INSIGHTS
Up until recently, integrators and end users had no choice but to use a dedicated and often proprietary touch panel to control their home automation (HA) or control system if they desired a comprehensive control interface. Since the release of the first iPhone, iPad and Android devices, we have seen an explosion in the number of devices being sold and applications being released that allow these devices to be used as the main control interface for control and automation systems.
Using tablets or smartphones for HA systems
Date: 2013/07/15
Source: Commandfusion
Debunking Misconceptions
- No centralized app can control everything: Once again, it is a case of moving away from the proprietary control systems and apps and choosing one that publishes open protocols to allow for simple control of many different systems from a single app. And if for some reason you really do need to switch apps, applications such as the Commandfusion iViewer allow the programmer to perform the app switch from within the programmed GUI interactively.
- Latency issues: This is an incorrect assumption, and if this is found to be an issue, it is usually a case of incorrect programming, a misconfigured network, or choosing an inferior application. A proprietary system is often slower as it bottlenecks through a single controller instead of communicating with individual devices concurrently. This is particularly true with high-bandwidth devices such as media servers.
- Smartphones and tablets are easily broken: These days, even proprietary devices have embraced capacitive technology for obvious reasons, and hence, are just as easy to break. Protective cases are much more readily available for consumer devices.
While proprietary panels may still be the better choice in some jobs from the point of reliability, this option is fast becoming difficult to justify from the point of cost, performance and feel. Technology is constantly changing, and not always in the right direction; a decision that was right yesterday may be wrong today. Regardless of the direction chosen, what is most important is to stay informed so that decisions can be made correctly.
** For more information about the feature contributor CommandFusion, please check out its website. **