The Keypad: The Center of the DIY Home Automation Universe

Anthony Carter

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• Publié par: seorumer
• Publié le: 04 octobre 2016
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• Langue: English

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The Keypad: The Center of the DIY Home Automation Universe The center of the universe for your smartphone or tablet is its CPU. Also known as the central processing unit, the CPU controls every other aspect of your device. Likewise, the center of theDIY home automation universe is the keypad. This small and seemingly unobtrusive device controls all of the components on a wireless home automation system based on programming implemented by an installer or homeowner.

How important is the home automation keypad? Very important, especially if you want to do more than just program your thermostat for a week or two. The keypad is that piece of the home automation puzzle that makes it possible to automate everything from thermostats to lighting to electronic door locks. The strength of the keypad is its ability to store different scenes for various purposes. In the home automation industry, we frequently talk about lighting scenes to demonstrate this capability. But scenes do not have to be limited to lighting. You can actually create scenes that account for every automated device on your system. The advantage of programming and storing scenes may be difficult to grasp if you have never experienced home automation before. So let us work with a hypothetical example. Let's say you and the family go out three nights a week to enjoy various hobbies and leisure activities. You can create a specific scene that can be activated with the touch of a button–as you are walking out the door. Your scene could include:  turning off all interior lighting  turning on exterior structural and landscape lighting  adjusting the thermostat up or down as needed  activating your home security system. Imagine doing all of that with the touch of a single button. It could be a real game changer for families who find themselves constantly rushing to get out of the door on time.

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What to Look for in the Keypad Taking advantage of all of the benefits of one-touch scene activation requires choosing a keypad you can actually work with. There are lots of different wireless home automation systems with keypads that work only with their branded devices. There are other keypads with more universal control capabilities. Here's what you should look for in a keypad purchase: Universal Control–As of yet, there is no single keypad device offering universal control of most major devices on the market. Still, you should at least look for a keypad capable of controlling all the devices you want to add to your system. The more devices you can control from a central location, the more thorough your scenes can be.  User Interface–for a keypad with a user interface you actually understand. As old programmable Look thermostats have proved, homeowners are unlikely to actually use all of their home automation features if they cannot figure out how to use the keypad.  Scaling Capabilities–If you are like most DIY home automation enthusiasts, you will not be satisfied with your current system for long. There will always be something to add. Therefore, you need a keypad that is scalable. You need one capable of handling more devices than you currently have, without any drop in performance or reliability. Affordable Price Point–Obviously, pricing is an important part of creating a DIY home automation system. Look for keypads and devices that you can easily afford on your current budget. The keypad is definitely the center of the DIY home automation universe. The right keypad can make all the difference in the world when it comes to how much a consumer enjoys the benefits of home automation.

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