Glossary

Field of the KNX telegram used to confirm the correct receiving

Procedure for assignment of an address (physical or group) to a KNX device

Software for the configuration with ETS of a KNX device for carrying out a specific application. The files have .vdx extension (up to ETS release 3) or .knxprod extension (from ETS release 4)

KNX device that connects a main line to the area line (backbone)

Additional power supply necessary for some KNX devices in addition to the standard power supply provided by the KNX bus line

KNX bus line to which are connected the different areas in which is organized a large-size bus installation

Building Automation and Control network, data communications protocol for building automation and control networks. BACnet is a trademark registered by ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers)

Building Automation and Control Systems: name used in the EN 15232 standard by the Technical Committee TC 247 of CEN for the domotics and building automation systems

BatiBUS Club International, a European association which brought together companies adhering to the BatiBUS standard. Merged in the Konnex Association (today: KNX Association) after the convergence process

KNX device with one or more output channels for switching electrical loads

Communication channel shared by two or more devices, allowing to exchange information and/or energy in a coded form (data telegrams). A bus system can be decentralized (KNX) or centralized

Electronic module that interfaces a sensor or an actuator with the KNX bus line. It can be integrated in the device or available as a separate component

Part of a KNX installation including maximum 64 bus devices, power supplied by an appropriate unit with integrated choke

Conformité Européenne (European Conformity), a mandatory conformity marking for certain products sold within the European Economic Area (EEA). By affixing the CE marking, a manufacturer declares that the product meets all the legal requirements for CE marking and can be sold throughout the EEA

Comitato Elettrotecnico Italiano, the Italian standardization organization in the electrical, electronic and telecommunications field

Comité Européen de Normalisation, the European standardization organization in all sectors except electrical, electronic and telecommunications

Comité Européen de Normalisation Électrotechnique, the European standardization organization in the electrical and electronic field

Procedure by which an accredited third party gives written assurance that a product, process or service conforms to specified requirements

KNX device that has been tested by an accredited laboratory and conforms to the KNX standard requirements. Only certified products can carry the KNX logo

Field of the KNX telegram used for checking data integrity during transmission

Simultaneous transmission of two or more telegrams on the same bus line that would cause mutual corruption of data

Set of rules that define how data is exchanged between devices on a network

Low-pressure discharge lamps with ballast integrated, available also as dimmable version (it should be clearly indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging). Very common in the domestic lighting applications are compact fluorescent lamps with standard screw base (e.g. E27 or E14), which can easily replace the old incandescent lamps in the same lampholders

Process of defining the parameters and communication links of the devices in a KNX installation

KNX device that connects two bus lines using different transmission media (e.g. TP and RF or TP and IP)

Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance, procedure for the bus access control on the twisted pair communication medium (KNX TP)

Digital Addressable Lighting Interface, standard protocol for the digital control of electronic ballasts for lighting

Standardized format that defines the length and meaning of the data transmitted on the KNX bus

System in which each device has its own microprocessor and memory, without requiring a central controller for basic functions. If one device fails, the rest of the system continues to operate normally

Ekinex supervision system for building automation, based on a dedicated hardware server and an intuitive graphic interface for mobile devices and PCs

Address (individual or group) to which a KNX telegram is sent

Temperature at which water vapor in the air condenses into liquid water at constant atmospheric pressure. Critical for cooling with radiant panels

Regulation of the luminous flux emitted by a lighting fixture

Standard for digital communication networks that are commonly used to control stage lighting and theatrical effects

European Home Systems Association, one of the three European associations merged into the Konnex Association in 1999

European Installation Bus, original name of the bus technology that later evolved into the KNX standard

European Installation Bus Association, the association founded in 1990 by leading European electrical installation manufacturers to promote EIB

Brand developed in 2012 by a group of technical experts in home and building automation, based in Vaprio d'Agogna (Novara, Italy). It combines Italian design excellence with advanced KNX technology

Europäische Norm (European Standard), ratified by one of the three European standards organizations: CEN, CENELEC or ETSI

Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, European directive aimed at improving the energy efficiency of buildings across the European Union

Entry-level version of the ETS software designed for small and medium-sized installations, operated via mobile devices

Standard engineering tool software for the design, commissioning and diagnosis of KNX installations, completely manufacturer-independent

Terminal unit for heating and cooling consisting of a finned coil heat exchanger and a fan that circulates air across the coil

Industrial network system for real-time distributed control

Table created by ETS in line/area couplers that defines which group telegrams are allowed to pass through from one line to another

Hydronic distribution system with two separate circuits (supply and return for heating, supply and return for cooling), allowing simultaneous heating and cooling in different zones

Device that translates protocols between two different communication systems (e.g. KNX and DALI, KNX and Modbus, KNX and BACnet)

Logical address used in KNX to link sensors and actuators for functional interaction (e.g. sending a switching command from a button to an actuator channel)

Incandescent lamp with an inert gas and a small amount of a halogen (such as iodine or bromine) inside, offering higher luminous efficacy and color temperature than standard incandescent bulbs

Home and Building Electronic Systems, formal definition used in CENELEC standards (EN 50090 series) to refer to building automation technologies like KNX

Human Centric Lighting, lighting design approach that mimics natural daylight variations to support human circadian rhythm, well-being and productivity

Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning, technology of indoor environmental comfort

Heating and cooling system that uses water as the heat-transfer medium

Electric lamp with a wire filament heated until it glows with visible light

Ability of KNX devices from different manufacturers to communicate and cooperate seamlessly in the same installation

Internet of Things, network of physical objects embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies for connecting and exchanging data with other devices and systems over the Internet

Seven-layer conceptual framework for understanding computer network protocols. KNX fully implements this reference architecture

Worldwide open standard for commercial and domestic building control, recognized by ISO/IEC 14543-3, CENELEC EN 50090, CEN EN 13321-1 and GB/T 20965

KNX bus device that receives commands from sensors and acts upon electrical loads (switching lights, dimming, driving motors for shades, opening heating valves)

Software extensions for ETS Professional that add specialized functionality to the engineering tool

Non-profit organization based in Brussels that owns and develops the KNX standard, manages certification and promotes the technology worldwide

Device equipped with a bus coupling unit and an application program, designed to connect directly to the KNX bus line

Official periodical magazine published by the KNX Association, presenting new products, projects, and technical developments

Registered trademark representing compliance with the strict quality and interoperability criteria of the KNX standard

Planners, installers, system integrators and other interested parties who have specialized in the KNX technology, by attending a course (and passing the final exam) at a KNX-certified Training Center

Power supply with integrated choke that provides the 30 V DC voltage necessary to operate the devices connected to a KNX bus line

Bus device that detects a physical change (pushbutton pressing, movement, presence, temperature, light intensity) and sends a corresponding telegram onto the bus

Standardized two-pole red/black connector used to connect bus cables to KNX devices with solderless screwless connection

Association formed in 1999 by the convergence of BCI (BatiBUS), EIBA (EIB) and EHSA (European Home Systems) that gave birth to the KNX standard

Light Emitting Diode, semiconductor light source that offers high luminous efficiency, long operating lifespan and low energy consumption

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, globally recognized green building rating and certification system developed by the USGBC

KNX device that galvanically isolates and connects a secondary bus line to a main bus line, filtering telegrams based on its filter table

European standard (EN 13757) for the remote reading of consumption meters (water, gas, electricity, thermal energy)

KNX bus line that connects multiple sub-lines together within the same area

Measuring Instruments Directive, European directive (2014/32/EU) covering measuring instruments such as active electrical energy meters

Serial and IP communication protocol extensively used for connecting industrial and commercial electronic devices, meters and HVAC machinery

Modular unit width standard for DIN rail equipment, with 1 MU corresponding to 18 mm

Negative Temperature Coefficient thermistor whose electrical resistance decreases as temperature rises, widely used in Ekinex room thermostats

Nearly Zero Energy Building, building with very high energy performance where the nearly zero or very low amount of energy required is covered largely by energy from renewable sources

Open Metering System, European system definition integrating all media meters (electricity, gas, heat, water) into one future-proof interoperable standard

Cloud-based repository integrated into ETS that allows designers to download the latest certified product databases directly into their projects

Standardized system architecture with publicly available specifications, ensuring products from different manufacturers can freely interoperate without proprietary lock-in

Unique identifier assigned to a specific KNX device within a bus installation, expressed in the area.line.device format (e.g. 1.1.25)

Passive Infrared sensor that measures infrared light radiating from objects in its field of view, used for motion and occupancy detection

File supplied by the manufacturer (.knxprod) containing all parameters, communication objects and logic programs for configuring a device in ETS

Industry technical standard for data communication over Industrial Ethernet, designed for collecting data from, and controlling equipment in industrial systems

Surface heating and cooling system embedded in floors, walls or ceilings that transfers thermal energy primarily through radiation

KNX device used to extend the length of a bus line or increase the maximum number of connected devices beyond 64

Light emitting diode fixture containing red, green and blue diodes, capable of producing millions of colors through additive color mixing

Safety Extra-Low Voltage, electrical system in which the voltage cannot exceed a safe value under normal and single-fault conditions (typically ≤ 30 V AC / ≤ 60 V DC), ensuring human safety without earthing

Speed at which data bits are transmitted across the communication medium. In KNX TP (twisted pair) the transmission rate is 9600 bit/s

Target value of a physical quantity (e.g. desired room temperature) that an automated control system attempts to achieve and maintain

Système International d'Unités (International System of Units), modern metric measurement standard

Physical address of the device that generated and transmitted a specific KNX telegram

Online informational starter guide developed by KNX for beginners, architects and curious professionals

Data packet transmitted across the KNX bus line, containing source address, destination address, control data, payload and checksum

Device installed in a zone that performs the final heat transfer to or from the room (e.g. fancoil, radiator, radiant panel)

Condition of mind that expresses satisfaction with the thermal environment, governed by air temperature, radiant temperature, humidity and air velocity

Algorithmic evaluation of building thermal inertia and heat gains used by intelligent thermostats to anticipate heating and cooling activation

Secure remote connectivity solution for automation networks, offering encrypted VPN connections without fixed public IP requirements

Ekinex dedicated touch screen and room controller combining display, thermostat functions and multi-zone control in a single elegant device

Twisted Pair, primary physical transmission medium for KNX bus installations (KNX TP), transmitting both data and DC power on two conductors

Physical channel through which data travels in a KNX system: Twisted Pair (TP), Radio Frequency (RF), Powerline (PL) or IP Ethernet (IP)

Universal Serial Bus interface used to connect a PC directly to a KNX bus line for programming, commissioning and ETS bus monitoring

Graphic interface (such as Ekinex Delégo) allowing users and building managers to monitor and control lighting, climate, shades and alarms from touchscreens, smartphones or PCs

Wireless networking technology based on IEEE 802.11 standards, commonly used by smartphones and tablets to communicate with KNX IP servers and gateways