March 24, 2019 at 18:23Who is who in the Smart Homes market?
They asked me a question here the other day, which smart home system is better, which is worse and why?
Seriously - I’m thinking! You just can’t answer this question ...
To begin with, there are three large “niches” in the systems of “smart home”:
Category from the field “he’s smart, but stupid!”
Here I include all kinds of remote control relays, “smart” refrigerators, stoves, heaters, air conditioners, etc. etc.
Most often it’s something that is “smarter” than its “dumb” ancestor: a refrigerator that defrosts itself, maintains a microclimate and, indeed, a microwave or stove, which can be indicated on the digital display that there is chicken inside and must be cooked in this mode … Etc. etc. - devices are often really useful, but most often the thing is in itself: the refrigerator will keep the mode until you tell him, at best the steam boiler will be able to pump new recipes on the bluetooth, the condo will maintain the indicated temperature ...
Yes, yes, it’s all the more convenient, you don’t have to spend time twice a year defrosting the refrigerator that has stopped opening, you don’t have to change the microwave modes with the handles during cooking, you don’t have to run and turn off the heater, which decided to arrange Africa here, and protection from Overheating believes that while with him all the rules - you can not drown out ...
But in practice - from this to the smart home there are still cuuucci steps!
Devices of this category can be divided into three groups:
In principle, any of the devices in the future may become part of a smart home, just some will not give the full extent possible ...
It seems like “smart” houses, but ...
The common misfortune of all brands is that they simply do not pull up all the niches in a smart house.
Some, such as Xiaomi, carefully try to become a plug in each barrel, but ...
Yes, yes, from leakage sensors to robotic vacuum cleaners and smart trash, but you will stick the same blocking tap at the input bypass methods, and a blunt temperature sensor or stupidly there is no pressure for pipelines ...
Firms did, tried the “smart home” system and don’t want to share the devices with anyone ...
As a result, it often comes down to a sad application that you can manage the house, the base unit for over a hundred million and a dozen other sensors ...
The system is in itself, completely in itself. It would be possible to buy something to play with, but the price level is such that the toad strangles, and you won’t be able to expand it in the future ...
Honestly, there are few of them and, to our great happiness, they are dying out of hunger stupidly, because people are looking at the openness of the system, including this one, which it doesn’t take ...
Certainly, Xiaomi is leading here ... They
opened the API, though not all devices open right away, but usually it concerns new products like the new base unit from Akara, which we added - we added ... But the situation is changing quite quickly.
I will not list it - this is not the point.
The basic problem, as with all brands, is that everything seems to be fine with the sensors and actuators, but it’s unrealistic to build something new and your own there!
(Rock opera based on the frog princess, if someone did not recognize the quote)
There are mainly devices based on esp8266, 8265, 32, etc., as well as with protocols open to all winds ...
There is a piece of iron, like there is some kind of software , it seems that there’s even access to the API, but 90% stupidly solder the comb and change to open firmware for yourself ...
And here we come to the “sweet”: as if all the previous paragraphs did not consider themselves “smart houses”, but in practice they are it's stupid and corny DEVICES doing some work in a smart home!
The main thing to understand here is that all projects, if they are alive, then have certain disadvantages. There is no absolute ideal ...
The category of smart homes written from scratch ... Absolutely from scratch, for a loved one, for their own pieces of iron, something may even be shared on the Github, but the heroes who repeated it will most often not have one.
The people walk around, click on their tongues, spy on some solutions, but almost never copy 1 in 1 ...
Most often, it’s corny because nobody understands the modularity of this system except the author and you can assign something of your own there with a probability of 99 % just do not pull!
As an example - I can only recall the Cluster with its CluNet ...
Majordomo project site
Key features:
Development language - PHP
Scripting language - PHP and Blockly
The main language of the system is Russian.
Developers - the most important boss from Belarus, modules and support - from all over the ex-USSR.
Benefits:
The system has two branches - Master and Alpha, one of which seems to be release ...
Conceptually, the author breaks through the idea of "Simple devices" that can interact ...
At the same time, he intermitts himself and his colleagues knock him down, as a result "simple thermometer-hygrometers" appear and other thermostats ...
The general impression: for beginners, it’s quite a thing for you, if you don’t know the English language ...
He’s also an Assistant, aka HA, aka HASS.io ...
Based on Python, can work in Docker, there is an image for Raspberry ...
You don’t need to be able to write in Python for configuration: it is configured using YAML files, and the cattle is quite flexible ...
Development language - Python
Scripting language - YAML
The main system language is English.
pros
Minuses
It seems that there is password protection, etc., at least security seems to be provided ...
In a huge plus: unlike MQTT and other ways of devices interacting with the server, you can connect devices to MULTIPLE servers at the same time and achieve some kind of duplication, and the system of config files allows you to make and restore a backup by banal copying the config directory ...
Conceptually - close to "simple devices": there are "sensors", there is "light", there is a "relay", etc.
There are scripts.
There is “Automation” - the connection between the reaction to sensors and state changes, and each automation can be trivially “disabled” and it will not work, for example, if the server is currently working in the background with an understudy: it knows the state of the sensors and relays, but it doesn’t have to click "to avoid duplication ...
Honestly afz what is written on. Python seems to be mentioned, but there are doubts ...
Scripts on Blockly and LUA.
The language is English, but there is Russian in the settings.
Multiplatform - Windows, Linux, AWPs ...
The concept of panel devices ...
Pros and cons - alas, I will not name: I tried it, but did not like it: I do not like LUA ...
openhab.org Development
language - JAVA
Scripting language - a cross between Java ...
The main language of the system is English. Multi-platform
...
I looked at it at one time and decided not to mess with it: I know it, but somehow there were few instructions, but given that this is already quite an old project, having fans and having survived several rebuilds ... It has a place to be and live ...
PS There are a few more, but now just like that I can’t remember right away ... I’ll supplement by comments.
PPS Paid systems are in the Brands. Most often, everything is very strong in itself and for a specific hardware ...
PPPS MQTT is not a smart home, but a banal exchange protocol.
PPPPS I will be glad to constructive criticism.
“This is not a smart home!” - they go through the forest into their stupid caves, in which the knife switches cut down a soft torch.
We are at least trying to make our homes more or less comfortable and they are clearly “smarter” than usual!
And, yes, the house is SMART - how smart a trained dog is compared to a dumb lapdog. He is SMART, not “SMART”!
Seriously - I’m thinking! You just can’t answer this question ...
General directions
To begin with, there are three large “niches” in the systems of “smart home”:
- “I bought a Livolo relay and now I am extinguishing the light from the remote control!” - this is the niche of all "dumb" controls, automatic maintenance of the boiler temperature, automatic ventilation, etc. This is something that all the "Omnomoshchiki" wrinkle at all, but once we all went through this step. Some run and not look back.
- "BRANDS" - Xiaomi, Rubitek, Siemens, and a dozen more companies that produce equipment for smart homes ... There are relays from them, there are sensors from them, you can paint the interaction logic on their server or their piece of hardware and you will be spared ... until the server crashes , the manufacturer will not release a new version of the base unit, or some other garbage ... They are divided into three subgroups: with a closed API, with an open API and “I don’t care, I changed the firmware in it!” ... It's better to have 2 and 3, ideally - generally from 3
- “And I have my own
benzene ring!” - Actually an option for advanced. We are almost independent of anyone and can do almost anything we want ...
Smart Devices
Category from the field “he’s smart, but stupid!”
Here I include all kinds of remote control relays, “smart” refrigerators, stoves, heaters, air conditioners, etc. etc.
Most often it’s something that is “smarter” than its “dumb” ancestor: a refrigerator that defrosts itself, maintains a microclimate and, indeed, a microwave or stove, which can be indicated on the digital display that there is chicken inside and must be cooked in this mode … Etc. etc. - devices are often really useful, but most often the thing is in itself: the refrigerator will keep the mode until you tell him, at best the steam boiler will be able to pump new recipes on the bluetooth, the condo will maintain the indicated temperature ...
Yes, yes, it’s all the more convenient, you don’t have to spend time twice a year defrosting the refrigerator that has stopped opening, you don’t have to change the microwave modes with the handles during cooking, you don’t have to run and turn off the heater, which decided to arrange Africa here, and protection from Overheating believes that while with him all the rules - you can not drown out ...
But in practice - from this to the smart home there are still cuuucci steps!
Devices of this category can be divided into three groups:
- A device is a thing completely within itself and it will not work out from the outside. You can only disable the external relay or see the power consumption. In some cases - and figs with him ... The category includes refrigerators, microwave ovens, kettles, washing machines, etc. etc.
- In principle, the device can be steered from the outside: IR or radio remote control. There are usually condos and televisions. It’s possible to steer, but there is no feedback ...
- Devices with bidirectional communication - you gave a command, he reacted and answered. They are few, but they are. It’s just that more often than not, such devices already go along the group of “ecosystems” from brands. Here, mostly smart TVs and consoles hang ...
In principle, any of the devices in the future may become part of a smart home, just some will not give the full extent possible ...
Brandy ...
It seems like “smart” houses, but ...
The common misfortune of all brands is that they simply do not pull up all the niches in a smart house.
Some, such as Xiaomi, carefully try to become a plug in each barrel, but ...
Yes, yes, from leakage sensors to robotic vacuum cleaners and smart trash, but you will stick the same blocking tap at the input bypass methods, and a blunt temperature sensor or stupidly there is no pressure for pipelines ...
Full brand
Firms did, tried the “smart home” system and don’t want to share the devices with anyone ...
As a result, it often comes down to a sad application that you can manage the house, the base unit for over a hundred million and a dozen other sensors ...
The system is in itself, completely in itself. It would be possible to buy something to play with, but the price level is such that the toad strangles, and you won’t be able to expand it in the future ...
Honestly, there are few of them and, to our great happiness, they are dying out of hunger stupidly, because people are looking at the openness of the system, including this one, which it doesn’t take ...
Turn to me before ...
Certainly, Xiaomi is leading here ... They
opened the API, though not all devices open right away, but usually it concerns new products like the new base unit from Akara, which we added - we added ... But the situation is changing quite quickly.
I will not list it - this is not the point.
The basic problem, as with all brands, is that everything seems to be fine with the sensors and actuators, but it’s unrealistic to build something new and your own there!
“Turn to the forest in front, back to Ivan and bend a little!”
(Rock opera based on the frog princess, if someone did not recognize the quote)
There are mainly devices based on esp8266, 8265, 32, etc., as well as with protocols open to all winds ...
There is a piece of iron, like there is some kind of software , it seems that there’s even access to the API, but 90% stupidly solder the comb and change to open firmware for yourself ...
And here we come to the “sweet”: as if all the previous paragraphs did not consider themselves “smart houses”, but in practice they are it's stupid and corny DEVICES doing some work in a smart home!
Smart Home Servers
The main thing to understand here is that all projects, if they are alive, then have certain disadvantages. There is no absolute ideal ...
“I blinded him from what was”
The category of smart homes written from scratch ... Absolutely from scratch, for a loved one, for their own pieces of iron, something may even be shared on the Github, but the heroes who repeated it will most often not have one.
The people walk around, click on their tongues, spy on some solutions, but almost never copy 1 in 1 ...
Most often, it’s corny because nobody understands the modularity of this system except the author and you can assign something of your own there with a probability of 99 % just do not pull!
As an example - I can only recall the Cluster with its CluNet ...
Majordomo
Majordomo project site
Key features:
Development language - PHP
Scripting language - PHP and Blockly
The main language of the system is Russian.
Developers - the most important boss from Belarus, modules and support - from all over the ex-USSR.
Benefits:
- Focused mainly on the former USSR, as support in Russian.
- PHP is familiar to many.
- Many modules focused on services and glands available in the ex-USSR.
- There are images for Raspberry Pi
- Multiplatform: Linux-Windows-ARM
disadvantages
- Installation according to the instructions - does not always give a result, even if you rearranged the system a hundred times before.
- The image for Raspberry has some modules that the author of the image installed before he rolled the image ...
- The base for the system is deployed through PHP MyAdmin ...
- Some modules have not been supported for a long time, some are crookedly written and can drive the processor under 100% load, despite the fact that they seem to get some information only once an hour ...
- "Protection? What protection ?! A smart home should not have access from the Internet! ”
The system has two branches - Master and Alpha, one of which seems to be release ...
Conceptually, the author breaks through the idea of "Simple devices" that can interact ...
At the same time, he intermitts himself and his colleagues knock him down, as a result "simple thermometer-hygrometers" appear and other thermostats ...
The general impression: for beginners, it’s quite a thing for you, if you don’t know the English language ...
Home assistant
He’s also an Assistant, aka HA, aka HASS.io ...
Based on Python, can work in Docker, there is an image for Raspberry ...
You don’t need to be able to write in Python for configuration: it is configured using YAML files, and the cattle is quite flexible ...
Development language - Python
Scripting language - YAML
The main system language is English.
pros
- Just set.
- From the box it immediately picks up both MiHome devices and those with ESPHome firmware.
- Quite flexible logic setup without programming as such.
- Multiplatform: Windows, Lin, ARMs
Minuses
- I strained the documentation, especially in Russian.
- The concept of configuration files at the initial stage is slightly annoying.
- There are no sharpened weather for Yandex, exchange rates and some “local” module services, or I have not found them yet ...
It seems that there is password protection, etc., at least security seems to be provided ...
In a huge plus: unlike MQTT and other ways of devices interacting with the server, you can connect devices to MULTIPLE servers at the same time and achieve some kind of duplication, and the system of config files allows you to make and restore a backup by banal copying the config directory ...
Conceptually - close to "simple devices": there are "sensors", there is "light", there is a "relay", etc.
There are scripts.
There is “Automation” - the connection between the reaction to sensors and state changes, and each automation can be trivially “disabled” and it will not work, for example, if the server is currently working in the background with an understudy: it knows the state of the sensors and relays, but it doesn’t have to click "to avoid duplication ...
Domoticz
Honestly afz what is written on. Python seems to be mentioned, but there are doubts ...
Scripts on Blockly and LUA.
The language is English, but there is Russian in the settings.
Multiplatform - Windows, Linux, AWPs ...
The concept of panel devices ...
Pros and cons - alas, I will not name: I tried it, but did not like it: I do not like LUA ...
Openhab
openhab.org Development
language - JAVA
Scripting language - a cross between Java ...
The main language of the system is English. Multi-platform
...
I looked at it at one time and decided not to mess with it: I know it, but somehow there were few instructions, but given that this is already quite an old project, having fans and having survived several rebuilds ... It has a place to be and live ...
PS There are a few more, but now just like that I can’t remember right away ... I’ll supplement by comments.
PPS Paid systems are in the Brands. Most often, everything is very strong in itself and for a specific hardware ...
PPPS MQTT is not a smart home, but a banal exchange protocol.
PPPPS I will be glad to constructive criticism.
“This is not a smart home!” - they go through the forest into their stupid caves, in which the knife switches cut down a soft torch.
We are at least trying to make our homes more or less comfortable and they are clearly “smarter” than usual!
And, yes, the house is SMART - how smart a trained dog is compared to a dumb lapdog. He is SMART, not “SMART”!