The IDRATEK solution is based on years of University research into autonomous home and building automation systems combined with a vision for truly automated homes where the right services are provided at the right time to maximise comfort with minimal intervention.
We found that existing systems has various shortcomings that meant they couldn’t meet our vision of integrated intelligent automation. So we designed our own system with a range of unique features to overcome this and created the world’s first 2nd generation home automation system.
IDRATEK’s system solution is based on two key technologies: IDRANet hardware and Cortex software. The combination delivers unparalleled capability, flexibility, reliability and ease of use and at a pleasantly affordable price.
IDRANet
IDRANet is highly modular, making it easy to tailor the system to individual needs and budgets, reconfigure as needs change and expand over time.
IDRANet modules are the building blocks for your home or building automation system. Each module incorporates useful functions that are necessary for an automated approach, either sensing the environment or connecting your services such as lighting, heating, air conditioning, electrical sockets and appliances or audio-visual systems into the IDRANet.
These functions can be sensors, such as temperature or motion detectors, or input interfaces such as buttons, Infra-red remote receivers or contact closure inputs. Other functions are actuators, such as relays for switching power, dimmers for controlling lighting or output interfaces such as IR remote transmitters or 0-10V analogue drivers for controlling proportional devices such as mixer valves, boiler output or window openers.
Sensory functions provide the information to allow the system to make automated decisions and actuators provide the capability to act on it. Our range of modules includes various combinations of functions allowing you to get the most cost-effective solution for your home.
IDRANet modules are designed to be generic. Our modules do not have limited, pre-assigned functions like “blinds control” or “thermostat”. Instead our modules are re-configurable and can take on different “personalities”. For example, a module with a relay function can be configured to control a light circuit, switch an appliance, trigger an alarm bell or a door bell, operate blinds or curtains, operate a projector screen and many other applications. Module personalities are set up simply by selecting the desired personality from a list in our Cortex software, no complicated programming is required.
Every IDRANet module has its own microprocessor or which allows it to act on its own and be easily reconfigured for different purposes so that dedicated module types for specific applications are not required.
IDRANet modules are connected together using commonly available cat-5 type cabling and this connectivity allows modules to communicate with each other using our protocol: Reflex.
Reflex allows a button on one module to control a relay on a different module, for example. Because each module has its own microprocessor they can also take decisions based on Reflex messages they receive, such as temperature readings on one module leading to control of a boiler connected to another. This means quite sophisticated automated control is available just with IDRANet modules operating in concert with their Reflex actions.
With the interconnection of modules comes integration of all your modules and connected services. Integration is crucial to delivering useful automation. Unlike standalone systems, in our integrated approach one service can influence another. For example, thermostat settings can respond to presence indicated by motion sensors and this then allows automatic reduction of temperatures in empty rooms, saving energy and money.
Integration also allows module functions to be shared. Consider a conventional security system. In such a system a motion detector can only be used for intrusion detection. With our integrated approach, the messages from a motion sensor can provide the security function and also change heating settings, turn on lights or deliver voice messages.
Another example might be a light circuit integrated under IDRANet control. The light can of course be used for normal illumination purposes under automatic, remote or manual control, but can also be flashed to indicate a door bell, or operated automatically to simulate occupancy or turned on in response to a smoke alarm. In this way increasingly rich automation requires less additional hardware making it affordable to have a really stunning system solution for your home.
We chose to use wired interconnection since it inherently avoids problems with interference that can plague wireless systems and also allows modules to be powered from a single central power supply. This avoids any need for batteries in modules, along with the chore of regularly changing them and the loss of services when batteries are dead.
Our wired interconnection allows a very flexible approach to wiring, modules can be daisy-chained along a single cable and spurs added at any point. This makes installation quicker and cheaper and facilitates later expansion.
Uniquely, our interconnection scheme includes a dedicated audio channel allowing intercom functions, computer generated speech alerts and instructions and even speech recognition to be used.
IDRANet modules are hot-pluggable and support plug and play configuration, again simplifying installation and expansion.
Cortex
We realised that state of the art automation needs powerful software so we created Cortex which overlays the IDRANet and adds in more unique and amazing features. Without doubt Cortex is one of the most sophisticated home automation applications on the market and we provide it at a price you will love because we want to deliver high calibre automation to the mass market.
Cortex connects to the IDRANet network and acts as a “super-brain” to operate your automated home and provide an animated graphical status and configuration display, whilst also providing the IDRANet module configuration and Reflex generation capability, all in an easy to use, point and click GUI format.
What makes Cortex really special is that it was designed from the beginning to automate homes and buildings, rather than just provide simple control or remote control. This is an important distinction and fundamental to the IDRATEK system. Many existing home automation products only provide a remote control function, where pressing a button will set a lighting scene or adjust a thermostat.
However, our opinion is that an automated home should provide the right services at the right time with as little intervention as possible. This does not mean taking control away from the occupant. Instead we simply make the best use of the available information to automate wherever possible, always allowing the user to override the automation at the touch of a button.
Why should you have to press a button, or remember to turn on lights at the bottom of the stairs when, with our system, Cortex can recognise you are present, check the light level, check the time of day and where you are and then instantly turn the light on? What is more, Cortex will also recognise when an area has become empty and turn lights off again to save energy. Similarly, why should you have to remember a growing checklist of turning off lights, setting alarms and turning down heating before leaving home? Our intelligent system will recognise you have left and do these things for you.
Cortex uses a standard PC-compatible computer rather than a dedicated controller and this gives you the choice of a wide range of computers and the best possible price. In most applications Cortex can run happily on very low-power, low-cost computers such as “Nettop” computers.
Cortex runs on the Windows operating system which provides a familiar GUI user interface, making it much easier to configure. Some customers ask whether this will affect system reliability. Whilst we can’t promise that Windows will never crash, we have found that a PC dedicated to Cortex can run for years without problems. And just in case it does crash, we have a range of features to handle it:
- “Defibrillator” that will automatically restart your computer if it detects problems with Cortex
- IDRANet watchdog that automatically switches to Reflex fallback program operation if Cortex control becomes unavailable
- Manual switchover buttons allowing full system reset to Reflex operation
- Graceful handling of power-cuts and restarts with auto starting of Cortex
- Battery backed power supply units for the IDRANet
We are so confident in our system that we run it in all our own houses.
With the Cortex PC-based solution it makes it easy to include very powerful features as well as making it possible to download updates to add new functions and to use off-the-shelf hardware to provide even more capabilities such as telephony, CCTV monitoring and Internet connectivity.
Read more about how IDRATEK solutions can make your life easier or check out the IDRATEK system’s features.