EIB

Overview

EIB - Embedded Control for Smart Homes & Buildings

• standardised, OSI-based network protocol

• communication on Twisted Pair and Powerline

• neutral specification maintained by the EIB Association through community process, open for Association members

• system and application implementations available from dozens of vendors - certified for comliance with the EIB specification!

• open system allows implementation by any interested manufacturer based on any suitable microprocessor

Technology

A digital language for smart, distributed applications
EIB proposes an open multi-vendor system for embedded home " building control networks. At the core of EIB, is its embedded control protocol. This 'protocol' is the digital language by which any number of devices in the building may communicate with each other.

In this way, the devices (sensors, actuators, smart controllers, ...) can now cooperate to perform distributed control application functionality, such as:

• temperature and climate control

• access and security control

• lighting and scenery control

• blinds and shutter control

• control of white and brown goods

• energy and load management

• etc.

(Note: complementing the EIB protocol for embedded or "field level" control, EIB also defines complementary protocols and object models for internet and intranet connectivity on IP networks.

The specification also defines physical communication media, over which devices may send protocol messages to their partners on the system:

• Twisted Pair communication

• Powerline communication

The EIB Association controls and manages the EIB protocol specification, which is laid down in the 'EIB Handbook for Developers'. This is done through an open Community Process, with reviews and voting cycles to which member companies of the Association may participate.

Any manufacturer can develop his own implementations if he chooses to do so. EIB imposes no direct requirements on microprocessor architecture; this means any suitable chip may be used as a platform for implementation.

Alternatively, a manufacturer may prefer to focus on his application domain know-how, and just construct application-specific harware and firmware - using certified EIB building blocks (transceivers, protocol stack implementations, protocol stack source code etc.), offered by a number of specialised system providers.

EIB