they can do whatever they want anyway. www.clipsal.com/products/c-bus C-Bus is an Australian-developed system for professional installation. Components must be connected to the main electrical distribution board, and expensive training courses are needed to become qualified for its installation and programming (see Fig.5). It is mainly used for luxury homes and commercial and industrial applications. It can operate without an internet connection, depending on the configuration and options. DIRIGERA siliconchip.au/link/abq9 DIRIGERA is a smart home hub from IKEA (Fig.6) that can operate without an internet connection. It supports a variety of IKEA smart home devices. DIRIGERA uses the Matter standard and supports Thread, WiFi & Zigbee wireless protocols. It has iOS and Android apps and supports integrations with Amazon Alexa, Apple Homekit and Google Home via the cloud. Domoticz Fig.5: an example C-Bus installation. Various “output units” are available, such as relay modules, analog outputs, current measurement units etc, all designed for a standard DIN rail. Source: Clipsal – siliconchip.au/ link/abqu www.domoticz.com/ Domoticz is a lightweight opensource home automation system that can interface with lights, switches, environmental sensors, electricity, gas & water meters and more. It can run on various hardware including the Raspberry Pi and integrates with MQTT and Apple Homekit. Once set up it does not need an internet connection (unless using specific integrations). Australia's electronics magazine Fig.6: the IKEA DIRIGERA smart hub. Source: IKEA – siliconchip.au/link/ abqv January 2024  17 Fhem https://fhem.de/ Fhem is an open-source system using Perl scripts that can run under Windows, macOS and Linux. It supports numerous protocols but seems to be for advanced users. Fibaro www.fibaro.com/en/ Fibaro is a Polish company making smart home devices (siliconchip.au/ link/abqa). The system uses Z-Wave and will work without an internet connection. Home Assistant www.home-assistant.io/ Fig.7: one of a large variety of Home Assistant dashboards, this one showing a floor plan. Source: Home Assistant – siliconchip.au/link/abr2 Home Assistant is a popular opensource home automation system for the enthusiast that can be run on a Raspberry Pi, under Windows, Linux or macOS, on an Odroid or ASUS Tinker Board single board computer (see Figs.7 & 8). Home Assistant supports a vast number of integrations, currently 2577 (see siliconchip.au/link/abqb). Note that depending on the platform chosen, you may need to purchase USB dongles or modules to support Zigbee, Z-Wave and Thread. There is a subscription fee payable if remote access is required. Home Assistant Green is a readyto-go product that comes with Home Assistant already installed, available from their website. The Yellow version has Zigbee and Thread built-in and is more extendable. See siliconchip.au/ link/abqc for setup instructions, and the video guide at https://youtu.be/ Y38qRYYAwAI HomeGenie https://homegenie.it/ Fig.8: another Home Assistant dashboard. Source: Home Assistant – siliconchip.au/link/abr3 YouTube videos with more information ● https://youtu.be/hAdDtbNMYPM – “How to Install Home Assistant on a PC (Easy!)” ● https://youtu.be/FXkkytHSTcI – “No Raspberry Pi For Home Assistant? No Problem!” ● https://youtu.be/cVWVr_T7kQ0 – Creating a weather dashboard with Node-RED ● https://youtu.be/_FktMQSD5LE – “Building my PERFECT Smart Home Control Panel!” ● https://youtu.be/cSzuWKsyuKI – Opinion: “The TRUTH About Home Assistant [Vs SmartThings]” ● https://youtu.be/3xMvjOig8J4 – Opinion: “SmartThings to Home Assistant: Joining the Dark Side” ● https://youtu.be/Q10nVFbP0ME – Opinion: “Hubitat vs Home Assistant – Best Smart Home Hub 2023” ● https://youtu.be/c5MF3MnMmJw – “Smart Home Automations 101 – The Ultimate Guide to Build Better Automations” 18 Silicon Chip Australia's electronics magazine HomeGenie is an open-source system that runs on Windows, Mac, Linux and ARM-based computers such as the Raspberry Pi – see Fig.9. It requires a certain level of Linux expertise. It can run without an active internet connection. HomeSeer https://homeseer.com/ HomeSeer is a mostly closed-source system that does not require an active Internet connection for automation, but one is needed for registration and updates – see Fig.10. HomeSeer supports a wide variety of products and integrations. It runs on a Raspberry Pi or one of the HomeTroller products. A list of compatible devices is at siliconchip.au/link/abqd while integrations are listed at siliconchip. siliconchip.com.au Fig.9: an example of a HomeGenie control panel that includes security features (alarm settings and a camera feed) plus an energy usage monitor. au/link/abqe (Android and iOS apps are available). HomeSeer products can be purchased from Black Cat Control Systems (siliconchip.au/link/abqf). Homey Pro https://homey.app/en-au/ Homey Pro claims to control any smart device and has a wide variety of features. It supports WiFi, Bluetooth, infrared (eg, for TVs and air conditioners), Z-Wave Plus and Zigbee. It can work partially without an active internet connection, but it requires periodic connection over the internet to receive an ‘access token’. So, without an available internet connection, it will eventually stop working (see siliconchip.au/link/abqg). Hubitat https://hubitat.com/ Hubitat is based on open-source software but requires the purchase of a proprietary hub. It can work without an internet connection if remote access, voice assistants and other cloud-connected services are not needed. It can control most smart home appliances and is programmed via an app or internet browser such as Firefox or Chrome – see Fig.11. The Hubitat hub (shown in Fig.12) connects to your home network WiFi router. It is compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant, Zigbee, Z-Wave, Lutron, LAN and cloud-connected devices. Fig.10: a sample HomeSeer app screen. Source: Google Play Store – siliconchip.au/link/abr0 Hubitat can optionally be integrated with Google Home, Home Assistant, Amazon Echo and numerous other devices. There is no subscription for basic remote access, but there is a fee for full remote administrative access. Insteon www.insteon.com.au/ Insteon uses power line and wireless RF to create a dual mesh network. Available products include a hub, motion sensor, remote control, door open/close sensor, thermostat, LED bulbs, relay (wired or plug-in), wired dimmer, cameras etc. Insteon devices will work without an active internet connection, although setup and certain actions Fig.12: the Hubitat Elevation C8 hub. Source: Smart Guys – siliconchip.au/link/abr7 Fig.11: an example of a Hubitat dashboard. The screens displayed can be customised. Source: Hubitat – siliconchip.au/link/abr4 siliconchip.com.au Australia's electronics magazine January 2024  19 may require an internet connection (Insteon didn’t respond to our email inquiry to clarify). Jeedom www.jeedom.com/en/ Jeedom is an open-source system that runs on Raspberry Pi and Linux systems. It has mobile apps for Android and iOS. LinuxMCE (Media Centre Edition) www.linuxmce.org LinuxMCE is an open-source home automation suite that also controls media and allows it to be distributed to any room. Unfortunately, it appears to no longer be under active development. MisterHouse https://misterhouse.sourceforge.net/ MisterHouse is one of the oldest home automation software suites, started in 1998 – see Fig.13. It is opensource and uses Perl scripts. It supports many platforms, including the Raspberry Pi and operating systems such as Linux, Unix, Windows and macOS. It can execute events at certain times or via web control, email messages, instant messages, socket messages, voice commands, serial data, Bluetooth proximity, infrared signals, X10 and Insteon powerline signals, and more. It is very versatile but requires knowledge of Perl scripting and is not recommended for beginners. It has been described as being “entirely geeky”. It supports X10, Z-Wave, MQTT, Insteon, XPL, XAP and other protocols. MyController Linux and the Raspberry Pi Zero, 1, 2, 3, and 4. Mycroft MyController is a privacy-focused open-source system that runs locally, so no internet connection is required, even for setup. It works on Windows, openHab is an open-source Linux system that can run on a Raspberry Pi – see Fig.14. It supports various technologies and devices. www.mycontroller.org/ https://mycroft.ai/ Mycroft is an open-source hardware/software platform that was crowdfunded with a privacy-based voice assistant and natural language interface. It is capable of running without an internet connection. Unfortunately, the project ceased development in 2023 (siliconchip.au/ link/abqh). However, OpenVoiceOS (https://openvoiceos.org/) appears to have taken it over. OpenVoiceOS provides a voice interface for controlling smart home devices, playing music, setting reminders and more. openHab www.openhab.org/ Fig.15: the OpenMotics “Brain” module. Fig.13: a screenshot of MisterHouse. Fig.14: a sample openHab page. In this example, data is derived from Google Calendar, an Autelis pool interface, Wemo (Coffee Maker), Z-Wave Sensors (garage and front gate), EcoBee (heating/cooling), a CCTV system and a custom pool filter pressure sensor. Source: openHab – siliconchip.au/link/abr5 20 Silicon Chip Australia's electronics magazine Fig.16: an arrangement of hardwired modules in the OpenMotics system. Source: OpenMotics – siliconchip.au/ link/abqx siliconchip.com.au OpenMotics www.openmotics.com/en/ OpenMotics is an open-source commercial platform that automates a house, building or more. It uses opensource hardware and software: • siliconchip.au/link/abqi • https://github.com/openmotics It features various extensions and integrations with products like Google Assistant for voice control, Philips Hue, OpenWeather, Siemens PLC for industrial systems, Mitsubishi heat pumps and many others; Android and iOS Apps are offered. The system is capable of operating without an internet connection. OpenMotics focuses on hardwired control of appliances rather than wireless communications, which makes it more suitable for new buildings or renovations. It uses hardware control modules based on open-source designs, such as the Brain module (Fig.15), the system’s foundation. The Brain connects to other modules such as an analog control module, relay module, CAN control module, energy module (to monitor power consumption), bus extender module and a P1 concentrator module to read smart meters via the P1 port – see Fig.16. OpenMotics has a YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/<at>Openmotics). SwitchBot www.switch-bot.com/ SwitchBot is a series of automation products, including battery-powered products that attach to existing rocker switches (such as lights or power points) to turn them on and off, a similar device for door locks, plus a variety of typical home automation products. SwitchBot uses Bluetooth in Connecting an Arduino to a smart home Enthusiasts can build their own home automation devices. For example, the Arduino Cloud commercial service (https://cloud.arduino.cc/) lets you connect your Arduino project to Amazon Alexa. There are also open-source libraries to connect your Arduino project to Home Assistant: ● www.arduino.cc/reference/en/libraries/home-assistant-integration/ ● https://github.com/dawidchyrzynski/arduino-home-assistant some low-power products, with WiFi for other devices like cameras. The Bluetooth products can connect directly to your phone; a hub is also available. SwitchBot hubs can also operate infrared remote-­ controlled appliances. An internet connection is needed for third-party cloud services to provide remote access. X10 www.x10.com/ X10 is both a home automation control protocol (see the panel on “Standards, Protocols and Certifications” on page 24) and a complete home automation system (siliconchip.au/ link/abqj). It was one of the first such systems that were commercially available. As early as 1979, Radio Shack in the USA was selling X10 products under their own “plug ‘n power” brand (see Fig.17). They also sold a controller for the TRS-80 computer to control up to 256 lights and appliances. Many X10 products are still available and in use today. Advantages of X10 include ease-ofuse because the system consists only of individually addressable receivers and senders, with no software needed, the use of existing mains wiring for transmission of signals (or wireless), no internet requirement, and an affordable, modular design. Disadvantages of X10 include a low data rate (over power lines) and susceptibility to interference. X10 can be controlled from a PC, Android, iOS device or simply from a handheld or benchtop controller. Its basic commands are fairly simple such as ON, OFF, DIM, BRIGHT etc. Australia/NZ standard light controllers and appliance modules are available from Envious Technology (siliconchip.au/link/abqk); they are no longer importing them, although they still have stock. Cloud-based devices and local alternatives Two important device types that are generally cloud-dependent are video doorbells and cameras. Noncloud alternatives for video doorbells include the LaView Halo One and DB5, Hikvision DS-HD2 and Doorbird. Noncloud smart cameras include the Wyze Cam v3, Wyze Cam Pan V2, SV3C WiFi and IP cameras, and Amcrest cameras. In each case, you should check their compatibility with any proposed home automation system. Other systems of interest We found the following systems interesting but did not include them in the other sections for reasons such as a lack of information, slow development, lack of documentation in English or being for advanced users only. Calaos https://calaos.fr/en/ Calaos is an open-source home automation system that runs on a Raspberry Pi, other single-board computers, Intel platforms, Android, iOS or Linux. It can run as a server, on the web or via a touchscreen interface. Some of its documentation is in English, but much is in French. ioBroker www.iobroker.net/ Fig.17: Radio Shack “plug ‘n power” products from 1981 that used the X10 system. Source: Radio Shack – siliconchip.au/link/abr6 (p138). siliconchip.com.au Australia's electronics magazine ioBroker is an open-source IoT platform written in JavaScript. It supports a wide variety of devices and protocols. It is a German project and very January 2024  21 See the video “What is Node-RED and How Can I Use it to Create IoT Applications?” at https://youtu.be/ pVb6Vq84ovg OpenNetHome https://opennethome.org/ OpenNetHome is a framework to integrate functions like lamp control, temperature measurements and audio/ video equipment control. It is open source and runs on Windows, Linux, macOS and Raspberry Pi. It has not seen much development work lately. Some instructions can be found at: siliconchip.au/link/abqm Pimatic https://github.com/pimatic/pimatic Pimatic is an open-source Raspberry Pi home automation project that is no longer maintained. Plasma Bigscreen https://plasma-bigscreen.org/ Fig.18: a sample ioBroker screen (in German). Source: https://w.wiki/7ovi popular there; much of the documentation is in German – see Fig.18. It requires an internet connection. For more details, see the video at https:// youtu.be/tepIlQtxVuQ MajorDoMo https://majordomohome.com/ MajorDoMo is an open-source system that works under Linux and Windows and has multi-brand and multi-protocol support. It is a Russian project and most documentation is in Russian. MyPi https://github.com/sujaymansingh/mypi MyPi is an Android and iOS app that controls a Raspberry Pi GPIO port for driving relays. See the video “Home Automation with Raspberry Pi and iPhone or iPad” at https://youtu.be/ yNSkWW9n_dA and the web page at siliconchip.au/link/abql Node-RED https://nodered.org/ Node-RED is an open-source graphical “flow-based programming tool” for connecting hardware, APIs and online services. It provides browser-based editing to create run-time libraries for event-driven applications – see Fig.19. It is based on JavaScript. IBM originally developed it, but they opensourced it in 2016. This tool is more for advanced users and developers rather than someone looking for a turnkey solution. Nevertheless, it is widely supported in industry and by other user groups. Plasma Bigscreen turns a ‘dumb TV’ into a smart TV using a Raspberry Pi or similar single-board computer – see Fig.20. It provides voice control via Mycroft AI. However, as mentioned above, that is no longer under development. QIVICON www.qivicon.com/en/ QIVICON is an alliance of companies founded by Deutsche Telekom that produces various home automation products integrated via their Home Connect platform (hub) and app. Smart switches that are suitable for Australia & NZ Here are some examples of smart switches and related products that comply with AU/NZ standards and can be controlled by various home Fig.19: a Node-RED system. Source: Home Assistant – siliconchip.au/link/abqy 22 Silicon Chip Australia's electronics magazine siliconchip.com.au automation suites. Some may require an internet connection, depending on how they are set up. These companies also usually offer other home automation products as well. You will need to do some research to determine if these devices are compatible with automation controllers other than those recommended by the manufacturer. Clipsal-Wiser siliconchip.au/link/abqn Clipsal-Wiser includes smart switches, dimmers and blind controllers using Zigbee and BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), plus other smart home products. Deta Grid Connect siliconchip.au/link/abqo Deta Grid Connect products are available at Bunnings, use WiFi and are controllable by Grid App, Google Home and Alexa. For the technically adept, there is a way to connect them to Home Assistant documented at: siliconchip.au/link/abqp IKEA TRÅDFRI www.ikea.com/au/en/cat/smart-lighting-36812/ The IKEA TRÅDFRI wireless control outlet (Fig.21) also works with Home Assistant (see siliconchip.au/ link/abqq). Mercator Ikuü www.ikuu.com.au Mercator Ikuü devices use WiFi and Zigbee and are controllable via their app, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. Once set up, they should work without internet access, with some limitations. Shelly www.shelly.com/en Shelly offers a range of Australian-­ Fig.22 (left): a Shelly WiFi relay switch module. Fig.23 (right): a Zimi Powermesh Smart Switch. approved products from various distributors (see Fig.22): • siliconchip.au/link/abqr • siliconchip.au/link/abqs • siliconchip.au/link/abqt Shelly products connect to a local WiFi network and can operate without a hub, cloud connection or active internet connection. They are compatible with most home automation platforms, protocols and voice assistants. Zimi https://zimi.life/ Zimi is an Australian company that makes home automation devices such as light switches, power points, fan controllers, blind controllers and garage door openers – see Fig.23. They are AU/NZ standard types, so retrofitting is simple (although a licensed electrician will be required in Australia). They are controlled via a smartphone or tablet app. Devices communicate with each other via Bluetooth and create a mesh network. The Zimi app lets you control and schedule appliances via WiFi. A Zimi Cloud Connect device is used for control from outside the home and requires an internet connection, as does Google or Alexa voice control. The Home Assistant community Fig.20: Plasma Bigscreen is an open-source user interface for TVs, it is based on a Linux distribution. siliconchip.com.au Australia's electronics magazine is developing integrations for Zimi devices, but they may require an internet connection. Conclusion The home automation field is vast, so we can only give an overview. If you are interested in home automation but unsure where to begin, check out Home Assistant and Hubitat. Home automation is not required, nor is it for everyone. You may be unable to justify the expense or effort of automating devices like lights that are not difficult to switch manually. When choosing home automation devices, consider the benefits of having manual overrides. For example, a door lock should be operable by a key or by pressing non-electronic buttons if its battery or WiFi connectivity fails. A thermostat should be adjustable by a secondary means, for example, if the internet goes down or your home automation hub fails. While most smart locks have physical keys as a backup, often those keys are the weakest part of the system; many use cheap cylinders that are easily picked or even raked open. When it comes to security devices like smart locks, it really pays to do your homework. Fig.21: the IKEA TRÅDFRI smart plug sells for $20. January 2024  23 Standards, Protocols and Certifications ANT & ANT+ www.thisisant.com ANT & ANT+ are low-power proprietary wireless protocols primarily used for activity and environmental sensors. Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) https://w.wiki/7pRp Bluetooth Low Energy is a protocol used by some home automation devices. It supports wireless mesh networking over the 2.4GHz ISM band and can be used for indoor device location services (presence, distance and direction of another device). A data rate between 125kbits/s and 2Mbits/s is supported, with a range of up to 100m. Philips Hue light globes are an example of smart home products that use this protocol. One of its disadvantages is a somewhat limited range and relatively low data rate. C-Bus (Clipsal Bus) www.clipsal.com/products/c-bus C-Bus is a home and building lighting and automation protocol developed in Australia by Clipsal, now part of the French company Schneider Electric. It uses low-voltage Cat5 cabling to control appliances. Lighting and appliances are controlled by dimmer or relay boards near the electrical distribution board. CEBus (Consumer Electronics Bus) https://w.wiki/7pRu CEBus (or EIA-600) is a 1992 set of standards and protocols automating homes, offices and lighting. It evolved out of a need recognised in 1984 for a more advanced system than X10. It is an open architecture and standards are defined for transmission over power lines, twisted pairs, coax, IR, RF and optical fibre. CSA (Connectivity Standards Alliance) https://csa-iot.org/ Connectivity Standards Alliance is the new name for the Zigbee Alliance. The CSA maintains standards for Matter and Zigbee. Dash7 www.dash7-alliance.org Dash7 is an industrial IoT protocol based on ISO 18000-7. DigiMesh www.digi.com/ DigiMesh is a proprietary shortrange 2.4GHz wireless mesh network communications system. EnOcean www.enocean.com/en/ EnOcean is a technology that harvests energy from the environment, such as from vibration, temperature differentials or light for wireless, batteryless devices such as switches, controls and sensors. IoTivity https://iotivity.org/ IoTivity is an open-source connectivity framework for IoT (Internet of Things) devices that may form part of a home automation system. It is a ‘reference implementation’ of OCF (Open Connectivity Foundation) standards. It is referred to as ‘middleware’ and is aimed at developers and highly advanced users. KNX https://knx.org.au/ KNX is an open standard for building automation and control. It is covered by the SA/SNZ ISO/IEC TS 14543.3.1-6:2018 specification. LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network) https://lora-alliance.org LoRaWAN is a spread-spectrum wireless communication technique. It can have a range of up to 10km or more under good conditions, at a low bit rate. Matter https://csa-iot.org/all-solutions/matter/ Matter is a new interoperability standard from the Connectivity Standards Alliance supported by Amazon, Apple, Google, LG, Samsung, TP-Link and smaller companies like Eve and Nanoleaf. Its purpose is to unify the best smart home technologies via the internet. A Matter certification allows support for a wide variety of systems and voice assistants. It was called Project CHIP (Connected Home over IP) while under development. Matter can communicate via WiFi, Thread and Ethernet. MQTT (Message Queue Telemetry Transport) https://mqtt.org MQTT is a device-to-device IoT connectivity protocol. It is the defacto protocol for IoT devices in home automation. NB-IoT https://w.wiki/84S NB-IoT is a narrowband IoT connectivity framework. NFC (Near-Field Communication) https://nfc-forum.org/ NFC is a short-range protocol for communication between a device such as a smartphone, electronic tag or card and a base unit. It is related to RFID. Such devices can be used for functions like opening an electronic door lock. Two-way communication is possible. OCF (Open Connectivity Foundation) https://openconnectivity.org/ OCF is an industry organisation that develops standards, interoperability guidelines and certification for IoT devices. It has numerous members, including ASUSTeK, Cisco Systems, Comcast, D-Link, Hisense, Huawei, Hyundai Telecom, IBM, Intel, LG, Lenovo, MediaTek, Microsoft, Netgear, Nokia, Realtek, Samsung, Sharp, Silicon Labs, ZTE and ZyXEL. PLC-BUS https://w.wiki/7pSA PLC-BUS is a powerline communications protocol similar to X10. It appears to be obsolete. RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) https://w.wiki/3opp RFID is related to NFC but it is oneway communication over longer distances. SigFox www.sigfox.com SigFox is a proprietary LPWAN (Low Power Wide Area Network) designed for low power consumption and massive IoT connectivity. Its range is up to 10km at tens of kilobits per second. Thread www.threadgroup.org Thread is a wireless mesh networking standard that uses 6LoWPAN (IPv6 over Low-Power Wireless 24 Silicon Chip Australia's electronics magazine siliconchip.com.au Personal Area Networks), which in turn is based on existing IEEE 802.15.4 radio technology. It works with other standards such as: Matter HomeKit (Apple) Weave (Google) DALI (www.dali-alliance.org) The KNX open standard for building control (https://knx.org.au/) BACnet (https://bacnet.org/) OCF (Open Connectivity Foundation) As a protocol, Thread competes with other mesh networks, such as Z-Wave and Zigbee IP. Thread can be incorporated into battery-powered sensor devices such as for temperature, humidity etc, although there are relatively few such devices currently on the market. Tuya ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ www.tuya.com Tuya is a Chinese cloud-based AI IoT developer and management platform that collaborates with companies like Microsoft, Apple, Google, Amazon, Samsung, Schneider Electric, Lenovo, Philips and others. It is a member of the Connectivity Standards Alliance and supports the Matter standard. They provide a basic free app. Smart products supported by Tuya carry a PBT label (Powered By Tuya). UDP (User Datagram Protocol) https://w.wiki/3qsK UDP is a basic internet protocol used by some home automation devices. UPB (Universal Powerline Bus) https://pcswebstore.com/ UPB is a proprietary peer-to-peer communications protocol developed by Powerline Control Systems for transferring data over household wiring in home automation systems. It is supported by Home Assistant, openHAB, HomeSeer, and both Alexa and Google Assistant via a controller, among others. WiFi https://w.wiki/3jLG WiFi forms the backbone of most home and many office networks. It typically operates at data rates from a few Mbits/sec to many Gbits/sec on the 2.4GHz and the 5GHz bands. Its range varies, but it can typically cover the area of a conventional home without repeaters. The lower siliconchip.com.au frequency gives a better range, especially through walls and floors, but at a lower maximum data rate. Devices such as cameras are often connected via WiFi. It is important that your WiFi router can handle an adequate number of WiFi devices for a home automation system (some cheaper types supplied by ISPs may not be up to the task). Note that a Smart Hub is required to connect to devices using other non-WiFi protocols, as typical WiFi routers only support that one protocol. xAP Silicon Chip Binders REAL VALUE AT $21.50* PLUS P&P https://w.wiki/7pSH xAP is an open protocol for home automation similar to xPL. xPL https://w.wiki/7pSL xPL is an open protocol for controlling devices in a home automation system over UDP. X10 www.x10.com X10 is possibly the oldest home and commercial automation communications protocol, conceived in 1975 and first released to the public in 1979 (many sources say 1978). X10 transfers data over either household electrical wiring, or wirelessly at 433MHz (plus other frequencies like 310MHz in the USA). Zigbee https://csa-iot.org/ Zigbee is a protocol with faster transmission than Z-Wave, defined by the IEEE 802.15.4 standard. It is designed for low-power mesh networking and operates in the ISM band (2.4GHz in Australia) at up to 250kbits/s. Its range is 10-100m. Many Zigbee sensors (eg, temperature, humidity, motion, rain etc) can be battery-operated due to their low power consumption. Z-Wave https://z-wavealliance.org/ Z-Wave is a mesh networking protocol operating below 1GHz, thus avoiding busy spectrum space around 2.4GHz used by Thread and Zigbee. It has a data rate of up to 100kbit/s over a range of 100-800m, or 1600m+ for Z-Wave LR. Z-Wave products run on a different frequencies in different countries so make sure your devices are compatible. As with Zigbee, many Z-Wave senSC sors can be battery-powered. Australia's electronics magazine Are your copies of Silicon Chip getting damaged or dog-eared just lying around in a cupboard or on a shelf? Can you quickly find a particular issue that you need to refer to? Keep your copies safe, secure and always available with these handy binders These binders will protect your copies of S ilicon C hip . They feature heavy-board covers, hold 12 issues & will look great on your bookshelf. H 80mm internal width H Silicon Chip logo printed in goldcoloured lettering on spine & cover Silicon Chip Publications PO Box 194 Matraville NSW 2036 Order online from www. siliconchip.com.au/Shop/4 or call (02) 9939 3295 and quote your credit card number. *see website for delivery prices. January 2024  25