Design and application of a KNX-based home automation simulator for smart home system education

Abstract

Nowadays, automation systems have a wide use in buildings to make smart applications. Hence, many automation protocols such as 1-wire, BACnet, C-Bus, CC-link, DALI, and KNX are developed. Among these protocols, the KNX protocol is preferred thanks to its some specifications such as easy and fast installation, user-friendly software, and adaptation to the existing system. With increasing demand to construct KNX-based smart home systems, developing the KNX-based automation system simulator for the training of engineering students is required. A KNX simulator should be modular and user-friendly. In addition, this simulator should have an expansion slot to use it together with different devices compatible with KNX protocol. In this study, a KNX simulator for engineering students training on smart home systems is designed and installed. The modules of simulator and KNX software programming tool ETS are explained. Besides, sample scenarios for engineering students to enhance and realize their projects are given. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.