A home control network is the communications network that carries control information between devices in a home automation system. It lets controls, sensors and equipment coordinate functions such as lighting, heating and cooling, shading, and alarms.
What does “home control network” mean?
IEC 62514 terminology, as reproduced in a catalogue listing, defines it as a “network that transports control information in the home network.” In plain language, it is the path through which components exchange instructions or status information so that parts of a home system can work together. IEC’s description of home and building electronic systems places this network within a broader system of control devices, processing equipment, network interfaces and gateways.
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The network is not the same thing as a smart-home hub, router or gateway. Those are possible components or roles in an architecture; the network is the communications path connecting components. A gateway, specifically, can translate protocols and provide device-management, network-management and control services. IEC 62514 terminology reproduced in a catalogue listing distinguishes the network from the gateway, control point and terminal device.
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It carries information that allows controllers, sensors and equipment to coordinate home functions. Examples include a wall controller working with movement, light and temperature sensors to adjust blinds or room temperature. Home and building control applications also include lighting, heating, alarming and shading. IETF RFC 7733 discusses such home automation and building-control arrangements.
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- Lighting: controls can send commands or respond to sensor information.
- Heating and cooling: temperature information and control instructions can be shared among system components.
- Shading: blinds can be adjusted through coordinated controls and sensors.
- Alarms: alarm equipment can communicate with other parts of a home or building control system.
How is it arranged?
There is no single topology implied by the term. A home control network may include wired and wireless subnetworks, and devices can connect through an interface or adaptor. Networks may operate as standalone arrangements or connect through a gateway, depending on the use case. RFC 7733 discusses these options; the definition alone does not specify a required protocol or layout.
An interface can provide the connection between a device and the network. ISO/IEC 10192-1:2002 specifies a generic interface for a device to connect to a home control network through a Network Adaptor Unit. ISO records that edition as published in August 2002 and reviewed and confirmed in 2018. ISO’s record for ISO/IEC 10192-1 describes its scope.
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How is it different from a smart home system?
“Home control network” names the communications network within a larger home electronic or automation system. Terms such as “home control system,” “home automation network,” “smart home” and “building automation system” are used in the surrounding standards and industry context, but they do not make the network itself a single device. The larger system may include controls, sensors, processing equipment, interfaces and gateways; the network carries control information among them.
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How many devices can it connect?
RFC 7733 states that a typical home automation network is comprised of fewer than 100 nodes. That is a description in the 2016 RFC, not a universal maximum, a present-day market statistic or a guarantee for every installation.
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