Wireless systems can apply to lighting systems or whole-house automation solutions. By definition they are solutions employing radio frequency communication between a central controller and external components of the core system.
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Wireless Systems
Wireless systems can apply to lighting systems or whole-house automation solutions. By
definition they are solutions employing radio frequency communication between a
central controller and external components of the core system. The external components
can be slave controllers, human interface devices such as touch panels, lighting or
thermostat control devices, or relay/sensor sub-controllers.
Examples of wireless systems are Insteon for lighting control, ZWAVE for lighting/climate
controls and Control4 for whole-house automation systems.
The core components of these systems use radio-frequency (RF) technology as the backbone connection
between the central or master controller and other system components. This class of system may also
include standard interfaces such as Ethernet for communication between the master controller and
other components, RS-232 for serial communication with a subsystem or device from a different
manufacturer, or infrared emitters for control of off-the-shelf audio/video components such as TVs,
receivers, DVD players, etc.
Because these systems use RF technology, communication between components is reliable and fast.
Technical support comes from one source for the core system, and product quality is consistent
throughout. These systems have a significant advantage for retrofit applications as wireless components
require no extra wiring. For example a wireless thermostat would replace a traditional thermostat, and a
wireless wall switch replaces the existing wall switch. The central controller or control devices in a peer
network use RF communications to control other system devices.
On the flip side support for other popular sub-systems or devices is non-existent unless the system also
supports other IEEE or industry standards. Interference from other home appliances can impact the
reliability of RF communications, however wireless systems that use the same RF band as your appliance
can normally be configured to use different channels within the band to eliminate this possibility.
Popular RF protocols in use today in wireless automation systems include Insteon, ZWAVE, and ZigBee
(IEEE 802.15.4).
The following table compares these 3 protocols: