Smart home consultation new construction wireless

And if you want to run scripts on it? What is that then?

If it’s about scenes -> drop down and input fields
If it’s about logics -> drop down and input fields
Macros -> drop down and input fields

I think you understand what I mean. You click together your functions, processes, and conditions, optionally enter a few numbers, and then click on “transfer.”

If it’s about real coding or code snippets, then that has nothing to do with KNX and happens on a different level. For that, there are the well-known freely available tools.

Of course, the boundaries are somewhat fluid everywhere, and there are also devices that require coding and programming knowledge, but those are usually powerful tools, and their use in a normal single-family house is not necessarily required or only rarely. Or nowadays these devices are often developed to the point where it’s just about clicking together, and in the end you have the finished code that you only need to use. Or you simply take ready-made code snippets from the internet.

Yes, I completely agree with you.

On my Homematic, these basically very simple connections between the individual devices also run. Only that on your system it runs on each device itself (that's how I understand it now) and everything is connected to each other by cable.

But I believe that even this simple if x then y, and that also by drop-down selection, completely overwhelms many people. It's like with percentage calculations, basically very simple but makes many people sweat.

Only that on your side it runs on each device itself (that's how I understand it now) and everything is connected with cables.

Kind of, each device in KNX has its tasks and executes them according to the parameters set by the user. These can sometimes be self-learning and self-adjusting. Each device is independent and does not require a central unit that forms "the brain of the installation." However, it is of course possible to use central units for higher or complex tasks or as connection interfaces to other protocols or systems.

It is especially easy when everything is connected via the bus cable. However, this is not absolutely necessary for all devices. If needed, other communication channels can be used, such as Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or other radio variants, thus forming entire subnets. Of course, one tries to connect as much as possible directly to the cable because here there is an almost 100% guarantee that it will still work flawlessly decades from now, and the configuration is simpler since everything can be done from one tool.

But I think that even this simple if x then y, especially with drop-down selection, completely overwhelms many people. It's like percentage calculation, basically totally simple but it makes many people sweat.

Basically, it is similar to the Homematic GUI, except that there is not just one manufacturer but now more than 500. So the parameterization of a Siemens device works just like that of one from Busch-Jäger or Hager. It depends on what kind of device it is, and many (nowadays many) offer the adjustment of selected parameters on-site at the device itself.

The often-mentioned "change for which you have to call someone." This is often simply possible on the device itself. Of course, if you haven't thought ahead or planned accordingly or were not informed about it, then you rely on outside help.

Thank you for the detailed explanation. :-)

I also wanted to briefly "chime in". In my opinion, the reason why most people (myself included) avoid KNX is that it is already difficult enough to find good craftsmen. KNX - although it has been on the market for several years/decades - is still relatively new compared to conventional electrical systems. There are simply many more "regular" electricians on the market than KNX service providers. And a large part of the regular electricians simply have no knowledge of KNX or other modern systems and stay away from them. In my case (I contract all trades myself), I was just glad to have found a good craftsman who had done the electrical work for a friend. At the beginning, I also had KNX in mind because I myself wanted to do some programming/tinkering. But when I approached him with KNX back then and explored what would be possible, he basically had three question marks on his forehead, which is not something to be ashamed of. So now we are installing a conventional electrical system and I am trying to make a few things "smart" by my standards, such as roller shutter and lighting control. For this, I will currently use Shellys and have the electrician run N and PE to every switch. Of course, these wireless systems have disadvantages. But I hope it will suffice for my purposes and ultimately everything is also a matter of time and money. With what feels like 1000 trades, you simply don't have the time to deal with unfamiliar topics in detail and everything has to be affordable. It may be that it is just as cheap or even cheaper with KNX. However, here we are back to the issue of time needed to find a good and reasonably priced KNX service provider.