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fyfy18 | 5 years ago

Does anyone here have any experience with KNX? It seems like the best wired system (without being locked into a single manufacturer), but from what I understand it's expensive and not aimed at DIYers.

For context I'm in the process of building a house and like OP am considering Shelly modules, but it seems a bit silly to go wireless when I am doing everything from scratch.

discuss

BennyInc|5 years ago

We built our house with KNX this year. While our electrician did all the wiring, I did the programming myself. It has a steep learning curve, but if you're in IT, you'll probably get the hang of it pretty quickly. The system is very robust and offers a lot of flexibility. Almost all our componenents are from MDT (https://www.mdt.de/EN_Start.html). They build really great products and are quite affordable. Compared with components from other manufacturers we use (Theben, Weinzierl, Steinel) I think their applications and manuals are also far superior.

I have since connected the system to my home assistant installation, and enjoy the added flexiblity.

gog|5 years ago

I don't have hands on experience, but I read about it a lot.

Yes, it is not meant for DIY, but in Germany there is a big DIY community, unfortunately that also means a lot of hands-on experience is shared in German forums and Youtube channels.

The main issue is the ETS software you need to configure KNX devices. Full license is around 2k€, but if you have up to 15 KNX devices I believe there is a cheaper license.

Next apartment/house i buy will probably be wired with KNX for roller shutters, heating/air conditioning and for lighting either KNX or KNX-Dali Gateway.

There is an interesting channel on Youtube if you are interested: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnGAZMA4wzOYx_P7aXTRc7A

hhhc|5 years ago

Hi, I have built my house using KNX. Actually, the fact that it is mostly cable based makes this system super reliabe.

It also combines various trades, lighting, heating, etc and is supported by 500 manufacturers.

Together with a friend who has more than 20 years experience, we published an ebook on how to get started without any prior knowledge. There is a free version at https://knxtutorial.com/knx

Contact me if you have any other questions.