New 'lite' Z-Wave controller from Fibaro?

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › New 'lite' Z-Wave controller from Fibaro?

SumnerBoy

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#141052 28-Feb-2014 08:51

There were rumours a few months ago about a new 'lite' version of the extremely powerful Fibaro Home Center 2 (HC2) was coming out, but all has been quiet since then. This could be very appealing to the user wanting to get started in Z-Wave home automation but didn't want to shell out for the full blown HC2 controller.

However it now looks like that new 'lite' controller is close to being announced...

https://twitter.com/FibaroGlobal/status/439084076075454464/photo/1

Can't wait to see the specs and find out what it can do, relative to the HC2. Fibaro have a pretty good track record of releasing very feature rich devices, at a reasonable cost.

Anyone looking to get into home automation but put off by the high entry cost, should probably be keeping a close eye on this!

reven

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#996043 28-Feb-2014 09:12

i hope its better than vera lite3, i hate that interface.

SumnerBoy

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#996056 28-Feb-2014 09:20

Never used vera lite3 - what is it that you don't like?

Have you seen the HC2 interface? Any comments on that, I would imagine this will be similar.

reven

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#996067 28-Feb-2014 09:24

the interface is just clunky and hard to use, running on basically a modified router so is also slow.

ninja blcoks had a pretty good interface, but the supported devices were far to low.

might try homeseer at one point, but that is really expensive.

SumnerBoy

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#996076 28-Feb-2014 09:34

Might be worth waiting to see what this new Fibaro controller costs, I am hopeful it will be well under $1000...

Another option is open source software with USB dongles - i.e. www.openhab.org with an Aeon Labs Z-Stick.

That is what I run at home and the possibilities are endless, although it does require a lot more time to get things running smoothly. But being able to use Fibaro sensor inputs to trigger relays on a PiFace board for example is pretty handy, rather than being completely tied to one protocol.

DISCLOSURE: I run/own the http://www.smartthingsnz.com online store!

SumnerBoy

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#998877 4-Mar-2014 15:28

And it has been officially released...

http://www.fibaro.com/en/the-fibaro-system/home-center-lite

Pricing to follow shortly apparently...

Dingbatt

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#1047381 18-May-2014 10:27

I am seriously looking at the fibaro system to start my home automation. Can anybody explain the difference in the HC2 and the Lite controllers (apart from price)?

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

LennonNZ

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#1047383 18-May-2014 10:41

Buy one of these http://razberry.z-wave.me and plug it into a Raspberry PI and write your own interface via the API.

http://zwave.com.au/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=97

I have one of these plugged into a Raspbery Pi + I got some sensors/buttons but not had time to get it all going..

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networkn

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#1047384 18-May-2014 10:43

What is the cost of the HC2?

Dingbatt

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#1047386 18-May-2014 11:05

networkn: What is the cost of the HC2?

About $1200 from what I can tell.

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

SumnerBoy

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#1047407 18-May-2014 12:14

The HC2 retails for $1399.99 and the HC Lite is $749.99. The main difference between the two is the LUA module which is missing from the Lite. This allows much more complex scenes and rules to be written, thus giving more flexibility and the ability to integrate 3rd party (non-Z-Wave) devices. The Lite is targeted more at the consumer market with a nice UI for building scenes using building blocks etc. The HC2 is targeted more at system integrators who provide a turn-key solution. Hence the reason for it being removed from my online store.

Here are some more details about the differences;

http://www.vesternet.com/fibaro/fibaro-home-controller-comparison

The Lite is a great little device if you have a relatively simple installation, with only ZWave devices. If you are more of a 'tinkerer' and want to get your hands dirty then something like the Razberry board, or the Aeon Labs Z-Stick, give you a lot more options in terms of what controller software you can use.

I personally use a Z-Stick with openHAB (www.openhab.org). This isn't a consumer ready product yet, but it is pretty mature and has a very active community of developers and maintainers. I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who has the time and skills to play around with it. You can integrate any number of different devices and protocols to build a very complex home automation solution.

More than happy to answer any other questions or show examples of what is achievable for those that might be interested.

Cheers,
Ben

DISCLAIMER: I run the online store - www.smartthingsnz.co.nz.