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The key to any SmartHome House is in the way that all of the various technologies are integrated seamlessly into a home system that is easy to command with just one or two button presses, or a voice command.
In order to have the various technologies, by different manufacturers, function together, we select only product lines and models that we know will be compatible with the other products we install. This also gives us the freedom to find the best products at the best prices for our clients, rather than to be locked into a proprietary system that requires the use of only one company's products and technology exclusively.
The buttons in the column on the left, are general categories of home technologies. Most of the products featured can communicate with different technologies by direct wire as in RS 232, (similar to a computer's language and serial cable), IR or Infrared, like your television's remote control, RF or Radio Frequency, which is similar to any other remote you might have that doesn't require a direct line-of-sight, (like your garage door opener), or PLC, Power Line Carrier, similar to some remote control light switches and a preceding technology known as X-10.
Specialty devices are sometimes installed to facilitate the communications by translating the signals and language of one type of device to another.
A Structured Wiring Panel is installed somewhere in an inconspicuous place like a utility closet or laundry room where all of the various wired technologies are joined in an organized structure that can be easily modified for your future needs. This is the "Grand Central Station" of your HomeSmart House and where the "brains" of your home's systems resides. For example, this is where the physical connection between the surveillance cameras and the home's TV cable distribution is made to allow you to turn to a specific channel on any television, and see who is in your driveway, or check on the baby in the nursery. This is the place where the signals are exchanged when you give the voice command, "Good night house" and the voice interface module sends different types of signals to the lighting controls to turn off and dim specific lights, arm the security system, adjust the air temperature, turn off the pool & spa, secure the pet door, and turn off the ambient music at a specific time. This is also the area with the communications device that will allow you to monitor and access any of your home's systems when you are away, either by phone or internet. |
