Install smart home. We are trying with our own hands to make a smart home from an ordinary “kopeck piece. What is a smart home

Films often show a living space that seems to take on a life of its own. Light bulbs light up at the wave of a hand, curtains open, after a certain word music plays. All this equipment is an intelligent home system, and we propose to consider how to make a smart home with your own hands, what is needed for this, and also what is the scheme of such a system.

Smart home - what is it

A smart home is home automation, which is a residential extension of building automation. Home automation can include centralized control of lighting, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), home appliances, unlock gates, doors, GSM and other systems to provide improved convenience, comfort, energy efficiency and security. It should be noted that for some categories of the population (the elderly, the disabled) this event may become necessary.

Photo - Smart home distribution ideas

Photo - Simple smart home

With the latest introduction of SMART technologies into our lives, many no longer imagine their lives without automatic installations, software equipment, we need wireless Internet, household appliances.

Home automation refers to the use of computer and information technology to control home appliances and their functions. It can range from simple remote lighting control to complex computer/micro-controller based networks with varying degrees of intelligence and automation. Home automation should preferably be as simple as possible.

Photo - Smart door lock

Benefits of using a smart home in an apartment based on PIC or WAVE:

Economical time spent on daily setting up various mechanisms, receiving calls, sending mail;
The use of gaseous or liquid fuels, and later the use of electricity, allowed increased automation in heating systems, reducing the labor required to manually refuel the heater and stove.
The development of thermostats made it possible to set up more automated control of heating, and later cooling;
So often the protection of industrial facilities, residential premises is carried out;
As the number of managed devices in a home increases, their relationship rises. For example, an oven can send notifications when it needs cleaning, or a refrigerator when it needs maintenance.
In simple installations, the smart can turn on the light when a person enters the room. Also, depending on the time of day, the TV can tune in to the desired channels, set the air temperature, lighting.

Smart Home can provide interface-access to home appliances or automation to provide control and monitoring on your smartphone, via a server, mini Smart for iPhone, iPod touch, as well as using a laptop computer (special software required: AVR Studio).

Photo - Home control via tablet

Video: Schneider Electric smart home system

Smart home elements

Home automation elements include sensors (such as temperature, daylight or motion detection), controllers, and actuators such as motorized valves, switches, motors, and others.

Photo - House control scheme

These are heating, ventilation and air conditioning, HVAC can control temperature and humidity, for example, the Internet control thermostat allows the homeowner to remotely control the heating and air conditioning systems of the building, the system can automatically open and close windows, turn on radiators and boilers, and underfloor heating.

Lighting

These lighting control mechanisms can be used to control household light appliances. Also here can be attributed the system of natural lighting, the work of blinds or curtains.

Photo - Scheme of a smart home

Audio visual

Remote Control Presence Effect (This is the latest technology used to increase security). It consists in lighting the light, musical accompaniment.
Imitation of presence
Temperature control
Brightness control (electric lamps, street lighting)
Security (alarm, blinds).

How to make a smart home

You can make an intelligent system with your own hands, the most budget option is to set up lighting control in the house or turn on the computer.

Photo - Smart home control option

To make a lamp that will “light up” by itself, you will need to connect special equipment to it. There are several options for solving this problem:

Install an acoustic relay (1 or x10-wire);
Connect dimmer;
Connect motion sensor.

The easiest way to work with the sensor. Its sale is carried out in any online store, you can buy a channel device, you can develop your own according to your own parameters. The only remark is that you cannot install an incandescent lamp with such a device, it may not withstand the load and explode, it is better to work with LED.

Photo - Smart home concept

Another "smart" silent option is a dimmer. Here you will need to touch the lamp, depending on the number of touches, the talking device will change the brightness. It is very convenient to use on the lamp in the bedroom, nursery.

To set up temperature control and regulation, we need a multi-channel system. The central temperature and humidity control circuit consists of:

Sensors (ds1820) that measure the physical state of the liquid, air.
Controllers (rfm12) which can be simple physical components and complex special purpose devices or embedded computers.
Lunex drives that respond to controller signals.

The most modern way is to buy all the components of a smart home, wires, thermostats. After installing the appliances in each room, one thermostat per radiator and one per boiler. You will also need a controlled unit, or the "brain" of the entire system. It is recommended to mount it on the heating inlet pipe.

Photo - Smart home system

The easiest way to install a video surveillance and alarm system. Fundamental provisions for the installation of security systems:

It is necessary to connect sensors on windows, doorways, where the electrician will be the most productive;
The board is the most difficult to select, the smart home controller, the operation of mediocre parts, the level of signals depend on it;
Many experts believe that indicators should be mounted at floor level. About 20 cm from the baseboard, this increases efficiency;
It is desirable to establish permanent monitoring, to establish a digital system of contact with the security service. Often, responsible owners install a special program on their personal computer that allows you to control the operation of the system from anywhere where there is an Internet (this is what Elena Teslya and her book advise to do: “Smart Home: How to Do it Yourself”, there are also other solutions ). You can enable SMS alerts.

A smart home is a very convenient way to make your life easier, often the whole system is bought completely (Arduino, KNX, Linux).

The cost of each system is individual. The most popular brands are: beckhoff, gira, lpt, redeye, Smart Switch IOT screen, teleco. We recommend that before you build such housing, consult with experts, they will help you calculate the load level, calculate the power consumption.

Photo - Light control via phone

To get ideas, you can scroll through V.N. Gololobov's "Smart Home" with your own hands, DJVU or PDF, see our photo and video instructions for free, read the advice of famous masters.

Recently, the phrase smart House” is becoming more common, but not everyone understands what is hidden behind these words. It is rather difficult to characterize such a system, since different companies provide kits aimed at different areas. But in general, a smart home implies increased comfort, high security and practicality. Despite the high cost of installing and maintaining systems, you do not need to be a very rich person to equip your apartment or house with everything you need.

Smart home design

First of all, you need to decide on the necessary functions. Installation companies of such systems offer one-piece kits, which usually contain not only everything you need, but also a lot of additional (and often completely useless) things. There is a certain plus in self-assembly of the system - you can install only those functions that you need. Most often, people are interested in the management of light and heating, door locks and alarms, fire safety. The second very important point is the way these functions are controlled. If earlier access to them was possible only through the control panel, now it is possible to remotely configure and adjust.

Based on the requirements, you need to calculate the amount of materials needed. This includes not only the server itself, but also controllers, wires, wi-fi. The purchase of all these important elements, of course, will require investments. But the amount you spend will be much less than the cost of the finished version.

Smart home: server or computer

This question will definitely come up in front of you in the planning process. The fact is that the server will certainly require more investments than a regular personal computer with the appropriate program. But it also has more functionality. In addition, the PC at least sometimes needs to be rebooted, which will cause a system crash. A constantly running computer fails faster, but this does not threaten the server.

Whatever you choose, you should also take care of special software for creating a smart home. You can link several systems or use only one - it depends solely on the needs and willingness to deal with constantly emerging new programs.

Security systems

Very often, the creation of such a system begins with the desire of the owner of an apartment or house to control what is happening around. Video cameras are installed in the right places, the signal from which is transmitted directly to the computer. Thus, all information can be stored on the hard disk and overwritten, for example, after ten days. If you have such a desire, then you can connect remote access. So, while at work, you will know exactly what is happening near your home.

Another very handy thing is the lock control. You can set it to open or close from the control panel or smartphone. This function is very convenient, but it also has its own pitfalls. Carefully examine the lock, it must be able to be mechanically accessed. Otherwise, in the event of a power outage, you will not be able to enter or leave the house.

Do-it-yourself smart home: comfort

How many times have you encountered the fact that the switch is located in an inconvenient place. How you do not want to get out of bed to put out the light. The smart home system solves this problem very simply. On all switches in the rooms, special devices are installed that allow you to remotely control the light. If you want to change the level of illumination, then you can not do without dimmers. You can also smoothly adjust the operation of the lamps from the remote control or smartphone.

Professionals recommend taking care of the humidity level in your home. This feature may not seem necessary to everyone, however, a properly selected humidity level will provide you with not only a healthy sound sleep, but also less dust. In addition, in rooms with windows facing the sunny side, as well as throughout the house, during the operation of the heating system, the air is much drier than the recommended minimum.

Is it profitable?

Spending a lot of money on the ability to remotely monitor the house and switch the light may seem unjustified. But it's not just about convenience. The smart home system even allows you to control all outlets. Forgot to turn off the iron or electric stove? Not a problem. You can do it remotely.

In addition, through the control panel, you can set up a special schedule for some devices. For example, turn on the coffee maker at seven in the morning. Of course, you will have to put all the necessary ingredients on your own in the evening. You can also set up a schedule for the air conditioner.

Such moments allow you to save electricity. Let the amount at first seem small to you, but gradually it will accumulate.

Particular attention should be paid to the regulation of the heating system. Of course, to install it, you will need special temperature sensors in each room. But then you can set the exact temperature for the bedroom, bathroom or living room. Plus, you don't have to waste heat. A smart home can turn off the heating immediately after you leave the house, and turn it on one to two hours before returning.

Simple Conveniences

If you understand that you have no desire, need or opportunity to create such a system, then pay attention to individual elements. So, for example, a controlled lock is synchronized directly with your smartphone. By choosing the right application, you can not only open the door with one touch of your finger, but also send special invitations to your friends. They will quietly open the door during the specified period with a message without distracting you from cooking.

There are also special “smart” lamps that can also receive messages from your smartphone. They are not only durable, but also easy to manage, however, the cost is quite high.

Building a smart home with your own hands can be difficult for a person who does not have a special education. Of course, everything can be made much easier by buying ready-made smart home modules. However, it is better to create the system yourself.

What is "smart home"

Before starting work on the independent creation of various amenities, you need to figure out what a smart home system is and what it is capable of.

A smart home cannot be characterized by two or three functions. For a shorter definition, it should be said that in such a system all communications are connected to a computer and controlled with its help. The system carefully monitors the temperature in the rooms of the house, observes and captures images from video cameras. With the help of computer technology, you can adjust the light, the temperature of the floor or batteries, turn on various electrical appliances and much more.

The degree of equipping the house with various modules is determined by the connected equipment or the imagination and creative skills of the master.

Why is it better to start arranging such a system in the house yourself? Because at the same time, the owner himself will be able to regulate various modules, complicate and modify them. He will have in his hands the open source code of the system, which he will be able to correct at his own discretion. Ready-made modules and kits do not give such freedom of action. They are completely dependent on the developer company.

Another plus of self-development is that the master will not spend a lot of money either on installing modules or on repairs. If a ready-made kit is delivered, then any refinement will cost quite a lot. In addition, the kit itself will also become a significant expense item.

What the smart home system can do depends largely on the imagination of its creator.

Where to start

It is necessary to start the arrangement of a smart home with the most basic things.

You will need a computer.
You will have to create a website for your home, which will reflect various functions.
It will be necessary to install special software (programs). To do this, you will need to check the compatibility of the software with the computer."
Make a diagram.
The first hook functions can be the simplest. You can start with a home monitoring system and room temperature control.

Arrangement details

Installing a local server on Linux.
Apache server setup.
Using Linux, you can organize a video surveillance system. This will require ZoneMinder.
On Apache, you need to create a website for a smart home.
For monitoring, you can install various alarms, USB cameras. You also need to install temperature sensors and install the appropriate software.

This is the minimum set from which the arrangement of a smart home can begin. Having understood the details of such operations, you can move on to more complex things. In order to inexpensively create a full-fledged control system for various communications and equipment functions in the premises of the house, there is no need to invent something. On the Internet you can find a lot of solutions to create comfort and coziness.

Some masters have been posting their developments for a long time and offering users to try them out.

Creating a website for your home can seem like one of the hardest things to do. In fact, a ready-made website module can be found today on the Internet. For those who want to do development on their own, you need to do the following.

Understand php and learn how to work with MySQL.
Various scripts will form the basis of the smart home function control system. They do not need to be developed, most of them are available to users. You just need to understand the installation sequence.
The scripts will run regularly and update information about the state of the system.
The jQuery library will also come in handy. You can even create a great looking site with it without having to learn Cascading Style Sheets.
Working with databases can be made easier if you use an engine to manage the site.

Smart home features

The functions and possibilities of a smart home are almost limitless. Therefore, only a few of them will have to be considered.

The light can be adjusted using several devices. For example, dimmers can be installed to control the light level. Such devices, however, will only work in certain cases. They will not work in fluorescent lamps.

The disadvantage of dimmers is a constant light background noise.

Switches are installed in the place where light switches are usually located. With their help, the light can be turned on and off.

Appliances

Household appliances can be turned on and off using the same switches as in the case of dimming.

Do not make all systems at home fully automatic. It is better to leave the possibility of conventional manual control. Otherwise, in case of malfunctions, you will have to work hard.

Observation

The surveillance system can be equipped in such a way that it will be possible to monitor the cameras located in the house even from the workplace. It is not very difficult, a video camera system can be installed as the first function of a future smart home. The essence of this technology is that the signal from the cameras is transmitted to a specific computer. Data from sensors and cameras can even be received on portable devices.

Simultaneously with video cameras, motion sensors can also be installed. They will work on the same principle. To set up software on a computer, you only need to download the appropriate open source modules. In order to be able to regulate and modify the code in the future, you will have to understand a little about the structure of such systems. It's easier than learning to program.

Desire and hard work will help overcome obstacles in mastering the fascinating science of creating a smart home. You just need not be afraid of the new, and over time, even enthusiasm for the process will appear.

Video

We bring to your attention the following videos on the topic of creating a smart home:

Owning a country house is the dream of many. And it is important enough that the house is carefully planned and comfortable to live in. Today, most of us want to make a smart home with our own hands without the involvement of specialists. We will consider the concept of a smart home in more detail later in our article.

A smart home is a system based on the complete automation of all housing mechanisms. Those. you can easily turn off the light in the corridor with one click on the control panel. But, in order to design a smart home with your own hands, you will have to try.

That is why most people prefer ready-made smart home systems offered by different manufacturers.

With the help of various wires, controllers, sensors and actuators, you can control all the components of your home, such as:, lighting and . And your participation in this process will be minimal - the control is carried out only by the remote control.

How to implement a smart home system?

The smart home system is very popular and widespread. With such a system, any owner of the house will be able to control all the necessary components of his home. A large number of companies perform the installation of a smart home system, taking into account all the wishes of customers. And it is worth noting that each development is individual, the system is created for a specific object, and a smart home is designed for each specific case in different ways.

The smart home system assumes that your home will be filled with a variety of "electronic elements". These include ventilation, air conditioners, boilers, uninterruptible power supplies. Of course, installing all these systems is quite difficult, but it's still worth trying to install the system.

All houses are a certain mechanism that must be assembled correctly and correctly, i.e. you must fill it out with the help of various communications and technical devices. In order to make a smart home with your own hands, you need to combine a number of components into one stably common system.

You can easily assemble a simple design yourself, but for this you must have certain skills, such as:

knowledge of electrical and ability to operate various electrical appliances;
ability to work with current;
have an idea about the principles of building automatic systems;
know programming;
understand algorithms;
good knowledge of the equipment used.

Your main task is to combine all the mechanisms into one whole in order to control the entire house using a computer or mobile device.

warning system

Installing a smart home means preventing an accident, because. this is a guarantee that you will not worry about the failure of the structure or the leakage of pipes. When you install an automatic power supply system in your home, you will be able to control the entire load on the power grid. And even if a short circuit occurs, the power supply will be cut off, and your equipment will not be damaged. And if you accidentally forget to turn off the iron or tap, the electronic sensor will warn you about this and, if necessary, turn off all systems.

Power supply

The smart home system assumes high-quality power supply. This is especially important in areas where there are frequent power outages. To protect your equipment and housing in general, you need to install the battery in stabilized power supplies. This will keep all systems running in case of emergencies. If you don't want to think about possible electrical failures, install a diesel generator and backup electrical power units in your home.

Due to automatic control, the fuel level in the generator will be constantly monitored, and the load on the electrical network will be distributed more evenly.

Security alarm in a smart home

Smart home technology also includes home protection. Installing an alarm with your own hands is not difficult. You can place sensors along the fence that covers your area, as well as on walls, rooms, windows and doors. When one of them is triggered, all programmed warning systems are immediately activated.

Such a system consists of a control panel, a presence detector, a UPS with a battery, a sound siren, and a key reader.

Smart home: lighting

You can easily develop a lighting control system with your own hands, through which you can significantly. It is necessary to choose the quantity and types depending on the room and the interior in it.

The main thing when developing a lighting system- this is automatic control, then you can not think about whether you turned off the light or not. can be set to light up when you approach and go out when you leave.

power usage

To limit the power in the house, it is imperative to install an energy management system. Due to this solution, various problems that arise if the power reaches its maximum can be avoided. If your house has electrical installations, then the entire supply network may be overloaded. When creating an intelligent system, you can smoothly turn on the floors in various rooms until the house warms up. This system will allow you to avoid sudden network surges. And as the energy approaches the maximum, the generator will turn on by itself, and after it decreases, it will turn off.

Sockets and power supplies

You can easily equip all the sockets in the house with your own hands. Such a solution is cost-effective, because. you just need to have an antenna and you can control it from a distance using a key fob.

The idea of this system is that all electrical outlets in the house are connected through a single circuit. Therefore, when the command to turn on the kettle or toaster, the appliances will start their work at the time specified by them.

In addition, the presence of this centralized system will allow you to turn off all the included electrical appliances at the touch of a button on the remote control.

Warm floor

To date, flooring has become widespread, although their installation is not cheap. The warm floor is comfortable and pleasant to walk on. Floor warm coatings are of two types: water and electric. When installing a smart home system, you can constantly keep a certain temperature in the rooms. And you can control it with a remote control.

A smart system is a guarantee that the optimal temperature will be constantly maintained in your house or apartment. And energy consumption at the same time will be more rational and profitable.

Smart home: heating

In standard apartments, you cannot just turn off the heating system if you get hot. The smart home system makes it easy to solve this problem, because. built-in special intelligent modules. Due to them, a comfortable temperature is maintained in the room, which can be changed automatically using the remote control. This system can be used in any interior, without much harm to it. Installing this system is easy: special control valves are installed on heating radiators.

They are controlled automatically by a remote control with a built-in temperature sensor. With a more complex configuration, valves and consoles are connected using a radio channel, and control and adjustment are carried out via a computer or the Internet.

To date, there are a huge number of technological solutions to make your home functional and equipped. And many of the options presented are very simple. You can do some things yourself, for example, install an automatic water supply or a system that protects against snow and ice. But some systems still require a professional approach, this applies to power supplies.