Compatible systems is the list that shows which protocols and which device families the automation server works with, which connections are made directly and which ones need a gateway, and which integrations have been verified by name.
How to read this list
There are two different pieces of information here and they should not be mixed up. The first is the protocol: if the server speaks a protocol, devices that conform to that protocol's standard can connect, and that has nothing to do with the brand on the box. The second is integrations verified by name: for a particular manufacturer's system there is a defined connection and it is known to work. Every system named below belongs to the second group. A device that is not named here is not a device that fails; it is a device we have not tried.
Protocols that connect directly
These protocols are handled by the server itself, with no extra device in between: KNX, BACnet, Modbus, MQTT, SNMP, HTTP/REST and DMX512. Devices that conform to the standard of these protocols are defined in the project and brought into the system.
- KNX
- BACnet
- Modbus
- MQTT
- SNMP
- HTTP/REST
- DMX512
- DALI gateway
- Zigbee gateway
- Z-Wave gateway
- M-Bus gateway
- EnOcean gateway
- KNX
- TP and IP
- BACnet
- IP, in both server and client roles
- Modbus
- RTU and TCP, in both master and slave roles
- MQTT
- publish and subscribe
- SNMP
- network and IT equipment
- HTTP/REST
- two-way
- Device control over IP
- TCP and UDP
- DMX512
- stage and architectural lighting
Connections that need a gateway
These connections need an intermediate device, and that is a separate line in the project. DALI luminaires connect through a KNX DALI gateway. Zigbee devices come in through a Zigbee gateway, Z-Wave devices through a USB Z-Wave gateway, and M-Bus meters through an M-Bus converter. EnOcean devices connect through a USB EnOcean gateway. The gateway is chosen during the site survey; which model is used depends on the building.
- DALI luminairesKNX DALI gatewayautomation server
- Zigbee devicesZigbee gatewayautomation server
- Z-Wave devicesUSB Z-Wave gatewayautomation server
- M-Bus metersM-Bus converterautomation server
- Infrared-controlled devicesKNX IR converterautomation server
- EnOcean devicesUSB EnOcean gatewayautomation server
- Devices with no protocol (dry contact, relay output)RS-485, Modbus or KNX input/output moduleautomation server
Device families that connect over a standard
What decides the connection is not the brand of a device family but the protocol it speaks. The families below are brought into the system through whichever of their models speaks one of the protocols the server speaks; whose product it is does not change the connection.
- HVAC
- air handling units, fan coil units, VAV boxes, heating and cooling circuits
- Energy
- power analyzers
- Power systems
- generators, uninterruptible power supplies and solar PV systems
- Fire detection
- fire alarm panels that speak Modbus or BACnet
- Elevators
- elevator systems that speak Modbus or BACnet
- Water systems
- booster pump sets, tank level and irrigation systems
- Environmental monitoring
- temperature, humidity and air quality measurement in data centers and server rooms
- Cameras
- cameras that provide an HTTP stream, as a live image
Integrations verified by name
For the systems below there is a defined connection and it is known to work.
- Philips Hue
- lighting, connects directly
- Casambi
- lighting, connects directly
- Sonos
- multiroom audio
- PJLink
- projector control
- Shelly
- device family
- CoolMaster
- VRV and VRF air conditioning systems
- Amazon Alexa · Google Assistant · Apple Siri and HomeKit
- voice assistants
- ZeroTier · OpenVPN · WireGuard
- remote access
- Opera and Fidelio
- hotel management system, with the BMS Plus license
These names belong to their respective manufacturers; the connections were developed by Sona.
KNX DALI gateway brands
The emergency lighting and DALI fault tracking application works with KNX DALI gateways from several manufacturers. Each brand has its own driver, so when one manufacturer updates its device the other brands are not affected. Several models are defined for each brand.
- Siemens
- ABB
- Schneider
- LEGRAND
- Jung
- Berker
- B.E.G.
- Interra
- EAE
The application that uses these gateways is on the Emergency Lighting and DALI Faults page.
If your device is not on the list
The list is not a closed set. If your device conforms to the standard of one of the protocols above, it can connect; to be sure, ask us before the project, and if needed the device is tested and the result is added to this list. That is how you avoid surprises on site.
Frequently asked questions
Will a device that is not on the list connect?
If the device conforms to the standard of one of the protocols the server speaks, it can connect. Not being named on the list does not mean the device will fail; it means we have not tried it. Ask before the project and we will look at it together.
Do gateway connections add cost?
They do. On the DALI, Zigbee, Z-Wave and M-Bus side a gateway or converter goes in between, and that is a separate line in the project's bill of materials. The other protocols have no such line.
Can it be installed on top of an existing KNX installation?
It can. The server listens to and manages the existing line; the devices in the field do not have to be replaced. New work is added on top of the existing installation.
If a device can connect both directly and through a gateway, which is used?
The direct connection is preferred; having nothing in between lowers both the cost and the number of points that can fail. A gateway is used when the protocol cannot be handled any other way.
How often is this list updated?
The list is updated whenever a new integration is verified. A system's name goes in here only after its connection has been defined and seen to work.
Where to go from here
- Read how the platform is put together: Overview
- See the capability list for your segment: Building Automation · Home Automation
- Read how the first installation goes: Getting Started
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