Smart Home Blog

Clipsal made a good step towards integrators and developers decided to open C-Bus protocol. The initial set of protocol documents will be published and made available during one or two weeks. These documents include: a guide for developers to use the C-Bus Serial Interface device – a description of the different ways to interface a device to C-Bus – over 15 detailed serial protocol descriptions covering the following C-Bus applications: lighting, switching, security, climate control, telephony etc. Later on the rest documents (such Multi-Room Audio Control) will be published as well. Additionally equipment and product developers will have possibility to get 5000SM/2 – a small matchbox sized module that can be easily added to equipment to build in a C-Bus Interface.

Opening C-Bus serial protocol is a great news! Now support of Clipsal devices can be added into many systems including LinuxMCE (hope it’ll be soon). Currently LinuxMCE supports X10, Z-Wave, INSTEON, PLCBus, EnOcean and KNX/EIB. C-Bus will bring another way to automate your home with open source software.

[via AutomatedHome]

Clipsal started to sell its new Black & White Touch Screen. It has diagonal 4.7″ and offers resolution 320 x 240 pixels. Thanks to enhanced contrast and superior backlighting the work with panel should be very comfortable. The panel can be programmed via USB port, which can be used as PC adapter, using Clipsal software (PICED). Additionally, it has RS232 port for integration with third part systems.

The panel doesn’t require additional power supply. It should be enough just connect it to the C-Bus network. There are two variants of that panels: with C-Bus Logic Engine features and without them.

The new Clipsal Black & White Touch Screen is available with price £649.84 (with C-Bus Logic Engine features) in the Cbus shop.

[via AutomatedHome]