Voice Control for KNX with Snips, Siri, Alexa and Google

In addition to the well-known voice assistants Siri, Alexa and Google Home, the new realKNX Air now also offers an extremely powerful, offline voice control for KNX with Snips. The privacy is guaranteed and by design: what you say at home stays at home. Another advantage with the new offline voice solution is the installation stays independent of cloud service updates and Internet accounts.

With realKNX Air you are not limited to only one assistent you can choose several and use them in the same installation. For example you can have a Google Home in the kitchen because it is usefull for the recipies but in the dining room you can put a realKNX Satellite in order to guarantee your privacy.

realKNX Voice Control requires no configuration. Just plug in the realKNX mini server and it will do the job. It will automatically find the KNX proServ gateway and load all KNX functions and zones that has been configured in a standard ETS product database. Finally realKNX translate them in a relevant manner for each bridge . This will take less than one minute and requires no interaction.

realKNX Augmented Reality (AR) enables yet another unique feature: the user can control KNX devices by using the camera of the smartphone. By aiming the camera towards a real world object, the appropriate controls appears on the camera screen (compare Pokemon Go). The augmented reality functionality is configured through the embedded realKNX Designer.

One of the most powerful features of realKNX is the easy-to-use visual programming tool Node-RED. Node-RED is used for building automation tasks, simply by ‘wiring together’ code blocks. It is important to note that Node-RED runs on system, i.e. it is not a cloud service. Programming Node-RED does not require any programming skills. We offer an access to an extensive code library to copy paste and modify as needed. The library modules demonstrates basic function blocks, like AND/OR and SMS & Push notifications to full featured Alarm system with unique features like barking dogs over SONOS speakers. All this is included in the product, at no extra costs!

The realKNX Dashboard organizes and presents KNX functions as well as data graphs in a modern graphical user interface. The Dashboard requires no configuration and is automatically generated. However it is also highly customizable, it can present widgets like Spotify player, web cam and calendars etc. The Dashboard is compatible with most modern web browser and operating systems.

The Dashboard and the free iOS and Android Apps iKnix and iKnix2 can be securely used from anywhere on the internet, without configuration or additional costs for fixed public IP, DynDNS, VPN or port forwarding.

Last but not least realKNX allows data logging with graphical presentation and scheduling. It possible to control up to 5 Sonos zones. All these features are completely configured through the ETS product database of proServ. It is truly Plug & Play. All features and all services are included in the price, no additional subscriptions fees.

realKNX is certified for KNX, Google Home and Amazon Alexa. It works with Apple Siri, however it is not certified for Apple HomeKit.

Privacy-by-design, Offline Voice control with Snips

realKNX Air is the first offline voice control system that loads the vocabulary from the ETS configuration realKNX Air Satellitedata in run-time. That is, realKNX Air automatically reuses the one-time configuration in the proServ product database to offer of offline voice control with Snips.

As with the other supported online cloud systems, it is possible not only to control devices but also to query their state.

The Air Satellite includes a Jabra Speaker microphone as well as an Ethernet adapter. This desktop device offers an excellent speech recognition and clear voice reproduction.

Why should I care about offline voice control?

1. Privacy is guaranteed and by design. No voice recordings will ever leave the house!
2. Voice recordings are not transferred from the house to an Internet cloud service, everything runs on the realKNX Air server and work independently of an Internet connection.
3. The solution is independent of any updates of offline cloud services. Once installed, it will work unchanged for years.
4. The installation is even easier than with online cloud services. No cloud service account setup is required.
5. The voice commands and possibilities of the sentence and questions can also be adapted by ProKNX according to any special requests

What about disadvantages?

The cloud based solutions offers many services that are not yet available with realKNX Air and Snips. For the moment it is not possible to stream music or ask for latest news. However this will change, when realKNX supports Snips App Store.

Key Features

- Privacy by design, offline no Internet, Voice control of KNX with Snips
- Voice control of KNX devices: through Siri, Alexa and Google Home. It is also possible to mix different assitents, even the offline and the online.
- Control by Augmented Reality through the image of the smartphone camera
- Visual programming with Node-RED, no programming skills required. On system IoT, large free app library e.g. Alarm system included.
- KNX html visualisation: customisable Dashboard with cameras, smartcharts, backgrounds….
- KNX App visualisation: iKnix2 for iOS, iKnix for Android.
- RemoteConnect from anywhere – no fixed IP, no DynDNS, no VPN, no port forwarding.

realKNX – Plug&Play Voice Control with Siri

- Use voice recognition through Siri® to control or query your KNX devices.
- Use Home or other compatible apps to control.
- 10+ excellent alternative iOS applications available in the App Store (e.g. Elgato Eve).
- Use our realKNX iOS app to pair and sort all KNX devices in rooms. It is possible (but not necessary) to do the sorting or renaming manually with the Home App.
- Secure remote access via Apple TV 4th generation.
- Automation provided via Apple TV.
- Limited to 99 devices.
- Requires additional hardware: KNX-proServ.
- Backwards compatible: With an existing proServ, realKNX will connect and configure automatically, zero-configuration.
- Use the “Home” app or other compatible apps (eg Eve). This will provide many new GUIs for proServ.
- Compatible with Apple Watch.
- Creation of own scenes from compatible devices.
- Speech recognition by means of SIRI.
- Device specific voice commands, e.g. “Switch on the ceiling lamp in the living room” or “Set the blind in the kitchen to 35%”.
- Group voice commands, e.g. “Switch off the lamps in the living room” or “switch off the living room”. This is possible without having to have defined scenes on the basis of KNX. In the latter example, all switches not only light but also music etc.
- Voice commands – relative operation, e.g. “Increase the brightness in the living room with 10%”.
- Voice commands – state queries, e.g. “What is the pool temperature” -> Answer: “The pool temperature is 23.5 ° Celsius”.
- Voice commands – check the entire installation, e.g. “Are the lights on in the house?” -> Answer: “Three lamps are switched on, the others are off”.
- Siri supports many languages (35+ ).
- Automation support – when configuring an iOS10 iPad or AppleTV V4 as a stationary device in the house, commands can be triggered. Read more Apple support Automate and remotely access your HomeKit accessories
- Geofencing support – geofencing is a virtual perimeter for a real-world geographic area. Leaving or entering the perimeter can be used as trigger for automation, e.g. Trigger “Switch on lights” when entering home. - “RemoteConnect” is also supported – without configuration of VPN or port forwarding – you are simply connected to the installation with or without Wifi (only possible with stationary Apple TV or iPad)

HomeKit iOS Apps

- Apple Home App, included in iOS 10
- Apple Siri App, included in iOS
- Elgato Eve iOS 9 & 10 and Elgato website
- iDevices Connected iOS7

realKNX iOS App – pairing & automatic sorting of devices in rooms

realKNX in App Store

The setup and installation process
1. Power up and connect the realKNX mini server to the same network as the proServ
2. Wait 1 minute
3. Launch the realKNX iOS app, follow on-screen instructions regarding pairing
4. Ready!

realKNX – Plug&Play Voice Control with Alexa and Echo

- Voice control with Amazon Echo for the KNX installation
- The following KNX functions are enabled by Alexa voice control:
+ Switching and dimming for light
+ Control blinds and awnings
+ Switching all kind of devices including heating controllers (using AUX)
+ Temperature query and setting of KNX thermostats
+ Launch KNX scenes or define your own scenes out of KNX functions
+ Detailed description of all realKNX skill features in: Amazon Skills store
- realKNX is Plug and Play and will automatically perform the configurations

Example utterances:
“Alexa, turn on Kitchen.”
“Alexa, turn off Home.”
“Alexa, lock Home.”
“Alexa, what is the temperature of the Dining Room?”

Echo allows the control to be room-related without having to call the room name in the command.
Creation of Alexa group commands in free Amazon Alexa app.
Automatic creation of Alexa scenes to enable room commands.

The setup and installation process
1. Connect an Amazon Echo (or Echo Dot) to the same network as the proServ
2. Power up and connect the realKNX mini server to the same network as the proServ
3. Configure our Remote Connect feature and get your Alexa skill account credentials
4. Restart the server and wait 1 minute
5. Say ‘Alexa, discover devices’
6. Ready!

realKNX – Plug&Play Voice Control with Google Home Assistant

- Voice control with Google Home smart home speaker for the KNX installation
- The following KNX functions are enabled by Google Home Assistant voice control:
  - Switching and dimming for light
  - Launching scenes
  - Temperature query and setting of KNX thermostats
  - Blinds/shutters: Google Home doesn’t support shutter device type. To work-around this, realKNX treat shutters as a “Google-switch” so you can say “turn on kitchen shutters”, “turn off kitchen shutters”. It is possible to get around this limitation by creating shortcuts: create a shortcut “Open the shutter” which does “Turn on the kitchen shutter” / create a shortcut “Close the shutter” which does “Turn off the kitchen shutter”
- realKNX is backwards compatible with existing proServ
- realKNX is Plug and Play and will automatically perform the configurations

realKNX | Google Assistant Directory

The setup and installation process
1. Connect an Google Home smart speaker to the same network as the proServ
2. Power up and connect the realKNX mini server to the same network as the proServ
3. Configure our Remote Connect feature and get your Google action account credentials
4. Restart the server and wait 1 minute
5. Follow the provided instructions to enable and add devices
6. Ready

realKNX – Augmented reality

The realKNX embedded miniserver will read the ETS configured information of the KNX-proServ. Hence it allows to control your KNX installation:
- Lighting On/Off
- Lighting Dimmer
- Shutter
- Heating/Cooling room controller
- Sonos (multi room audio control)
- State information (values/texts)
- Url schemes

Functions and Operation
- The realKNX app is included in iKNiX v2, available for iPhone, iPad.
- The smartphone application can recognize most objects in your home, when the light is on.
- The server is configured on an http page.
- Data is stored locally on the realKNX embedded miniserver.

realKNX Designer – configuration of augmented reality

Configurator for your realKNX
- Runs in any modern browser.
- Upload images from disk or directly from smartphone camera.
- Assign functionality to the object of the photo i.e. create a link between the photo and the KNX object that should be controlled.
- Function test.

Augmented Reality apps:

App for Android with augmented reality: Download Android APK App for iPhone with building structure and augmented reality:

realKNX – visual programming with Node-RED

The latest addition to the realKNX feature list is the very powerful but yet easy-to-use visual programming tool Node-RED. Node-RED is used for building automation tasks, simply by ‘wiring together’ code blocks. It uses a visual programming approach that allows wiring together predefined code blocks (known as ‘nodes’) to perform a task. The connected nodes, usually a combination of input nodes, processing nodes and output nodes, when wired together, make up ‘flows’. Our customers have access to an extensive code library. The library demonstrates low level functionality as logical functions (AND/OR etc), SMS & Push notifications to mobiles phones, HTTP requests. We will soon add high level functions as smart energy management modules as well as Feelgood light modules.

Read more about automation with Node-RED - Here

Start building your own apps, visit Node-RED App Library - Here

realKNX – Dashboard with remoteConnect

- The realKNX Dashboard is a modern graphical user interface that runs in most modern popular web browsers.
- The realKNX Dashboard is Plug and Play – the default configurations are automatically generated. The default config can be regenerated at any time and can be modified.
- realKNX Dashboard is highly customizable, choose images, icons, text size and colors, background images. Quick start from the default auto generated dashboard.
- Two Dashboards are auto generated, one large and one small.
- Create personalized dashboards (e.g. minimalistic, family, geek, mobile etc).
- Allows secure remote connection without VPN client or port forwarding. Login via most modern browsers under most operating systems.
- Remote connection login via url https://HOMENAME.proknx.xyz where HOMENAME is an unique username.
- Embed web based components, example: Spotify Web Player, Google Calendar or a weather forecast widget.
- Upload photos of rooms and use as background.

The setup and installation process
1. Power up and connect the realKNX mini server to the same network as the proServ
2. Wait 1 minute
3. Open dashboard in browser
4. Ready!

Scheduling

Data logging, presentation and task scheduling, easy configuration in (ETS: add #T for timer/scheduler in the function name).

KNX function scheduling:
- modification of heating mode (comfort/night)
- activation of scenes
- lighting and shutter control
- hourly, daily, weekly, weekdays etc

Smart Charts – Graphical presentation interface

Smart Chart offers a simple data viewing platform. No configuration needed (ETS: add #L for logging) and Smart Chart displays graphs for all the data which is logged automatically. Smart Charts will also display “smart” graphics such as pie charts depending on the selected data.

- Graphical presentation of logged KNX data - Interactive graphics - Data updated in real-time - View data by Room and/or Unit type - Select the time period - Choose from 4 different colour schemes

The Dashboard automatically displays data charts per room but is also possible to customize charts

Downloads

User Guide

Documentation

Supplementary Products

Aragon Satellite
realKNX Satellite table unit