Driving the home automation market forward, Bridgetek has launched PanL Smart Living (PSL), a solution to provide greater comfort and convenience to homeowners as well as added security and energy efficiency.
Integrating with third party sensor manufacturers, appliances and smart devices, Bridgetek’s PSL solution delivers compatibility within the home that uses a range of plug-and-play smart home devices.
“The home automation concept has been around for decades but we have found that it hasn’t really caught on,” explained Gavin Moore, customer support manager, Bridgetek. “The main reason for that is the lack of compatibility between different protocols. Various manufacturers are coming out with sensors, heating control, lighting control, etc, but they are not talking to each other. Our PanL solution is hopefully a solution for that.”
Bridgetek’s PSL solution enables the control of lighting, heating, air conditioning, curtains/blinds and other household appliances, plus the activation of door entry mechanisms. It means that the entire ecosystem of smart devices and appliances can be controlled through this one platform, no matter what brand they are, instead of having a multitude of standalone subsystems.
The PanL hub is the main part of the system and is connected to the home’s internet, which then allows connection to the various sensors and controllers.
“The Smart Living system is controlled using three options,” continued Moore. “The first option is the PanL itself which can be in situ and allows the homeowner to have direct control over touch and audio through the display.
“You also have the mobile app, available on Apple or Android. Again, you can control everything through that. And finally, voice control. We are linked in to Amazon Alexa to allow control of appliances.”
The three control options allows for a better user experience, which is more straightforward and means that the former isolated subsystems are now connected to the PSL platform rather than having their own individual controls with no interoperability.
This new approach also offers an ‘IFTTT’ concept so that different functions can be coordinated together. For example, automatic blinds can be programmed to close when it gets dark outside, or the heating can turn on to coincide with the lighting. Particular scenarios can be established and user preferences defined.
The connectivity supported by PSL covers WiFi (802.11 b/g/n), IRDA, 433MHz RF, Z-Wave, Zigbee, DMX512, DALI and Ethernet, plus proprietary technologies like Hue.
PSL can also get data from sensor devices distributed throughout the house’s interior and around its exterior, relating to room temperature, ambient light levels, the presence of a potential intruder, detection of smoke, etc.
These functions can also enable energy savings within the home. Scenes and events can be programmed to ensure devices and appliances act according to its environment. For example, indoor lights can automatically dim or brighten depending on the time of day and the lighting outside. Air conditioning can automatically turn on when it gets to a certain temperature indoors. And PIR detectors can detect someone walking into a room and turn the lights on or set the room to a particular scene.
Moore said: “ Just through how adaptable and flexible the system is, all of this should enable energy savings because it is only used when it is needed and is not on all the time.”
Versatility and scalability of the platform facilitates the addition of new functionality over time, presenting the market with long-term installations. Once fitted, there is no need for the core hardware to be replaced or upgraded as PSL can expand and evolve to incorporate emerging technologies.
The platform is fully compatible with technology from Philips, Heimann, OSRAM, Daikin, iHorn, EuChips, DMX, Somfy and NYCE.
Bridgetek’s technical team are now looking to engage directly with system integrators to develop bespoke arrangements that fit the needs of their end customers.