Hello everyone,
I am finally planning to build our own house with my family. I don’t want to do without a smart system and have already done some research.
Loxone is basically off the table for me because it mainly relies on its proprietary system and products.
Of course, I have repeatedly come back to KNX (as here in the forum as well). However, I am not entirely happy with it because I don’t want to have to call a programmer every time I want to make a change; I also don’t really want to buy the ETS license. Additionally, I want to integrate and network fingerprint scanners, Sonos, and a heat pump, but I haven’t fully figured out how to do this with KNX.
The house basically has two floors with an open-plan kitchen/living area, entrance hall, utility room, bathrooms, children’s rooms, bedroom, garden, and so on.
The following systems should be connected:
- Lighting (some dimmable)
- External blinds / weather station
- Underfloor heating
- Heat pump
- Music system (Sonos)
- Fingerprint access
- Video intercom
- Some switched power outlets
- Photovoltaic system
Since I am technically fairly knowledgeable, I want to be able to manage, adjust, and optimize my system myself in the end.
Does anyone have good input here? Or already experience with Loxone, KNX, or others?
Thanks and best regards,
Stefan
I am finally planning to build our own house with my family. I don’t want to do without a smart system and have already done some research.
Loxone is basically off the table for me because it mainly relies on its proprietary system and products.
Of course, I have repeatedly come back to KNX (as here in the forum as well). However, I am not entirely happy with it because I don’t want to have to call a programmer every time I want to make a change; I also don’t really want to buy the ETS license. Additionally, I want to integrate and network fingerprint scanners, Sonos, and a heat pump, but I haven’t fully figured out how to do this with KNX.
The house basically has two floors with an open-plan kitchen/living area, entrance hall, utility room, bathrooms, children’s rooms, bedroom, garden, and so on.
The following systems should be connected:
- Lighting (some dimmable)
- External blinds / weather station
- Underfloor heating
- Heat pump
- Music system (Sonos)
- Fingerprint access
- Video intercom
- Some switched power outlets
- Photovoltaic system
Since I am technically fairly knowledgeable, I want to be able to manage, adjust, and optimize my system myself in the end.
Does anyone have good input here? Or already experience with Loxone, KNX, or others?
Thanks and best regards,
Stefan
This is how it looks. You haven’t quite understood what it’s about and how everything is connected.
As the top layer, you can use anything that comes to your mind—whether it’s Mygekko, HomeKit, a home server, IP-Symcon, and so on, or various other open-source projects.
But without ETS, you won’t even get the motor running.
Or to put it another way: In this case, Mygekko is the operating system and ETS is the BIOS. Without it, you won’t get far no matter which operating system you want to use or how great it may be. After the “computer” has started, you can then do whatever you want.
As the top layer, you can use anything that comes to your mind—whether it’s Mygekko, HomeKit, a home server, IP-Symcon, and so on, or various other open-source projects.
But without ETS, you won’t even get the motor running.
Or to put it another way: In this case, Mygekko is the operating system and ETS is the BIOS. Without it, you won’t get far no matter which operating system you want to use or how great it may be. After the “computer” has started, you can then do whatever you want.
@bonkers223
I’m still in the planning phase for my upcoming single-family home and felt the same way. Do yourself a favor and go with KNX. You don’t have to integrate everything from the start; the most important thing is to lay enough cables to add actuators and sensors later on. I personally got the ETS software last year during a group purchase with a 40% discount, so it cost about €700 (~$750). I’m doing all the KNX configuration myself, which is the best way to learn and allows me to expand everything later on.
Regarding configuration and logic in general, with KNX you don’t program a separate server or anything else with logic—instead, you program the light switch itself. For example, in a living room with six pushbuttons, you configure the pushbutton itself and not the modules in the distribution board or elsewhere.
If you want nice comfort features later, check out iobroker. It’s free and lets you create advanced logic with Blockly, while keeping the basic KNX functions intact!
Keep in mind, over time you’ll want more. Here’s how I approach it: MDT glass pushbutton in the large living/dining area. Initially, it will just control lights on/off and roller shutter up/down. When living there and having time, I can add things like scenes, different levels, radio/music via in-ceiling speakers, etc. Handing this off to an external person to program little by little would likely cost more in the long run than the ETS license alone.
There are also online comparisons of various smart home systems and their costs. In the end, they are similar in price but KNX offers the most variety. Take the MDT glass pushbutton alone (yes, I’m a fan): 6 buttons, multiple levels, illuminated (dimmable), temperature and light sensor, digital display, nice appearance—for around €140 (~$150).
I’m still in the planning phase for my upcoming single-family home and felt the same way. Do yourself a favor and go with KNX. You don’t have to integrate everything from the start; the most important thing is to lay enough cables to add actuators and sensors later on. I personally got the ETS software last year during a group purchase with a 40% discount, so it cost about €700 (~$750). I’m doing all the KNX configuration myself, which is the best way to learn and allows me to expand everything later on.
Regarding configuration and logic in general, with KNX you don’t program a separate server or anything else with logic—instead, you program the light switch itself. For example, in a living room with six pushbuttons, you configure the pushbutton itself and not the modules in the distribution board or elsewhere.
If you want nice comfort features later, check out iobroker. It’s free and lets you create advanced logic with Blockly, while keeping the basic KNX functions intact!
Keep in mind, over time you’ll want more. Here’s how I approach it: MDT glass pushbutton in the large living/dining area. Initially, it will just control lights on/off and roller shutter up/down. When living there and having time, I can add things like scenes, different levels, radio/music via in-ceiling speakers, etc. Handing this off to an external person to program little by little would likely cost more in the long run than the ETS license alone.
There are also online comparisons of various smart home systems and their costs. In the end, they are similar in price but KNX offers the most variety. Take the MDT glass pushbutton alone (yes, I’m a fan): 6 buttons, multiple levels, illuminated (dimmable), temperature and light sensor, digital display, nice appearance—for around €140 (~$150).
Compared to KNX, it is generally even more expensive to purchase—if you want the same functionality, of course. We have already seen several comparison quotes here in the forum (not only here) where the choice ultimately fell on KNX because it was cheaper.
So why should anyone even bother discussing it anymore?
So why should anyone even bother discussing it anymore?
untergasse4320 Feb 2020 06:46Patricck schrieb:
I don't think much of KNX for private homesWhy?