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| EMagazine Volume 4 Issue 4 August 1999 |
Features
Interviews
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| Home Toys
Interview - August99 - [HTI Home Page] |
[Click Message To Learn More] |
WHOLE HOUSE SYSTEMS INTERVIEW Because no one product controls a SmartOne system, dependability is much higher. SmartOne distributes the system's intelligence and control amongst the products on the network. CEBus also uses spread spectrum technology on the powerline, which means that instead of one control signal traveling from point A to point B on one frequency, we modulate between 100MHz and 400MHz. CEBus offers collision detection, error detection and correction, and true two-way communications. |
QUESTION 1 - New House Construction. What is the process for including your home automation system in my design and construction process? Who should I talk to first ... when should I start ... what do I need to know ahead of time etc.
SMART requires all of its dealers/installers to be certified. A dealer that is interested in becoming a SmartOne dealer is required to go through two days of training in SMART Corporation's training facility. The dealer can apply by filling out a dealer application online, or calling SMART Corporation (505) 521-6000. During the course of our training program, you will learn how to design, install, and program SmartOne system components. You also receive an overview of how to interface other manufacturer's products with a SmartOne system to achieve an interoperable network of home control products. There is no charge for this training and classes are offered every month.
CEBus powerline technology allows SMART to offer products that require no-new-wires for communications, unless you are connecting a non-CEBus product to one of SMART's controllers. In that case, low voltage wires from the non-CEBus product to an input or output in a SmartOne system may be required.
QUESTION 2 - Old House Renovation. What is
the process for adding your home automation system to my old house? Do I need to tear out
walls etc.? Who should I talk to first ... what do I need to know ahead of time etc.
QUESTION 3 - What systems can I automate using your equipment? (i.e. Lighting / Entertainment / Security / Other) What is the most popular system to automate in the home ? What is the most cost effective system to automate? What is the most fun to automate?
SmartOne automates and integrates lighting, security enhancement, audio/video equipment, low voltage controlled home products, appliance, circuit breaker loads, and more. Although our products address control of the subsystems outlined above, the number one area of control that our products are used for is lighting control. SmartOne offers most of the features and capabilities found in high-end lighting systems, but with two major differences; cost and retrofittability.
QUESTION 4 - How will I interface and control the system once it's installed? Do I need to call the dealer to make changes to schedules and modes etc.? How are software changes made (PC / Controller / Other)?
System features can be programmed to be activated by: a) time, date, or sensor based events, b) sensors, c) SmartSwitches, and d) the Manager Plus, which is a wall mounted control center with a blue back-lit LCD and keypad. SMART Corporation will also be releasing a remote control product in the near future. Some changes can be accomplished by the homeowner, while the majority of the changes are accomplished by the installer, at the site or remotely. When new features are added to a hardware product, the existing products can be upgraded by the installer by simply replacing a chip.
QUESTION 5 - What features set your system apart from the others? How can I compare the features and prices of the various systems offered?
When it comes to powerline, it is going to be difficult to compare system features from data sheets. Powerline control in homes has traditionally been accomplished with X-10 products. CEBus and the distributed control architecture that SMART chose to incorporate in its products offer a whole new world of possibilities. The differences are the same as those that exist between a stand-alone mainframe and a network of PCs. Because no one product controls a SmartOne system, dependability is much higher. SmartOne distributes the system's intelligence and control amongst the products on the network. CEBus also uses spread spectrum technology on the powerline, which means that instead of one control signal traveling from point A to point B on one frequency, we modulate between 100MHz and 400MHz. CEBus offers collision detection, error detection and correction, and true two-way communications. In addition, the signal strength is much higher than the signal strength offered by most other powerline solutions, so operating reliably in a 12,000 sq. ft. home is not out of the question. Finally, CEBus allows the transfer of data like node addresses, events, product configuration, and user interface screens, not just control signals. This also allows us to program an entire system from a computer, locally or remotely, including node addresses, events, product configuration, and user interface screens.
QUESTION 6 - Is your system expandable and upgradable? How do I go about expanding? How do I go about upgrading?
SmartOne is easily expandable and upgradable. To add a product to the control network, you would simply enter the product's digital serial number into the project file in our HomeTool(tm) Pro software, add the product to the desired groups, macros and events, and download the project file over the powerline to the system products. The software will automatically assign that product the house address that matches the other products in that project, and also issue that product a unit address. Note: In CEBus there are approximately 9,500,000 node addresses, not 256 nodes as with other systems. This makes SmartOne a great product line for multi-family housing, large homes, or commercial projects.QUESTION 7 - Is your system compatible with other equipment and systems available? Which systems and how do they interface?
Yes. SmartOne was specifically designed to interface with other products and systems. By using our Bridge products, analog and binary sensors can be connected to the system and used as triggers or reporting resources. Our outputs have 2 amp relays that can be used normally open or normally closed to control products such as drapes, skylights, fireplaces and more. Systems such as AMX, Crestron, Lite-Touch, Lutron, and Vantage can be interfaced by wiring outputs to inputs, and inputs to outputs on each system's I/O products. SMART Corp. will soon be releasing an RS-232 to CEBus powerline product that will make this interfacing even simpler. Other products like Niles and Zantech can be wired to the Bridge's outputs for IR and A/V macro control.QUESTION 8 - Home Networking of systems and appliances is the buzz these days. How will your system integrate with the future home network which includes data, communication, information etc. as well as automation, security and entertainment?
The CIC organization (CAL Interop Council) has focused on interoperability for years. There are current efforts to integrate CAL, which is the common language used by CEBus, with other standards such as 1394-Firewire, Home RF, Home API, OSGI, Jini/Java, and Home PnA. SMART Corp. intends on staying right in the middle of all of these developments to provide the home networking that the industry is desiring. When the market is ready for this level of interoperability, we will have the right product solutions.QUESTION 9 - For a new house of 3000 sq. ft. / 3 brms what would an "Entry Level" automation system cost (ballpark range)? Assume we want to automate the lighting, 2 room entertainment system (Adults and Kids) and security system.
A SmartOne system would run a dealer between $1,000 and $5,000 in products, depending how many points of control the dealer is looking to offer the home owner. With a modular system like SmartOne, the size of the house and the number of rooms do not determine the price of the system. Instead, the cost is driven by how many points of control exist. This means, how many SmartSwitches the dealer will use, how many home products and appliances will be controlled, how many audio/video macros will be incorporated, etc...QUESTION 10 - Look into your crystal ball and tell us about the future of home automation. The technologies ... the marketplace ... the cost ... the availability and just the plain old fun we can look forward to.
Like other electronic market segments, we believe that the home is on its way to becoming a digital platform where products will do much more than co-exist, but instead will offer interoperability through the sharing of resources, information, and control signals. We don't believe that one language or protocol will exist in the home. Instead, there will be a clustering of products, where some products will use powerline, others will use RF or IR, and yet others will use hardwiring such as twisted pair and coax. The key to making all of these different products interoperate will be a common language and a common set of rules. SMART Corporation believes that CAL and Home Plug and Play(tm) offer exactly that. Of course, prices will come down substantially while offering more intelligence and functionality. This is easy to predict using other markets and industries as a reference. Bottom Line: The life cycle of non-networkable products, stand-alone products or products that use a proprietary protocol is limited. Homeowners are looking for simplicity, elegance, reliability, and dependability. That is an impossible mission using the solutions many are offering today.QUESTION 11 - Where can I learn more about your system and how do I find a dealer in my area? (include links, addresses, tel, fax, contact names etc.).
To learn more about SmartOne and SMART's other product lines, and to find a dealer in your area, you can go to www.smartcorporation.com or call Mike Isaacs at (505) 521-6000 for information.
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