Which open platform is suitable as a basis for building a smart home yourself?? Good question! That’s why we’ve created a best list for the ultimate DIY smart home. Whether smart home beginner, hobbyist or experienced programmer – everyone will find the right platform, such as raspberry pi or homee.
The homee module system is one of the most intuitive platforms for open DIY smart home.
- DIY smart home – the better alternative to magenta, innogy and co?
- Open platforms in comparison
- 1. Raspberry pi – mini computer
- 2. Arduino – controller board
- 3. Z-uno – developer board
- 4. Sony MESH blogs – smart home building blocks
- 5. Conrad connected – iot platform
- 6. Homee – module smart home
- 7. Enet smart home – smart setup
- DIY smart home – the better alternative to magenta, innogy and co?
- Open platforms in comparison
- 1. Raspberry pi – mini-computer
- 2. Arduino – controller board
- 3. Z-uno – developer board
- 4. Sony MESH blogs – smart home building blocks
- 5. Conrad connected – iot platform
- 6. Homee – module smart home
- 7. Enet smart home – smart setup
DIY smart home – the better alternative to magenta, innogy and co?
A security system from aldi, the smart home from innogy, the roller shutter control from velux – each of these island systems solves a few everyday problems, but they also create new ones: different apps and remote controls for control, no meaningful interaction of systems and they can usually only be expanded with products of the respective brand.
Partially open systems, such as those from telekom magenta or homematic IP, offer a bit more design freedom. The base stations "speak" various radio languages. devices from other manufacturers can also be docked, but only if they are on the official compatibility list. Therefore, even here one is not completely free. In addition, the customizable if-then automations depend on the options in the system app.
The ideal DIY smart home therefore has three characteristics:
- Free: numerous radio interfaces can be used to connect different types of radio devices with each other.
- Programmable: the system app can be freely configured so that the creation of if-then scenes is as unrestricted as possible.
- Intuitive: the system is easy to understand and program.
Open platforms for DIY smart home in comparison
Open smart home platform
Sony MESH blogs
Enet smart home
1. DIY smart home with the raspberry pi – mini computer
Raspberry pi has already made a name for itself as the basis for hobbyist solutions. The single-board computer can be used to create a media center PC, a NAS solution or even a self-hosted cloud. However, it requires a lot of creativity and some programming basics. To build the basic construction yourself, the hobby tinkerer needs:
- Raspberry pi 3
- power supply
- Housing
- High-speed SD card 16 GB
The mini-computer then only needs an operating system. The free open-source program FHEM has proven itself for home automation. It is written in the pearl programming language and provides applications for common sensors and actuators that can be used for automation in the smart home. Through numerous plug-ins, which contain the work of more than 100 developers, there is even more scope for design with the raspberry pi. There is hardly a smart home device that cannot be integrated into the installation.
Besides the basic construction, however, it needs radio adapters (zigbee, Z-wave, homematic IP and so on) so that the computer can connect to the respective radio frequency of the smart home device. The adapters are connected via GPIO or USB. By the way, many smart home components from hardware stores, such as adapter plugs or a radiator thermostat, use the 433-mhz frequency.
besides single devices, also whole ecosystems can be connected. you can use the raspberry pi for example as a replacement for an amazon echo (via amazon developer account) or apple homepod (via homebridge) and control the smart home by voice. thus raspberry pi combines the functions of numerous smart home systems in one central unit. In addition to acting as a control unit, you can add module sensors to the computer, enabling raspberry pi to record video or detect motion for example. Tip: smart home switches that use the enocean wireless standard can be operated without power, since energy is generated by pressing the button.
Raspberry pi is suitable for: advanced programmers who want to implement complex if-then-but-only-if rules in the DIY smart home.
Price: ca. 110 euro
Order the raspberry pi to build your own smart home.
2. DIY smart home with arduino – controller board
A popular alternative to raspberry pi is arduino. to bring the difference between both control centers to the point: arduino is a controller board and therefore only a part of the single board computer raspberry pi. The arduino project was created to make simple applications, whether for the lab or the smart home, as easy as possible to implement.
Arduino specializes in repetitive tasks typical of home automation. For more complex if-then-but-only-if scenes, however, the raspberry pi is the better choice. example: you want to be informed by e-mail when the potting soil is too dry? This is a classic task for arduino. but if you only want to receive an e-mail when the flower soil needs water and the weather forecast predicts dryness, you are better off with pi. The scope is therefore limited, but it is also not necessary to install libraries and software for connected devices. The project smart home build yourself can thus be started and expanded more easily.
Arduino is suitable for: programmers who want to implement simple if-then rules in the DIY smart home.
Price: ca. 23 euro
Order arduino for your DIY smart home.
3. DIY smart home with Z-uno – developer board
Z-uno is a developer board that allows you to create your own smart home devices that you can program through your computer. Z-uno relies exclusively on the Z-wave radio standard, which has made a name for itself in the smart home scene for its energy efficiency and reliable connections. To get started, Z-uno is connected to the computer via USB, then the arduino IDE and the corresponding Z-uno package are installed. The programming is then done via the sketch known from arduino in simplified C-language. many examples are provided by Z-uno for inspiration.
If you want to simplify your entry into the DIY smart home, you can also use Z-uno-shield, an extension board that allows direct integration of many smart home devices. With the shield configurator, you are relieved of writing common smart home applications via sketch. The configurator makes it possible, for example, to build dimmers, switches, sensors, sirens, door locks and thermostats. You can also extend the code at any time. It is also possible to integrate various smart home systems into the Z-wave smart home, as well as control them via raspberry pi, samsung smartthings and other control elements.
Z-uno is suitable for: advanced, but also programming beginners who want to build their own smart home devices – if necessary supported by the pre-programmed configurator.
Price: ca. 60 euro
4. DIY smart home with sony MESH blogs – smart home building blocks
the sony MESH blogs are reminiscent of colorful dominoes. A DIY smart home can also be implemented with them almost as intuitively. because programming is done via a visual interface: using a tablet or other touch-screen computer, functions and if-then scenes can be created by finger tapping and swiping.
there are currently seven different MESH blogs to choose from, each specializing in one task: switching, light switching, motion detection, sensor movement detection, brightness detection, humidity and temperature measurement, and linking to a single-board computer such as raspberry pi or arduino. How the blogs replace various smart home devices and switches. Example: with the move blog, which detects your own movement, connected devices can be turned on and off by spinning in the air. In addition, the buttons can be connected to everyday applications, including google calendar, facebook, alexa or your own geo-location. Unlike raspberry pi and arduino, the sony MESH blogs are an expensive toy. Each button costs between 35 and 50 euros. Blog programming also depends on the if-then rules provided on the IFTTT platform.
Sony MESH blogs is suitable for: tinkerers with a pronounced play instinct and a lot of creativity.
Price: from ca. 40 euro
With the sony MESH blogs you can easily create if-then-scenes via tablet. So you can easily build a smart home yourself.
5. DIY smart home with conrad connected – iot platform
the internet-of-things platform conrad connect has become a strong german alternative to the american IFTTT. Various smart home systems and apps are now part of the conrad community and can be connected in all imaginable scenes via the clear interface.
what we like most about this DIY smart home solution is that when a selected sensor is triggered, we can choose to receive a voice call or a whatsapp message. for example, you will receive a call if the window contact detects an opening in your absence. A text predefined by them is then read aloud by a computer voice, indicating a possible risk of intrusion.
Conrad connected is suitable for: smart home fans without programming knowledge, but with creativity for individual use cases.
Price: from 6 euro per month