1. Automation Technologies and Trends for Smarter Homes and Buildings
Day 2 - Architecture Overviews
5/21/2013
By Jon Gabay

2. Recap Yesterday We Learned:
Automation is already being used around us and we are getting benefits from it.
Any type of structure can use automated element to increase efficiency.
Services automated functions can provide span from comfort and luxury to life saving and property protection.
Most automated functions are discrete functional blocks.
These blocks operate as timed, asynchronous, reactionary, and timed.
Costs and resource limitations are forcing changes going forward.
New technologies must cohabitate seamlessly with each other and with people.

3. Cheap Hardware
When looking to deploy automation, cost per node is a key factor. If you count up the number of switches, outlets, lights, fans, appliances, computers, entertainment systems, and so on, that is a lot of hardware. Each Node has its own commands, data structures, functionality, and reactions. 3

4. Technology Must Be Simple To Understand And Use
People don’t want a 4 year study
program to be able to use technology.
MUST BE INTUITIVE
Trend has been more complex functionality.
Noisy program screens, too many options.
Small fonts, screens, tight spacing can deter.
Like a 10 page menu at fancy
restaurant 4

5. Why Hasn’t It Taken Off
Automation Technology Must Be Taken To Heart We must adapt
On Demand Living Must Shift
Resource Conscious way of Thinking
Co-Generation and Combined Functions
Better Designs of Appliances for Energy 5

6. If We Don’t We Will Be Forced To
Legislative Mandates Have Already Affected Us
Auto Fuel Efficiency Standards Save Fuel
Refrigeration standards imposed by
California eliminated need for multiple
power plants and created better
and cheaper refrigerators 6

7. Smart Grid Will Make us Change
The national deployment of ‘smart meters’ and
the ‘smart grid’ will force us to change our habits
and the technology in our homes and buildings.
Higher cost for power during daytime hours
Peak demand load restrictions
Smarter load demands, cycled services
Intelligent sensitivity to changing power conditions
Critical and medical systems keep alive 7

8. Structural Limitations
There are many more existing
buildings than are being built.
Any automation technology that will become the widely adopted standard will need to seamlessly integrate into existing building.
Existing high voltage wiring has no signaling.
Wired interconnect expensive installation.
Existing Cat5 infrastructure may be there.
Powerline and wireless have their place. 8

9. We want control of our own space.
In Our Own Space
We want control of our own space.
Systems must be ‘unified’, able to interoperate, play by a standard set of rules and restrictions, and be personalized.
The concept of central control becomes zone oriented.
A controller must be remote controllable by a superior.
A controller must react differently to different users.
The intelligence is moving into the structure. 9

10. Architecting the Structure
Power is key factor.
Appliances and AC wired devices have access to power in most cases.
Sensors, motion detectors, security systems, etc
will need power wires, energy harvesting, or
energy storage.
If wires can be run, a low voltage wired node can be the most
reliable, lowest cost, and most flexible solution for a node.
This includes critical functions, sensor nodes, low power actuators, display and status terminals, and some audio. 10

11. Especially for Critical Functions
Batteries can take us a long way but a wired node is always preferable when supporting critical needs.
A burglary, panic, smoke, CO, or flame sensor
should not fail if batteries are low, if jammed
or EMI is interfering with communications.
A patient monitor should be able to report sensor
data indefinitely if wired to a powered control hub.
A smart emergency lighting system can be turned
on when approaching people and ambient darkness.
Central energy can reduce costs compared to redundant energy. 11

12. Factors for Deciding on Wiring Standards
Different signaling and wiring standards offer different benefits and limitations.
DC power over long wire runs
Single ended or differential
Half Duplex vs Full Duplex
Shared Medium vs Switched Medium
Free Flowing or Flow Control
Node Limited or Restricted 12

13. IR Loss Adds Up @100 m = 37.6 Ohm @ 100 ma = 3.76 Volts
A typical Cat 5 wire will exhibit Ohms per meter. Voltage at the endpoint will vary depending on length and amount of current.
@100 m = ma = 3.76 Volts
@100 m = A = 37.6 Volts
@500 m = ma = 1.88 Volts
@1000 m = ma = .376 Volts
Note – Calculations based on round trip wiring lengths. 13

14. AC Can Help
Using AC can help minimize IR loss and electrically isolate power systems.
Advantages are -
Longer cable runs feasible
Isolated power and signals
Step up possible
Disadvantages are -
Transformers are needed
Higher costs 14

15. Differential Doubles Wires
Differential wiring can run longer distances. Singled ended wiring radiates EMI and is susceptible to it. Twisted pair differential wiring is quiet and immune to common mode noise. Differential wiring requires twice as many wires. 15

16. Full Duplex Can Double Wires
If shared medium and not a modulated technique, full duplex functionality may require another wire or wire-set if differential. This means 4 wires just for communications. Add another 4 if flow control are needed and you are up to an eight wire harness just for signaling. For long distance runs, this adds a lot of cost. 16

17. Wireless
Wireless Nodes use battery or harvested energy. This brings with it a new sensitivity to power. Use of wireless node is simple from an architectural and installation point of view. Mostly Half Duplex. Too expensive to do full Duplex. Different type of device, personal, comfort, luxury, control, etc. Very desirable solution when high installation costs exists. Eg. Concrete wall. Wireless is getting cheaper and smaller. 17

18. The Overseer
With both wired and wireless automation systems, control points steer operations. In a fully automated environment, control points will become hierarchal. Your personalized control point will hold modes, settings and preferences for you. 18

19. When Structures Talk
So far, you are talking to your structure. As structures talk to one another, another layer gets added. Identifying you and your preferences. Will be used for advertising, but also for next generation of services. 19

20. This May Include Dynamic Energy Switching
In emergency situations, powered and wired nodes can pool energy resources and keep alive critical services. Distributed control systems are better suited to handle autonomous fallback operations. 20

21. Day 2 Questions and Answers
Q&A
Day 2 Questions and Answers 21 21