In smart homes, there are about a dozen standards for signal processing and communications. a&s invites some of these standards to the SMAhome column, to share their insights and future roadmaps.
In its more than 20 years of existence, KNX has put large emphasis on standardization, through the elaboration of the KNX specifications and their later publication as international standard ISO/IEC 14543-3, and the possibility for end users to choose freely from a wide portfolio of certified, compatible KNX devices from different manufacturers and applications. Combined with its manufacturer-independent design and configuration tool (ETS), KNX has become a “household” name in the world of home and building controls.
KNX messages can be transported over a twisted-pair network, via the mains, through wired and wired IP networks or via the KNX 868 MHz RF solution; building designers, thus, have a wide range of possible media to choose from: wireless or wired. The percentage of homes and buildings, in which networked control equipment will be installed, is expected to grow in the next decades. The use of wireless technology, especially in the residential sector, is expected to rise, for which KNX will offer the forthcoming ETS5, also a design and configuration platform, for potential integrators interested in a more widespread use of RF.
From its origins, KNX may be very much European, but is spreading fast around the globe, with Asia, Australia and Latin America as truly emerging KNX markets. It will continue to evolve in order to embrace the coming era of the Internet of Things.