I am currently finishing a KNX Installation at home, my plan is to buy the ETS Software along with all the actors, sensors and etc, that are needed, and after the electrician is finished with the wiring, I will “program” everything myself. One of the components is a Gira X1 -I like the Interface :)- but after learning from OpenHAB -and Home Assistant too- I am starting to believe that it would be unnecesary. Is this the case? Would it be better to exchange the X1 for a KNX router and do everything that it is supposed to do with Open HAB?
Another question, would the “basic” KNX Installation work in case that OpenHAB experiences a problem and stops working?
Would Open HAB enable me to control transparently for example some HUE lamps with the KNX Switches?
Last question, if I decide to get the X1 anyway, would I be able to use the Smartphone app to control and read other things that I add thru Open HAB? For example hue lamps or a wifi or zigbee exteriro Thermometer?
No it would continue to work (assuming proper setup).
I don’t own it but I’d say 95% “no”. It’s built to control KNX devices only.
As a general advice:
Don’t get blended by the look when selecting technology. Remote control isn’t Home Automation. It’s fancy to show your friends but isn’t practical. Mid-term you will pretty likely stop remote controlling your devices but automate your home’s behavior to (auto-)match your needs.
If you set up the KNX properly, you can use most of the home without OH running. I have KNX and just a KNX router. If OH is off, I still can control most lights (even with presence detection, but without any fancy stuff or scenes), the floor heating and also ventilation continues to work fine.
I use OH to cross connect with all the other sensors outside the KNX ecosystem and to add logic to the system (scenes, automation, notification, persistence etc.). I never had the need for a unit like the X1.
And yes, you can control anything from a KNX switch with OH. During KNX setup you give the switch a unique address and let OH do the things you want if the address is called. I have the multiroom audio system (just MPD on the same mashine as OH) coupled to some MDT glass buttons, it does things like radio on/off and skip forward in playlist. Another button controls the logic for the projector lift… There are no limits.
MDAR
(Stuart Hanlon, UK importer of Velbus hardware)
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I do it. I have a switch that dimm a philips hue. I made my knx configuration by myself like you want to do. It was a long period of study but now I’m happy with the result
Thanks for your comments, seems like I will be returning the X1…
My idea is to get everything up and running with KNX and then when the dust settles start to try OH, and just connect other devices that are not KNX related.
Living in Germany it makes sense to commit to KNX, here is more popular than elsewhere from what I have seen.
