Expanded List of Home Automation Applications

Audio / Video Entertainment: Home Theater

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Replace all remote controls with one easy-to-use interface...

 The home theater can be one of the most thrilling aspects of a home, but controlling it can be one of the most difficult and exasperating experiences. Providing a simple, easy-to-use interface to the home theater for all members of the family is often on the top of the list for home automation.

The key to simplifying your life in the home theater is replacing all of the remote controls of your multiple Audio/Video components with simple, easy-to-use interfaces. You have 3 major choices to choose from: handheld remotes, keypads on the wall, touch screens on the wall or table. Often, you will want to choose more than one.

 

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... simple, handheld remote control - always accessible, obvious how to use it

The handheld remote, when done properly, can become your interface of choice in the home theater. However, there are very few people in the world who have ever experienced it done properly. Clearly, having multiple remote controls is not the answer. But in trying to reduce the number of remote controls you may have experienced:

  • There are a set of "mode" buttons on the remote control. You have to push the DVD "mode" button to turn on and control the DVD player, you have to push the AV surround processor "mode" button to turn on and control it, and you have to push the TV "mode" button to control it. You know the order in which to do things, but no one else does.

  • You create a macro to set up the entire path to watch the DVD player, but when someone else uses the remote, they put it down before the macro finishes playing - before everything gets set up properly.

  • You have a DVD player that only has a single button on its remote control to toggle the power on and off. You put a DVD into the DVD player (turning the DVD player on) and, then, use a macro on your remote control to turn your entertainment system on. Everything else turns on, but the DVD player turns off (because it was on when it received the power toggle command).

  • You add a new AV component and spend hours recreating macros for your remote control.

  • The batteries on the remote control die and you do not bother replacing them.

 

The key to remote control bliss is the separation of the handheld remote control from the box that controls the AV equipment. In this architecture, the box can provide reliable communications to all of the AV components (even to the point of knowing whether each component is on or off) and the remote control can just send a short command to the box. This eliminates all of the issues above and makes controlling your theater so intuitive you may never get interrupted again by someone wanting to watch a movie.

And another nice outcome of this architecture is that the remote control becomes very inexpensive. Therefore, you can have multiple low cost simple remote controls in the room so one of them is always close at hand.

How to wire AV Remote Controls.

Supported AV Remote Controls.

Configure the Destiny remote control.

Configure the Universal MX-800 Remote Control.

Configure the Philips Pronto TSU-7000.

 

 

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... keypad on the wall by the door - get things started as you walk in the room

Simple elegant keypads like those provided by lighting system manufacturers are excellent at setting lighting scenes. In addition, when combined with a Domain Controller they can also start the entertainment going faster. As you walk into the room, hit the button on the keypad and the entertainment will be starting as you sit down. Use keypads with 7 or more buttons to provide a simple interface to both lighting scenes and entertainment.

How to wire Keypads.

Supported Keypads.

Configure Keypads.

Configure LiteTouch 5000 LC Keypads.

Configure Lutron HomeWorks Keypads.

Configure Lutron Radio RA Keypads.

Configure Vantage Lighting System Keypads.

Configure X.10 Light Keypads.

 

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... great looking graphical touch screen display at various sizes and prices

Great looking touch screen displays and tablet PCs can add both beauty and functionality to controlling your home theater. The touch screen display does not replace the handheld remote as you will not want the bright light of the display turning on every time you want to change the volume or pause the action; nor will you want to focus on a particular area of the touch screen display in order to touch it accurately enough to perform most common actions. However, they do come in handy when you want to show off your theater room or do something much less common than using the transport, menu, and keypad commands - such as changing the brightness of the picture. There are 3 types of touch screen displays.

  1. Displays based on PC technology are standards-based and provide the most flexible solution. They can interface with your home controller and can also enable you to view IP cameras and access the web. When these displays are mounted on the wall, they are usually referred to as a Panel PC. On a table top, they can be either a touch screen PC or a tablet PC. Small, inexpensive graphic displays based on the Hewlett Packard iPAQ are also available. How to wire Display: PC based. Supported Displays.

  2. High end remote controls such as the Philips Pronto TSU-7000 can also make a great looking graphical display. One of the key advantages of this type of display is long battery life. Destiny Networks now offers a program that can be loaded into the Pronto TSU-7000 that provides instant control of Room scenes, AV equipment, HVAC, security, and Groups of Actions with little or no additional programming needed. Another advanced remote control with an integral display is the Universal Remote Theater Master MX-800. Destiny Networks also offers a program for this remote control.  How to wire Display: High end Remote Controls. Supported Displays.

  3. A third option is the custom displays associated with a distributed AV system such as those made by Elan and Xantech or those associated with a lighting system such as the one made by Vantage. Destiny Networks provides a program that can be loaded into the Xantech SmartPad that provides instant control of Room scenes, AV equipment, HVAC, security, and Groups of Actions with little or no additional programming needed. The other displays can be easily programmed to communicate with a Domain Controller, and, therefore, control any system in your home. How to wire Displays: Custom. Supported Displays.

 

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Reliable communication to all of the AV components, always

Reliable execution of every AV component for every command sent to them is paramount to simplifying the home theater. The most reliable way to do this is to have point-to-point communications from the home controller to each AV component via either IR Mouse Emitters or serial cables.

You will want to avoid having the remote control itself sending out IR macros to the AV components in the room. These macros can take many seconds to perform during which the remote control must be continuously pointed at the AV equipment. Since many people tend to think the commands will be sent immediately, they often push a button on the remote and then put the remote down before it has completed its macro. The result is that only some of the AV components are set up properly and the others are not because they did not receive the commands meant for them.

As opposed to this, the home controller should send the commands to the AV components in the order in which they need to be performed and over the time period it takes to perform them. The remote control should just send a very short command to the home controller to tell it what to do. This will avoid the problem above.

How to wire AV Remote Controls.

Supported AV Remote Controls.

Configure the Destiny remote control.

Configure the Universal MX-800 Remote Control.

Configure the Philips Pronto TSU-7000.

 

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Reliable 2-way control of all components so the system always works

When possible, the AV components should have separate discrete commands for power on and power off. That is, instead of a single button on the remote control that turns the power of a device both on and off, the AV component should respond to an On command and an Off command. In this way, the power status of the device is always known and, thus, all components go to known states. When you use an AV component that does not have discrete commands, then that component should provide its power status back to the home controller via video sync, light detection or "current sense" information.

  • Video sync uses a spare video output signal from the AV component back to the home controller to indicate that the AV component is on. This is the preferred method for video components, but be careful of the Interaction of Video Signals because some AV components do not output a composite signal when the S-Video signal is being used.

  • Current sensors sense the change in 110V current that powers the AV component to determine if the AV component is on or not. That information is sent to the home controller via a low voltage digital wire. This is the next best method for sensing the power status, but it may not work if there is not much difference in current between the On state and the Off state of the AV device. How to wire and configure the Xantech CSM1 Current Sensor.

  • Light detection the light emitted by the display of an AV component to determine if the AV component is on or not. This information is sent back to the home controller via a low voltage digital wire to indicate the power status of the AV component. How to wire and configure the Niles Audio Light Sensor.

All of these methods provide a reliable way of determining the power status of every AV component in the system. The Domain 3000 directly supports IR communication and power sense of AV components. Additionally, it supports IR communication and power sense of an unlimited number of additional AV components through external repeaters and adaptors. The Domain 3000 receives very short commands from a remote control or touch screen display and handles the control of all AV components by itself.

How to wire AV Remote Controls.

Supported AV Remote Controls.

Configure the Destiny remote control.

Configure the Universal MX-800 Remote Control.

Configure the Philips Pronto TSU-7000.

 

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Accurate and up to date documentation of all wires in the system

One of the most important steps in the installation of a home theater is the documentation of every wire in the system. Without this documentation, making changes in the future will be very difficult. And the documentation must represent the system accurately. Too often, the documentation represents what the system should look like, but not what it actually looks like after the on site changes were made.

One of the very power features of the Destiny Networks' software is that it automatically generates a schematic of the actual wires in the system. This schematic is always accurate and up to date because it also determines how each component is controlled. That is, the control program is derived from the schematic. Therefore, it must accurately represent the wires.

IN the schematic below, the Domain 3000 is on the left, sources are in the 2nd row, the AV surround receiver in the 3rd row, and displays and speakers are in the 4th row. That is, the signals flow from left to right just like you would expect.

 

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One touch on the user interface ...

One touch of the remote control or display should do everything necessary to turn on every AV component in the system and send the all the appropriate commands to set up each AV component to its proper state for playing what you want play. In addition, you may want the remote control or display to control the rest of the theater environment.

 

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... turns on all the right components (e.g., VCR, DVD, cable, surround sound, display)

Controlling the AV components by hand can be very frustrating. However, the home controller can make easy work of it turning on the right components in the right order and selecting the right inputs and outputs for every source you want to watch.

How to wire AV Remote Controls, Display: PC based, Displays: Custom, and Display: High end Remote Controls.

Supported AV Remote Controls and Displays.

 

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... drops down the screen or raises the lift

A projector screen that drops from the ceiling or a plasma display that rises up from a cabinet can create an exciting experience and can free up the room for other purposes.

How to wire AV Dropdown Screens and Plasma Lifts.

Supported AV Dropdown Screens and Plasma Lifts.

 

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... closes the curtains

With the touch of a single button, you may want to close the curtains to:

  • Eliminate glare,

  • Bring out the color in the picture, and/or

  • Prevent neighbors from looking into your home while you are watching TV.

You can do all of this with motorized shades and curtains. If you want this to work reliably, use reliable motor controls rated for the weight of the shades or curtains in the room.

How to wire Curtains and Shades.

Supported Curtains and Shades.

 

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... dims the lights

With the touch of a single button, you may also want to control the lights dim the lights a little to watch TV while doing other things, or dim them completely to watch a movie; then, raise the lights before getting up to walk out of the room. You can do all these things using your remote control or touch screen display. To control lights in a room or in your whole house, install a reliable lighting system such as those made by Lutron, LiteTouch, or Vantage. This gives you the ability to control lights from your PC, from touch panel displays in the walls and on the tables of your home, from your AV remote control, and via handsfree automation.

How to wire Lighting Systems.

Supported Lighting Systems.

 

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... arms the security system

With the touch of a single button, you may also want to arm the security system to give you the additional feeling of security while watching a movie. Do it from the same remote control or display you use to control the AV equipment.

How to wire Security System.

Supported Security Systems.

 

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... adjusts the heat to the right temperature

With the touch of a single button, you may also want to set the heating and cooling system to a specific temperature or raise or lower the temperature by one degree at a time. Do it conveniently from the same remote control or display you use to control the AV equipment.

How to wire HVAC Systems.

Supported HVAC Systems.

 

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Use your large screen TV as a computer screen to ...

If you would like a PC interface to your video display, make sure to get a display that supports a VGA interface. In addition, many people like to use their computer in resolutions greater than VGA resolution. Here are a list of common resolutions and the names that often refer to them:

  • QVGA 320 x 240

  • VGA 640 x 480

  • SVGA 800 x 600

  • XGA 1024 x 768

  • SXGA 1280 x 1024

The connector for all of these is the same VGA connector.

 

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... surf the web from your couch

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... access the user interface to your home

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... work from the comfort of your living room

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Have the entertainment system turn off automatically after you've left the room for a while

One of the common complaints we hear is that the theater equipment will stay on all day long with no one watching it. This can significantly reduce the life of AV components such as projectors and plasma displays as well as using a lot of electricity  Even worse, if a still image is left on the video display, it can get burned into some displays. A simple way to eliminate this is with handsfree automation which will turn off the theater after everyone has left the room for some period of time (e.g., 30 minutes).

How to wire Home Positioning System.

Supported Home Positioning System sensors.

 

 

 

Audio / Video Entertainment: Whole House Music

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Distribute music to multiple rooms of your home to ...

One of the more common features being added to homes these days is whole house music (a.k.a. distributed audio) in which one or more music sources can be played in multiple rooms.

There are many manufacturers of distributed audio systems offering systems of different sound quality, that support different numbers of rooms, have varying capabilities to control the sources from each room, and come in different price ranges. After you experience listening to music in multiple rooms of your house, you will probably wish you had wired up more rooms than you originally did. We recommend you run wires for speakers  to many rooms, but only install speakers as your budget allows. In addition to running wires for the speakers, you will want to run wires for the keypads and/or displays to control the music.

How to wire AV Distributed Audio System.

Supported AV Distributed Audio Switches.

 

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... utilize a central library of music

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... listen to the same music in every room

If you want to listen to the same music in every room, there are some lower priced systems available to do this. And they may work perfectly well for this single application of whole house music. However, these systems may not provide the feedback to the home controller to handle the other applications listed. For example, the A-bus system provides low cost distributed audio via on/off and volume controls in each room. This may be the right system for your needs, but it does not allow you to select different sources and will not be able to communicate the on/off state of the music back to the home controller. Hence, your ability to control the music is more limited than with other systems.

How to wire AV Distributed Audio System.

Supported AV Distributed Audio Switches.

 

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... listen to different music in each room

Listening to one music source in one or more rooms and a different music source in other rooms is a typical capability of many audio switches. Even lower priced systems such as Russound and Xantech offer this capability and more. And all high end systems offer this capability.

How to wire AV Distributed Audio System.

Supported AV Distributed Audio Switches.

 

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... wake up to music with the volume increasing gradually

One of the nicest application of a distributed audio system is to be able to wake up to your favorite music and to have that music gradually increase in volume as you wake up. This is easy to do by connecting the distributed audio system to your home controller and creating Timer Events to set the time and volume levels.

How to wire AV Distributed Audio System.

Supported AV Distributed Audio Switches.

 

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... play what's playing in the adjacent room with the touch of a single button

You will often want to play what is playing in a nearby room. All of the distributed audio systems can do this using their keypads. However, if you want to eliminate the wall clutter of the distributed audio system keypad or want to have this functionality from a remote control or a Panel PC, then you will want the home controller to execute this action.

How to wire AV Distributed Audio System.

Supported AV Distributed Audio Switches.

 

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Control the music from ...

You have 4 major choices of how to control the music: handheld remote controls, keypads from the audio switch manufacturer, keypads from the lighting system manufacturer, or touch screen displays.

  1. Remote controls can be placed next to your favorite chair and can therefore be the handiest interface.

  2. The keypads associated with the audio switch provide the highest degree of functionality of controlling music for the space they take up, but sometimes they detract from the look of the wall.

  3. Simple elegant keypads like those provided by lighting system manufacturers provide a convenient way of controlling music while reducing the wall clutter associated with other means of control at the same time. This approach also allows you to easily change to a different audio switch at some time in the future when you want to handle additional rooms of distributed audio. Use keypads with 7 to 9 buttons to provide a simple interface to both lighting scenes and entertainment. With more buttons (such as two columns of 6 buttons), controlling AV becomes very easy AND elegant.

  4. Touch screen displays on your walls can be very attractive and can control more than just the music in the room.

 

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... the keypads and displays associated with the audio switch

This is the typical way to control the distributed audio system. The advantage is the ability to easily control the music. The disadvantages are the expense of the distributed audio keypads and the lack of elegance when compared to the other alternatives.

Configure Russound Keypads.

 

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... with the same remote control that controls the TV and music

The most convenient way to control the music in a room is with a handheld remote control. Some distributed audio systems offer this method, but for true simplicity, you will want a remote control that can do more than just control the music in a room. Therefore, we recommend that the remote control communicate with the home controller which can then communicate with all the systems of the home.

How to wire AV Remote Controls.

Supported AV Remote Controls.

Configure the Destiny remote control.

Configure the Universal MX-800 Remote Control.

Configure the Philips Pronto TSU-7000.

 

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... with the touch of a single button on a keypad

If you want the most elegant way to control a distributed audio system, use the keypads that control your intelligent lighting system to also control the music in each room. For the most intuitive control, add a second intelligent lighting system keypad to the wall to control the distributed audio system. For the best aesthetics, use one of the keypad buttons that determines the lighting scenes to act like an "Alt" key on your computer - push that button and the other button on the keypad now controls the distributed audio system.

How to wire Keypads.

Supported Keypads.

Configure Keypads.

Configure LiteTouch 5000 LC Keypads.

Configure Lutron HomeWorks Keypads.

Configure Lutron Radio RA Keypads.

Configure Vantage Lighting System Keypads.

Configure X.10 Light Keypads.

 

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... from the graphical display on the wall

For your options here, please click "(more)" on the "great looking graphical touch screen display" application.

How to wire Display: PC based, Displays: Custom, and Display: High end Remote Controls.

Supported Displays.

 

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... by time of day or time relative to sunrise or sunset

Increase the security of your home by turning on the music at certain times of the day while you are out. Or avoid bothering your neighbors by automatically turning off the outside music at 10pm. Or wake up to music. It is easy to do when you connect the distributed audio system to your home controller.

Supported Timer events.

 

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... from your PC at work or at homeWhile you are working on your PC, easily control the music in every room of the house. This is easy to do when the distributed audio system is connected to your home controller.

How to wire the distributed audio system.

How to network your PC.

How to open the Entertainment Menu.

How to create a GUI Button.

How to Create a PC Taskbar Icon to turn on your music.

 

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... automatically when you walk into and out of a room

While handsfree lighting maybe the most practical application of handsfree automation and handsfree HVAC may provide the best energy savings, handsfree music is one of the most dramatic. Turn on the music in one room, walk to another room and it turns on in that room automatically, and then turns off in the unoccupied room. Just add handsfree automation to your home and enable the rooms in which you want "follow-me music" to operate.

How to wire Home Positioning System.

Supported Home Positioning System.

 

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Have the music automatically turn on as you enter a room, turn off as you leave

Its a unique and exciting feeling to walk into a room and have the music turn on to the same source as the room you just left. It turns on without touching a switch or speaking a word, and to know that the music will soon turn off in the room you just left makes it all the better. However, you will not always want to listen to music when you walk into a room. Therefore, the music only follows you if it was on in the previous room. The Domain Controller with handsfree automation supports this.

How to wire Home Positioning System.

Supported Home Positioning System.

 

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Have the same music follow you from room to room

Walk into the room and the music follows you, but you may not want it to follow you up the stairs to the second floor. Therefore, you will want multiple ways to control where it will go. The Domain Controller with handsfree automation supports this.

How to wire Home Positioning System.

Supported Home Positioning System.

 

 

 

Audio / Video Entertainment: Whole House TV

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Distribute video sources throughout your home to ...

In addition to distributing speakers throughout your home to hear the same music in multiple rooms, its now easy to distribute video throughout your home to watch the same video. There are many ways to do this and new ways in development.

How to wire AV Distributed Video System.

Supported AV Distributed Video Switches.

 

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... start a DVD in the living room and watch the end in your bedroom

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... buy fewer source components

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... play the same show on every TV in your home while doing chores

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Have the TV automatically turn on as you enter a room, turn off as you leave

Possibly the only thing more dramatic than follow-me music, is follow-me TV. Walk from one room to another and the ball game follows you every step of the way - turning on in rooms you enter and turning off in rooms you leave. You can even set it up to provide the sound to rooms that only have speakers. For example, walk into the kitchen and continue to hear the action from the game while making a sandwich.

How to wire Home Positioning System.

Supported Home Positioning System.

 

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Have the same TV show follow you from room to room in a constrained set of rooms

You will not always want the TV to follow you and the Ubiquity software offers you lots of ways to constrain it.

How to wire Home Positioning System.

Supported Home Positioning System.

 

 

Cameras to monitor your home

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See who is at the front gate or front door

Add an outdoor pan and tilt camera to the post of the gate and to the side of the front door. It is not likely that you will need zoom capability for these locations.

How to wire Cameras.

Supported Cameras.

Configure the Panasonic IP Camera.

 

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Monitor all outdoor areas

Cameras to monitor around the outside of your home are a common request. Previously, this may have been done with CCTV cameras that could be accessed by a TV in the house. However, with IP cameras and Internet technology you can now access your cameras not only in your home, but anywhere in the world with total security.

How to wire Cameras.

Supported Cameras.

Configure the Panasonic IP Camera.

 

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Deter burglars from your home

Outdoor cameras located around the outside of your home will make it much more likely that potential burglars will avoid your house.

How to wire Cameras.

Supported Cameras.

Configure the Panasonic IP Camera.

 

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See your baby sleeping, even from work

Add indoor cameras to important areas such as your child's room so that you can know he or she is safe without constantly being there. This same camera can be viewed over the Internet or at work. View the IP camera anywhere in the world over the Internet using an application such as the GoToMyPC application. It provides highly secure Internet access at a reasonable cost.

How to wire Cameras.

Supported Cameras.

Configure the Panasonic IP Camera.

 

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See your nanny with your child

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Let your parents see their grandchildren playing remotely

 

 

Curtains

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Quickly and easily open and close curtains to ...

With the touch of a single button, you may want to close the curtains for one or more of the reasons listed here.

You can also use Timer Events to automatically open and close the curtains at a specific time of day or a time relative to sunrise or sunset.

You can do all of this with motorized shades and curtains. If you want this to work reliably, use reliable motor controls rated for the weight of the shades or curtains in the room.

How to wire Curtains and Shades.

Supported Curtains and Shades.

Configure BTX/BMC Curtain Control.

Configure Somfy Drapery Controller.

 

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... reduce glare on the TV set

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... close your home up for the night

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... welcome the sunshine in the morning

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... help you wake up in the morning

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... close up the vacation home as you leave

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... protect furnishings from the sun's damaging rays

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... reduce the cost of heating and cooling

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... reduce drafts and cold spots in the room

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Open and close the curtains ...

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... with the same remote control that controls the TV and music

For curtains in the same room as the TV, the easiest way to control the them is with the same remote control that controls the TV. This is easy to do with a Domain Controller.

How to wire AV Remote Controls.

Supported AV Remote Controls.

Configure the Destiny remote control.

Configure the Universal MX-800 Remote Control.

Configure the Philips Pronto TSU-7000.

 

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... with the touch of a single button on a keypad

Open or close the curtains as you walk in or out of the room. Or control them with a simple keypad by your bed.

How to wire Keypads.

Supported Keypads.

Configure Keypads.

Configure LiteTouch 5000 LC Keypads.

Configure Lutron HomeWorks Keypads.

Configure Lutron Radio RA Keypads.

Configure Vantage Lighting System Keypads.

Configure X.10 Light Keypads.

 

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... from the graphical display on the wall

Control curtains all around your home from the same display. Create Group of Actions to open or close multiple sets of curtains at the same time.

How to wire Display: PC based, Displays: Custom, and Display: High end Remote Controls.

Supported Displays.

 

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... by time of day or time relative to sunrise or sunset

Let your curtains be your alarm clock in the morning. Close the bathroom curtains at dusk. Close the Family room curtains at night so people cannot see in.

Supported Timer events.

 

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... automatically when you walk into or out of a room

In some rooms you may need curtains to block the sun's damaging rays or to prevent the room from heating up or cooling off. However, it would be nice if the curtains would open up when you are in the room and close after you leave. You can do this with handsfree automation.

How to wire Home Positioning System.

Supported Home Positioning System.

 

 

 

Displays and keypads

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Install attractive displays in multiple rooms of your home and use them to ...

There are a number of displays on the market these days that can provide additional security and control of your home. They are basically broken into two groups: those based on the PC platform and proprietary displays from AV and lighting control vendors. Destiny Networks works with both types. The Browser GUI can be automatically displayed on the PC-based ones and Destiny's Ubiquity API can be used by the proprietary displays to control anything in your home.

How to wire Display: PC based, Displays: Custom, and Display: High end Remote Controls.

Supported Displays.

Learn about the auto generated Browser GUI

Configure the Xantech SmartPad LCD Touch Screen Panel.

 

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... view the floor plan of your home and know which rooms have their lights on

The basic mode of operation of the Domain Controller is to provide a floor plan of your home and to indicate those rooms that have their lights on. This can indicate where people are located and/or remind you to turn off the lights before going to bed. This function is available on wall mounted panel PCs.

 

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... view the floor plan of your home and know which rooms are occupied

One of the great side benefits of handsfree automation is that every wall mounted panel PC can also immediately show you which rooms are occupied. This can help you find the kids or avoid intruders.

 

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... control and monitor devices in every room of your home

The same wall mounted panel PC gives you an intuitive interface with which to monitor and control all the devices in your home. Alternatively, the proprietary displays can give you a custom interface to your home technology.

 

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... view cameras located everywhere around your home

From a panel PC, you can view IP cameras placed strategically around your house. Destiny's Ubiquity software makes this even easier by giving you an intuitive interface from which to select the desired camera.

 

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... receive Internet feeds of news and weather

From the wall mounted panel PC, a couple of touches gets updates directly from the web.

 

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Use less expensive, simple, attractive keypads to ...

Keypads on the wall can control more than just lights, When connected to the Domain Controller, any button of the keypad can now control any device in your home - simply and intuitively.

How to wire Keypads.

Supported Keypads.

Configure Keypads.

Configure LiteTouch 5000 LC Keypads.

Configure Lutron HomeWorks Keypads.

Configure Lutron Radio RA Keypads.

Configure Vantage Lighting System Keypads.

Configure X.10 Light Keypads.

 

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... set the lighting scene for the room

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... control the curtains, fans, fountains, fireplaces, and windows

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... turn the music on and off, select a music source, and set the volume

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... play the music that is playing in the adjacent room

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... arm and disarm the security system

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... set the temperature in the room to the ideal temperature

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... set the temperature to conserve energy

 

 

Do it yourself

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Integrators are worth their weight in gold for design and installation, but you may want to ...

Integrators are really important for installing and activating all of your home technology, but, afterward, you may want to make minor changes yourself without calling in your integrator. The Domain Controller excels at this because the software that runs on it is a configurable software application, not a custom program that was programmed specifically for your home by a software engineer.

 

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... change individual lights in a lighting scene to set the ideal mood

High end lighting systems can do an awesome job of setting the mood for a room, but many of them do not allow you to control the dimming of the lights - you have to call in your integrator for that. This can cause added expense and hassle. The Domain Controller changes all that. Now you can very simply adjust the lighting for each lighting scene.

See the Scene Settings menu.

 

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... create your own timer events to wake up with lights, music, and the ideal temperature

With timer events, it is easy to create a wake up event that controls any number of devices in the room including temperature, lights, music, TV, and curtains. If you want, you can even turn on a hot water recirculator to warm up the shower before you get to it.

See the Timer Events menu.

 

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... control when the outdoor lights turn on and off automatically

Timer events can also be used to turn on the outdoor lights at dusk and turn them off at 11pm (or at any other time of day or time relative to sunrise or sunset). If you want, you can even randomly adjust the on and off times on a daily basis to make your home look occupied. Better yet, you can create paths of occupancy through the house when you are away by turning lights on and off in some pattern through your home.

See the Scene Settings menu.

 

¨

... determine whether the TV should turn on when the room goes to TV scene

With intelligent lighting systems, the push of one button on the keypad can setup very nice lighting scenes. The Domain Controller extends this functionality to let you attach any device in the room to those lighting scenes. Therefore, you could have the TV turn on to the TiVo at the same time the lights are being dimmed and the curtains are closing.

See the Scene Settings menu.

 

¨

... change the lighting level of every room of your home during a party

With one touch of your remote control, elegant keypad on the wall, or great looking touch screen display, you can put your whole hose in party mode which can automatically re-define the lighting level of all lighting scenes.

See House Modes.

 

 

Doors

¨

Display all of the open doors of your home on your wall mounted touch panel PC

Have you ever gone to bed and then wondered if a door was still open? With a quick glance at a PC-based display, you will know the answer.

How to wire Display: PC based, Displays: Custom, and Display: High end Remote Controls.

Supported Displays.

Learn about the auto generated Browser GUI

Configure the Xantech SmartPad LCD Touch Screen Panel.

 

¨

Add a surveillance camera to each door so you can see who's there from a safe distance

Add an IP camera to the wall next to the front door and any other doors where someone might enter and view it on any PC-based display.

How to wire Cameras and Displays: PC based.

Supported Cameras and Displays.

Configure the Panasonic IP Camera.

 

¨

Unlock your back door from work to let someone in

Add an electronic door strike to the door so you can unlock it automatically. The electronic door strike will unlock the door even if the door knob itself is still locked.

Supported Networking: Internet Access.

 

¨

Unlock your doors without carrying keys

After adding the electronic door strike to your door frame (see above), the Domain Controller can unlatch the door. Now, put an elegant keypad connected to one of the intelligent lighting systems outside by the door so that by tapping the keypad buttons in a secrete sequence the Domain Controller will unlatch the door.

How to wire Keypads.

Supported Keypads.

 

¨

Close the garage door from work

If you occasionally forget to close your garage door as you are driving away from home, you can check on the status of the door and close it from anywhere. Garage doors need a special kind of contact sensor because of the larger gap that usually exists between the two contact points.

Supported Networking: Internet Access.

 

 

 

Driveway Entry Gates

¨

Increase privacy and security with a driveway entry gate

The driveway entrance gate does a lot to increase privacy and security and with electrically opening and closing gates they are reasonably convenient to open and close, but when they are connected to a home controller they can be much more convenient.

How to wire Driveway Entry Gates.

Supported Driveway Entry Gates.

 

¨

Latch the gate open for a party or when you know someone will be arriving

The gate provides privacy and security, but you will often want to have it open to welcome people to your home. Use one of the buttons of a keypad of an intelligent lighting system to latch the gate open. The button will always be accessible. Use the same button or a different button to close the gate.

How to wire Keypads.

Supported Keypads.

 

¨

Automatically close the gate every day at 5pm or sunset

At some point during the day, the gate may get latched open. Make sure it closes at 5pm or at dusk with a Timer Event.

 

¨

Automatically open the gate for the landscapers to cut the grass

You can create a timer events to open and close the gate automatically when you know you will someone will be entering or leaving. For example, open it at the time you would take the kids to school or during the time the lawn is being cut.

 

¨

Open and close the driveway gate from anywhere

With the gate connected to the Domain Controller, you can control it securely from anywhere over the Internet.

How to wire Networking: Secure Connection.

Supported Networking: Internet Access.

 

¨

Open the driveway gate even during a power failure

One downside to a driveway entry gate is that it runs on 110V electricity and may not work during a power outage. Do not let this happen to you - power the gate with a circuit that is backed up by the backup generator so that you can open the gate even without power.

 

¨

Open up a video image of the car or person at your gate on a display in your home

Increase you security by embedding an IP camera in a post or column in front of the gate. The camera will want to be located at the same place as the keypad entry station for the gate. You will be able to view the image from any panel PC in your home or from work.

How to wire Cameras.

Supported Cameras.

 

 

 

Easy to upgrade

¨

Replace the DVD player with a newer model and update the control software in seconds

The home controller should be easy to upgrade. However, many home controllers available today depend on a custom program written for each house. These programs may be difficult to upgrade often requiring the same programmer that wrote the original program to program the changes. This is not the case with the Domain Controller. It uses a configurable software application not a programming language.

With a configurable software application, AV components can be replaced with newer versions in just a few minutes. Similarly, additional sources can be added to an AV surround receiver or audio switch in just a few minutes including updating all of the user interfaces.

 

¨

Get the next set of features by easily upgrading the software on your home controller

If your home controller runs a custom program designed just for your house, then upgrading may be problematic. However, a configurable software application can be upgraded as new features are released to give you ever increasing functionality to control your home and simplify your life.

 

 

 

Fireplaces

¨

Turn your fireplace on and off ...

By connecting your fireplace to your home controller, you can turn it on and off automatically in a number of ways. In addition, the "Good Night" button by your bed can do multiple things - including making sure the fireplace is turned off.

How to wire Fireplaces.

Supported Fireplaces.

 

¨

... with the same remote control that controls the TV and music

¨

... with the touch of a single button on a keypad

¨

... from the graphical display on the wall

¨

... by time of day or time relative to sunrise or sunset

¨

... from your PC at work or at home

¨

... automatically when you walk into and out of a room

Few things are more dramatic than walking into a room and having the fireplace turn on automatically. Handsfree automation enables this. It's unlikely that you will always want the fireplace turning on when you walk in the room. Perhaps only when the house is in "Party mode".

How to wire Home Positioning System.

Supported Home Positioning System.

 

 

 

Fountains

¨

Quickly and easily turn your fountains on and off to ...

You will definitely want to connect your fountain to your home controller. At a minimum, you can use the home controller to turn the fountain on and off by time of day or time relative to sunrise and sunset, and you will probably want it to be on at different periods of time during the week vs. on weekends.

And, with this kind of control over your fountains, you may want to have more of them - possibly even some inside.

How to wire Fountains.

Supported Fountains.

 

¨

... save energy

¨

... reduce noise

¨

Turn fountains on and off ...

The most common way to turn the fountain on and off is by time of day. However, there will be times when you want it on outside of the regular hours. With the fountain connected to the Domain Controller, there are lots of ways to control it.

For the ultimate control of the fountain, only turn it on when someone can see it - using handsfree automation.

How to wire Home Positioning System.

Supported Home Positioning System.

 

¨

... with the same remote control that controls the TV and music

¨

... with the touch of a single button on a keypad

¨

... from the graphical display on the wall

¨

... by time of day or time relative to sunrise or sunset

¨

... from your PC at work or at home

¨

... automatically when you walk into and out of a room

 

 

Heating and cooling

¨

Make you life more comfortable and save energy (more)

Whether you have one, two, or multiple heating and cooling zones, by connecting your HVAC system into your home controller, you can obtain a more ideal temperature while at the same time saving energy because your home controller gives you many ways to control the temperature in each zone.

How to wire HVAC Systems.

Supported HVAC Systems.

 

¨

Create multiple heating and cooling zones to ... (more)

Create multiple zones of heating and cooling to obtain greater control over your indoor environment. Ideally, each room can become its own HVAC zone so that each room is at the optimal temperature for comfort or for energy savings. This can easily be done with damper controlled ducts and a multizone HVAC controller.

How to wire HVAC Systems.

Supported HVAC Systems.

 

¨

... get the ideal temperature in each room

¨

... save energy in rooms where it is not needed

¨

... help make a greener world

¨

Set the ideal temperature in a room from ... (more)

The Domain Controller gives you lots of ways to set the HVAC system to the ideal temperature in each zone of your house and the ability to save energy in rooms that are not occupied. For example, using the same remote control that you use to control your TV, you can turn the temperature up or down. You could also use a button on a keypad of an intelligent lighting system to set the room to an ideal temperature. You can use the same button or a different one to set the HVAC system to conserve energy as you walk out of the room.

 

¨

... an attractive thermostat on the wall (more)

Without being very expensive, high end HVAC controllers come with some very attractive thermostats.

How to wire .HVAC Systems

Supported HVAC Systems.

 

¨

... with the same remote control that controls the TV and music

¨

... with the touch of a single button on a keypad

¨

... from the graphical display on the wall

¨

... by time of day or time relative to sunrise or sunset

¨

... from your PC at work or at home

¨

... automatically when you walk into and out of a room

¨

Set back the temperature in all rooms with a single button when you leave your home

Use one of the buttons of an elegant keypad connected to an intelligent lighting system to set back all the thermostats in the house as you leave for the day. Use a second button to adjust them to the ideal temperature when you return home.

How to wire Keypads.

Supported Keypads.

 

¨

View from your PC which zones are in heating, cooling, and off

With your HVAC controller connected to your Domain Controller, you can quickly monitor every zone in your home from any PC-based display.

 

 

 

Intercom and paging

¨

Use your telephones as an intercom and paging system

You can eliminate yelling through the house with an intercom and paging system. The most convenient types are the ones associated with a telephone system.

How to wire Telephone Systems.

Supported Telephone Systems.

 

¨

Page someone anywhere in your home

With the touch of a button, you can easily page the whole house or just part of it.

How to wire Telephone Systems.

Supported Telephone Systems.

 

¨

Page people to answer a phone call

One of the most common times the paging function is used is to page someone to answer the phone. This is one of the reasons you will want the paging and intercom system integrated into the phone.

How to wire Telephone Systems.

Supported Telephone Systems.

 

¨

Intercom specific rooms or multiple rooms with the touch of a finger

Similarly, you can intercom any room by dialing the extension of that room.

How to wire Telephone Systems.

Supported Telephone Systems.

 

¨

Include the front door bell and driveway entry gate into the paging system

When someone rings the door bell, you can answer it from any phone in the house. Hear who it is before answering the door.

How to wire Telephone Systems.

Supported Telephone Systems.

 

¨

Listen to your baby sleeping or your kids playing from any room in your home

One important feature of the intercom system for parents or grandparents is the ability to listen to any room from any other room provided that function is enabled in the room being listened to.

How to wire Telephone Systems.

Supported Telephone Systems.

 

 

 

Knowledge of what rooms are occupied

¨

Knowledge of what rooms are occupied gives you more information

By adding the Home Positioning System to your home, the information you have access to grows exponentially. The Domain Controller automatically generates a display of your home and clearly marks all rooms that are occupied and all the rooms that are not occupied.

How to wire Home Positioning System.

Supported Home Positioning System.

 

¨

Find your toddler, kids, and/or spouse quickly

With a glance at any PC-based display, you will instantly know what rooms are occupied by other people.

How to wire Home Positioning System.

Supported Home Positioning System.

 

¨

Know when your kids get home from school - even from work

From you PC at work, you can immediately see when someone enters your house.

How to wire Home Positioning System.

Supported Home Positioning System.

 

¨

Know if your kids are having a party while you're away

From your hotel room it is easy to check on your home and see how many rooms are occupied.

How to wire Home Positioning System.

Supported Home Positioning System.

 

¨

Know what rooms your workers are in on your PC at work

If you cannot always be there when workers are working on your home, you can still see what rooms they are in from your PC at work.

How to wire Home Positioning System.

Supported Home Positioning System.

 

¨

Know where intruders are and how to avoid them

If the alarm system sounds an alarm, you can quickly look at the floor plan of your home and determine where the intruder is located - providing you with information about how to avoid that person.

How to wire Home Positioning System.

Supported Home Positioning System.

 

 

 

Lawn & Garden

¨

Control each sprinkler in your lawn and garden separately ...

Connect the on/off valves of your sprinklers to your home controller to get precise control over their operation. Create multiple time schedules (e.g., summer, fall, winter, and spring) and enable each as appropriate instead of having to relearn what to do each year.

How to wire Lawn and Garden.

Supported Lawn and Garden.

 

¨

... by time of day or time relative to sunrise or sunset

¨

... from your PC at work or at home

 

 

Lights

¨

Create elegant lighting scenes that set the mood of the room

This is a basic capability of an intelligent lighting system. By adjusting each of the lighting zones in a room independently, you can set the mood of the room. By using the dimming function, the ramp time and the delay time appropriately, you can create a dramatic effect.

How to wire Lighting Systems.

Supported Lighting Systems.

Configure LiteTouch 5000 LC.

Configure Lutron HomeWorks.

Configure Lutron Radio RA.

Configure Vantage Lighting System.

Configure X.10 Lighting.

 

¨

Adjust the lighting scenes yourself without calling the integrator for help

Intelligent lighting systems are fabulous in their ability to set the mood of the room by adjusting the different lighting zones in it. They offer an almost infinite set of possibilities for creating these scenes, and yet, one of the downsides is that the scenes must be set up by your integrator using a special program provided by the lighting system manufacturer. However, the Domain Controller changes that. It gives you the ability to set your own scenes in a very intuitive pop up menu that you can easily access from any PC-based display.

See the Scene Settings menu.

 

¨

Turn the outside lights on at dusk, off at 11pm

Most intelligent lighting systems have time-based events built in, but they can be very difficult to use. However, almost anyone can turn their lights on and off by time-of-day or time relative to sunrise or sunset with a Domain Controller.

See Timer Events.

 

¨

Wake up to gradually increasing lights Instead of blasting on the lights in the morning, have them turn on just a little bit so your eyes have time to adjust.

See Timer Events.

 

¨

Blink the lights to announce when it's time to leave for work

Blinking the lights can be a subtle reminder that it is time to get going.

See GUI Buttons.

 

¨

Turn off all lights in your home with a single button

As you leave the house, touch one button and know that all the lights are off in your home.

How to wire Keypads, Displays: PC based, Displays: Custom, and Displays: High end Remote Controls.

Supported Keypads and Displays.

 

 

 

¨

Walk to the bathroom at night without waking your spouse or stubbing your toes

One of the most comforting features of handsfree automation is to be able to walk around your home at night and have the lights turn on just enough to see where you are going without having so much light that you become momentarily blinded or wake your spouse. This is easy to do with a Domain Controller, an intelligent lighting system, and the Home Positioning System.

How to wire Home Positioning System.

Supported Home Positioning System.

 

¨

Control the lights in any room...

Intelligent lighting systems offer elegant keypads to control the lights and reduce the wall clutter of lots of light switches. The Domain Controller enhances the functionality of these lighting systems by offering many additional ways to easily control the lights.

 

¨

... with the same remote control that controls the TV and music

¨

... with the touch of a single button on a keypad

¨

... from the graphical display on the wall

¨

... by time of day or time relative to sunrise or sunset

¨

... from your PC at work or at home

¨

... automatically when you walk into and out of a room

 

Networking

¨

Have a very high speed wired network among multiple rooms of your home

For the  most reliable, most secure, and highest performance network, wired Ethernet is still your best bet.

How to wire Networking: Ethernet.

 

¨

Have wireless access throughout your home

If you would like the ability to connect your laptop to the Internet from anywhere in your home, then you will want to set up a WiFi network throughout your home and, possibly, even into your yard or pool area. Unfortunately, this is more difficult than the wireless vendors lead you to believe.

How to wire Networking: Wireless.

 

¨

Extend the wireless network to your yard and pool

¨

Access the Internet and share files and printers from all PCs

¨

Access your home remotely (hotel or office) while securely blocking others

¨

Create an "always on" network that is secure

It's easy to create an "always on" Internet connection that is secure - provided you follow a few basic rules.

How to wire Networking: Secure Connection.

 

¨

Make you network resilient to power failures

These days, many people depend on their Internet connection as much as they depend on their telephone. Make your network resilient to power failures by running the 110V power to all networking devices (including the cable or DSL modem, the firewall, and all switches and wireless access points) from an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) and then supply the power to the UPS from a backup generator.

How to wire Backup Power.

 

 

 

Player piano

¨

Control the player piano from any room in your home

If you have a player piano that can be controlled by a handheld remote control, then it may be able to be controlled by the Domain Controller.

How to wire Player Pianos.

Supported Player Pianos.

 

¨

Wake up to your favorite music being played on your piano

¨

Control the piano...

¨

... with the same remote control that controls the TV and music

¨

... with the touch of a single button on a keypad

¨

... from the graphical display on the wall

¨

... by time of day or time relative to sunrise or sunset

¨

... from your PC at work or at home

¨

... automatically when you walk into and out of a room

 

 

Privacy/Notification

¨

Be notified in the master bedroom when the kids leave their rooms and enter the hallway

With a Domain Controller, an intelligent lighting system, and the Home Positioning System, you can enable Privacy in the master bedroom such that when one of the kids leaves his or her room, you will be notified by the lights flashing where you are.

 

¨

Be notified when someone enters the pool area or the wine cellar

 

 

Security

¨

Arm for home, arm for away, and disarm the security system with ...

The home controller is not a replacement for a home security system. Rather, it adds value to your home security system by making it more convenient to arm and disarm it from inside your home and from anywhere in the world.

How to wire Security Systems.

Supported Security Systems.

Configure the Apex Destiny 6100 Security System.

Configure the GE Interlogix (Caddx) Security System.

 

¨

... the keypad of the security system

You can still use the keypad of the security system, but now you can put the keypad in a closet by the door because there are more elegant keypads that can perform the same function.

 

¨

... with the same remote control that controls the TV and music

¨

... with the touch of a single button on a keypad

¨

... from the graphical display on the wall

¨

... by time of day or time relative to sunrise or sunset

¨

... from your PC at work or at home

¨

Create paths of light moving through your home to make it look lived in

With a Domain Controller and an intelligent lighting system, it is easy to create Groups of Actions that give your home a truly lived in look.

 

¨

Know what window or door has been breached

¨

See who's at the gate or door before opening it, even from work

¨

If an intruder breaks in, know where he is so you can avoid him

¨

Know whether or not your garage door is closed, and close it - even from bed or work

¨

Unlock your doors without carrying keys

 

 

Structured Wiring

¨

Add structured wiring for ...

From one point of view, this whole application list is here to help you think about where to put wires in your house - those you will connect up immediately, and those that you may want to use in the future. You may also want to think about some "structured conduit" as discussed in how to wire it.

How to wire Structured Wiring.

 

The Domain Controllers have a number of ports on them for connecting to 3rd party devices, and you can add many more ports.

How to wire More Ports

Configure the B&B Electronics RS-232 Converter.

Configure the Electronic Energy Controls Relay Controller.

Configure the Global Cache Controllers.

Configure the Lutron Homeworks COO Relays.

Configure the RCS Relay Controller.

 

¨

... data networking

¨

... telephone

¨

... audio and video

¨

... security

¨

... lighting

¨

... HVAC

¨

... relay controlled devices

¨

... future applications

 

Telephone

¨

Add a PBX to your home to enable the following features

Add a Private Branch Exchange (PBX - effectively your own telephone switch in your home) such as the Panasonic KX-TA624 or KX-TDA50 PBX to your home and add Panasonic phones to all rooms in which you want this set of functions. When building a new house, add locations in almost every room. The wires are inexpensive when the walls are open. Then, only buy the phones for the rooms in which you know you would like to have these functions now.

How to wire Telephone Systems.

Supported Telephone Systems.

 

¨

Add intercom and paging to every phone in your home

¨

Have the door bell "ring" throughout your house on all phones

¨

Speak with the person at the door from any phone

¨

Open the driveway gate and/or front door from any phone

¨

Have multiple phone numbers and answer them from any phone

¨

Use a different ring for each phone number

¨

Block 900 reverse charge calls

¨

Automatically dial a friend's number with a touch of a button

¨

Redial the last number with a touch of a button

¨

Conference in two friends on the same call

¨

Let your friends listen to music while on hold

¨

Save on long distance calls using VoIP

We are not aware of a Voice over IP (VoIP) PBX equivalent for the home that has all of the features of the Panasonic PBX system for a comparable price, but you can take advantage of the cost savings associated with making long distance calls using VoIP by connecting one of the Central Office (CO) lines of the Panasonic PBX to your IP network via a VoIP gateway provided by your VoIP service provider. This allows you to place low-cost VoIP calls from any Panasonic phone, and still allows you to use the regular phone network for local calls.

 

¨

View the caller ID on all phones

Add the TVS50 voice processor to the Panasonic KX-T series of Advanced Hybrid System PBXs. It adds additional functions to your PBX such as voice mail boxes for every member of your family, so that the LED on that person's phone turns on when he or she has a message in the message box. You can use this same feature to leave voice messages for each other. And it also identifies the caller via caller ID and can announce the name of the caller on all Panasonic speaker phones.

 

¨

Audibly announce the caller's name over the intercom

¨

Each member of the family gets his/her own mail box and voice message light for voice mail

¨

Easily leave voice messages to your kids or spouse instead of writing notes

¨

Automatically send the same message to every parent on the soccer team

 

 

Wake up alarm

¨

Wake up to one or more of the following ...

The Domain Controller lets you create a Group of Actions to occur when you want to wake up in the morning. Any device that can be controlled in your home can be part of the group of actions, and each action can occur at its own offset from the initial alarm.

 

¨

... 20 minutes before the alarm goes off heat the room to 70° F

¨

... 10 minutes before turn on the hot water recirculator to prepare the shower

¨

... when the alarm goes off, begin playing your favorite music very softly

¨

... 1 minute later turn the lights on dimly

¨

... 2 minutes later increase the volume of the music and the brightness of the lights

¨

... 2 minutes later open the curtains

 

 

Water

¨

Automatically turn the hot water recirculator ...

The hot water recirculator can be automated, too. You can have the convenience of hot water when you want it and save energy when you do not need it.

How to wire Water: Hot Water Recirculator.

Supported Water: Hot Water Recirculator.

 

¨

... on 10 minutes before your wake up alarm

¨

... off when you go on vacation

¨

Turn the hot water recirculator on and off ...

¨

... with the touch of a single button on a keypad

¨

... from the graphical display on the wall

¨

... by time of day or time relative to sunrise or sunset

¨

... from your PC at work or at home

¨

... automatically when you walk into and out of a room

 

 

Windows and skylights

¨

Quickly and easily open and close windows and skylights to ...

Windows and skylights can also be motorized and connected to the home controller so that they can be controlled by all of the different user interfaces.

How to wire Windows.

Supported Windows.

 

¨

... bring in fresh air

¨

... help you wake up in the morning

¨

... close your home up for the night

¨

... close up the vacation home as you leave

¨

... reduce the cost of heating and cooling

¨

Open and close curtains ...

¨

... with the same remote control that controls the TV and music

¨

... with the touch of a single button on a keypad

¨

... from the graphical display on the wall

¨

... by time of day or time relative to sunrise or sunset

¨

... from your PC at work or at home

¨

... automatically when you walk into and out of a room