SOLUTIONS: VILLA, PISTOIA,TUSCANY
Remote monitoring is another key feature. “I monitor the alarm system, cameras, server, UPS and touchscreens for vital signs and for major warnings and alarms that may be significant for me – so I can intervene and not wait for the customer to phone me up.” A major benefit of the way
One of the three smaller Panasonic TVs with a 16in touchscreen nearby
entertainment system was the hardest part, Aiello remarks. “The only part of the project that could not be easily handled by KNX is the audio/video devices. One approach here is to use a dedicated management solution, with the only requirement that it has to be interfaced and managed via KNX. For the management of the video, HDMI matrix and the home theatre system, I chose a Crestron QM-RMC and a b+b EIB-MT-Gateway IP.” The Integra receiver, Blu-
ray player and matrix switch are managed via their RS-232 serial interfaces. “However, there’s no easy way to automate a Sky box – it’s the trickiest part. The only way is to use infrared but it’s one-
A screengrab from one of the touchscreens, including weather data from outside
way only, so you can’t ask the device which channel it’s on.” There are 30 zones for heating and air-conditioning, each managed individually by the KNX system. The heating and A/C systems are interfaced with a meteorological station: exterior wind speed, light levels, rainfall and temperature are all monitored. KNX thermostats and actuators, both from industrial control giant ABB, are used to regulate heating and lighting. (Weather station data is also used to manage the automatic watering system for the garden.) Standard Daikin air-conditioning units have been fitted with a KNX interface from Intesis. The KNX system has also
been set up to manage electricity consumption: it can switch devices on and off that handle critical loads – such as the oven, washing machine or aircon units – in a preset sequence so the house does not exceed the total load agreed with the power company.
With so much riding on the
KNX system, it’s important that it is properly protected. The server is a small Acer box – it doesn’t need a large amount of computing power, but it has built-in redundancy with disc mirroring (via a RAID controller) and a double power supply. Power to the house is protected by a 5kW uninterruptible power supply, configured for full load for one hour.
this system has been designed is that it is very easy to change – either to accommodate additional technology or to adapt to new requests from the owners. Aiello comments: “What I’ve explained to the customer is that you can change the graphic anywhere you want. For instance, if they want to manage the Blu-ray player from a different room, it’s just a matter of changing the graphics. It’s a layer between the hardware and the customer that is completely flexible – you can mix and match in any way you want. That is what makes the money you spend on the systems worthwhile.” Overall, Aiello says he is
“extremely happy” with his choice of KNX for this project. “The more I’ve used it, the more I’m convinced that it is the way to go,” he says. “The beauty of a home automation system is that you should be able to integrate as much as you can. This way the customer also gets the most out of it – he can see results that otherwise wouldn’t have been possible. “Because you have KNX, and
more than 500 companies that develop KNX devices, there is really no limit on what you can integrate – and I think it’s a pity not to do it.”
www.bb-steuerungstechnik.de www.cisco.com www.crestron.com www.elmospa.com www.integrahometheater.com www.intesis.com www.knx.org www.mikrotik.com www.mobotix.com www.netxautomation.com www.panasonic.net www.tci.de www.triotech.it
ONLINE EXTRA For a more detailed version of this article, go to
www.installation-international.com/triotech-tuscany-villa
www.installation-international.com
March 2014 61
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