A TV automatically turns on the surround sound amplifier, a smart microwave oven downloads new cooking recipes, a thermostat automatically changes to its energy saving setpoint when the security system is enabled, bathroom floors and towel racks heat up when the bath runs, an email alert goes out when there is water in the basement. When did the Jetson-style home of the future become a reality? When INSTEON™—the new technology standard for advanced home control—arrived. INSTEON enables product developers to create these distinctive solutions for homeowners, and others yet unimagined, by delivering on the promise of a truly connected ‘smart home.’
INSTEON is a cost-effective dual band network technology optimized for home management and control. INSTEON-networked Electronic Home Improvement™ products can interact with one another, and with people, in new ways that will improve the comfort, safety, convenience and value of homes around the world. This white paper is for those who wish to learn more about INSTEON—why it was developed, how it works, and how to use it to create networked products for the modern home.
Developers of INSTEON-enabled products should not be too concerned about the level of detail presented here—a low-level ‘INSTEON Engine’ and higher-level interface software shield the programmer from having to remember it all. But by looking at the details, readers will gain an appreciation for the underlying motivations for INSTEON, and recognize why it is the right technology for homecontrol networking in the twenty-first century.
