Wireless devices target connected homes

Matthew Swatsky, a computer engineer turned product manager for Lutron's smart home products, has opined that today, smart home devices are still somewhat a pricey set of proprietary products, although someday, the smart home may be the norm. Slowly opening up to industry standards, various connected devices are inching closer toward an ideal future.

Lutron has been wiring homes since the 1980s. In the 1990s, it rolled out Clear Connect, its own wireless technology now in its fifth generation.

"We're in the early stages of the connected home," said Swatsky, who is attending CES 2015 this week. "In the early 90s, custom cabinets were an upgrade. Now they are standard. The connected home may follow that trend."

Before we get there, AV and security products need to work better with the kind of lighting, motorised shades and HVAC controls Lutron makes, and everybody has to interoperate with everyone else.

Lutron has been taking its own small steps in that direction. Its proprietary 433MHz wireless systems now work with a WiFi thermostat from Honeywell, and Lutron recently agreed to support the Google Nest thermostat.

Matthew Swatsky shows some of Lutron's Caseta Wireless gadgets.

The company ships Android and iOS apps for its network that goes under the Caseta Wireless brand. Apple demoed its app running on the Apple Watch when it was announced last year. "All the technology in that watch was not available five years ago," Swatsky said. "Mobile devices make home controls more accessible."

Lutron has 15 partners in its Caseta Wireless ecosystem, including Logitech, and it is reaching out for more. This year, it will embrace ZigBee in a remote control for smart LED lights.

Today's up-and-coming networks, Bluetooth, WiFi and ZigBee, weren't ready to plug into the smart home when Lutron started work on its wireless technology nearly 20 years ago. But today the private company that sells to both consumer and contractors, which need to embrace the rising tide of open standards to continue to thrive.

Swatsky does not pretend that his FM band network made with off-the-shelf radios and MCUs is at the bleeding edge. Its 62.5Kb/s links are meant to extend only 30 feet in a typical home. The key is that they are reliable and support nodes with battery life measured in years.

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Wireless devices target connected homes