The Ekinex® FF OMNIA series introduces the innovative OMNIA Universal Pushbutton, available in two configurations: Dry contact (EK-ED2-NC) and Open Drain (EK-ED2-NB). Designed for versatile control of lighting, motorized drives, and more, these low-voltage pushbuttons operate within a 5-24 Vdc range, ensuring compatibility with various control systems. Each device features 8 outputs and 8 inputs for driving integrated LEDs, with adjustable current settings via dip-switch, and includes physical buttons and white LEDs for intuitive user interaction.

Installation is straightforward, utilizing pre-assembled flat cables or a backplane with an adapter. The wiring options allow for connections to I/O modules with digital inputs, series pulse relays for non-electronic lamps, or direct integration with the Crestron C2N-UNI8IO interface. The pushbutton operates effectively within a temperature range of -5°C to +45°C, with storage and transport temperatures of -25°C to +55°C and -25°C to +70°C, respectively. It is designed with durable plastic housing, is flush-mounted for a sleek aesthetic, and fits seamlessly with the Ekinex® FF series. The device has a protection rating of IP20, weighs 65 g (including the mounting bracket), and measures 82 x 79 x 19 mm (with adapter).

Included in the delivery are the pushbutton device, a square metal bracket, and both plastic and fixing screws (M2.9×25 mm and M2.9×38 mm). To enhance functionality, optional accessories are available for separate purchase, including the EK-ACC-SCM universal interface, EK-ACC-CAA pre-wired connector, EK-ACC-CAC connector for Crestron compatibility, as well as square or rectangular rockers and frames in Form or Flank versions.

For More Information: https://www.ekinex.in

The post Discover the Ekinex® FF OMNIA Universal Pushbutton for Smart Control appeared first on Smart Home World Magazine.

Luxury Smart Home in India has become the epitome of modern living, offering unparalleled convenience, comfort, and sophistication. Smart Home World gives you a holistic view of the growth drivers, latest advancements and more…  

Imagine a world where your every desire is effortlessly fulfilled, where technology seamlessly integrates with your art of living. You walk into your home and the ambiance is perfectly tailored to your mood – subtle lighting casts a gentle glow, while your preferred playlist softly fills the air, creating an ambiance that resonates with your emotions. This seamless symphony of smart technology, home automation, Smart lighting and control, and cutting-edge entertainment, including multi-audio setups and state-of-the-art home theaters, culminate in the epitome of opulence – the Luxury Smart Home.

For those who are not familiar with this new-age concept, Luxury Smart Home, combines advanced technology, personalisation, convenience and elegance, providing homeowners with an unrivaled living experience. These homes offer a range of benefits and features that caters to the unique needs and preferences of affluent homeowners, creating a luxurious lifestyle. 

Luxury Smart Homes as mentioned earlier are integrated with smart technology, smart automation, lighting, security and high-end home theatre. Plus, they are programmed in such a way that they manage your home’s functions right from adjusting the temperature, raising or lower motorised shades with elegance, and controlling the natural light that bathes your interiors to create a perfect cinematic ambiance with a dedicated home theater all these can be customized and timed to operate as per individual preference.  

Just to clear the misconceptions, between Smart Home and Luxury Smart Home, if Smart Home is about the integration of technologies and devices into a residential space to create a more efficient, convenient, functional living environment.  Luxury Smart Home takes this concept and integration of smart technology and automation to a new level, by seamlessly integrating advanced smart technologies to create a very personalized ambiance to state-of-the-art security where technology harmoniously creates a lifestyle that is luxurious, secured and effortlessly interconnected.

With a growing number of high-net-worth individuals in India and an expanding upper-middle-class segment, there has been an increase in demand for Luxury Smart Homes. Another important factor is the rapid urbanization and the adoption of a modern lifestyle that has led to an increased interest in demand of such integrated luxurious homes.  

“Homeowners have realized that smart technology not only adds cosmetic value to their home but also helps in making life more comfortable. Hence, smart technology and smart home automation have become the heart of design and architecture. Previously, homebuyers considered big homes with opulent interiors and amenities at prime locations to be luxurious. However, today, buyers are looking at improving their quality of life by using smart home automation. They are now insisting on using technology to enhance their lifestyle. Where smart technology was once seen as ‘fun to use’ it’s now a necessary component for an efficient and thriving lifestyle for premium high-end homes.” says Rupesh Baid, And Design Co.

Seamless integration of design and smart technology 

In luxurious smart homes, aesthetics and design play a significant role. Hence, advanced high-end smart home solutions have to seamlessly blend with the interior design of a home. With the plethora of brands offering innovative solutions, there are new-age user interfaces that have evolved, with touchscreens, mobile apps, and even customizable interfaces that can be configured as per the homeowner’s preferences. Remote access and monitoring have become standard features in luxury smart homes. Homeowners can monitor and control their homes from anywhere in the world using smartphones, tablets, or dedicated remote controls. This level of convenience and control has contributed to the appeal of having a Luxury Smart Home. 

Another emerging trend in this segment involves incorporating technologies that support the health and well-being of occupants. This can include advanced air filtration systems, circadian lighting that mimics natural light patterns, and even integrated wellness spaces like home gyms and spa areas with advanced tech features.

Working and Integration 

When it comes to Home Automation for luxurious spaces, wired solutions are preferred over others. A centralised controller serves as the brain of the home automation system. It manages and coordinates all the connected devices and allows homeowners to control and automate various aspects of their home, such as lighting, HVAC, security, entertainment, and more. A wired lighting control system, A wired HVAC control system manages heating, ventilation, and air conditioning throughout the home. It enables precise temperature control and scheduling for optimal comfort and energy savings. KNX is considered one of the best and most reliable wired protocols. As we are all aware, KNX is an open, global standard for home and building automation, and it is widely used in high-end residential projects. Some of the advantages provided by KNX are interoperability, stability and robustness, scalability, longevity, secure communication, a wide range of devices and trained professional installers and integrators.

The range of customization options available in luxury home automation is extensive, allowing homeowners to create a smart living environment that aligns perfectly with their unique preferences, lifestyles, and design aesthetics. From tailored control interfaces to bespoke automation packages for each room. Custom voice control interfaces also support multiple languages to cater to homeowners from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Innovative Solutions Offered by the Brands

The entire ecosystem of the Smart Home is broadly segregated into zones right from Automation Control, Lighting Control, Security and Entertainment that includes AV and Home theatres and more. Some of the leading brands and solution providers share their insights on their product range and how they can help homeowners enhance the overall experience. 

Brands and Solutions 

Jubin Thomas, Territory Sales Manager- India & Subcontinent Region at Lutron Electronics, says, “HomeWorks by Lutron is the premier lighting and shading control solution for luxury homes. The new HomeWorks QSX processor makes it easier to design, install, activate, program, and service. The custom-engraved and exclusive switches, remotes, and keypads elevate the home’s design with extraordinary finishes and aesthetics.  For example, our Alisse wall controls have a hand-crafted metal collection in polished, brushed and painted finishes to match a wide range of luxury home styles. Lutron’s pioneering low-voltage and whisper-quiet automated shades provide glare reduction, UV protection, and privacy control for a luxury lifestyle. HomeWorks offers an array of wired and wireless products to curate the best living environment for new and existing homes.” 

Another brand that adds another level of sophistication when it comes to seamless control is Casadigi. Explaining the working of the smart Platform Muskan Salgia, V P Residential Digivalet says, “Casadigi is a smart platform personalized to your needs, that runs your home seamlessly. Our core offering can be split up into two parts – a resident experience App that can be installed on residents’ personal devices and an integration platform that communicates with all the devices in the home. With minimal hardware deployment needs, the integration platform installed in each home is connected to all AV devices and automation systems.”

Havells’ Crabtree a renowned and reliable brand offering innovation solutions in this segment offers Crabtree BusPro, explaining the features of this solutions Vivek Yadav, EVP, Havells India Ltd. says, “Crabtree BusPro solution is a wired automation platform that works on a proprietary Bus communication protocol and KNX, offering a highly adaptable and scalable solution. It includes infrastructure devices, controllers, relays and actuators, dimming controllers for all leading dimming technologies, and HVAC communication controllers for controlling different kinds of air conditioning technologies.” 

Smart Lighting and Controls

The lighting control in a luxury smart home goes beyond basic illumination. It encompasses a range of functionalities that elevate the living experience, from creating a personalized ambiance to improving energy efficiency and security. The integration of lighting control with other smart home systems ensures a seamless and holistic approach to modern luxury living.

Hybec, one of the renowned and trusted brands when it comes to Smart lighting, offers innovative solutions. Sharing his views on the same Haresh Manshani, Founder and Director, Hybec says, “We offer a range of smart home automation solutions tailored specifically for the Smart luxury home. One of our key offerings is smart lighting control systems, which will allow homeowners to have complete control and automation over their lighting through a centralised smart device. With this technology, you can easily adjust the brightness, colours, and timing of your lights, enabling you to create different moods and scenes to suit any occasion. Our solutions also include lighting scenes and presets. These features allow you to customise and program different lighting configurations for specific activities such as dining, entertainment, or relaxation. We understand that personalization and customization are incredibly important in luxury homes, which is why our solutions offer a wide range of options.” 

Zencontrol is a modern lighting control brand that offers fully compliant and certified DALI and DALI version 2 technology. Their Smart Touch Switch are beautifully designed and stylish with an anodized frame and glass faceplate. These switches with a glass faceplate provide an option to personalise where the user can laser etch or screen print with a label of their choice. The aluminum frame acts as a guide to ensure quick alignment and easy attachment. The Audio feedback with an inbuilt speaker provides user feedback with a selectable button press and dimming sound, and visual and audio warn indicators to alert users before the lights turn off.

Philips, another leading brand in the lighting industry, offers new Smart LED COB. This COB is designed to simplify your lighting experience and can be controlled using voice commands or the WiZ App, without the need for extra switches or equipment. The COB is available in two elegant colour options – Black-Rose Gold and White-Silver that can seamlessly integrate with the interiors. Plus, the deep recess and minimal trim for a focused and bright 36-degree beam, make it a perfect option for accent lighting. With the latest SpaceSense technology from WiZ, the COB instantly responds to movements, turning On when one enters a room and Off when the user leave the room. The COB is also equipped with timers and schedules, making it easy to set up and operate. 

Another important solution is the state-of-the-art Wall Controls that add a touch of bespoke elegance to every corner of a luxury home. Most of the brands offer sleek designs that seamlessly integrate into any sophisticated interiors and effortlessly complement the overall decor.

EKINEX an Italian company that specialises in home and building automation based on the KNX standard offers Signum, a new line of wall controls that offers a high level of customisation and maximum usability. Signum features a borderless IPS touch display, which can be customised via a dedicated App to create virtual buttons with personalised functions and graphics. Each button’s position, symbols, and lettering can be modified even after installation. The EKINEX tool app configuration page allows users to customise virtual buttons, adjust display brightness, access a library of 120 symbols and enable haptic feedback with sensors and standby time. The Ekinex 20VENTI Deep series allows control and dimming of lighting devices and has a room thermostat function with room temperature detection via an integrated sensor.

Heightened Security Measures in Luxury Smart Home 

High-end smart homes require top-notch security measures to protect residents, property, and sensitive data. Integration of sophisticated smart cameras and surveillance systems that offer high-resolution video footage and 24/7 monitoring is a must for Smart Luxury Home. Dual-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security by requiring two or more forms of identification before granting access. 

Yale is part of the ASSA ABLOY Group, and they offer innovative solutions. Yale Assure Lock 2 series incorporates cutting-edge features and seamless compatibility. This lock is designed for effortless integration through the Yale Access App, boasting Bluetooth and Apple HomeKit support. The Assure Lock 2’s sleek, compact design presents modern aesthetics with fingerprint-resistant matte keypads, offering heightened security. With a diverse range of integration partners, these locks harmonize seamlessly with various smart home systems. “Whether you regularly host guests, hire a pet sitter, have a neighbour check on your house while you’re on vacation, or just want extra peace of mind when you’re not home, Yale Assure Lock 2 has your front door covered,” says Jason Williams, President of U.S. Smart Residential at ASSA ABLOY. 

 Basalte Home’s Adelante is the new luxury door phone, designed to make a lasting impression at your doorstep. Adelante offers sophisticated architectural design, sleek and customisable to match your aesthetic preferences. The door phone can be connected to the Lisa, Ellie and Lena displays and the Basalte App to see and talk to your guests, letting them in with ease. This luxury door phone is available for purchase through Smato Technologies.

Another important component of Smart Luxury Home is AV systems and home theatres, which play an important role in enhancing the overall ambiance of the space. There are various brands available in the market that provide an exceptional audio experience, often associated with premium materials, superior craftsmanship, and cutting-edge technology. These systems are designed to deliver outstanding sound reproduction, immersing listeners in a rich and detailed audio environment. 

Focal Audio’s Kanta range is a series of high-end loudspeakers designed and manufactured by Focal, a renowned French audio company. Focal has incorporated several advanced technologies in the Kanta range, including their Tuned Mass Damper (TMD) suspension system and Infinite Horn Loading (IHL) technology. These technologies enhance driver performance and optimise sound dispersion for a more immersive listening experience. The Kanta range includes different models to cater to various listening environments and preferences. These models include the Kanta No.1, Kanta No.2, Kanta No.3, and Kanta Center. 

The Marquee Collection from Origin Acoustics offers a versatile, theater-quality experience for Smart Luxury homes. The front, side and rear channels are all complemented by dedicated extruded aluminum enclosures. The sound remains consistent whether you choose the On-wall or In-wall installation option. Available with both slim on-wall and nearly invisible in-wall configurations, they are easier to install than any other home theatre system in their class. The Marquee Collection is easier to install than any other home theater system in their class.

BenQ is a leading brand in the projector industry, offering innovative and high-quality projectors. The BenQ W4000i is a 4K HDR 4LED Immersive Home Projector that delivers impressive visuals and sound quality, with built-in Film maker mode to portray images as the director intended. The projector with a brightness of 3200 ANSI Lumens, provides clear and vivid visuals even in well-lit rooms. It supports 100% DCI-P3 and HDR10+ for accurate and vibrant colours, and has a 1.3x zoom with H+V lens shift for flexible placement options. The 2D keystone correction feature ensures that the image is always perfectly rectangular, while eARC support allows for high-quality audio playback from compatible devices. The projector also supports popular streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and YouTube.

Overall, the future looks promising for luxury smart home in India revealing a landscape of unparalleled potential. Propelled by AI-driven insights, environmentally conscious breakthroughs, and a spectrum of seamlessly integrated features, luxury smart homes are poised to become an epitome of refinement, elevating the core essence of living a luxuriously, comfortable and secure lifestyle.

The post Discover the World of Luxury Smart Homes appeared first on Smart Home World Magazine.

Ekinex, the Italian-based Home Automation and Electronic Device manufacturer, launched Signum, a new line of wall control devices. This new line introduces a different way of interpreting the wall control concept. 

The new Signum “virtual” push-button controls, have a full-colour visual display, haptic feedback, a tactile interface, and Bluetooth LE, allowing users to customise text and graphics from mobile apps. 

The Signum series is manufactured to order and offers a higher level of personalization by allowing users to design their own virtual button, where functions and visuals can be selected separately. It is a KNX standard “virtual” button, built on a borderless IPS display, with the ability to modify each button via a dedicated app. 

Through the Ekinex configurator, each element can be customized and inserted into your project up to the generation of a request for a quote that is sent to the sales team together with the details of the chosen products. Even after installation, users can alter the position, symbols, and texts of some keys’ characteristics.

The pushbutton with a touch display from the Ekinex Signum family is a KNX device for command-and-control functions such as lighting device dimming, motorized drive control, and utility on/off control.

Thanks to the embedded temperature sensor, it can also be used as a temperature controller for a space or environment. The device is designed to function with KNX home and building automation systems. It is designed to be installed flush against a wall on a round or square surface and contains a KNX bus communication module. mounting box with 60 mm-diameter centre-to-centre fastening holes. 

A deep or surface series plate is required to finish the button. The dedicated Ekinex tool software allows for customization of each button through Bluetooth low energy (BLE), and various button features, such as text and symbols, can be changed even after installation.

The lighting and other features ensure optimal readability when using the pushbutton and enable visual comfort at night thanks to the proximity sensor built into the plate (must be ordered separately).

The device is powered by the KNX bus at a self-30 VDC voltage and does not need an additional power source.

For More Information Visit: Ekinex.in

The post Ekinex Signum: The New Standard “Virtual” Pushbutton appeared first on Smart Home World Magazine.

On growth opportunities for the home/building automation sector in India

The smart home market has been witnessing massive growth worldwide as homeowners now spend time in homes, more than ever. “In such a scenario, we play a major role in enabling the homeowners to control lighting and climate, which has now become quite common in most houses. As India is a versatile and important market, we are focusing on it with a dedicated team. This tremendously aided our business in India. We aim to continue monitoring and introducing products, specially curated for the Indian market”, conveys Roberto Rocco, Business, Ekinex SpA, Italy.

The last few years have seen the definitive affirmation of voice assistants integrated into the home speakers, offered by some large international companies. Voice assistants are rapidly turning into a more pervasive tool with impacts on numerous activities of daily life. Allowing one to call up a music track, listen to the weather forecast, and a lot more, these are slightly more than mere gadgets. Today, these devices come with an easy and intuitive control interface for the entire smart home, allowing maximum instant control. One has to simply pronounce the action needed to be executed and sit back, the order will be followed instantly.

“We believe that this concept cannot be called just a current trend, as our latest developments natively included the possibility of voice control of the KNX system. One example is Delégo, our supervision, and control software, which in combination with the Ekinex cloud service allows interaction with the home automation system through voice commands given to Amazon and Google smart speakers ”, adds Roberto.

How has the pandemic affected the industry? What are the smart home trends, in India and all over the world, you have witnessed getting viral since the pandemic hit the world? 

This pandemic had slowed our growth, but we effectively reacted to this challenge and worked out a new protocol for inventory. In fact, we were able to push some new product-focus on Dali, voice control, sockets, etc.

What are the exclusive features of your latest launch; the EK-BW1-TP Voice Control Interface? How would you describe its uniqueness and worth in a contemporary house of this tech-savvy era? 

With the EK-BW1-TP interface, which can be easily installed in a DIN-rail control panel, it is possible to integrate an existing KNX home automation system with voice controllers from Google (Google Assistant) and Amazon (Alexa). In this way, owners of KNX-based systems can use their home speaker to control all the functions of their home: lighting (on/off, dimmed, and RGB), motors (open/close stop and position), and climate.

The addition of the Ekinex voice control gateway to a KNX system is quite fast and intuitive. The installer can use the web interface to directly import the knxproj project and proceed directly to the association of the KNX group addresses with the compatible object categories. Through Google Home apps or Alexa commands on Amazon Echo and compatible products, it is possible to create scenes and automation, skills, or routines useful to simplify daily habits.

How would you describe the importance of a universal standard like KNX in the Home and Building automation industry? Would you like to elaborate on Ekinex’s association with KNX?

KNX offers both the reliability of a well-established system, which has been a market player for more than twenty years, and the dynamism of a rapidly developing system. Due to the participation of manufacturers from different sectors and the constant expansion of the product ranges, functions and solutions.

“Appropriate home lighting immensely contributes to the emotional and biological betterment of the dwellers”! Please share your opinion on the importance of Human Centric Lighting? 

HCL controls help to keep in sync with the internal clock of people, who spend a lot of time indoors with little or no natural light and harmonize best with the natural sequence of hormone production in the human body. For example, Cortisol in the morning helps to activate and Melatonin in the evening helps to relax. It is a process that has been triggered by the habit of living outdoors under natural light, for ages. 

The lighting control devices developed by Ekinex aim to contribute to the visual comfort in homes or offices and approach the effects of natural light in indoor environments, as closely as possible, while integrating it with artificial light of appropriate intensity and colour, as per the requirement.

How complex is the workflow of a lighting control system? What role does it play in energy conservation?

A satisfactory result requires the teamwork of various professionals: architect (analysis of the client’s needs, choice of fixture design and definition of the general lighting project for interiors and exteriors), lighting designer ( planning of light sources, direct/indirect and natural/artificial light components, lighting effects and scenarios), home/building automation specialist (translation of the architect’s and lighting designer’s indications into the programming of controls and scenarios), electrical system designer, suppliers involved (lighting fixtures, home automation controls). 

Today, the energy impact of lighting is less relevant compared to the past. This is because the LED sources have drastically reduced the energy consumption while producing the same luminous flux as incandescent or halogen (in homes it counts for 5-8% of total energy consumption; it remains important in medium and large buildings such as tertiary offices and commercial). With LEDs, efficiency has increased enormously (incandescent lamps transformed only 10% of energy into light, 90% was dissipated in heat).

What, according to you, is the ideal way to maintain a harmonious and benevolent synergy between Architects/Interior Designers and home/building automation Companies?

Ekinex supports the idea of a design that is not merely an aesthetic exercise but includes fundamental elements, ease-of-use, immediate understanding of the function, a balanced and intelligent application of technology.

We pose as a meeting point of architects and system integrators, spreading our belief: “design becomes the driving force for technology, the key to open our homes to the world of smart home”.

What are the company’s expansion plans for the Indian market?

At the moment, the main purpose of Ekinex India is to develop a network of partners with the same working style and objectives. We are actively working to make ourselves more visible, gain the trust of the community and become one of the major players of this flourishing market.

The post In Conversation with Roberto Rocco, Ekinex SpA, Italy appeared first on Smart Home World Magazine.

DALI an acronym for Digital Addressable Lighting Interface, is a communication protocol developed specifically for digital lighting control and enables the creation of robust, scalable and flexible systems. The main functions include switching luminaires on/off (individually or in groups), dimming and recalling lighting scenes.

DALI dimmer 1 channel EK-GH1-DL

The 1-channel DALI dimmer EK-GH1-DL permits lighting control of dimmable LED light sources with the help of a KNX (TP) button connected via DALI/KNX Gateway or by another local control device, directly connected to the dedicated input selectable among normally open button, 0 to 10V analog input, 1 to 10V analog input or 10 kΩ potentiometer.

The device has a built-in DALI communication bus and it requires a 12, 24 or 48 Vdc auxiliary power supply.

4-channels DALI dimmer EK-GL1-DL

The 4-channel DALI dimmer EK-GL1-DL permits dim-to-warm lighting control of dynamic white, RGB and RGBW of dimmable LED light sources thanks to a KNX (TP) buttons connected via DALI/KNX Gateway or by other local control devices, directly connected to dedicated inputs selectable among normally open buttons, 0 to 10V analog inputs, 1 to 10V analog inputs or 10 kΩ potentiometers.The device has a built-in DALI communication bus and it requires a 12, 24 or 48 Vdc auxiliary power supply.

1-channel DALI dimmer EK-GM2-DL

The 1-channel DALI dimmer EK-GM2-DL allows lighting control of dimmable LED light sources thanks to a KNX (TP) button connected via DALI/KNX Gateway or by another device, directly connected to the dedicated input selectable among normally open button, 0 to 10V analog input, 1 to 10V analog input or 10 kΩ potentiometer. The device has a built-in DALI communication bus and it requires a 12, 24 or 48 Vdc auxiliary power supply.

4-channel DALI dimmer 230 Vac EK-GO1-DL

The 4-channel DALI dimmer EK-GO1-DL allows lighting control of dimmable LED and halogen light sources thanks to a KNX (TP) button connected via DALI/KNX Gateway or by another device, directly connected to the dedicated input selectable among normally open button, 0 to 10V analog input, 1 to 10V analog input or 10 kΩ potentiometer. The 4 phase-cut outputs (trailing edge) at 230 V are suitable for R-C loads. The device has a built-in DALI communication bus, it is powered by 230 Vac mains voltage and it does not require an auxiliary power supply.

The post New Ekinex DALI dimmers appeared first on Smart Home World Magazine.

“In order to enforce our commitment to the Indian market and serve clients better the new Ekinex India company has been born.” Company spokesperson said“

Through this initiative, ekinex is aiming to provide uninterrupted service to its Indian clients: from planning to the execution of projects there will be a fully available certified and professional team.

HOW TO CONTACT EKINEX INDIA
Phone: +919731944651
sales@ekinex.in

Address
No 10, First Floor, First Main Road, Vikas nagar, Bangalore, Karnataka, 560073, India

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