wall switches functionality

[J V]

Hello,

This is maybe a bit of a personal thing, but I'm planning the functionality of my wall switches. I've been living in the flat with the current switches for 6 years but I feel some functionality is often not used and other could be improved. Most of my rooms have 4 available buttons, with short and long click functionality (knx), positioned inside the room near the door. I think it makes sense to keep the short/long press more or less on the same topic. Based on past usage I was thinking of assigning it something like this:

• button1,short: light in the corridor
• button1,long: all lights in the apartment off except for those in this room (very convenient, I have that now and use it a lot)
• button2,short: change thermostat operation mode (from home -> night -> away; not sure if this can be done in knx - I don't have this now, but setting the mode via the thermostat menu is cumbersome: press two buttons, navigate in the menu, press two buttons, use left/right to select the mode, press two buttons to confirm)
• button2,long: force radiator off (in one room I have two radiators controlled with the same thermostat, it is convenient if I can force one off; I figured it may be convenient to force a radiator off no matter what, e.g. in case of an issue.
• button3,short: light 1 in the room
• button3,long: all lights in the room off
• button4,short: light 2 in the room
• button4,long: ?

So button 1 would relate to lights not in the room, button 2 relates to temperature, and buttons 3 and 4 to lights in the room. I would have the functionality programmed in ETS, as I want to minimize the chain of devices. But I am thinking I could have button 4 long send out a knx address that will be picked up by the miniserver: this would allow me to reprogram that functionality in Loxone config. Perhaps something similarly for button 2 short.

Do you guys have some functionality that you consider very convenient (e.g. like my button 1, long)? Or functionality that you planned don't really use ? In my case I have two that I planned and that are currently implemented but don't use: I currently can switch off all the lights in the apartment, but never use that (apart from near the front door, but I mean I never use it from the button near the door of a room). Also, I currently can switch on all the lights in a room with one button, but never use it as usually there is one light that lights up the room enough.

Any comments?

Jörg

[duncan]

i have a similar setup in some rooms with a knx mdt glass button (4)

ive got a top/bottom pair as + and - for light moods, long press + is all on and long press - is off

one button boosts the heating to comfort temperature for a couple of hours, another press goes to the cosy temp, press again to go back to the sheduled temp

last button does blinds up/down

[J V]

Thanks for the reply!

Interesting concept of the heat boost; I hadn't thought of that. Generally however, it is a hot apartment so I'm not sure I need that function... but I will think about it.

I think I'm still a bit of a dinosaur: I don't feel these light moods but rather prefer independent control of all lights from the wall switch. I somehow feel that is a basic functionality that should exist. Moods I will try to get via the Loxone app... Then again, for just 2 non-dimmable light sources, how much moods can there be? :-) I may have to think it over with blinds though: one room has 3 light circuits (2 of them dimmed), one electric projection screen and will most likely get 3-4 blinds. Full independent will need 8 buttons if I consider one-button blind/dimmer controls, so still doable but maybe not ideal... Something else to think about...

[duncan]

ive only got the heat boost functions where we sit in the evening watching tv or entertaining - eg sitting area, tv room, lounge.

for some of the rooms ive replaced the mdt glass 4 button with the mdt glass II which can have 12 buttons each with a short and long press, plus the slap/panic switch along with feedback leds and text display to show ventilation mode, time, temp etc

i have the 1st page for lights (up to 8 buttons), 2nd for blinds/ventilation and 3rd for heat boost and music

most of my rooms have at least 3 light circuits, some such as the kitchen has 10 and every light inside and outside my house is dimmable, so moods are used rather than separate light controls - usually a dim, medium and full at least.

the mdt glass II in the kitchen has a + and - to cycle moods, and 2 fixed moods for eating and cooking.

i also have a number of global moods set by 1 of the separate mdt glass 8 button switches in the hallway and open plan areas - these set the hallway, stairs, open plan area, tv room and lounge together on 1 go to a couple of preset moods with a short press or long press, so for instance when you come in, a single short press sets all these rooms on to a general setting for a typical british autumn/winter - the long press goes to a darker evening mood for all these rooms.

[J V]

Thanks for the info. I can imagine that with 3-10 dimmable light circuits, moods become a necessity. :-)

In my case, it is a small apartment where the rooms have 2-3 lights, with only the living room having two sets of dimmable lights. It also means I don't have that I did not install that many buttons to play with. That MDT Glass II looks very functional with the display. My switches are Gira Pushbutton Sensor 3 Plus. There is a display but at the moment it only serves for the temperature related things (default functionality). The rooms with 2 lights have 4 buttons available (with long/short press that gives 8 inputs), so there is a bit of freedom there to do things. But I would like to keep things intuitive...
Thanks again!

[duncan]

in the bedrooms i have installed schneider screwless metal plate retractive switches, and have a consistent setup of an up/down rocker for light moods brighter/dimmer and long press up is full on, long press down is off, a 2nd single retractive switch for a favourite mood and a 3rd retractive rocker for blinds up/down

[J V]

Yes, I'm now trying to figure out how to keep it consistent while optimizing for the rooms. There will be a change with blinds in two rooms and that will have an impact. I'm not about to change wall switches, so I have to make due with what I have. :-)
Thanks again