Smart Home Software » How to network different manufacturer systems
Published: 29.10.2021 | Reading time: 11 minutes
This text is machine translated.
When setting up your smart home, you very often reach the limits of the availability of components within a system. Although leading systems such as Homematic IP or KNX cover most of the options such as shutters, lights and weather, there is no connection to the robotic lawnmower, outdoor cameras or heating system control, for example.
One of the biggest challenges when setting up a smart home is therefore networking a wide variety of manufacturers and their systems. The integration of weather, fuel prices or the calendar also makes it even easier to adapt the smart home to your own individual needs.
The networking of a wide variety of systems for cross-platform home automation is very easy thanks to continuous further development and differs in the following ways:
Networking via internet-based services is the most user-friendly and does not require the purchase of additional hardware. The smart home control units (which are called either bridges, hubs or gateways, depending on the manufacturer) are connected to the service online.
Advantages:
✓ No additional hardware required
✓ Easy connection of services
✓ Good selection of smart home systems
Disadvantages:
✗ Internet connection always required
✗ No large selection of providers
✗ Data transfer and exchange via external service
Smart home cloud services at a glance
Automation cloud service providers such as integromat.com, zapir.com or n8n.io mostly focus on communication services when it comes to networking.
This is why there is unfortunately only one service worth mentioning that allows many smart home systems to be linked online and can be opened via a web interface in the browser:
IFTTT
IF This Then That (IFTTT) can be used to create simple if, then rules.
A trigger (“IF”) can then be used to automatically derive consequences that are implemented. In practice, this two-dimensionality is limiting and therefore complicated procedures are hardly possible.
IFTTT has a very extensive portfolio of linking options from well-known manufacturers. Large systems from international manufacturers such as Philips Hue, Bosch EasyControl, Netatmo, (Google) Nest, Tadoº or Nuki can be easily connected.
Unfortunately, however, many popular systems in Europe, such as Homematic IP, do not have a direct, simple connection. Even with Shelly and Doorbird, only a complicated connection via API and webhook is possible.
A small but very interesting alternative to IFTTT comes from Germany:
Advantages:
✓ Easy connection of services
✓ Convenient control by voice and/or app
Disadvantages:
✗ Internet connection always required
✗ Hardware such as smart speakers recommended
✗ Data transfer and exchange via external serviceAdvantages:
✓ Simple connection of services
✓ Convenient control by voice and/or app
Overview of smart home hub voice assistants
The Apple HomePod, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa have now become the most popular assistant systems. Microsoft Cortana and Samsung Bixby, on the other hand, play a subordinate role.
These three assistants can also be easily linked to many smart home manufacturers via the respective app. The following table provides a brief overview of compatibility:
| System | Apple HomeKit | Google Assistant | Amazon Alexa |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philips Hue | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Homematic IP Access Point | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Homematic IP CCU | via THKL | ✗ | via Cloudmatic |
| Shelly | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bosch Smart Home | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Google Nest | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| tado° | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Magenta Smart Home | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
Linking and controlling roller shutters, lights and thermostats is certainly just one of the many possibilities offered by smart assistance systems today.
The Apple Homekit app, which can also be used to implement automation with dependency conditions very easily, is interesting and special. This is really smart and also offers manufacturer-independent networking in the smart home.
Software solutions for the home: smart home networking with Raspberry Pi
The most professional and sustainable solution is to implement a software solution in your home network. Even beginners with no prior knowledge can install and commission the required software thanks to easy-to-understand instructions. However, you should be motivated and enjoy it.
The advantages of a local software solution for your own smart home are obvious:
Advantages:
✓ Sovereignty over your own data
✓ Best availability, as no internet dependency
✓ Not dependent on external providers
✓ Huge community and constant further development
Disadvantages:
✗ More complex and knowledge acquisition required
✗ Investment in Raspberry Pi with accessories
For all those who are enthusiastic about smart homes and home automation and want something more than just linking one service with the other, there is hardly any other choice! The central control of all control units must be integrated into the home network.
Single-board computers (SBCs) are ideal for this purpose. These are true computing artists in a small format, cost-effective and energy-saving.
The best known is probably the Raspberry Pi 3b, for which there is now a successor in version 4b. This is already available (depending on the version) with some accessories such as a MicroSD memory card, a housing and a power supply from around 70 euros.
The software to be installed is available as a free open source version. Add-ons, plug-ins or special connections can sometimes be subject to a charge.
If you already have a NAS at home and it also has some performance reserves, the software can also be made available there virtually using Docker.
Comparison of local smart home software solutions
You're spoilt for choice at the beginning and I have already installed each of the systems presented here at least once to try them out in practice.
However, they all have one thing in common: configuration is conveniently carried out via the browser in an administration interface, which is called up with the local IP address and port of the Raspberry Pi. But this is where personal taste counts, because the presentation of this interface, the so-called UI (= user interface), differs considerably between the individual software solutions.
The following table provides a subjective impression of the differences:
| System | ioBroker | Home Assistant | Homebridge | OpenHAB | FHEM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Founded since | 2014 | 2013 | 2020 | 2010 | 2005 |
| License model | MIT | Open Source | Apache 2.0 | Eclipse Public | GPLv2 |
| User-Interface | ★★ | ★★★ | ★★ | ★★★ | ★ |
| System integration | ★★★ | ★★ | ★★ | ★ | ★★ |
| Automation | ★★★ | ★★★ | ★★ | ★★★ | ★★ |
| Visualization | ★★★ | ★ | ✗ | ★★ | ✗ |
| Smartphone App | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| URL | iobroker.net | home-assistant.io | homebridge.io | openhab.org | fhem.de |
The spectrum ranges from the stable dinosaur FHEM and its interface, which takes some getting used to, to the integration of non-Homekit-compatible systems into the Apple cosmos using Homebridge, to the stylish interfaces of Home Assistant and OpenHAB and the egg-laying wool-milk sow called ioBroker.
Unfortunately, it's impossible to say which is the best solution for you and your requirements. The best thing to do is to simply try it out - the software itself is free.
Compatibility of local smart home software control panels
What use is the best and easiest-to-use control panel if it is not compatible with the systems you have set up in your smart home?
The table provides a brief overview of the most popular systems:
| System | ioBroker | Home Assistant | Homebridge | OpenHAB | FHEM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philips Hue | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Homematic IP AccessPoint | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Homematic IP CCU | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shelly | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bosch Smart Home | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Google Nest | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| tado° | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Magenta Smart Home | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
If you use the Philips Hue lighting system or control your home with a CCU3 from Homematic, these can be integrated into any smart home software. Shelly actuators, Netatmo weather components and the Doobird doorbell system with the Nuki lock are also no problem.
The Tadoº radiator control system, Google Nest smoke detectors, Bosch system solutions and the HmIP AccessPoint already limit the choice.
Magenta Smart Home stands out negatively at this point. This manufacturer cannot be easily integrated anywhere due to its closed interfaces.
Installing the Smart Home software on the Raspberry Pi
Installation is very simple and involves just a few steps. The process is divided into preparing the memory card on the Windows computer or Mac and then installing the actual Smart Home software on the booted Raspberry Pi.
The following instructions show the installation using the example of ioBroker. The installation routines are usually similar, but it is recommended to visit the URL of the software first.
Sometimes there is also software in which the Raspberry Pi operating system is already integrated and you only have to call up an installation routine.
1. Prepare the micro SD card on the PC/Mac
The micro SD card should first be formatted. The easiest way to do this is with the SD Card Formatter.
Once you have downloaded the Raspberry Pi OS Lite , the easiest way to format it is to use the balenaEtcherr software on the micro SD card.
As the micro SD card is then automatically ejected, we remove the memory card from the slot and reinsert it. Then we look at the card with the Explorer/Finder and duplicate the “config.txt” file. We name the duplicate “ssh” without the file name extension and eject the SD card.
2. Prepare Raspberry Pi
Now that the memory card has been prepared, insert it into the Raspberry PI, connect the network cable and give the mini computer the power to boot via the power supply unit.
After a few seconds, the device should be ready to be assigned an IP in the network. The IP of the Raspberry PI can now be found out via the router (e.g. FRITZ!Box). It is advisable to specify in your router that the Raspberry PI always receives a fixed IP. This will make it easier to find the device in future.
Use this IP to open the command prompt on Windows (enter Windows and “CMD”) or the Terminal app on a Mac.
First we establish an SSH connection - please enter the IP of the Raspberry in your network:
ssh pi@192.168.0.111
The login data is as follows: User: “pi”, Password: “raspberry”
After successfully logging in, we first update the operating system and enter the following command:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade
This may take a few minutes and then we enter the following to configure the operating system:
sudo raspi-config
We arrive at a graphical user interface. Here it is recommended to change the following:
- Set a different password under “Change Password”
- Set the language to German under “Change locale (de-de UTF8)”
- Set the time zone to Central Europe under “Change timezone (Berlin)”
- And expand the file system to the maximum available under “Expand Filesystem”
The Raspberry Pi is now prepared and you can install the desired Smart Home software.
3. Download and install the Smart Home software
Ultimately, it depends on which software you have chosen to install your smart home. Below we show the commands using the ioBroker as an example.
Installation ioBroker auf Raspberry Pi
Enter the following command lines one after the other:
curl -sLf https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_12.x | sudo -E bash
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs
curl -sLf https://iobroker.net/install.sh | bash -
After the installation routine has run through, you can access the user interface - the configuration interface of the ioBroker - in your web browser by entering the IP of your end device and port 8081:
192.168.0.111:8081
You can find the installation for the other systems on the respective software page. Have fun networking your own smart home!