Smart home – how can you control sockets and lighting remotely?

The simplest way to power the circuit from 230V is to use a high-voltage capacitor (i.e. rated at 400V). Unfortunately, the current output (with a reasonably sized capacitor, this is a maximum of 50mA) is generally only sufficient to power a microcontroller, a sensor (certainly not an off-the-shelf one) and a triac.

Hello,
are you thinking about installing a smart home system in your house, flat or office …
I specialise in integrating these kinds of solutions on a daily basis – lighting, power sockets, heating control, alarms, computer networks, servers, access control, TV and satellite systems, CCTV and more...
All of this can be accessed via a single touchscreen, and with an internet connection, you can control it from the other side of the world ;]

Just in case, the number is 504 22 77 47 ;]
Best regards

OK, petersuchy, but that’s quite a lot of money for off-the-shelf solutions, which I can’t afford at the moment.

I’d like to, and I’m capable of, figuring out this sort of installation myself, and as I’m currently at the stage of laying the cables, I want to make it as versatile as possible.
I’m already familiar with the KNX/EIB and LCN systems, and my idea is closer to LCN, except that I want to use CAT5 twisted-pair cable as the transmission cable.
It’s just this power supply issue that’s still niggling at me.

WD40, could you give me a link to a diagram of a 220VAC power supply circuit using a capacitor?

To ensure the installation is versatile, all cables from the lighting (chandeliers), switches and socket units should be routed directly into the distribution box.
You will definitely need to run 4-core cables to chandeliers rated at over 300W, and to the switches as well (though 5-core cables are best if you want to have smart modules in the junction box).
Computer network cables (twisted-pair cables) should always be routed in pairs to each socket – it is not uncommon for one of the wires to be broken and therefore not working, and besides, such a cable has a wide range of uses (e.g. telephone/fax, audio signal transmission between rooms, connecting alarm sensors, remote control for a satellite decoder, and more). As the cables will all converge in a single low-voltage junction box, it’s entirely up to the user’s imagination how they’ll be used ;]
I also suggest running the aerial cables directly to the junction box from each socket – this allows any video source (e.g. CCTV, video, etc.) to be connected to the system for use with any TV set, not just one...
It’s also a good idea to run five aerial cables up to the roof; even if they aren’t used at the moment, you’ll be able to connect a satellite dish without any problems in the future and watch all the channels independently on each of your TVs (obviously, you’ll need set-top boxes for the satellite).
Of course, the materials will cost a bit more than the standard option, but later on you won’t have to worry about running cables along the walls, etc.…
If you want to run the cables under the plaster, it’s better to invest a bit more in better-shielded cables, such as twisted-pair cables, and lay them as far away from the power cables as possible…
Remember – if you’re planning 12V halogen lighting and the transformers are to be housed in a junction box rather than on the ceiling, you’ll need thicker electrical cables – 1.5 mm² won’t be enough…
That’s all I can think of at the moment, as I haven’t seen the premises – feel free to ask if you have any questions…
P.S. If my advice overlaps with anyone else’s, I’m very sorry – I didn’t have time to read the whole thread…
Best regards

Thanks, peteersuchy.

Basically, I’ve got the hang of the aerial and computer set-ups.
I’ve just got one question about the aerial set-up: should I run one or two RF cables from the multiswitch to the socket? And if it’s one cable, how do I then connect, for example, a TV, a radio and a satellite tuner to it at the socket? Do I need to use a splitter at the very end of the cable?
I understand that in a single cable I’ll have a noisy satellite signal, terrestrial TV, possibly a signal from CCTV cameras and – well – the radio (I’m not entirely sure about the radio)?

As for the halogen lighting power supply, I did indeed initially plan to place the transformers in the distribution box, but precisely because of the high currents involved and the need to switch the lighting on via the 12V side, I decided against this solution (the switches wouldn’t have lasted long).

I intend to control individual points (whether lighting or sockets) in a similar way to the LCN system, i.e. using autonomous microcontroller (uC) circuits at the point of control. Most of the 230V cables will terminate in the distribution board, as I don’t want junction boxes in the walls.
Instead of a single junction box (for a switch or socket), I intend to use a double one and, in future, fit the control circuits I need into the second compartment. I’ll run a twisted-pair cable to this empty junction box (and actually – I was planning to use unshielded cable; does it absolutely have to be shielded?) and I think I’ll run the power supply for the automation system using an additional 2x1.5mm² cable.

Best regards

1/ I suggest running two aerial cables to each socket, but using a socket such as: http://www.satserwis.pl/pokaz.php?nazwa=oferta/20/2021.In this case, one is sufficient (the second is a backup or for feeding a signal, e.g. video, into the aerial network ...

2/ When running cables from the switches to the distribution board, there is no need for 12V control; the transformers would simply be switched on at 220V.

3/ It is a good idea to run twisted-pair cable to the switches – for example, to connect an infrared remote control – but there is no need to install the entire automation system in junction boxes if all the cables are routed into a main distribution box; the modules can be connected within the distribution box.

If an IR receiver is connected via twisted-pair cable, interference may occur if there is a continuous current flow in an immediately adjacent electrical cable... In the case of computer networks, interference affecting network operation generally tends to occur when the load on the electrical cable exceeds 5A, but as far as IR is concerned, I haven’t tested it ;]

Fortunately, twisted-pair cable is designed to minimise the impact of electromagnetic fields on the transmitted signal...
You can also always connect each white-coloured wire to earth, creating a sort of additional shield ;]

DrWycior wrote:

I’d like to, and I’m capable of, figuring out this sort of installation on my own, and as I’m currently at the stage of laying the cables, I want to do it in a fairly versatile way.
I’m already familiar with the KNX/EIB and LCN solutions, and my idea is closer to LCN, except that I want to use CAT5 twisted-pair cable as the transmission cable.
It’s just this power supply issue that’s still niggling at me.

By having both twisted-pair cable and a ‘thicker’ power cable, you retain the key advantage – you can have a traditional setup and switch seamlessly to a smarter system at any time. I like this solution.
Or perhaps now, whilst the house is still ‘non-smart’, we could run 230V through the power cable, and then, once it’s smart, have a lower, ‘friendly’ DC voltage running through it? There’s a risk that whilst gradually upgrading the system – the kitchen in January, the bathroom in February, the living room in March – a foul smell might start coming from the wiring in the kitchen come March. It’s better to have every module powered by 230V from the start.

DrWycior, find a mobile phone charger from two years ago or buy one on Allegro. Take it apart; you might see how a mains power supply less than 2 centimetres thick is made.

You can find diagrams of direct 230V power supply circuits for low-voltage systems by Googling: "transformerless power supply".
For example, about halfway down the page http://www.talkingelectronics.com/projects/ThePowerSupply/Page80PowerSupplyP2.html
you’ll find some information on this type of power supply – including calculations for the individual components.
Just bear in mind that the capacitor must be rated for at least 400V, and the power rating of the resistors is important.

Please also refer to the following documents: PICREF-4, AN598 and TB008 on the Microchip website (www.microchip.com, then click ‘Search’).

I’m following up once again, DrWycior, with a suggestion that you estimate the power consumption of each of the circuits in your automation system. Each of them would have a 230V power supply; quite a few of them should fit into a flush-mounted box...

wd40 wrote:

Just bear in mind that the capacitor must be rated for at least 400V, and the power rating of the resistors is important.

Will such a power supply fit into a flush-mounted box? Assuming we need about half a watt to power the little circuit? And, will there be a smell of burning coming from the box ?

alecki99 wrote:

Will a power supply like this fit inside a flush-mounted box? Assuming we need about half a watt to power the circuit?

Half a watt doesn’t seem like the right solution.
A typical microcontroller draws less than 1mA (and that’s in active, non-power-saving mode) + 10mA for the triac + approx. 1mA for the sensor (not a standard off-the-shelf one, of course). Communication circuits are likely to consume the most power.
I think, as I wrote earlier, it’s possible to build a smart terminal drawing less than 50mA.
For example, using a 2.2 µF 630 V capacitor (14 zł at TME) measuring 4 × 4 × 2 cm (at least two would fit in the enclosure), you could draw up to 150 mA. In addition, a 1500 µF, 6.3 V electrolytic capacitor (1 × 1.5 cm) would likely allow a safe pulsed current draw of 1 A.
(Unfortunately, I cannot verify these calculations in practice, but perhaps someone will have enough time to build a circuit, for example, using a PIC microcontroller, a temperature sensor – such as a DS series – a triac and an RS circuit based on transistors.)

Cheers for the tips.

I’m increasingly finding that I prefer the extra YDYP 2x1.5 cable to the adaptors. I’ll have another look at the links you’ve provided and will have to make up my mind.

As WD40 pointed out, a typical circuit shouldn’t draw more than about 100mA.

Of course, you could also use a transformer designed for printing, e.g. TEZ 0.5/D/6V (9 zł at TME) 2 × 2.5 × 2 cm, 0.5 W, 230 V/6 V, or an HTR112-1, 0.35 W, 230 V/12 V (11 zł at TME) 2 × 2 × 1.5 cm.

All in all, having taken a closer look at the matter, I would personally opt for a solution consisting of a double junction box – containing a 3D-printable transformer, microcontroller, triac, sensor and RS485, or a current loop with the communication medium being the very thin, shielded telephone cable I mentioned earlier.
The cost per point would easily come to within 50 zł (including a 25-metre cable), and the annual running cost would not exceed 1.5 zł per point.

Hello, I’ve read the whole thread and I must admit I’m impressed. My quasi-smart home is based on the INTEGRE 128. I’ve already worked out most of my ideas and the installations, but I’m a bit worried about the 12V power supply. I’d like to set up some emergency and night-time lighting based on the following principles (emergency lighting is needed because I have motorised blinds and, as you know, without the mains it’s as dark as…):
1. everything using LEDs
2. car batteries tucked away under the stairs (about 30 metres from the furthest light point)
3. the batteries are charged via a permanently connected charger (if there’s AC power, continuous charging; if there’s no AC, power from the battery)
4. Control will be via bistable buttons connected to the INTEGRA (which switches on the lighting via relays) and via motion sensors.
5. A YTDY 12x0.5 cable will run between the switches and the INTEGRA – I think this will suffice as it is only intended to carry an I/O signal; on this basis, the INTEGRA’s automation system will do the rest.

The idea is that when the mains supply (AC) is present, the switches will turn on the assigned 230V lighting; when there is no mains supply, the same switches will only turn on the emergency lighting.

Issues:
1. Does this make sense, or can anyone spot a conceptual error straight away?
2. Do I need to use thick cables for the 12V wiring, or will 0.5mm be sufficient? If 0.5mm isn’t enough, will twisting the two wires together at the cable’s input and output solve the problem?

to foxx102

Won’t you damage the battery by charging it constantly?

>The WD40 charger will have a cut-off function, so once the battery is fully charged, it will stop charging

foxx102 wrote:

I’d like to set up some emergency and night-time lighting based on the following principles (emergency lighting is needed because I have motorised blinds and, as you know, without the AC it’s as dark as…):
1. everything using LEDs
2. car batteries tucked away under the stairs (about 30m from the furthest light point)
3. the batteries are charged via a permanently connected charger (if there’s AC power, continuous charging; if there’s no AC, power from the battery)
4. Control will be via bistable buttons connected to the INTEGRA (which switches on the lighting via relays) and via motion sensors.
5. A YTDY 12x0.5 cable will run between the switches and the INTEGRA – I think this will suffice as it is only intended to carry an I/O signal; on this basis, the INTEGRA’s automation system will do the rest.

A very neat concept. In my opinion, it has one drawback – there is an alarm control panel involved, and if it fails, the house will be in the dark, even when the mains power is on.

foxx102 wrote:

The idea is that when there is AC, the switches turn on the assigned 230V lighting; when there is no AC, the same switches will only turn on the emergency lighting.

I understand that you have separate light sources for 230VAC-powered lighting and separate ones for 12VDC. I’ve implemented a different approach: I have energy-saving bulbs and LEDs in the hallways and bathroom, powered by relays that switch between the 230VAC supply from the mains and 230VAC from a standard UPS.

alecki99, thanks for your reply. It’s true, if the control unit fails, that’s it – game over – but it’s a risk I’m prepared to take. Besides, (if I’m at home) I’ll quickly bypass the relay and I’ll have the light back on straight away. I’m installing everything based on INT-IORS, and everything’s laid out clearly there, so just a jumper and that’s it. Actually, I could also set up a manual bypass; all I’d need are some bistable emergency buttons connected to a contactor. In that case, if the control panel fails, all I need to do is press a button which will supply 12V to drive that contactor and switch on the selected light (the switch battery would then be in the utility room). Another method is to connect parts of the circuits via an NC contact. Then, if the control unit fails, they’ll be permanently switched on and my only concern will be how to switch them off. However, I think that in this way I’ll only connect the emergency lighting via the NC contact (one LED light in each room).

foxx102, I considered this solution but rejected it for two main reasons.
1) At the heart of such an automation system is a single controller (in your case, the Integra). Note that if this controller fails and there is no other unit programmed in the same way, you lose control of the entire automation system.
I decided that this was unacceptable and that the only correct system is a distributed system (if all the cables are routed to a single location, the individual controllers can be housed in one place, but I believe there should not be a single central controller)
2) Furthermore, my next requirement was that, in the event of a failure in one of the uC circuits, it should be possible to easily remove that circuit and, until it is repaired (or replaced), install a standard 230V control, such as a switch.

Another, though least important, reason why I rejected the concept of using an alarm control panel was that several alarm system installers simply advised against linking the control and security circuits of the house. They stated that the alarm system should be independent.
However, it is certainly possible to retrieve information from the control panel for home automation purposes (the Integra 64 is expandable to 64 outputs).

To sum up, I, at least, won’t be basing the entire home automation system on the alarm control panel. Perhaps I’ll use it for a few isolated and minor control functions.

WD40, I’ll have a look at those transformers for the circuit board, but I think I’ll go ahead and run an extra YDYP 2x1.5 cable anyway. It’s not that expensive, and it’ll give me more freedom when designing the circuits later on. After all, I’ll always be able to fit controllers on transformers, but I won’t be able to run that extra cable later on.

DrWycior wrote:

Please note that if this controller fails and there is no spare unit programmed in the same way, you will lose control of the entire automation system.

As far as I know, the control unit’s configuration file can be downloaded and stored in a safe place. This means that the time needed to get everything back up and running is simply the time that elapses between buying a new control unit and uploading everything

DrWycior wrote:

I decided that this was unacceptable and that the only sensible solution is a distributed system

A perfectly sound solution, though rather expensive.

DrWycior wrote:

Another, albeit less important, reason why I rejected the concept of a central alarm control panel was that several alarm system installers simply advised me against linking the control and security circuits of the house. They stated that the alarm system should be independent.

It’s hard to agree with that – if that were the case, why would Satel have launched the INTEGRA series, which is designed from the outset to integrate all of this? Unfortunately, alarm installers sometimes fail to keep up with the latest developments, and it’s well known that if you don’t know how to do something, it’s better to say that it can’t be done or that you won’t do it. For me, such a system has two key advantages: price and simplicity of design.

Nevertheless, I agree that if someone wants a fully independent and secure system, my solutions might not satisfy them. On the other hand, we shouldn’t go overboard and install everything in duplicate just in case...

foxx102: You’re probably right about those installers, but there’s still a single point of failure

wd40 wrote:
“The transmission medium is that very thin, shielded telephone cable I mentioned earlier.”

And what do you think of an UNSHIELDED transmission medium? I mean a standard UTP twisted-pair cable.

wd40 wrote:
"Of course, you can also use a transformer for printing, e.g. TEZ 0.5/D/6V (9 zł at TME) 2 × 2.5 × 2 cm, 0.5 W, 230 V/6 V, or an HTR112-1, 0.35 W, 230 V/12 V (11 zł at TME) 2 × 2 × 1.5 cm. "

Where did you get these dimensions from? Because I can’t see them on the TME website and I’m having trouble finding them.

http://www.breve.com.pl/cms/pdf/TEZ%2009-01.pdf

Added after 5 [minutes]:

HTR112: search for product no. '201 0145' at http://www.hahn-trafo.com

Go for the FTP twisted-pair cable – the price difference is virtually zero.
The shielding causes less interference at higher transmission speeds and over greater distances. FTP is all the more suitable in your case, as it will be in the immediate vicinity of a power cable carrying alternating current – and at times even variable current.
The dimensions have already been clarified, thanks.
And in the TME catalogue, there’s usually a PDF or ‘info’ link, which you click on to view the dimensions and specifications.
I’m not exactly a die-hard TME enthusiast, but the company is based in Poland, and as well as prices, it provides a few other details (e.g. dimensions and specifications), so it serves as a useful reference for me (though most parts can be sourced at lower prices from other specialist suppliers or as samples anyway).

Hello, my semi-smart home features:

1. A lighting system based on Atmega8535+BASCOM
- Control of any light via any switch
- so-called ‘scenes’ (combinations)
- integration with the alarm control panel (switching on lights when motion is detected)
2. A 10” panel with a DELPHI1 application running on a laptop motherboard + Windows 98
- controlled via RS232 by a binary/analogue input/output card

- event logs, temperature graphs for the house, central heating water and outdoor temperatures over the last 24 hours
- control of gas and coal-fired boiler rooms with a choice of control modes (weather-compensated, timed, etc.)
- voice alerts (low fuel in the furnace, faults, etc.)
- control of the entrance gate and garage door
- air conditioning control
- flood protection system with automatic water shut-off
- locking of gates and doors (at 22:00 and when the alarm is triggered)
- emergency lighting (white LEDs built into the motion detectors)
- CCTV camera facing the courtyard: feed shown on all TVs
- SMS alerts via GSM

and a few other nifty features; if anyone has any questions, I’d be happy to answer them at -adamwicher(_at_)interia.pl
Best regards

As for bistable relays, it’s fine if you put them in the garage or the cellar, but if they’re in the house next to the living room, the moment we’re watching telly and someone’s pottering about the house, you can hear them clattering (unless you’ve got the Silent version )
Another issue is connecting the lighting to the NC terminals – if a fault occurs whilst we’re on holiday, it’s a disaster… ;/ (unless it’s just LED emergency lighting, but even that’s not great…)
If we’re at home and a fault occurs, there are relays on the panel that can be switched manually – no need to go round the house to sort it out…
Personally, I’m in favour of modules designed specifically for this type of installation, and if you add up the cost of all the modules for INTEGRA (expanders, relays, etc.), it works out to be about the same anyway…
Best regards and good luck

Run a Category 5 UTP twisted-pair cable to each room, together with a power cable. UTP is a universal cable suitable for Fast Ethernet (100m), RS485 and the alarm control panel bus. Controllers have long been available that operate in parallel on a single cable, each with its own address (e.g. 256 addresses for RS485), and can even be used to control power supply.

Does anyone have motion-sensor-controlled lighting in a house like this?
How does it react when, for example, you’re reading a book or watching TV?
Or how does it react when a window is open and the wind is moving the curtain?

I’d like to echo the question asked by wd40.

As far as I recall, motion sensors are one thing, and presence sensors are another. Neither of them, however, should react to a moving curtain, as it is ‘cold’ and the sensors usually detect infrared. As for a cat coming in through an open window, yes, they’ll probably react to that.

Has anyone experimented with motion detectors? If you remove the Fresnel lens from such a detector, does it then work like a presence detector? I suspect you’d need to take the background into account, i.e. you’d have to gradually adjust the detector’s sensitivity threshold… Bloody hell, now that I’ve written this, I can see it’s a bit of a problem. So, has anyone tried it?!

Hello, this system works well for me:
The lights in the hall (5 in total) consist of 2 x 1.1W LEDs which stay on all the time – once switched on, of course. When the motion detector senses movement, the remaining 3 lights (3 x 35W) come on. If nobody walks past for 5 minutes, those 3 lights switch off – only the LEDs remain on.
Cheers

My colleague adamvaleo has beaten me to my next post.
Frankly, it seems to me that outside the hall, any motion detectors are pointless, whether for the lighting control module or the alarm system. That’s why I asked how such detectors react to the presence of a stationary household member (a book, the TV) and moving inanimate objects – such as a curtain fluttering in a draught.