From home automation and smart homes in general to a specific example. Smart home: affordable automation systems

Films often show a living space that seems to take on a life of its own. Light bulbs light up at the wave of a hand, curtains open, after a certain word music plays. All this equipment is an intelligent home system, and we propose to consider how to make a smart home with your own hands, what is needed for this, and also what is the scheme of such a system.

Smart home - what is it

Smart House is home automation, which is a residential extension of building automation. Home automation can include centralized control of lighting, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), home appliances, unlock gates, doors, GSM and other systems to provide improved convenience, comfort, energy efficiency and security. It should be noted that for some categories of the population (the elderly, the disabled) this event may become necessary.

Photo - Smart home distribution ideas
Photo - Simple smart home

With latest implementation into our lives SMART technologies, many can no longer imagine their lives without automatic installations, software, we need wireless Internet, Appliances.

Home automation refers to the use of computer and information technologies For driving household appliances and their functions. It can vary from simple remote control lighting to complex computer/micro-controller based networks with varying degrees of intelligence and automation. Home automation should preferably be as simple as possible.

Photo - Smart door lock

Benefits of using " smart home» in an apartment based on PIC or WAVE:

1. Economical time spent on daily setting up various mechanisms, receiving calls, sending mail;
2. The use of gaseous or liquid fuels, and later the use of electricity, allowed increased automation in heating systems, reducing the labor required to manually refuel the heater and stove.
3. The development of thermostats has made it possible to adjust more automated control heating and later cooling;
4. So often the protection of industrial facilities, residential premises is carried out;
5. As the number of managed devices in a home increases, their relationship rises. For example, an oven can send notifications when it needs cleaning, or a refrigerator when it needs maintenance.
6. AT simple installations, smart can turn on the light when a person enters the room. Also, depending on the time of day, the TV can tune in to the desired channels, set the air temperature, lighting.

Smart home can provide interface-access to household appliances or automation to provide control and monitoring on your smartphone, via server, mini Smart for iPhone, iPod touch, as well as using a portable computer (requires special software: AVR Studio).

Photo - Home control via tablet

Video: Schneider Electric smart home system

Smart home elements

Home automation elements include sensors (such as temperature, daylight or motion detection), controllers, and actuators such as motorized valves, switches, motors, and others.

Photo - House control scheme

These are heating, ventilation and air conditioning, HVAC can control temperature and humidity, for example, the Internet control thermostat allows the homeowner to remotely control the heating and air conditioning systems of the building, the system can automatically open and close windows, turn on radiators and boilers, and underfloor heating.

Lighting

These lighting control mechanisms can be used to control household light appliances. Also included is the system natural light, the work of blinds or curtains.

Photo - Scheme of a smart home

Audio visual

• Remote control presence effect (This is the most modern technology, which is used to increase security). It consists in lighting the light, musical accompaniment.
• Imitation of presence
• Temperature control
• Brightness control (electric lamps, street lighting)
• Security (alarm, blinds).

How to make a smart home

You can make an intelligent system with your own hands, the most a budget option- This is a setting to control the lighting in the house or turn on the computer.

Photo - Smart home control option

To make a lamp that will “light up” by itself, you will need to connect to it special equipment. There are several options for solving this problem:

1. Install an acoustic relay (1 or x10-wire);
2. Connect dimmer;
3. Connect motion sensor.

The easiest way to work with the sensor. Its sale is carried out in any online store, you can buy a channel device, you can develop your own according to your own parameters. The only remark is that you cannot install an incandescent lamp with such a device, it may not withstand the load and explode, it is better to work with LED.

Photo - Smart home concept

Another "smart" silent option is a dimmer. Here you will need to touch the lamp, depending on the number of touches, the talking device will change the brightness. It is very convenient to use on the lamp in the bedroom, nursery.

To set up temperature control and regulation, we need a multi-channel system. central scheme temperature and humidity control consists of:

• Sensors (ds1820) that measure the physical state of the liquid, air.
• Controllers (rfm12) which can be simple physical components and complex devices special purpose or embedded computers.
• Lunex drives that respond to controller signals.

Most modern way is to buy all the components of a smart home, wires, thermostats. After installing the appliances in each room, one thermostat per radiator and one per boiler. You will also need a controlled unit, or the "brain" of the entire system. It is recommended to mount it on the heating inlet pipe.

Photo - Smart home system

The easiest way to install a video surveillance and alarm system. Fundamental provisions for the installation of security systems:

1. You need to connect sensors on the windows, doorways, there the electrician will be the most productive;
2. The board is the most difficult to select, the smart home controller, the operation of mediocre parts, the level of signals depend on it;
3. Many experts believe that indicators should be mounted at floor level. About 20 cm from the baseboard, this increases efficiency;
4. It is desirable to establish permanent monitoring, to establish a digital system of contact with the security service. Often, responsible owners install a special program on their personal computer that allows you to control the operation of the system from anywhere where there is an Internet (this is what Elena Teslya and her book advise to do: “Smart Home: How to Do it Yourself”, there are also other solutions ). You can enable SMS alerts.

A smart home is a very convenient way to make your life easier, often the whole system is bought completely (Arduino, KNX, Linux).

The cost of each system is individual. The most popular brands are: beckhoff, gira, lpt, redeye, Smart Switch IOT screen, teleco. We recommend that before you build such housing, consult with experts, they will help you calculate the load level, calculate the power consumption.

Photo - Light control via phone

To get ideas, you can scroll through V.N. video instructions, read the advice of famous masters.

Good day! Today's article will focus on home automation.

Thanks to the introduction of automation, we can control various instruments and devices with mobile phone or other device anywhere in the world. The heart of such a system is the controller. It can be Arduino, Raspberry pi, BeagleBone Black, Spark Core, DigiSpark or ExtraCore.

For manual control such a system can use infrared remote control technology. With it, you can control any device (AC / DC) using a simple TV remote control.

Step 1: Required Parts

• Arduino Nano

• 5V relay;

• LEDs;

• Transistor BC548;

• Plug/socket;
• 5V power supply;
• Frame;
• Screw terminals;
• socket;

• IR radio receiver;

• Foil textolite;

• DipTrace - end-to-end computer-aided design system electrical circuits and layout of printed circuit boards.

Step 2: We make the board using the LUT method

We split the fee. We print the diagram on photo paper using laser printer. We clean the surface of the workpiece (foil textolite) from grease and dust. We transfer the circuit from photographic paper to the board, and then poison it with ferric chloride. After that, we drill holes with a mini-drill (the diameter of the holes should correspond to the conclusions of the radio components). The manufacturing process is described in more detail in the article.

Step 3: Attaching the Components

The first thing to start with is to get acquainted with the pinout of the transistor outputs, the connection to the relay, the outputs of the LEDs, the power supply and the IR radio receiver, etc. Next, arrange all the details and very carefully solder them to the board.

On the printed circuit board the line to which the emitter of the transistor is connected is always connected to ground.

The Arduino nano outputs 5V, so the positive LED pin is connected to the Arduino pin.

The negative terminal of the LED is connected to the base of the transistor (the LED is used as an on/off status indicator).

Pins 7,8,9 are used to supply on/off output signals to the relays.

Pin 11 is used to receive a signal from the IR receiver.

Lastly, connect the 5V power supply.

Step 4: Read Control Values

Download the IR library and install it in the Arduino IDE. Open the Arduino IDE and click on File-Example-IRremote-IRrecvDemo.

A house that fulfills all desires is not a fantasy, but a completely feasible reality using modern intelligent automation systems. They allow you to significantly improve the quality of life, achieve maximum comfort and safety, allowing you to feel the continuous "care" of the house for all its inhabitants.

Smart House

Managing personal space with the Smart Home automation system is not just a set of devices that perform certain functions, but an individually created project that meets all the requirements and wishes of a particular family. At the same time, the system can be easily reprogrammed in accordance with changing conditions and the “mood” of the household, while continuing to adapt flexibly to the family as a whole and to each person individually.

Home automation avoids searching for remotes for various devices, manual switching on and off of appliances, daily opening of blinds, etc. Now, there is no need to get up at night if the house has become hot or stuffy, Smart Home will avoid this situation by installing functional system climate control. The house itself will reduce or increase the intensity of heating when the temperature in the rooms deviates from the desired norm, if necessary, turn on the air conditioner and perform all other actions to maintain the most comfortable conditions.

Who is Smart Home for?

An intelligent home automation system provides many benefits for its owners. Its installation is equally expedient, both for active people and for those who prefer a calm, measured life.

Smart home is perfect for all population groups:

• many working, busy people - an automated house will take care of most of the worries about its owner, opening windows in a timely manner, turning on the light, watering the backyard, etc., even if a person lives alone, his life will become as comfortable as possible, without requiring additional spending time;
• families with small children - an intelligent system will ensure maximum safety for small households, while freeing up a lot of time for their parents;
• people who often go on business trips, travel - home automation will create a complete illusion of the daily presence of a person, which will protect the home from the risk of theft and other similar threats, will monitor the serviceability of appliances, in case of water leakage, smoke and other problems, it will give a signal to the appropriate service;
• elderly and people with limited mobility - many have relatives, whose health and well-being often causes excitement of friends and relatives. The Smart Home automation system will allow you to easily solve this problem. Whether it is an elderly person or people who, for health reasons, find it difficult to maintain a living space in full, an intelligent system will help with this. Thanks to various sensors, controllers and alerts, neither the burner turned on, nor the forgotten iron or opened window won't become a threat. With proper programming, the House itself will do everything right or give a signal, warning of an unfinished action.

Everyone will be able to find their advantages in the Smart Home automated system and set it up exactly as they see fit, the most comfortable.

Features and Benefits

Buying home automation equipment is an important step in right direction. Today, many large foreign and Russian manufacturers provide a wide range of devices responsible for security, heating, lighting, energy efficiency, ventilation, air humidification, etc. The variety of sensors, controllers, valves and other equipment allows you to create and configure a well-coordinated system that will work as a whole.

Our online store sells automation devices from the best manufacturers. Products are reliable and have a manufacturer's warranty.

It is possible to set up an intelligent system with sound and voice control, as well as a function for solving problems in accordance with external parameters, for example, changing the intensity of lighting or air temperature.

The equipment is easy and quick to program. In the future, the owner can independently make their own adjustments.

The price of home automation depends on the project and, directly, on the selected equipment. If necessary, our experts are always ready to advise you.

Own suburban housing is the dream of many, while it is very important that it be carefully thought out and comfortable for living. For example, many people want to make a "smart home" with their own hands. What is it and how to think about it so that your home is not only beautiful and well-planned, but also functional?

"Smart home": what is it?

Experts say that such a system is based on the complete automation of all components of housing. For example, if you do not want to get up at night and turn off the lights in the corridor, you can do it much easier: several problems are solved at once with one remote control. To make a "smart home" with your own hands, you will have to work hard, and therefore many prefer already ready systems offered by various companies. For example, with the help of a variety of controllers, sensors, wires, actuators that are hidden in the walls of the building, you can simultaneously control all the components of your home: electricity and water supply, lighting and ventilation. At the same time, the participation of the owner in this process is minimal - control is carried out exclusively by the remote control.

How it's done?

The modern system "Smart Home" is thought out to the smallest detail. That is, the owner of such housing can control all the vital components of his cottage or apartment. However, most companies that specialize in similar structures, carry out the installation of the "Smart Home" system, taking into account the wishes of customers. It is noteworthy that each such development is individual, it is created for a specific object, respectively, and the design solution is completely different for each specific case.

"Smarthouse" system for an apartment or country cottage suggests that the object will be filled with a kind of "electronic servants". And this is not only and not so much TVs, refrigerators and home theaters, but warm floors, air conditioning and ventilation systems, boilers and pumps. Plus sources Of course, it is not so easy to mount all these systems on your own, but it is still worth trying to make your home “smart”.

Where to begin?

Our house is a kind of puzzle that needs to be correctly assembled. That is, we must saturate it with various technical devices, communications that will work for our own convenience. To make "Smarthouse" with our own hands, we need to combine a number of components into a single stable system. Moreover, it is quite possible to create an elementary design on your own. To do this, you only need to have certain skills:

1. Knowledge of electrical and ability to operate various electrical appliances, work with current.
2. Understand the principles of construction automatic systems, that is, to understand what controllers are, what signals they give.
3. Be able to program to create a desktop or mobile operating system and interface through which control will be exercised.
4. Clearly understand the algorithms by which the Smart Home system will work.
5. It is good to know the equipment used.

That is, our task is to combine all solutions into one in order to manage the entire building through a computer or mobile device. Let's try to figure out what equipment is needed for the "Umnydom" system.

First: the warning system

Timely warning of accidents is a guarantee that the owner will not worry about the breakdown of any structure or pipe leakage. If you install an automatic in your home, you can keep it under control permissible load to the power supply network. At the same time, even when short circuit the power supply will be turned off, and the equipment itself will be safe and sound. If you suddenly forget to turn off the iron or the faucet, the sensor will definitely warn you about this, and, if necessary, will block all systems.

Second: power supply

The Smart Home system (it is quite possible to install certain of its components with your own hands) suggests that there must be a reliable power supply, especially if the lights in your area turn off quite often. To protect your equipment and housing in general, you should install stabilized power supplies with a built-in battery in your smart home. This will keep all systems operational in the event of an emergency. In order not to think about possible power outages, you can install in your home diesel generator and blocks backup power. Thanks to automatic control, the fuel level in the generator will be under constant control, and the load on the network will be evenly distributed.

Third: burglar alarm

Protecting your home plays an important role, including in the Smart House system. Installing an alarm with your own hands will not be difficult. For example, sensors can be placed along a fence that encloses an area, on walls, windows, doors, and also in rooms. If at least one of them suddenly works, all warning systems that are programmed in a specific algorithm are activated. Such a system will consist of a presence detector, a control panel, an uninterruptible power supply with a battery (in the event of a power outage, it will work for about 6-7 hours), a siren, and a key-tablet reader.

Fourth: lighting control

It is necessary to competently manage the Smart Home system. With your own hands (the scheme must be drawn up together with competent designers), you can develop a lighting control system, thanks to which you can significantly save on the maintenance of the house and create comfort in it. Choose quantity and type lighting fixtures it is necessary depending on the room in which they will be mounted, how the interior will be designed in it, and so on. At the same time, everyone can arrange the lighting system as he likes and needs. The main thing - automatic control when the owner of the house may not think about whether he turned off the light or not. You can set the system so that the lights will turn on when a person approaches and go out when he leaves.

Fifth: power consumption

To limit the power that the house consumes, it is worthwhile to install an energy management system. Thanks to this solution, serious problems that can arise if the power reaches its peak can be avoided. For example, if your cottage has underfloor heating powered by electricity, an overload of the power supply may occur. If you create an intelligent system, you can achieve a smooth inclusion of floors in different rooms until the house is fully warmed up. This will avoid sudden surges and network congestion. In addition, the presence of such a system will lead to the fact that as the power approaches the peak generator, it will turn on itself, and as soon as it decreases, it will turn off.

Sixth: sockets must be normal

The simplest thing you can do for the Smart Home system is do-it-yourself equipment for sockets. This solution is economical, since it is enough to have an antenna and the ability to control it from a distance using a key fob. The essence of such a system is that all sockets in the house are connected by a single electrical circuit. Accordingly, when receiving a command to turn on, for example, a kettle or a toaster, the appliances start working at a certain time you set. In addition, the presence of such centralized system allows you to turn off all the included electrical appliances with one touch of a button on the key fob.

Seventh: warm floor

Today such floor coverings are very popular, and despite the fact that installation is expensive. It is comfortable and pleasant to walk on such a floor, it is always warm and safe on it. Modern warm covers can be water or electric. If you install a Smart Home system in your home, you can constantly control the temperature in the room. Moreover, it is controlled by remote control. An intelligent system is a guarantee that the temperature in the house or apartment will be maintained at the optimum temperature for living. At the same time, energy consumption will be rational, and therefore beneficial for owners.

Eighth: heating system

Agree, the ability to independently regulate the state and degree of heating of the batteries in the house is worth a lot. AT ordinary apartments we can't just go ahead and turn them off, for example, if it gets too hot. In a "smart home" it is easy to do this, because in it radiator heating has built-in intelligence modules. Thanks to them, a certain temperature is maintained in the room, which is automatically changed using the remote control. This system can be easily integrated into any interior without any harm being done to it.

This is done simply: control valves are installed on ordinary radiators. They can be controlled automatically by means of a control panel in which a temperature sensor is built in. If you make a more complex configuration, then in it the valves and consoles communicate using a radio channel, and adjustment and control can be carried out via a computer or the Internet.

There are a huge number of solutions, technologies to make your home "smart", that is, functional and well-equipped. Many of them are quite simple. Something you can do yourself, such as installing an anti-icing system for roofs and stairs, or an automatic water supply structure. And some systems should only be installed with professionals, for example, when it comes to power supplies. In any case, it is worth spending money and making sure that your housing meets all modern requirements of reliability, safety, and quality.

Improving the home and making it more comfortable is common to any person. Regardless of whether he lives in a small studio apartment or in country house several floors which are surrounded by hectares of personal plot.

Modern technologies make it possible to create fully automated houses and transfer many functions for managing life support systems to automated devices, and in some cases, fully automate processes when human intervention is not required at all.

What is the difference between home automation and smart home

Many property owners consider any automatic or semi-automatic device that performs the functions of turning on / off a device or consider it an element of a “smart home”. This is far from true. And even the ability to remotely control certain functions using the Internet does not make the house “smart”.

A truly “smart” home is a comprehensive smart automation of the management of the entire complex of life support systems based on artificial intelligence computerized control system and operating in a completely autonomous mode. Human intervention in the work is required only in emergency situations or in the programming process.

Therefore, numerous installers of home automation elements do not always objectively and reliably convey the meaning of innovations to a potential user-customer.

It is not always explained that the vast majority of household appliances included in the "smart home" do not need automation, since they already have built-in functions:

• Refrigerators - completely automatic devices who work according to a rigid program;
• Air conditioners do not require outside intervention to maintain the set temperature;
• Washing machines have a delayed start timer;
• Lighting on / off systems are easily controlled by relays with photodiodes that react to the level of illumination and so sorry.

The creation of specialized channels for managing life support systems - the actual "smart home" is necessary only in cases where the living quarters operate in a completely autonomous mode. These include country houses(cottages), where the only boon of civilization is the access road.

It is in them that you can fully realize all the advantages of remote control and monitoring.

Apartment automation

An apartment in an MKD is just a cell included in the well-functioning system of the building's public utilities. It rarely needs the full operation of smart home automation equipment. The owner does not need to take care of heating, lighting, ventilation. The water supply system, in general, lies beyond the possibility of influencing its availability in any way. In the event that hot water supply is turned off for the period of preventive repairs, those who have the financial means install storage or flow boilers which work in automatic mode and do not need outside control.

Any arbitrary do-it-yourself interference in the work of general house life support networks is not at all welcomed by management companies. Therefore, to implement the concept of "smart home" in apartment building possible on a very limited scale.

• Install several remotely controlled outlets to which to connect devices, turn on / off the lighting with a timer or an antediluvian iron that does not have a shutdown relay in case of overheating or time or other non-automatic electrical appliance.
• Forcibly intervene in the operation of the automation of the air conditioner or electric underfloor heating by completely turning them off, or, on the contrary, turning them on.
• Automate the closing/opening of curtains or blinds on windows.
• Turn on/off the audiovisual monitoring system.

Attention! With the installation of hidden video cameras or microphones, even in own house you have to be extremely careful. All, without exception, devices that do not have a sensor-alarm about the work, or disguised as other objects in the Russian Federation are prohibited for use. Their acquisition is already a crime, which in the most unfavorable case can result in a real term of imprisonment.

Therefore, when choosing components for home (apartment) equipment, remember that the vast majority of gadgets Chinese made are prohibited for sale on the territory of the Russian Federation, and their possession is a criminal offense.

Security and fire alarm are usually not included in the list of "smart home" elements, since they work regardless of the owner's desire, being in the on state. And when they are turned off, they lose any meaning.

Private home automation

Majority country houses are built within the allocated areas for individual housing construction and, according to the requirements of improvement, have a supply of electrical and gas networks. Some villages are more comfortable and have complexes central water supply and sewers.

All this facilitates the maintenance of suburban real estate, without completely relieving the care of maintaining comfortable conditions inside and outside the premises.

A private house can be fully equipped with a system intelligent control on the concept of "smart home".

Even at the design stage, automation elements related to:

1. With power supply (from an autonomous power generator).
2. Temperature control by controlling the gas/oil boiler.
3. Management of the water supply system (for well / well water supply).
4. Air temperature control system in various premises(residential, auxiliary, economic).
5. Control system for indoor and outdoor lighting of a personal plot.
6. Management of the irrigation and feeding system for farm animals.
7. A system of visual control inside and outside the premises and a review of the local area.
8. Implementation possible emergency shutdown gas supply and power supply systems in case of emergencies.

For some owners who are away from home most of the time, smart home is a home automation system that is an absolute must.

Choosing a smart home control system

Modern systems allow you to control electrical appliances connected to the control module: sensors, thermostats, electrovalves using wireless technologies. It is not required to lay wires and cables inside the walls or skirting boards of the room, ditch the walls and break existing communications or finishes.

The most common is the way of control over a Wi-Fi channel. The inconvenience lies in the fact that this function is designed to transmit significant amounts of information and is not adapted for most smart home devices that work with short commands: “on / off”, “add / decrease”, “up / down”, etc. . P.

• Z-Wave- a specialized protocol for managing "smart home" operating at a frequency of 869 MHz and having high security from extraneous influences and interference.
• Zigbee- a similar specialized protocol, specially designed for the operation of devices in the smart home kit, but using a different frequency 2400-2485 MHz.

Until now, the widespread automation of residential buildings in the Russian Federation is stalling due to high prices for equipment and installation, adjustment and maintenance of equipment. After all, it should work around the clock 24 hours a week without any failures. Otherwise, faulty smart home equipment can itself become a source of emergency - fire, flooding, defrosting of heating systems.

First of all, the economic effect of the introduction of automation systems is calculated. In order to roughly assess the effectiveness and payback period of investments, it would be useful to re-read the instructions for the electrical appliances available in the house. Most owners use only the basic, most common functions, without bothering to program the full functionality of the TV, air conditioner or water heater.

It is quite possible that the “new” opportunities that seem to you that will open up after installing the “smart home” system have already been incorporated and implemented in your existing technology, and for more high level than "turn on / off" or "add / subtract".

Calculate whether the ability to remotely control the air temperature in different rooms is so critical? This function pays off only for the owners of country houses, when during the absence of the owners the temperature drops to an acceptable minimum, and by the time the owners arrive it rises to a comfortable residential.

Most of the functions implemented in the "smart home" are interesting only for the first time after their installation. The possibility of remote visual control satisfies only the curiosity of the owner of the premises, in no way hindering the actions of intruders who entered the house. Much more efficient system centralized security. Using the automatic open/close curtains in the bedroom or the ability to adjust the music volume in the next room- so dubious that they can only be of interest to true fans of continuous communication with mobile device, instead of a physical hand movement.

Probably because the functionality offered within the smart home is small and irrelevant for most, home automation is not very popular.