Matter Smart Home with Atios

Our mobile phones are omnipresent today; we use them to unlock our cars, control our music and check-in on flights. So why not use it to control our lighting, blinds, heating and doors to our home? The term smart home is sometimes intimidating and the automation part of it is not even desired. To build a future proof home, there are however reasons to take care of proper electrical planning right from the start. A kitchen is simply replaced 10 years later, rewiring the house is almost impossible. With the right electrical installation, you have created an investment and can continuously expand your Smart Home as required. The following text is divided into 3 chapters: the advantages of control via app based on the Matter standard, the advised electrical installation based on a so-called “bus system”, and the efficient implementation with Atios products.

 

Matter Ecosystem

App-Control: secure and privacy focused

All lighting, shading, climate and doors can be accessed via smartphone apps and voice control. The integration is based on the new Matter connection standard, which guarantees compatibility with Apple Home, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings and Amazon Alexa. Apps which come pre-installed on every device and communicate locally and end-to-end encrypted with your installation.

User interface and Remote Access

A simple interface that the user is already familiar with makes it easy to get started. There is no need to register with a new service and no additional costs for a cloud connection. Remote access works without further effort, port sharing and VPN are a thing of the past.

Scenes and automations

The creation of scenes and automations is in the hands of the end user. Thanks to the native integration into the operating system, astro functions and geofencing automations are as easy as never before.

Shared Access

The home can still be completetly operated by keypads on the wall, which makes it easy for guests, nannys and elderly people. If desired, the access to the smart home can easily be shared with additional users.

Future-proof

The Matter standard is future-proof thanks to regular updates and support from various products that are purchased at a later stage after moving in (security cameras, floor and desk lamps, televisions, multi-room audio systems, ACs, humidifiers and air purifiers, etc.).

Advantages for the integrator

Thanks to Matter, the end customer is responsible for visualisation. The integrator can concentrate on planning and programming the solid basis of the KNX or DALI system and hand over the interface to Matter Integration. Less frustration for the end customer, more projects and more efficient implementation for the integrator.

 

Bus System Architecture

Wired vs. Wireless

Push-buttons, motion detectors and other sensors must be supplied with power if you want to avoid constantly changing batteries. If cables are already being pulled in a new building anyway, why not use the cable for power supply and data transmission? In addition, it is no longer appropriate to supply "simple signalling devices" such as push-buttons with 230V AC voltage. A low-voltage cable with < 30 V direct current such as KNX or DALI is much more suitable. Thanks to the bus system, it is easy to expand and change the assignment between buttons and lights at a later date. 2-way and 3-way circuits are a thing of the past.

Design & Plenty of Choice

Durable and professional products are available worldwide from ~600 manufacturers, for which spare parts will still be available in 20-50 years' time. Thanks to manufacturer independence, there are various design options: well-labelled and simple keypads with fewer buttons are one of the main advantages of bus-based systems.

Comfort – Less is More

Reduce the number of keypads in the house, avoid huge control panels where it is impossible to know which buttons is for which light. Standardise and think through the operating philosophy for the keypads and for the app: identical keypads in every room, with two lights each (ceiling and switched socket), plus a rocker for t blinds. Ideally, replace the push-buttons in the utility room, corridor and WC with presence detectors. Room thermostats can be often completely dispensed; temperature sensors are already included in every keypad.

Future-proof & stable in value

Bus-based systems can be easily and continuously expanded over time with new additional devices. This increases the value of the property disproportionately and the slightly higher initial costs compared to a conventional installation are negligible. For example:

• Energy management: Integration of PV system, inverter and electric car charging station. Break down power by consumer, analyse and control electricity and heating costs and thus save money.
• Security: Integrate window contacts, motion detectors, alarm system, water leakage and moisture sensors
• Additional light points, replace keypads or even just change the assignment of the buttons.
• Additional shading such as awnings, blinds or motorised curtains
• Video surveillance
• Multiroom audio systems
  

 

Villa / Detached House Smart Home

Atios KNX Bridge and KNX Bus

For a detached house or villa, we generally recommend a KNX bus system as the basis. The reasons for this - apart from manufacturer independence, exceptional stability (used in all large buildings worldwide, from office buildings to airports) and future viability - are that a large number of devices can be connected at the same time compared to alternatives. Don't let your architect or electrician confuse you about the costs and effort involved. We only use KNX as a basis and realise app control, scenes and automations with Matter. In this way, we utilise the advantages of both systems and offer a cost-effective solution at the highest level.

The Atios KNX Bridge integrates your KNX system with the new Matter standard and vice versa. This allows you to control lighting, blinds, heating, access and much more via Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings or Home Assistant.

In new KNX installations, the Atios KNX Bridge functions as a 3-in-1 device, namely as:

• Matter visualisation server
• KNX IP interface for programming the KNX System with ETS
• KNX DALI gateway

As almost all lamps, whether spotlights, LED strips or pendant lights, are now equipped with a DALI interface, a so-called gateway from KNX to DALI is required. This transfers the desired dimming level, colour and colour temperature to the lamps via the DALI data cable.

 

Flat / Apartment Building Smart Home

Atios SmartCore and DALI Bus

For an apartment building with apartments of up to 150 square meters each, business apartments or hotel rooms, we generally recommend a pure DALI system as the basis. This saves costs and programming effort compared to KNX (see Atios KNX Bridge and KNX bus). DALI is an alternative bus technology to KNX and originally comes from the lighting industry, so it is also manufacturer-independent and reliable. DALI is not anymore only used for lighting, but can also control blinds or integrate sensors such as push-buttons, motion

Atios SmartCore integrates your home into the new Matter standard. It allows you to control lighting, blinds, heating, access and much more via Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings or Home Assistant. Thanks to the all-in-one approach and easy configuration, projects can be implemented cost-effectively. This also convinces building owners who would otherwise plan a conventional electrical installation.

Our Atios SmartCore offers the following features:

• 12x integrated relay outputs for lights, blinds, heating valves and motorized locks
• 12x integrated binary inputs for push-buttons, motion detectors, window contacts and more
• DALI interface for 64x addressable outputs and 64x DALI-2 inputs such as motion detectors, temperature, brightness and AirQuality sensors
• Integrated web interface for easy configuration detectors and temperature measurement. However, the maximum number of participants on the DALI bus is limited to 64 outputs, such as lights and blinds, and 64 inputs, i.e. push-buttons and sensors