7 Ways to Connect Loxone with Your Blinds and Curtains
According to this article, there were 2.22 million Smart Homes in the UK in 2021, with over 66.44 million people owning at least one smart device.
As the popularity of smart homes continues to grow, more and more areas of the home are becoming compatible with these systems. Electric blinds are just one industry that has seen an increase in home automation and has developed products to meet the demand.
There are a host of benefits of automating your shading, and multiple levels of automation that can be achieved depending on your smart home system.
Key benefits of Smart Blinds:
- Electric blinds can automatically lower and raise depending on light and heat levels recorded by a smart sensor, which saves energy
- Schedules can be set up to automatically operate blinds at times that suit your lifestyle
- Voice control and app control is available in many systems
- Occupancy simulation can be set up so that blinds will operate as they normally do, even when the occupant is out of the house or on holiday, for added safety
- Timesaving by operating multiple blinds at once as opposed to manually opening and closing each one individually
- Reduce the demand on the central heating or air conditioning by using the blinds to allow more or less sunlight into the home which saves money and is more environmentally friendly
- The convenience of controlling shading from the touch of a button
What is Loxone?
Loxone is a versatile system that allows your home to work as one harmonious system. Lighting, heating, security, shading and more will all work in tandem together to create a truly intelligent home.
“I already know I want a Loxone system, what blinds can I connect to them?” Don’t worry, we’re here to explain. Keep reading or click below to jump to a section.
Hardwired Power with Loxone Wireless Control
The first option uses a motor with the Loxone wireless protocol built into it, which makes ntegration easy. An example of a motor with this protocol is the Geiger Solidline Air.
To connect the Geiger motor to Loxone system, all you need is the Loxone Air Receiver.
Pros:
- Loxone wireless protocol built into motor makes integration easy and no additional hardware needed at the window location (such as a wireless transmitter)
- Hardwired power means no batteries need re-charging
- No need for wiring back to a relay or main panel or plant room
- Only need 240v power at each window which could be taken off a socket or lighting circuit
Cons:
- This is a 45mm motor which means it will only go in a 65mm+ diameter tube, meaning the minimum rollup size is going to be around 70mm which is quite large
- High torque motors (great for systems such as skylight blinds but overkill on standard blinds)
- Wireless control limits distance from transmitter to receiver
- Wireless control is not 100% reliable although it is good and always getting better
- As more devices become wireless there is more radio traffic and more risk of interference
- ‘Dumb’ motors with no 2-way communication or feedback to the system
Switched Through Power
This option uses hardwired, mains powered motors and are operated via a switch. Motors such as Somfy WT, Nice Action or Vestamatic MM can all be used in this scenario.
To connect these motors to the Loxone system you will need a Loxone 240v relay, appropriate to the number of blinds you have e.g., one blind per relay for individual control or multiple blinds daisy-chained in one relay for group control.
Pros:
- Reliable control
- Hardwired power means no batteries need re-charging
- Easy to trouble shoot
- Wide range of motors to choose from
Cons:
- Home-run wiring is needed from the relay to every window
- Intermediate stops need to be set using a timer, rather than using logic in the motors
Wireless Control
This option uses the same motors we mentioned in the last option, but in this scenario, you would connect them to Loxone using their ‘Shading Actuator Air’, instead of a 240v relay.
The Shading Actuator Air makes integrating your shading simple and can be done in a few steps. The Shading Actuator Air also gives you the benefit of fully automatic end stop detection. This means the end stop of your blinds is automatically detected, which not only saves time during installation but also means you can see the current position of your blinds in the app immediately.
Pros:
- Hardwired power means no batteries need re-charging
- No need for wiring back to a relay or main panel or plant room
- Only need 240v power at each window which could be taken off a socket or lighting circuit
- Wide range of motors
Cons:
- Wireless control limits distance from the transmitter to receiver
- Wireless control is not 100% reliable although it is good and always getting better
- As more devices become wireless there is more radio traffic and more risk of interference
- Intermediate stops need to be done via a timer rather than using logic in the motors
Dry Contact/0V/DCT Control
With this option, the motors you use need to have a Dry Contact, or 0V, connection.
This is usually found on low voltage (24v) motors. Some examples of motors with a Dry Contact connection are Nice Edge AC or DC, Gaposa Sileo XS50 AC or DC or a Somfy Sonesse 30 DCT.
To connect a Dry Contact motor to Loxone, you will need a 0v relay, with the number of channels appropriate to the number of blinds.
Pros:
- Total reliability of control
- Hardwired power means no batteries need re-charging
- Easy to trouble shoot
Cons:
- Good range of motors but mostly in a higher price bracket than the switching through power option
- Home-run wiring is needed from the relay to every window
- Intermediate stops need to be done via a timer rather than using logic in the motors
Digital Control
Digital control is where things get a little more advanced. Digital motors, such as Sonesse 30/50 RS485 or Vestamatic SMI, tend to be more expensive and more intelligent than a standard motor. By intelligent, we mean that the motors can also communicate back to the smart home system and send it information.
To connect a digital motor to Loxone, you will need the Loxone RS485 extension.
Pros:
- Total reliability of control
- Hardwired power means no batteries need re-charging, power can be local to the blind
- Easy to troubleshoot
- Easy to set multiple intermediate limits and get hembar alignment at the stop positions
- Data can be daisy-chained making communications wiring easier
Cons:
- Slightly limited motor range although some good options are available
- Potentially more complex commissioning is needed, especially when intermediate stops required
- Power and communication wiring should usually be separate, therefore it requires two cables to run (although power could come off a socket or lighting circuit)
Wireless Digital Control
When we refer to a ‘wireless’ motor, we tend to mean a battery motor. This means the motor is powered by a battery and doesn’t require mains power to operate. This is a great option for retrofitting if there isn’t already wiring in place for a mains-powered motor.
Wireless digital control refers to a battery motor that can be connected to Loxone through an RTS signal and RS485. The best motor for this scenario would be the Somfy Sonesse 30 WF RTS motor. To connect this motor to Loxone, you will need the Loxone RS485 extension and a Somfy RS485 RTS transmitter.
Pros:
- Easy installation as no cabling required
- Long battery life (8-12 months depending on the frequency of use)
Cons:
- Maintenance required, battery charging once a year
- Wireless control limits the distance from the transmitter to the receiver
- Wireless control is not 100% reliable although it is good and always getting better
- Slightly complex commissioning for AV integrator and blind installer
Wireless Dry Contact Control
Similarly to the above, this option used a battery motor with built-in RTS frequency. However, for Dry Contact control to the Loxone system, you will need a Loxone Dry Contact 0V relay, as well as the Somfy DCT RTS transmitter.
Pros:
- Easy installation as no cabling required
- Long battery life (8-12 months depending on the frequency of use)
Cons:
- Maintenance required, battery charging once a year
- Wireless control limits the distance from the transmitter to the receiver
- Wireless control is not 100% reliable although it is good and always getting better
So there you have it, 7 ways to connect your blinds to a Loxone smart home system.
Still not sure which one is right for you? Why not get in touch? Our automation experts will be able to help you decide which option suits your needs.
We can also help you decide which blind system and fabric are right for you. We work with hundreds of manufacturers so there’s an option to suit every project.
Get in touch or book a no-obligation meeting to discuss and see our systems in person!