Getting better control with home automation

August 12, 2003/HOME automation is now a reality. Defined as anything that gives you remote or automatic control of things around the home, home automation also refers to the convenience of controlling your electrical appliances locally or remotely by using gadgets such as the personal computer (PC), mobile phone or personal digital assistant, according to Inix Technologies Sdn Bhd's business development manager Ralph Yew Eng Teik.

One of the benefits of home automation is that it can protect your house from any intrusion or break-in. "The system installed will alert the user before the intruder can gain entry into the house. With the use of a CCTV (closed circuit television) surveillance system, the user will be able to zoom into the intruder and contact the enforcement officers to take immediate action," Yew says.

Home Automation Systems

Besides that, home automation also helps save electricity. For example, lights, fans and other home appliances can be programmed to either be dimmed or switched off if the home automation system does not detect any movement or presence for a certain period of time.

One of the factors to consider when automating your house, according to Yew, is to source for an integrated smart home system or a single-board system that combines the features and functionalities of security, CCTV surveillance and home automation.

"This will eliminate the need for multiple telephone lines, multiple computers, multiple installers, and the hassle to deal with multiple product vendors," he says. "Furthermore, an integrated system allows working parents to monitor their homes at all time from their workplace."

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Another factor to consider is the wiring system for the house, Yew says. Most products in the market require Category 5E wiring infrastructure, and Cat 5E twisted pair cabling is expensive to lay and meant for data communication, for example, PC-to-PC linkage. Once the Cat 5E cables have been implemented, it's almost impossible for the homeowner to relocate them without a messy "construction job".

Nonetheless, there are some systems that offer wireless technologies, Yew assures, such as power-line carriers (PLC), which is widely used for data transfer, where it allows the user to automate a new electrical appliance such as a table fan by just plugging in an adapter.

To add a new point for the structured cabling system, users will need to contact the electrical contractor to lay a physical wire point from the nearest bus line to the fan. Once the PLC module is installed, a configuration expert will integrate the module into the system.

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