Home Automation:
Understanding Home Automation:
By now you've heard the term "home automation" bandied about in the mainstream media, over the office water cooler, and even mentioned in a few sitcoms. In fact, one study shows that 60 percent of the country admits to being "familiar" with the term, while less than half that number reports knowing "what it is"! That's not surprising. Even industry experts define the term differently.
A home automation system automates your whole house, triggering events and routines involving light fixtures, security components and the heating/cooling system based on the time of day, temperature or any other condition that you select. For instance, when a sensor detects a vehicle in your driveway, your home automation system could turn on your lights.
An automation system controls a collection of "subsys-tems." A subsystem is a system that—even when operating by itself—provides benefits to a homeowner. Common subsystems include lighting, security, entertainment and heating/cooling systems, as well as devices like motorized drapes and basic appliances. A home automation system puts two or more subsystems under the control of one central controller, so that the press of one button can issue several commands to a variety of different electronic products.
A popular example: Pressing an "Away" button on a keypad might arm the security system and set back the thermostat to an energy-saving level. Pressing the "Home" button does the reverse.
Central Themes
Most whole-house systems consist of two key components: a CPU (central processing unit) and user interfaces. The CPU, normally hidden in a closet, basement or other inconspicuous place in the house, serves as the brains of a home automation system. Subsystems, like lighting controls, communicate with the automation system via the CPU. Homeowners use interfaces such as keypads, touchscreens, handheld remotes or a PC to interact when necessary with the various systems linked to the automation CPU.
The similarities of home automation systems stop here. Each automation system differs in its degree of intelligence, ease of programming, level of flexibility, intuitiveness of operation, communications media employed, price and other features.
To help you make sense of the scores of viable options, we've divided the current fare of home automation systems into two very broad categories: moderate and high-end. Of course, you should not ignore the ultra-affordable option of a simple pre-wire. Sophisticated structured cabling systems can be installed for less than $1,000 in a 2,000-square-foot home, and they provide tremendous benefits.
Moderate Systems
This category includes systems that typically range in price from $1,000 to $3,000 (not including installation) and offer basic control features for two or more integrated subsystems—lighting and security, for instance. Dial-in access to the home automation system, which allows a homeowner to control integrated components from any touch-tone phone, is another standard feature among mid-priced systems. With systems that fall in this price range, it's also reasonable to expect such amenities as flood sensors, voice annunciators, dialers that automatically call a monitoring station or a homeowner's pager in an emergency, and possibly a keypad with a built-in intercom.
Often missing from moderately priced systems are the controls that allow sophisticated dimming of lights, and the ability to integrate components such as audio/video gear.
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Mrs. Florence Fan
