Frequently Asked Questions About OpenRemote 1.0 KNX Support
Listed below are many common questions about the KNX support in OpenRemote Boss 1.0. If your question is not answered below, please post it to our User Forums.
What is the Difference Between OpenRemote Boss 1.0 KNX Support and OpenRemote KNX iPhone Application?
OpenRemote KNX iPhone application is suitable for projects that use only KNX as their automation solution. The stand-alone OpenRemote KNX application does not require additional controller hardware or software to be installed, and can connect directly to a KNXnet/IP gateways or router.
KNX support in OpenRemote Boss 1.0 is implemented for integration purposes. Under deployment scenarios where it is necessary to combine and integrate multiple different home automation controls, for example KNX-based lights to infrared or RS-232 based audio/video systems, OpenRemote Boss is the correct solution. OpenRemote Boss can be used to create macros, scenes and scenarios that involve multiple device control protocols and can be configured and used from a single iPhone application spanning multiple different use case scenarios.
Can I Dim Lights or Receive Sensor Updates from My KNX Installation?
Please use OpenRemote KNX iPhone application for these features.
OpenRemote Boss 1.0 does not yet support receiving sensor updates and other KNX features. Sensor updates, dimming, etc. are planned for OpenRemote Boss 2.0 release scheduled for Q1/2010.
Which KNX IP Gateways and Routers are supported?
We are maintaining a list of KNX IP gateways and routers that our community has successfully used in combination with OpenRemote Boss 1.0.
If your KNX IP gateway or router is not yet listed, and you've used it with OpenRemote Boss 1.0, please let us know and we can keep the list up-to-date!
Should I Buy KNX/IP Gateway or Router? Routers are so expensive!
Sadly, many KNX/IP gateways only support a single concurrent connection to the KNX Bus. This means you can only have a single device connected at any time to your KNX devices.
KNX/IP Routers, while more expensive, tend to allow multiple concurrent connections (e.g. multiple iPhone or iPod devices connected to the KNX bus).
Other solutions exist – for example, you could set up your system to route all KNX connections through an eibd daemon which can multiplex connections. We are also working on KNX connection management in OpenRemote Boss which can allow multiple devices to interact with the KNX bus over a single gateway (with certain limitations) as long as all the KNX destined communication is configured to go through the same OpenRemote Boss instance.
As with all feature implementations, if KNX connection multiplexing is something you consider very important to you, let us know on the User Forum. This will help us prioritize feature implementations.
Is My ABB IG/S 1.1, bab-tec eibPort, Lingg & Janke NK1 or NK2 Supported?
No. These gateways use an older EIBlib protocol for connecting KNX to ethernet. EIBlib is not part of the KNX specification and is not supported by OpenRemote Boss 1.0.
Can I connect OpenRemote Boss 1.0 to KNX with USB or UART?
No. OpenRemote Boss 1.0 only supports connecting to KNX Bus via KNXNet/IP ethernet protocol. This requires a KNX-IP gateway or router as part of the KNX deployment topology.
Can I Use OpenRemote Boss 1.0 to Replace My Gira HomeServer?
This depends very much on your current use case. Please contact us on the User Forums to discuss your requirements. We are adding more KNX features into our upcoming releases and would like to know your use case in order to prioritize our feature development.
Still Got Questions?
If you haven't found an answer to your KNX questions on this page, please use our forums for further questions and we can help you there.
