Smart controllers, without which you cannot assemble a smart home

What is a controller and why is it needed

The controller is the brain of a smart home. It allows you to add, remove and configure all devices on your home network.

Let's say you installed motion sensors in your apartment, bought smart curtains and a kettle. Without a controller, they can't work together. Firstly, none of these devices have a display or Wi-Fi module - you won't be able to add them to the network. Secondly, you will not be able to set a scenario for their use: for example, make the motion sensor respond to your awakening in the morning, and then the curtains will automatically open and the kettle will turn on.

The controller completely controls your smart home. Information from all devices flows into it, which makes it easier for you. Instead of "communicating" with each individual sensor or device, you can do this through an application associated with the controller.

What are the controllers

The range is very wide: from industrial devices, which can only be installed and configured by specialists, to compact boxes with a friendly and understandable interface. The first ones will come in handy on large and complexly designed objects, for example, in production or in a country house. The second is quite enough for ordinary apartments.

The main criterion when choosing a controller is the wireless protocol by which it works. Wi-Fi is usually not suitable for these purposes. The module is too energy-consuming - devices and sensors will not be able to work autonomously with it for a long time, they will have to be constantly recharged. In addition, the technology itself is quite expensive, and its use would increase the cost of the devices. Also, Wi-Fi can have security and coverage stability issues.

Therefore, most often there are controllers with Z-Wave and ZigBee protocols. Their principle of operation is similar: both have a mesh network scheme, when each smart home device becomes a kind of transmitter. This increases the coverage area and makes the network more stable. If some element fails, its functions for transferring data are simply redistributed among the rest. Since the teams do not follow a strictly defined route, there is a lower risk that they will not reach the addressee.

Z ‑ Wave - closed technology. The devices supporting it are very strictly selected and licensed. With it, you can be absolutely sure that if you bought, for example, a light bulb and a light sensor from different manufacturers, then they will be compatible. But here, too, there is one negative point. In Russia, Z-Wave operates at 869 MHz, while in other countries the network has its own frequencies. This means that if you buy a smart device designed to work in another country, it will not function here. So it is worth making sure in advance that your device is certified for the RF.
ZigBee - an open protocol, that is, anyone can use it in different variations. This led to the fact that different manufacturers of smart devices began to create their own ZigBee-networks that did not intersect with others. For example, smart homes from IKEA, Xiaomi and Philips use the same protocol, but they are incompatible with each other. In addition, ZigBee operates at the maximum loaded frequency of 2.4 GHz, and this can lead to numerous interferences in the communication between devices.

Controllers can work with one of the protocols, and the best of them can combine several at once. For example, you buy the controller and smart home devices you need. It is desirable that they work under the same protocol (and in the case of ZigBee, they were also from the same manufacturer). You connect to the controller from your smartphone via Wi-Fi, then in the application you attach all your smart devices to the network - they will work with the controller using a separate protocol. And then you create the necessary scripts.

What controllers should you pay attention to

Fibaro Home Center 2

Home Center 2 is considered almost the main Z ‑ Wave ‑ controller. There are many reasons: he knows how to work with Google Assistant; through plugins, you can add support for devices that were not listed by default; friendly PC interface.

There are also many disadvantages. First, the Home Center 2 doesn't have Wi-Fi, so you'll have to use an internet cable. Second: all network devices must be connected (and reconnected) by bringing them directly to the controller. If you spent a lot of effort installing any sensor in a far, hard-to-reach corner, and it suddenly fails, you will have to dismantle it and carry it to the controller to activate it again. The third disadvantage is an inconvenient smartphone application. The work will have to be carried out mainly through a PC. And all this at a fairly high price.

RaZberry

The RaZberry controller is cheaper (about 12-15 thousand rubles), and a small device is definitely worth this money. Although you have to put up with a limited set of functions. RaZberry's interface is simpler, and many scripts can be difficult to create. You can build diagrams and control devices from a computer or smartphone, but it will be more difficult to do this and you will have to do without a voice assistant like Google Assistant. But RaZberry supports Apple HomeKit by default, while Home Center 2 requires additional bridge devices to work with it.

VeraPlus

This gadget, in addition to Z-Wave, supports other protocols, including ZigBee. It costs almost like RaZberry, and the functionality is about the same as that of Home Center 2. The differences are not the most simple interface. Convenient application for smartphones.

Athom Homey

The main controller in the world at the moment. Supports "Google Assistant", Siri, Alexa, and if you really try, you can even screw "Alice". Works with a wide variety of protocols, including Z-Wave and ZigBee. It connects to a smartphone via Wi-Fi, has a rather pleasant and user-friendly interface, many available plug-ins and ready-made scripts. Apple HomeKit devices will work with it too. The only negative is the high price.