Author: btsmts admin

Dimming is an essential aspect of lighting these days. Dimming helps to create the desired ambience or mood for various occasions. Whether you are in a mood for quiet reflection, reading or meditation or want the opposite and seek brightly lit areas to do your work – all this can be controlled through the level of dimming of various lights. There are multiple lights in a home, typically cove lights that are hidden, spot lights that are exposed, wall lights that help illuminate the vertical walls or décor on the walls, all of which need to be controlled through the circuits that power them.

Since LED lighting is the most prevalent form these days, the dimming control of these lights is achieved through multiple different alternative options that users have to choose from, such as

• Phase-cut dimming: Which work by taking the line input power (240V) and modulating the signal to reduce the power to the load to dim it
• Analogue Dimming: Which works through drivers that are placed between the input power and the load, and the drivers either vary the current or voltage provided to the LED as per its specification, in order to change the level of brightness of the LED
• DALI Dimming: This is a system of drivers that are connected together and each drive is uniquely addressable for control. DALI stands for Digitally Addressable Lighting Interface. The drivers modify the current or voltage based on the communication signal sent to its unique address.

Wired or Wifi Smart Touch Switches or Keypads from BuildTrack, offer an aesthetically elegant surface that can be used for dimming. The footprint used by these switches can be significantly compressed because up to 3 individual dimmers can fit into a single switch module, as the below images show for analogue dimming solutions. This helps to conserve wall space without reducing the functionality that is desired by the users and also adding to the aesthetics of the room.

If the level of dimming across multiple lights a given room is one that the user likes to consistently use during some event, for instance, while reading or while watching TV or while doing meditation etc. Then each of those formats of lighting can be captured in a ‘Scene’ or a ‘Profile’. Triggering this profile would mean that all the relevant lights turn on and change to their pre-determined dimming levels and all the irrelevant lights turn off. This is where Keypads become relevant as the interface for triggering such Profiles, especially for DALI dimming but also as a convenience for other forms of Dimming. Below images show Keypads of various sizes depending on the number of profile buttons that are needed on them, and typically these numbered buttons can be replaced by icons for more elegance.

The benefits of Profile Keypads is that a single key on it can be used to trigger multiple lights all to different levels of dimming, as desired as mentioned. Although Keypads can have other benefits also. Typically users are not just concerned with lighting while creating a desired ambience, but perhaps with other aspects as well such as curtain opening/closing, air conditioning level being either high or low and even perhaps entertainment devices like TV being turned ON/OFF. BuildTrack’s Profile Keypads addresses that directly, because non-lighting items can also be included and triggered from a single button of the Profile Keypad. Another aspect is that users might change their mind about some elements of the Profile, as they use it and realize that some changes might suit them better than what they earlier thought. For instance they may want some lights dimmer and others brighter. This can simply be achieved by changing the Profile online from the Smart App and the physical Keypad button will trigger the new Profile with the changed dimming levels.

The BuildTrack Smart Touch Switches and Keypads are both aesthetically pleasing on the walls and can enable the type of dimming and Profiles or Scenes that meet the users needs and keep up with them if those needs should change in the future. They can be also be triggered from BuildTrack’s Smart App or Voice Assistants like Alexa or Google Home. Even when away from home, they can be turned on/off over the internet.

 

So, you have decided to buy smart switches for your home, but how do you figure out which is the right device? In this blog, we will give you a comprehensive view of what you should look for while buying it? Since we are in India, our viewpoint will be according to the typical conditions and constraints that we face here.

Aesthetics

A switch to a wall is what a watch is to a hand. Besides being functional, they are also an important part of the design makeup. So, aesthetics is a big part of the decision-making process and should never be ignored. No material offers the same level of finish as a tempered glass panel, which is safe and adds an element of class to the ambience. The edges of the switch if framed with glistening metal both adds to the classy look as well as ensures a good look from the side view. Other elements to consider are the choice of colours for the glass as well as the metal frame. Complementary or contrasting choices are a personal preference, both add to the look just like between the watch bezel and the strap. The thinner the switch, the more it looks flush with the wall and more elegant.

Module Type

The starting point while buying touch switches for home is to select a device that suits the needs of the room, so what do you want to control? Geyser? AC? Fan? Lights? Curtains? And how many do you need to control? Once you know that, then all you need to do is find a module that meets your need. In India, we have more switches than we actually use so it might be a good idea to get rid of the unwanted ones, or find the modules that compress multiple functions into a smaller area, for e.g. having 2 or 3 dimmers in the same space as 1 dimmer.

It is not always that you can whip out your phone to open a smart app to control your switches, you will need to think about where on the wall you want your touch switches for home to be installed. Often you will have to think ahead if there is to be a 2-way switch needed. Another flexibility to consider is those offered by touch keypads. These are not actually connected to your devices like lights but still are placed in the wall where power is available and the keys on it can control one or multiple devices in your home. So ‘All Off’ key might switch all the lights and ac’s in a room.

Wifi Chip Or Wired

The smart touch switch has to be connected to the internet. If you choose a wifi enabled switch then it will communicate to your home router and connect to the internet. This is especially convenient when you have finished your wiring and still want to have a Smart Touch Switch that can be controlled remotely.

However, that is not your only option. If you are renovating your home or building a new home and have the option to consider wiring during that activity then it is best to also consider a wired touch switch which connects to a hub. The hub is then connected to your wifi router to allow you access to all the switches remotely. The advantage of this is that instead of multiple switches connecting to your router, only 1 hub will be connecting to it putting less load on the router. Since these days the number of internet connected devices like phones, TVs and more are multiplying this will be advantageous as routers will have their own natural limits on the number of devices that they will connect with.

Cloud Technology & Smart Apps

Smart switches for home need to be controllable from anywhere; that is why the cloud technology that underpins it must be fast, reliable and secure. The device must be available at any point in time and respond to commands quickly. This requires that the touch switch provider also provide you with access to cloud infrastructure that can be reached through its smart apps.

As you are aware not all Apps are the same. So, it is important that you experience the app that connects to your switches. Does it provide only a listing of devices or does it provide a visually appealing image of the room, such as a 360deg view of the room so that you can use it to easily locate the switch. This type of visual interface does have a better feel than looking at an endless list of lights to choose from.

Integration With Voice Assistants Home Platforms

It is important that the smart switch integrates with the other voice platforms like Alexa and Google Home which are the 2 most widely used voice assistants in India. Each of these platforms has its own apps and different ways of controlling devices which means that users don’t have to depend on mobile apps to control switches.

In Summary: Smart Touch Switch improves the ambience of your home. The vibrant colors in the touch glass and the metallic luster of the bordering frames perfectly complement or contrast any wall color. The leading-edge technology offers residents all the comfort and convenience while ensuring that the all the appliances like the lighting, fans, AC work together as intended through smart apps, voice, offered by us.

Homes these days have multiple types of lights – cove lights, chandeliers, wall décor lights, party lights and within these there is the added choice of dimmable lights, tunable lights, LED color strip lights and more. In addition to this lighting variety, there are other diverse comfort elements in a room. These are devices such as Fans, Air Conditioners , Curtains, Blinds, projectors, TVs and more. These various items in the home are rarely used one at a time, but rather they are turned on in some group combinations that suit the occupants requirement. These combinations are called ‘scenes’ or ‘profiles’ because they create the necessary ambience that the occupant wishes to experience.

Many home owners are adopting Home Automation solutions. Most Home Automation solutions allow users to create such ‘profiles’ or ‘scenes’ on their Smart Apps. Users can typically choose the various lighting, fans, AC, curtains and other combinations for each ‘profile’ and they can also change these profiles as their tastes or circumstances change. There can be profiles for when one wakes up in the morning (e.g ‘Good Morning’ profile) and another for when going to sleep. Similarly they may be for events, like when leaving the home (‘Good Bye’ profile) or when watching a movie (‘Cinema’ profile) and so forth.

While many Home Automation solutions allow the convenience of using profiles via Smart App or voice assistants like Alexa/Google, they do not offer physical ‘switch-like’ device on the walls that could trigger these same ‘profiles’. The introduction of ‘Keypads’ as a part of the Home Automation solution has changed that. Keypads now offers home automation users with tremendous flexibility to execute such ‘scenes’ or ‘profiles’ without needing to resort to a Smart App or Voice commands. BuildTrack’s keypads are designed to be identical to the Smart Touch Switches and can blend in within the switches. In fact they can also be part of a switch panel or independently on their own panel.

The advantages of the keypads are many,

1. A keypad has a small footprint and does not occupy the space that multiple switches might take up on any wall. It can be used as an alternative to switches when home automation is deployed.
2. BuildTrack keypads are unique in their ability to control not just lighting, but also curtains, blinds, ACs, Fans, TVs, Projector mounts and more. Most other keypads in the market can only handle lighting scenes.
3. BuildTrack keypads are mapped to profiles that are defined on the Smart App, and since the Smart App profiles can be edited to add, remove or change specific devices (e.g. add/remove lights or change dimming levels or change desired AC temp settings) the keypads effectively serve as customizable switches.
4. BuildTrack keypads support multi-way operation, i.e. they are 2-way, 3-way and more. If the same profile is set on multiple keypads across the home, then triggering one will show you the correct status on all
5. Even if a home only choses BuildTrack Keypads instead of switches, BuildTrack still allows control of individual devices as switches on the Smart App.
6. Keypads are available in wired and wireless formats. The wireless formats do not require any change to existing wiring.
7. BuildTrack Keypads can co-exist with smart touch switches on the same switch panel, creating tremendous flexibility.

If you are interested in home automation, then take a look at BuildTrack smart keypads and smart touch switches for your home.

If you are planning to have Smart Touch Switches or Home Automation as part of your home, then you have to look at the certifications that the products carry. While users are not typically acquainted by the certifications, it is at least important to be familiar with some of the key certifications because these products are installed within your homes, and you and your family constantly interact with them and are constantly in the vicinity of these products. The objective of this article is to share some of the key certifications that you need to look for

Safety Certification

While the Smart Touch Switches are electronic products, they are directly connected to your AC electrical systems. It is therefore essential that the safety level of these products conform to the highest global standards. IEC 62368 is a new global standard that was introduced in Dec 2020 to supersede all existing standards for safety. It is based on sound engineering principles, research and field data. It addresses all hazards that are likely to influence the operation of the device and evaluates all the internal safeguards that are built into the device to tackle such hazards. An important aspect is that, the 62368 standard applies not only to the end-user product but also to components and subsystems within it. It is the gold standard of performance testing for safety and IEC 62368 has been incorporated by almost every single country/geography for their own certifications, as seen in the figure below. In fact, countries such as US, Singapore, and other developed countries have made such certifications as a mandatory items for such products.

So when you buy your next Smart Touch Switch, check to see if it has the 62368 Certification! You and your family constantly interact with the switch. You need to be sure that it is safe !

Radiation Emissions Certification

The term Radiated Emissions refers to the unintentional release of electromagnetic energy from an electronic device or apparatus. Any electronic device may generate Electromagnetic fields that unintentionally propagate away from the device’s structure. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has adopted the BS EN 61000-6 standard set for such ‘electromagnetic compatibility’ of such devices with strict limits on the radiation. This is the same standard as the international standard adopted by both FCC (U.S) and CE (Europe). The device is placed in an anechoic chamber (see Figure) and its radiated energy measured via an Electromagnetic Compatibility Test. It is certified if it is within acceptable limits for its appropriate use situation, such as in this case Residential Use for home automation products.

Product being tested in an Anechoic chamber.

RoHS Compliance Certification

European Uniion rules are some of the strictest that are restrict the use of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment to protect the environment and public health. The RoHS Directive currently restricts the use of ten substances: lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP). Many of these were used in the PCB manufacture, and if a product is RoHS compliant then these chemicals have not been used within the product.

BuildTrack’s Smart Touch Switches comply with all of these requirements. The touch switches comply with IEC 62368 which is the “gold” standard for safety . The product complies with BS EN 61000-6 which implies that any radiated emissions are well within limits for residential use and the product is RoHS compliant, ensuring environmental and users health. BuildTrack’s Smart Touch Switches are the Touch Switches on the market that currently comply with all these 3 safety and health related certifications.