Smart Living
C-Bus vs. C-Bus Wireless - choosing the right technology for your home
So you’ve decided you want to make your house a smart home. You understand the lifestyle benefits it will bring; enhancing your entertainment, convenience, comfort and security. You like the idea of one-touch control of lighting scenes that welcome you home, or turn everything off when you go to bed. Now all that’s left to decide is C-Bus or C-Bus Wireless?
So what’s the difference? With traditional wiring, each light is directly connected to a light switch. When the switch is turned on, the circuit is complete. It’s very simple, but also very inflexible.
Control it all from one central location with the contemporary C-Bus C-Touch.
Making your home smart with C-Bus
Explaining C-Bus
What makes it really clever is that any button on any switch can turn on any light, anywhere in the house. Better still, you can create “scenes” that turn on (or off) several lights, or dim them, at the press of one button.
Control it all by remote control, or incorporate sensors that turn lights on automatically, to full power or just a dim glow.
Total control
C-Bus allows you to incorporate control of AV equipment, air conditioning, motorised blinds, garage doors, sprinkler systems, keyless entry systems, pool or spa pumps, water features, security systems - you name it.
Not only do you get great functionality, but you also get great looking switches, in a variety of colours and finishes including the modern designed Neo™, pure glass Saturn™, or the clean lines of the stainless steel Reflection™.
To make your C-Bus system even more user-friendly, DLT™ wall switches feature an LCD display that allows each button to be labeled so you know what each one does. The labels can have any look you like, can even be a picture, and can be changed at anytime.
Why not add a touch screen in main living areas. The C-Bus C Touch™ colour touch screen provides a large, easy to read graphical display, allowing anything in the home to be controlled from one central location.
Music to your ears
Clipsal has now introduced Multi Room Audio to the C-Bus Family. The same elegant light switch that controls your lights, now also controls your music. Imagine music throughout your home without bulky speakers or controllers on the wall. Ceiling or wall-mounted speakers blend in, making this a system that is heard and not seen. Up to eight separate areas can be playing either the same music, or select from up to five different sources (plug in your radio, CD, media player, etc). There is even the flexibility to plug in a “local” source in each area, which is great for kid’s rooms with their MP3 players.
Because C-Bus uses dedicated wiring, it is perfect for new homes or renovations.
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Explaining C-Bus Wireless
C-Bus Wireless uses traditional mains wiring. You simply replace your existing light switches with the new C-Bus Wireless wall switches - it’s that simple.
C-Bus Wireless wall switches talk to each other over RF (radio frequency), the same way as a garage door opener or car’s keyless entry.
In other words, when you press a button, it transmits a message that says “lounge room light; turn on”. The lounge room light hears the radio message and says “hey, that’s me; I’ll turn on”.
Set the scene
You can also set up scenes that turn on (or off, or dim) several lights to various levels from the press of one button – just the same as regular C-Bus.
Add some C-Bus Wireless plug adaptors and you can dim lamps or appliances as part of your automation system.
C-Bus Wireless wall switches are available in both the Neo™ and Saturn™ range and the entire system can be operated by remote control.
Because C-Bus Wireless uses traditional wiring, it is the perfect upgrade for an existing home. It is also great for people who only want to automate particular parts of their home – like their living areas, home theatre, etc. They can start small and expand the system as they wish.
Clipsal’s new C-Bus
MultiRoom Audio System Music in every room without ugly unsightly components or controls.
Mix and match
Because C-Bus and C-Bus Wireless use the same technology, you can also create a hybrid system by simply adding a C-Bus Wireless network gateway. This means you can install C-Bus Wireless into an existing house and still have DLTTM switches and touch screens in central areas. Because most of your switches would be retrofitted with C-Bus Wireless, there would be far less dedicated re-cabling required, and therefore less cost.
C-Bus/C-Bus Wireless hybrid systems are also perfect for home additions; the new part of the home is installed with C-Bus, while the original part of the home is retrofitted with C-Bus Wireless. The whole system works seamlessly together and the switches look identical.
Which is the best system for you?
If you’re building a new home – go for C-Bus. If you only want to do part of the home, want to retrofit an existing home, or you are renovating, then go for C-Bus Wireless or even a hybrid system. Simple!
It’s your home – make it a smart home and enjoy smart living.
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