International Home Technology Standards

Home Technology Standards Index

There is a quagmire of standards and specifications out there as home technologies expand to encompass new computer and communication networks. To help you stay on top of the latest technologies and trends, HomeToys has provided a resource list of the Home Technology industry standards that we know about.

If we've missed any, please drop us a line so we can keep this resource up to date.

In order to keep this list manageable, many proprietary computer or communication network standards were omitted.


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Other Home Technology Resources

Home Technology / Network Standards and Specs

Home Technology / Network Standards and Specs - Alliances and Working Groups

Standard Media Description
BatiBUS
Club International (BCI)		 Twisted Pair Link sensors and actuators to building systems that control HVAC, security, access, and life safety. Scheduled to converge with EIB and EHS.
Bluetooth RF Bluetooth is the codename for a technology specification for small form factor, low-cost, short range radio links between mobile PCs, mobile phones and other portable devices. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group is an industry group consisting of leaders in the telecommunications and computing industries that are driving development of the technology and bringing it to market.
CEBus
 All The CEBus Standard (EIA-600) is a protocol specification developed by the Electronic Industries Association (EIA) to support the interconnection and interoperation of consumer products in a home.
EIA 570A Twisted
 Residential Telecommunications Cabling Standard
EIA-776 Twisted
 CEBus / EIB Router Communications Standard.
EIB
(European Installation Bus)		 Twisted
 Link sensors and actuators to building systems that control HVAC, security, access, and life safety. Scheduled to converge with BatiBus and EHS.
EHS
(European Home System)		 All A European industry and government collaboration on home automation. Among the objectives of EHSA are accelerating the process of standardization and encouraging international harmonization. Scheduled to converge with BatiBus and EIB.
ETI
(Extend The Internet Alliance)		 All Members are committed to making emWare’s EMIT® technology the de facto industry standard for networking devices. With EMIT technology as the foundation, ETI Alliance companies work together to create and deliver complete device networking services and products.
HAVI (Home Audio Visual Interoperability) IEEE
 HAVi is a Consumer Electronics (CE) industry standard that will ensure interoperability between digital audio and video devices from different vendors and brands that are connected via a network in the consumer's home.
HBS
(Home Bus System)		 Coax
Twisted
Pair		 A consortium of Japanese companies, supported by government agencies and trade associations, has specified communications standards and equipment for home automation. This encompasses links among appliances, telephones, and audio-video equipment using twisted-pair wires and coaxial cables.
Home Plug and Play All Provides interoperability among products with multiple transport protocols. Overseen by the CEBus Industry Council.
HomePlug Alliance Power
Line		 Created to set a technology specification for home power line networking and to promote its wide acceptance in the marketplace. The alliance's objective is to enable and promote rapid availability and adoption of cost effective,interoperable and specification-based home power line networks and products enabling the connected home.
HomePNA
(Home Phone line Network Alliance)		 Phone
Line		 The Home Phone line Networking Alliance (HomePNA) is an association of industry-leading companies working together to ensure adoption of a single, unified phone line networking standard and rapidly bring to market a range of interoperable home networking solutions.
HomeRF
(Home Radio Frequency Working Group)		 RF The mission of the HomeRF Working Group is to enable the existence of a broad range of interoperable consumer devices, by establishing an open industry specification for unlicensed RF digital communications for PCs and consumer devices anywhere, in and around the home.
IEEE 802.15.4 Wireless The IEEE 802.15 TG4 is chartered to investigate a low data rate solution with multi-month to multi-year battery life and very low complexity. It is intended to operate in an unlicensed, international frequency band. Potential applications are sensors, interactive toys, smart badges, remote controls, and home automation.
Internet Home Alliance All A group of companies dedicated to enhancing a consumer's understanding, appreciation, and adoption of the Internet lifestyle.
JINI (The Jini Community) All Jini technology provides simple mechanisms which enable devices to plug together to form an impromptu community -- a community put together without any planning, installation, or human intervention. Each device provides services that other devices in the community may use.
Konnex All The common association of EIBA, BatiBUS and HES
LonMark Interoperability Association All The LonMark Association's mission is to enable the easy integration of multi-vendor systems based on LonWorks networks using standard tools and components.
OSGI (Open Service Gateway Initiative) All The OSGi specification will create an open standard for a service gateway that is inserted between the external network and the internal network.
WECA (Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance) RF WECA's mission is to certify interoperability of IEEE 802.11 High Rate products and promote that standard for the enterprise, small business and the home. The IEEE 802.11 Standard offers wireless connectivity at speeds up to 11 Mbps.
UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) All The Universal Plug and Play Forum is an industry group of companies promoting Universal Plug and Play networking protocols and device interoperability standards.
VESA (Video Electronics Standards Assoc.)
PDF File		 Various The VESA Home Network consists of; a backbone network; one or more component networks; a number of access devices that connect the home network to external access networks; a number of network devices that connect component networks to the home backbone network; and end devices that provide various functional services to the home user.
ZigBee Wireless The ZigBee Alliance is an association of companies working together to enable reliable, cost-effective, low-power, wirelessly networked, monitoring and control products based on an open global standard.

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Home Technology / Network Standards and Specs - Proprietary

Standard Media Description
HomeConnex
Peracom Networks		 RF/IR
Coax		 HomeConnex is a home entertainment network that unites PCs, TVs, audio/video components and set-top devices into an integrated system.
No New Wires
Intellon Corp.		 Power
Line / RF		 ntellon's power line carrier and radio frequency technologies enable high-speed communication and extend the reach of the Internet to individual products without adding new wires. Incorporates CEBus Technology.
Lonworks
Echelon Corp.		 All Home and commercial control network. A LonWorks control network is any group of devices working together to sense, monitor, communicate, and control. In some ways, a LonWorks control network resembles a data network (such as a LAN).
Sharewave
Sharewave Inc. 		RF ShareWave™ Digital Wireless is a portfolio of technologies that enable real-time multimedia capable digital wireless connections among various devices throughout the home. Systems built using ShareWave™ Digital Wireless are capable of sending and receiving multimedia data including full motion video, computer graphics, CD quality audio, voice, data, and user inputs instantaneously.
X-10
X-10 Inc.		 Power
Line		 The father of power line home automation protocols. Facilitates control of household devices over the existing home wiring system.
Z-wave(tm) by Zensys RF Zensys' RF-based technology Z-wave(tm) is designed specifically for full home control, enabling power outlets and switches, thermostats, access control, intruder and fire alarms, and other home control networks to go wireless. Z-Wave makes the reliable, affordable, and completely wireless control of and communication between everyday home lighting, appliances, temperature control and other home systems possible, with no new wires.

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