The latest version of Loxone Config 11 introduced Modbus templates for the following E+E Elektronic sensors; used for measuring relative humidity, temperature, CO2, and air flow velocity:
Sensors from E+E Elektronik can be added to the configuration of an installation in just a few clicks – thanks to existing templates in Loxone Config. Once you’ve added the device from the Modbus Template menu, then you’ll be able to adjust the relevant parameters within Config.
We understand that our Loxone Partners have requirements for specific sensors based on the scope of your installation which our product range might not include. To cover areas where we don’t have such products, we support interfaces such as Modbus which offers the ability to include templates for the integration of other products.
Sensors from E+E Elektronik is one such example. E+E Elektronik develops and manufactures high-quality sensors, which makes automation in the industrial sector easier for you as a Loxone partner.
Thank you to everyone who has shared these posts with us, and to everyone else showing us love on social media! 😃
If you haven’t yet ordered your Audioserver, why not head over to our webshop and tempt yourself? We’re working hard to get all orders fulfilled as soon as possible. So, place your order now to get your hands on one of these purple powerhouse products too.
This particular smart home is a 1,400 m² loft in the heart of Buckhead, Georgia, USA. The overall aesthetic is an industrial open floor plan with high ceilings and large windows that offer natural light during the day. The electrical conduit, plumbing, and HVAC ducts are exposed, providing a sense of much larger living space.
So how did Loxone technology improve this living space?
Let’s dive into our interview with Loxone Partner Harrison McCulloch of Auvi Technology:
What unique needs were presented by the customer?
The greatest problem that we faced here was a severe lack of internal lighting, having noted minimal existing fixtures during the initial walkthrough. The need for additional lighting was obvious, but the common solution consisted of cumbersome, gaudy surface-mount fixtures that didn’t match the space and multiple generic light switches on the walls.
Why did they come to you for this project?
The homeowner needed a solution to add general lighting throughout, as well as accommodate other control needs including motorised blinds and heating & cooling. I was initially hired to install TV’s and audio here, but upon presentation of these needs I was able to claim Loxone as my immediate recommendation to facilitate a cohesive, integrated experience.
It only took the homeowner one Loxone case study review to determine that Loxone had the solutions for all his lighting and control needs [and wants!]. He promptly asked me to design a lighting system that would illuminate each room while simultaneously highlighting his extensive memorabilia collection.
Location
Buckhead, GA
Loxone Partner
Auvi Technology
Lighting accessories
14x LED Strip RGBW
11 x LED Ceiling Spot RGBW
8x LED Spot RGBW Tree
6x LED Pendulum Slim Tree
1x LED Ceiling Light RGBW
1x Touch Surface
1x Touch Nightlight Air
5x Touch Pure
Our tip: Loxone makes it easy to expand your business since there’s so much room for expansion within the system itself. A lighting solution can become a complete solution that also includes multi-room audio, security, shading and more.
How did you approach the lighting requirements for the memorabilia wall?
We were able to accomplish this memorabilia wall using Loxone’s low-voltage LED Spots RGBW Tree, Ceiling Spots RGBW and Pendulum Slims. The memorabilia wall in the foyer required use of the existing MLV track light which we were able to integrate into the Loxone system using the 120V Dimmer Extension. The Dimmer Extension also came in handy for the track lighting in the kitchen.
What other features of the space did you highlight with LED Strips?
After completing the initial design to satisfy general room lighting, the homeowner decided that he wanted more – a lot more. We ended up adding 230’ of LED Strips RGBW to accentuate the tops of the walls, wall-mounted TV’s, underneath furniture, and even behind some pieces of art, in order to create an exciting, ambient, and easily controllable lighting environment.
What common challenges were you able to overcome by using Loxone?
My favourite benefit of using Loxone is the simplicity of adding onto the system. After installing the originally proposed lighting, we were able to easily add new accent lighting strips or spotlights. There was one scenario where a main feature of the room was changed by the contractor which required us to add more spots in the room. Adding the extra lighting onto the Tree technology was effortless.
Aside from automation, how does the homeowner control the space manually?
From the homeowners’ perspective, he genuinely enjoys using a Touch Pure and Touch Surface in lieu of standard light switches. His ability to quickly control so many devices from one place has added a major convenience factor to his busy lifestyle.
What special features would you highlight?
Having so many programming possibilities available through Loxone Config affords me a huge advantage for integration. Including the MLV track lighting into the system was simple with the 120V Dimmer Extension. The motorised blind integration did require an RS485 Extension to communicate with the manufacturer’s shade hub, but yet again, adding it into the system was a breeze. We wired the HVAC directly into the Miniserver for simple control through the Loxone App.
A notable programming feature includes Away Mode; a triple tap on the Touch Pure on the way out the door turns off all the lights, closes all the motorized shades, and turns off the HVAC system. Away Mode is disabled when the foyer Presence Sensor detects presence, turning the HVAC back on to a preset level and illuminating the main areas. Night Mode is another excellent feature, utilizing a Presence Sensor under the bed to turn on the dim, blue lights along the way to the bathroom or kitchen.
All photos by Krystle Chanel Photography.
– SPECIAL TIP –
Filled with tips & tricks, exquisite case studies, expert advice; the all-new Welcome Home magazine is 65+ pages of fantastic smart home content presented in a visually-rich and inspirational way.
Click below to get your free copy!
Version 11.1.9.14 of Loxone Config contains some very minor bug fixes. Updating of any live installations would only be necessary if your customers are experiencing issues. More information about bug fixes can be found in the Changelog.
01 New Function Blocks: “Audio Player” and “Audio Player Group Fixed”
02 New Function Block: “Presence”
03 Pairing and Replacing of Tree devices from within the App
04 BACnet IP support
05 Data Encryption via Tree Intercommunication
06 Known Issues and Changelog directly within Loxone Config
With the release of the Audioserver, the commissioning of an intelligent audio system can now be done almost entirely within Loxone Config.
The new “Audio Player” and “Audio Player Group Fixed” Function Blocks were specifically developed for use with the new Audioserver. With a simple drag and drop, you can assign multiple outputs to an Audio Player – giving you great flexibility in how you configure an audio system.
The Audioserver has 4 built-in amplifier outputs and can easily be expanded with Stereo Extensions or additional Audioservers. Then within Loxone Config, you can group Audio Players to create fixed audio zones using the new “Audio Player Group Fixed” Function Block. Once in a fixed zone, you will be able to play perfectly synchronised audio across the multiple Audio Players. The “Audio Player Group Fixed” block removes the risk of unintentional ungrouping of zones from within the Loxone App. Even when in a fixed group, all zones do not need to be on at the same time – you can still activate a zone separately and adjust the volume individually.
These new Function Blocks allow you to configure complicated audio systems in a quick and straightforward manner.
The new “Presence” Function Block allows you to monitor if a room is being used in a far more extensive manner. Traditional motion can, of course, still be used however this new block allows you to use other devices such as a TV to determine whether someone is still in a room.
A lot of Functions Blocks such as the “Lighting Controller” previously had the “Mv” input for presence detection (or motion detection as we used to refer to it). They also had the “TH” parameter for defining the duration something was on for. However, this meant that different times could be entered, and as a result, the lighting might have switched off before the music, for example.
The Presence Function Block determines if there is presence in a room across a variety of devices and also allows the TH parameter to be set centrally.
This new block also allows you to centrally detect presence for a whole building – great for things such as heating or burglar alarms. To do this simply insert a central Presence block and link it to all of the respective, individual Presence blocks. This will allow you to see, via the App, when presence was registered and which by which device.
One of the most popular features of Loxone Config V10.3 was the ability to pair and replace Air devices via the Loxone App. For a lot of Partners, this helped save time on site as it allowed them to pair Air devices while freely moving around the project – rather than being bound to their laptop.
With Version 11.1 you can now also pair Tree devices using the Loxone App. We’ve made the pairing interface even clearer so now the process for both Tree and Air devices should be even more efficient – ultimately saving you time.
With Version 11.1 the Miniserver now supports BACnet IP. This communication protocol is based on a client/gateway relationship – the Miniserver provides data and the “client” is the user who is accessing the data.
At Loxone, we want you to be able to “Create Automation” to solve any problem you are faced with. By adding the support of BACnet IP we’ve opened up more doors for you – ultimately enabling more possibilities.
With Tree Intercommunication, several Miniservers can connect to one another and exchange data via the Tree interface. With Version 11.1, this data can be encrypted if required.
Let’s look at an example: an apartment building which has multiple flats. Each flat has its own Miniserver, then there is a central Miniserver for the entire building. The electricity meter is connected to the central Miniserver, which then sends the respective usage data of each flat to the residents – to give them an overview of their consumption. Now you have the ability to encrypt this data.
issue with a Function Block or with a device that you are using you’ll be made aware with a flag.
Loxone Config has millions of lines of code. Our software is constantly and diligently being tested by dedicated testers and our employees. However, even with the most hawk-eyed testers and extremely careful development, there will always be room for improvement.
If something doesn’t work as expected in a configuration, it is time for troubleshooting. To help do this in the most effective way possible, you can now view the Known Issues and the Changelog directly from within Loxone Config in Version 11.1. If there’s a known issue with a Function Block or with a device that you are using you’ll be made aware with a
In addition to the above, there are many more new and innovative features and improvements, such as:
All of the new features included in Version 11.1 can be found in our Changelog.
Experience the new functionality and improvements added in Version 11.1 for yourself.
– START INSTALLING LOXONE –
Do you want to offer your customers market-leading automation? Become a Loxone Partner and enjoy a wide variety of benefits.
The Audioserver is the most flexible audio solution for any building – making it perfect for electricians and audio professionals alike. It combines a compact form factor with impressive performance – containing 4 amplifier outputs.
We’ll be hosting a live Partner Webinar to give you an even greater understanding of what the Audioserver is capable of. Then we’ll open up the webinar for a Q&A session – so be sure to join us.
Friday 11 September 2020
2:30 pm
Introduction to the Audioserver
An overview of the Loxone Audioserver plus a look at how to configure it.
Host:
Hugh Ewen
For a product release as important as that of the Audioserver, you need high-quality images to supplement the already huge marketing efforts. After a short period of brainstorming about which feature we could best transform into a photo, we settled on one of the most obvious ones – power. The sheer amount of power for any speaker, in such a small form factor that fits on a standard DIN-Rail – we have to make something out of that. Since we had already added a new colour to our Loxone palette for the Audioserver, we wanted to continue that for our photoshoot as well.
The Audioserver and a Loxone Speaker were obviously the most important components for our shooting. If we want to show off the power of our new system, we better do it properly. Moreover, we needed great camera equipment. Luckily for us, we already had a great camera, as well as tripods and flashes available at Loxone. The last thing we needed was the set. After some discussion, we chose the Garage at our Loxone Basecamp, in particular because of the absence of any windows. As you can see on this photo, a few beer crates of our very own Loxone Smart Beer – courtesy of the Smart Brewery Hofstetten – completed our setup.
Naturally, before setting up in the garage, we had to test our concept. As we didn’t want to ruin one of our speaker with Holi colour powder (yet), we lined it with some plastic film. In hindsight, that turned out to be a mistake. The photos from our test shooting were already so amazing, the only thing that bothered us was the plastic film. Well…
Consequently, we had to build our set again – this time in the garage and without any plastic film. Fortunately, the photos were as beautiful as the ones from our first test – if not more. Just to give it a try, we added even more colours – which turned out to be a great idea. After we were finished with our photoshoot, the only thing left to do was hand the files over to our graphic design department to work their Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop magic on them. There we have it – our colourful speaker photo was born.
Being able to tap into your creative potential at your job is one of the most important factors for a good work-life balance. Projects like the Audioserver are obviously perfectly suitable for a free flow of ideas. But to be able to do that, you need time. Any one of you that has ever tried their hand at food photography, macro photography or similar things, knows that the split-second in which you get the perfect shot is just the end of a long journey. To be handed that freedom of creativity by your employer not only symbolises appreciation, but also trust. That’s what makes Loxone so special. Every employee can show his strengths and is supported and empowered along the way.
– BECOME A PARTNER –
Would you like to offer your customers unique automation with the Loxone Miniserver? Request to join our network of independent installers and start installing market-leading building & home automation.
Thank you to everyone who has shared these posts with us, and to everyone else showing us love on social media! 😃
If you haven’t yet ordered your Audioserver, why not head over to our webshop and tempt yourself? We’re working hard to get all orders fulfilled as soon as possible. So, place your order now to get your hands on one of these purple powerhouse products too.
For our Loxone Partners, don’t forget to take up the special offer 💜 that we’ve left for you in your Partner Portal and email 😉 Visit the Partner Portal
Built in 1873, Ben Shea hides an ultra-modern interior behind its traditional bricks and mortar exterior. Completed in August 2019, Ben Shea is a newly renovated Loxone Showhome by Go Home Smart, which gives a truly unique smart home experience.
From the moment of your arrival, the house welcomes you with automated lighting and heating which is set to an ambient temperature – with lighting moods and multiroom audio available throughout. Should you wish to make any adjustments, there’s always an iPad close to allow you to do so. However, motion initiates a lot of functionality in this showhome so you don’t have to worry about having to ‘learn’ the home – this is the beauty of Loxone.
You will see that all the switches throughout the showhome are the award-winning Touch Pure which has a simple 5 touch-point layout – as do the Touch Surfaces integrated into the bedside cabinets and the Touch Nightlights. From all of these points of control, you can intuitively operate lighting, music and shading.
The first floor has an open-plan living area with a well-equipped, functional kitchen and a cosy sitting room complete with a wood-burning stove. The stunning stone-covered wall, which was calling out to be showcased, has been fantastically enhanced by hidden cove lighting which serves as a great backdrop for Go Home Smart’s proprietary dimmable Triple Chandelier – all integrated into the lighting moods with Loxone.
When it comes to the bedrooms, the biggest features (quite literally) are the premium beds – which are exactly the same as the beds used in the luxurious Savoy Hotel in London. As if they weren’t already marvellous enough, LED Strip has been added around the base and along the headboards – providing a gentle reading light and tread lighting to ensure safe passage during the night thanks to Night Mode. Each bedroom has both a Touch Nightlight & a decaled Touch Surface giving you control of the room from the comfort of your bed. Should you want them, you can also get news updates from the radio played through the ceiling speakers – so you’re ready for the day before you’ve even put your slippers on.
The Touch Nightlight will show you the outside temperature. However, should you want a greater level of detail, you can simply open the Loxone App, this will give you a personal weather forecast based on your exact location – you can’t get more accurate than this to guess the variances of the Scottish weather!
Lighting
The kitchen bar & dining area is defined with well-placed LED Pendulum Slims providing great lighting. The LED Spots in the kitchen are extremely versatile providing both functional working light and colour-changing lighting that couples beautifully with the under-counter LED Strip. LED lighting is also prominent in the living area – illuminating the elegance of the granite wall backdrop. The feature Triple Chandelier is a Go Home Smart original design, which has either a range of tunable white lighting or full colour – giving a showpiece to this social space.
As you walk from the front door into the lower and upper hallways there is no need to stop and flick a switch, motion simply initiates lighting, fading up into a very welcoming atmospheric lighting mood. Motion also triggers the LED Strip lighting above the wall-mounted iPad as you walk up to it.
LED Ceiling Lights are cleverly used in both top bedrooms. To control these, each room has a Touch Pure, allowing simple, quick and easy operation of the lights – including the ability to scroll through lighting moods such as ‘Relaxing’ or ‘Bright’. The Integrated Motion Sensors, bring on softer lighting if you get out of bed in the middle of the night, thanks to ‘Night Mode’.
Heating & Ventilation
With Loxone’s heating system, comfort temperatures are maintained according to a schedule – if the home is vacant then Frost Protection is activated. The valves on the radiators are also controlled by Loxone. This means different temperatures can be achieved on a room-by-room basis, without the need to manually adjust them – reaching temperatures conducive to a relaxing bath, a comfortable night’s sleep or a cosy evening in the living room. With these temperatures set per zone, the system continually learns how long it takes to heat a room so that it is always at the right temperature, at the right time.
The Velux window is also automated to open at a specific temperature should the room become too warm as a result of solar gain. However, should any rain be detected the window will be closed automatically.
Security
The inherent security features of Loxone are included in this property which features a Loxone Intercom and NFC Code Touch. Access codes can be changed regularly for tours and guests – with the ability to restrict these codes by date or on a time-basis which gives extra peace of mind to all users of the Loxone Showroom. Door & Window Contacts are also installed to provide warning notifications, as are Water Sensors so should there ever be a leak, it won’t go undetected for long.
At the beginning of September we introduced a completely new way to implement multiroom audio into buildings automated with Loxone. With the launch of the Loxone Audioserver we claimed it to be the start of something new. While the Audioserver, in its own right, is an impressive benchmark in this claim, another display of how much we’re focusing on being experts on the subject is with the acquisition of quadral, a German company known for quality speakers.
For nearly 50 years, quadral has stood steadfast in its understanding of the sound culture with its high-quality hi-fi components. quadral is also one of the last German manufacturers to manufacture in Germany. For example, the well-known quadral Aurum ribbon tweeters are produced in Hanover, Germany. quadral’s flagship product is the legendary Aurum Titan, which in its current edition is already the ninth generation of the high-end series launched in 1981. Last but not least, critical acclaim from specialist magazines and on online specialist portals bear witness to quadral’s acoustic expertise.
Current shareholders of quadral, Edmond Semmelhaack and Jürgen Brinkmann, have shared their response to the possibility that this acquisition brings for the future:
This acquisition will see the joint-development of products in the future. In terms of the change of ownership: quadral will continue to exist as an independent brand and company in Hanover, Germany – at the same time as becoming a part of the Loxone Group with all its employees joining the Loxonaut family. Production in Hanover will also be maintained. Nothing will change in terms of support for quadral’s specialist trade partners.
A Loxone system is not only designed to protect residential and commercial buildings as a structure, but also the data and privacy of the occupants in that building. This is arguably in contrast to many IoT solutions – in that the Loxone Miniserver does not send any data about the user behaviour to any online services. Basically, a Loxone system works entirely without an internet connection. However, since many users want to be able to control their building from afar, or make use of the weather services to enhance the automation, an internet connection would be required in these cases. As such, security measures related to this are regularly assessed in conjunction with both internal and external experts.
A few weeks ago, we were informed about a weakness in the Loxone Cloud DNS by the Hagenberg campus of the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, with whom we have already co-operated on several projects. Their Security Advisory discusses the theoretical possibility of the Loxone Cloud DNS registering the wrong IP address as a result of fake data packets. This would enable an attacker to temporarily store the IP address of a website similar to the Loxone Web Interface and thus access the login information of a Loxone installation.
Several prerequisites must exist to be able to exploit this vulnerability. The attacked would need to know the MAC address of the Loxone Miniserver; the Miniserver would need to be registered and active on the Loxone Cloud DNS, and a user would need to make a login attempt at the time of the attempted exploit – as the Miniserver updates the IP address after every minute. Additionally, should an attacker want to undertake any damage on-site, they would need to know the physical address where the Miniserver is installed.
There have been no known instances of this vulnerability actually being exploited by an attacker.
The security of Loxone users and consumer installations is a priority for as at the core of what we do. For this reason, we have taken immediate measures to permanently prevent this attack scenario.
With an HTTP request, the IP address and the port of the Miniserver, that is configured on the home router can be read (this is used by the app for external/remote access, for example). In the HTTP response, the field for “Last Update Timestamp” has been removed so as not to reveal the update cycle of the Miniserver. This measure was implemented on 6 July 2020.
A sophisticated check detects potential attackers as soon as the IP address changes several times within one minute. Therefore, a potential attack can be identified after one occurrence and, as a result, the IP address of the perceived attacker is then blacklisted for 24 hours. This measure was implemented on 16 July 2020.
Separate to this, a single IP address can send a maximum of 50 updates to the Loxone Cloud DNS within one minute. Should this be exceeded, the IP address in this instance is blacklisted for 7 hours and all updates will simply be ignored during this time. This measure was implemented on 16 July 2020.
From one IP address for a Miniserver, a maximum of 5 updates per minute can be sent to the Loxone Cloud DNS. This, in itself, is to prevent update spamming for a Miniserver. Should this be exceeded, the IP address is blacklisted for 7 hours. This measure was implemented on 16 July 2020.
For all Miniservers using version 11.1 (2020.09.03) and above, and which make use of the Loxone Cloud DNS, a signature of the update package was introduced. With the help of an authentication handshake, assurance is made that the respective package originates from the Miniserver in question. Once a successful update has been carried out using this authentication method, the Miniserver will not allow any future packets that are not signed in this way. This update was rolled out to consumers and Loxone Partners on 3 September 2020.
These measures taken with the Loxone Cloud DNS ensure a strong level of protection for Loxone installations which make use of this service. We always recommend keeping installations up-to-date to benefit from such improvements. The updates in V11.1 prevent attacks based on the scenarios outlined above and therefore provide utmost protection in this regard.
Note: The attack scenarios detailed above are in reference to the Loxone DNS service only. The Loxone “Remote Connect” service is not affected by the aforementioned.
Whether an initial installation doesn’t provide the option of a second local cabinet and Air Base Extension; or where a renovation calls for the addition of Air devices in an existing Loxone Tree installation – this device is the solution for you.
Take a look at our introductory video for more information…
For more technical information, installation videos, graphical representations and to purchase your Tree to Air Bridge, head to the Loxone Webshop.
English
Norwegian