Hardware Recommandations

Setup, Configuration and Use Beginners
1

Hello,

I am pretty new to OH. It is a very interesting framework and I try to learn step by step.
Until now I installed openHabian on an raspberry 3 and integrated my MAX! heating controllers. With this I already learned to define items, rules and sitemaps.

My next steps to develop my system are:

  • Integrating my existing room lights (they are switched by relays inside the the electric installation case)
  • Buying 230V RGB LED
  • Integrating my self made LED Lights (with PWM controllers)
  • maybe later integrating some other custom devices (like my LED lights)
  • maybe later I buy some electric roller shutters and want to integrate them
  • sensing some physical values like light intensity, humidity, …

It is smart to think about the requirements before buying something. There are several systems on the market to fulfill some of my requirements. But there is nothing available that can fulfill all requirements.
As far as I see there are two main systems: Homematic and Z-Wave. I am struggling which system I choose to start with.

Homematic

  • No PWM controllers available
  • No easy Customizeable actors/sensors
  • Would require Hue or Lightify for 230V RGB LED lighting

Z-Wave

  • OH binding existent
  • 230V RGB LEDs available
  • No DIN rail devices
  • No PWM controllers available
  • No easy Customizeable actors/sensors

At the moment I tend to Homematic because of the DIN rail devices. The benefit of Z-Wave is that there are 230V LED light blubls available. Otherwise I would need an additional system like Hue (expensive) or Lightify (not OH binding existent).

Also there is no system where I have some PWM controllers that I can use for my self made LED lights. I think about using a Zigbee based system where I can build my own PWM devices. This would also opens the options for later custom improvements.

Because of being an electronic enthusiast i am able to build some things by my own. Because of being an engineer I know it is often cheaper to buy something than to self-made it.

Does someone of you has a recommendation for a system to start with and/or some ideas for my PWM controllers?

Thank you very much!

2

I suggest you should read a little more into homeautomation. Comparing Homematic to Z-Wave and to ask about that on an openHAB forum is … well, like comparing the offer of a Fiat dealer to a internet car portal, and to ask a reputated car magazine (und damit meine ich nicht die AutoBild…) which one to buy.
Homematic is a proprietary system to also bring a controlling logic unit. Z-Wave is ‘just’ a transmission system, but a standard one (means: you can get devices from multiple vendors) . The controller unit would be openHAB, then.
“No DIN rail devices” - well. First, only a German would care about DIN rails. Second, it ain’t correct, there’s a number of rail devices from Qubino, and I recently saw someone reselling Fibaro devices repackaged into a rail enclosure, too, damit auch deutsche Elektriker endlich keine Ausrede mehr haben.
“No ZWave PWM dimmer” - well. Of course there are. Get a Fibaro FGRGBW, it’s a four-channel PWM controller that you need to attach a 12 or 24VDC power input to. There’s also a Qubino device available to automatically choose to use either trailing edge or PWM, based on voltage you apply (230VAC or 24VDC, I believe), and possibly others.
What you will not find (NOwhere, I guess) are 230VAC PWM dimmers, simply because it does not make sense to build such a device as LEDs natively just require a couple of volts to run well. There’s some 230VAC ZWave bulbs available from e.g. Zipato, or you can dim 230VAC LEDs using standard leading or trailing edge dimmers, although that’s a somewhat silly setup if you can have low-voltage PWM operated LED lights instead.
Go ZWave, get a FGRGBW. I myself use it to power different strips and LED spotlights.

3

Hello mstormi,

I bought some Z-Wave devices (also the Fibaro RGBW) and they work fine for me. Thank you for your answer.
Thank you for your kick in the right direction :smile:

P.S: For sure I do not use 230V PWM. For my DIN rail problem I think I build something on my own.