1: ETS has browser-alike behaviour for the tab and panel handling. Clicking the ‘+’ button opens a new ‘Overview’ tab.

2: The search bar allows a user to quickly search for projects.

3: The main toolbar contains the buttons linking to ETS6 ‘Settings’ and ‘Help’ menus.

4: This section displays new KNX products from KNX manufacturers.

5: Shows the latest modified Local Projects. Clicking the ‘Local Projects’ button opens the entire Local Projects list.

6: The project toolbar contains the following options:

• Start Project Wizard:

Creates a project using the Project Wizard.

• New Project:

Creates a new project to the local project list and opens a dialog for entering the required data.

• Import Project:

Imports one or more projects at the same time (depending on the selection in the File selection dialog) with the help of the Import Wizard. It is also possible to import without the Import Wizard. To do so, hold down the SHIFT key down when clicking the Import button.

7: Shows the latest modified Archived Projects. Clicking the ‘Archive’ button opens the entire Project Archive list.

1. Open ETS6 and click the ‘New Project’ button on the dashboard.

2. The new project menu contains the following options:

• Name: Name your project. Common to use the projects street address as the name.

• Project Type: Defines the building use of the project to be created.

• Backbone: The medium for the Backbone line can be chosen between TP and IP. (Default: Use IP)

• Topology: Select the KNX medium (Default: Use TP)

• Group Address Style: (Default: Use Three Level)

3. Click create project. Your new project will open to the ‘Buildings’ tab.

4. Click the ‘+’ (new tab) button to open the ETS6 dashboard.

5. Hover over your newly created project under ‘Local Projects’ and click the ‘Details’ button to open the project information menu.

6. Find the details panel and click on the ‘Details’ button to open the details menu.

7. This menu will allow you to modify project details. This information will be saved with the projects. Description can be used for things such as usernames and passwords or notes about the install.

8. Close and return to the dashboard or your project tab.

9. ETS projects are saved automatically to the local database.

10. To move the file between computers or to save elsewhere you need to export the file. Return to the dashboard, hover over the project and click export. This will bring up a dialog to save somewhere on your computer. See tutorial 15 for more in depth look at importing and exporting projects.

1. ETS has a number of panels which show different things. For this guide, we will focus on 3 panels. The devices, group addresses, and diagnostics panels. Drop down the panel’s menu found in the upper right corner and star the 3 panels shown.

2. The panel can be changed and manipulated also in the upper left hand corner of the panel as shown here. Notice how it can be changed, moved, closed or opened in a new window.

3. ETS6 uses a tab-like layout. New tabs can be opened which take you to the dashboard. The dropdown box allows you to open new panels in the currently opened project. Multiple projects can be opened at the same time.

4. ETS6 has a number of panels available, they are:

• Buildings: Create building structures and organise devices.
• Group Addresses: Add and link group addresses.
• Topology: Define the bus structure and individual addresses.
• Project Root: Summary of all project views in one compact tree view.
• Devices: Device management, parameters and group objects linking.
• Catalog: Used for adding devices to your project.
• Reports: Generate project documentation.
• Diagnostics: Tools for monitoring and debugging the KNX install.

At Knxtra we use the Devices, Group Addresses and Diagnostics panels the most often. Consider starring them to add them to favourites.

1. Change the panel to the ‘Devices’ panel.

2. Click ‘Add Devices’

3. This will open the ‘Catalog’ panel.

4. Use the search bar to find the device you want to add. In this tutorial we will be adding the 4-input switch interface from MDT.You can search for product code.

5. Select the correct device. Check the device version and codes match.

6. Set the amount you want to add and click ‘add’.

7. The device will appear under the ‘devices’ section.

8. The individual address can be set under the properties->settings tab on the righthand side. The name and description can be modified under the properties->settings tab. Comments can also be added. It is useful to describe the location of the device and any key programming things for future reference. Changes and todo’s are also very useful.

9. Repeat this for the 8 channel relay.

10. Set the Relay’s individual address to your desired address. At KNXTRA, we like to group corresponding devices together. In our programming you will often find sensors starting at Individual Address x.x.1 through to x.x.99. And you will find actuators starting at Individual Address x.x.100 onwards.

11. The device will appear with the correct individual address in the devices tree.

Repeat this process to add all devices. If a device is not available in the catalog, see the other tutorial.

This guide is for the situation where you cannot find the application program under the catalog panel.

1. Find the .knxprod file you want to import from the manufacturer’s website and download it. For this tutorial we will import a discontinued Eyezen TP .knxprod file from https://www.zennio.com/product/eyezen-tp. Download the ETS application program, extract the .zip file and save to your hard drive.

2. Change the panel to the ‘Devices’ panel.

3. Click ‘Add Devices’

4. Click ‘Import’ and navigate to the .knxprod file.

5. Select English and click ‘Import Selected Languages’.

6. This will add that device to your ETS6 catalog and be available for use in any future ETS projects.

1: To adjust parameters of a device, open the devices panel and ensure that the device has been imported into the ETS project.

2: In the left-hand selection list, select the device you want to modify. This will open the device.

3: Navigate to the parameters tab.

4: Every device’s parameters are different. They all get modified in a similar manner.

You will find radio buttons, tick buttons, drop down selections and text/number entry boxes.

Manufacturers provide documentation specific to every parameter. Often. KNX devices will follow similar naming schemes for parameters and group objects.

I am under construction. Coming Soon!

Linking group addresses to group objects enables the communication between devices. There are a number of ways to link group addresses.

1: Dialogue -> Group Object

Once you have adjusted the parameters of the device and created the relevant group addresses to meet your specifications, open the group objects tab. To link the group objects to group addresses via this method, right click on the group object and select ‘link with’ or press ctrl+shft+a. Navigate to or type in the group address and click the ‘link’ button. You are now linked! The group address number and name should appear under the ‘linked with’ and ‘group address’ columns next to the selected group object.

2: Panel -> Group Object

To link the group objects to group addresses via this method, open both the group addresses and devices panels. Navigate to the group objects tab in the devices panel. This can be done across two separate windows or within one. Hover over the relevant group address then left click and drag until you are hovering over the group object that you wish to link. Release left click to link. You are now linked! The group address number and name should appear under the ‘linked with’ and ‘group address’ columns next to the selected group object.

Note: You can do this process from group addresses to group objects and group objects to group addresses. You can use whichever direction makes most sense to you.

3: Groups Tab -> Group Object

To link the group objects to group addresses via this method, open the devices panel and navigate to the group objects tab. Open the groups tab located under properties on the right hand side. Find the group address you want to link and then drag and drop onto the relevant group object. You are now linked! The group address number and name should appear under the ‘linked with’ and ‘group address’ columns next to the selected group object.

Each method works and it’s up to personal preference or situation for when to use each one. Experiment and see which one makes the most sense for your workflow and process.

To connect ETS to an install you will need an interface. The two most common types are a USB and an IP interface. At Knxtra we almost exclusively use IP interfaces. THis guide discusses how to connect to a KNX install via an IP interface. THe two methods are direct connection to your PC and connection through a router.

Direct PC Connection:

Connect the interface to your computer and in ETS, pen up the interface manager drop down in the top right. Your interface will automatically appear here. Sometimes it can take 30s to 1min to appear and sometimes you may have to close and reopen ETS. Select the interface to use it.

Connection via Router.

Connect the interface to your network and in ETS, open up the interface manager drop down in the top right. Your interface will automatically appear here. Sometimes it can take 30s to 1min to appear and sometimes you may have to close and reopen ETS. Select the interface to use it.

After a device has had its parameters set and group objects linked, the next step is to download the application data to the device. Downloading to a device sends its program data to the device via the KNX bus.

A KNX device program contains 5 things:

• The Individual Address.
• The Parameters.
• The Group Addresses.
• The Application Program.
• The Configuration.

When you navigate to all devices view, each device shows 5 dashes or ticks. This shows what is up to date in the device.

There are 5 download options. The options are:

• Download All
• Download Individual Address
• Overwrite Individual Address
• Download Partial
• Download Application

When you choose the type of download you require, it will begin the download.

There are two common dialog boxes that may pop up. These are the interface connection box and the interface error box.

If you haven’t selected the interface you want to download via, it will ask for you to select one.

Discuss order of how to select download option and what they do.

When first downloading it is important to download the individual address. This can be done via the download individual address or the download all button. The overwrite individual address option allow for changing the individual address of the device

Once the download begins, it will appear in the right had ‘Pending Operations’ Pane. There will be some details shown

If the download fails, it will appear in the history with a red message saying ‘failed’. Be sure to open up the error message as it often provides useful information for debugging. If you need more info regarding your error with downloading, search the web for that error message or contact Knxtra.

Some common error messages are:

• Programming button not pushed.
• A device already has an individual address.

You may consider unloading a device to reset it to reuse on a new job or to ‘hard reset’ the software in a device. The device will not function when unloaded but is able to accept a new download from ETS where it will continue to function.

1. Open the ‘Devices’ panel.

2. Right click on the device you want to unload.

3. Select Unload & Address.

4. Press the programming button on the relevant device and wait for the unload to finish. Once it has finished, the programming light will turn off.

5. Repeat for all devices.

It is important to be able to backup your work or send the project to another computer. ETS6 has a file management system that allows for archiving projects to a backup database and the ability to export projects into a single portable file. Thie exported file can be sent to the customer, another programmer or to a backup hard drive. Some devices such as the Gira X1 or Babtec AppModule can even accept a copy of the ETS project file to help speed up configuration.

Archiving: 

ETS6’s inbuilt project archive system streamlines backing up projects to a database and having multiple users working on the same project. The KNX association provides a great document explaining the archiving system at https://support.knx.org/hc/en-us/articles/360019850580-Project-archive.

Exporting:

To export an ETS project, navigate to the dashboard. Hover over the relevant project to reveal the ‘Export’ button. Click ‘Export’ and use file explorer to save the .knxproj file at your desired location.

Importing:

To import an ETS project, navigate to the dashboard. Click ‘Import Project’ on the right-hand side and use file explorer to locate and open your desired .knxproj file.

Under-Floor Heating control:

Underfloor heating (UFH) zones require a thermostat for temperature regulation. This guide focuses on how to implement thermostat control via KNX. This guide will use Zennio products to demonstrate the techniques but any similar device from another manufacturer will work in the same manner.

As KNX programmers, the goal is to provide a functional UFH system with a user friendly and smart control interface to aid the user experience. Whe will be looking at the 3 important parts. The output (Relay), the controller (thermostat) and the input (Touchpanel).

Actuators:

Commonly, the UFH element is wired into a relay. This means that a 1-bit On/Off control object is used. When On, the floor heats, and when Off, the floor doesn’t heat (Naturally Cools). This is called 2 point control.

The feedback object from the relay is unneeded as we just need to command it on and off from the single thermostat.

Thermostat:

The goal of a thermostat is to monitor the actual temperature and compare it with the setpoint temperature. If the actual temperature is above or below the setpoint, then the theormostat should provide a control signal to make the actual temperature closer to the setpoint temperature.

For most UFH heating installs, the control style is called 2-point control. This is where the output is only and ON and and OFF command . When the temperatures are similar it will switch ON and OFF regularly to regulate and hold that temperature.

Thermostat software can be found on many KNX devices related to heating similar to the Zennio thermostat shown:

Most of the time, the default parameters will be close to what we require. However, it is always good to go through each parameter and use the device user manual to ensure you understand. In this case, for the next few steps, ensure that the Thermostat is set to not always on as this allows the UFH/Thermostat to be switched off. See the ‘what is hysteresis?’ help guide to learn more about the threshold parameters.

The main datapoints that you require are:

• Actual Temperature source
• Setpoint Temperature
• Setpoint Temperature Status
• On/Off
• On/Off Status
• Control Output

As shown below, create group addresses for each of these and assign the relevent thermostat group objects.

This completes the setup of the thermostat for basic 2-point control.

Where to get Actual Temperature from:

The Actual Temperature is the reference or real tempurature. If you set the setpoint to 25 degrees, the thermostat will work until the actual measured temperature reaches 25 degrees.

Commonly, a NTC temp probe will be installed into the floor. We need to get this data onto the KNX system via an input device. There are many input devices on the market. One example is the Zennio Quadplus which is a 4 channel input device. However there are also many devices which offer inputs as a secondary function. The Zennio and Interra touchscreen range have temperature probe input functionality. This works well as they also have inbuilt thermostats and easy to use UFH controllers.

Once connected, the temperature needs to be linked to the Actual Temperature group address. Ensure that the temp is sent at regular intervals. 30s to 1min are common intervals.

Controller:

A touchscreen is recommended to control UFH due to their interactive user experience. There are many good panels on the market that seamlessly integrate UFH heating control. Set up the parameters depending on the device to allow for setpoint and on off control. This will create group objects very similar to the thermostat.

• Setpoint Temperature
• Setpoint Temperature Status
• On/Off
• On/Off Status

Link these to the group addresses made earlier to enable communication. You could also add a feedback that shows the actual temperature on the display to give the user a little bit more information. See the ‘what is cyclical sending?’ help guide to learn more about what this is.

Programming tip: Zennio’s Z40 and Z35 devices have a dedicated UFH page with a rotating slider. These rotating sliders can be set up to be red when UFH is enabled and grey when it is disabled. They also have timers and schedulers which allow the user to set up automatic UFH on/off times. This could be used to turn on the floor automatically at 5am so it is warm at 7am.

Special Modes:

The method above requires the user to input the temperature and switch it on and off manually. This works well in small installs. But there is an alternative method if the user requires simpler control.

The alternative method of controlling UFH does away with the on/off button and manual temperature setting. It replaces it with a single button that selects between 4 modes. The different modes have different preset temperature setpoints allowing a user to set the heating in the house quickly and easily. These modes are:

• Comfort: Normal Temperature (ie. 22°).
• Standby: Slightly Lower Temperature (ie. 22°-2° = 20°).
• Economy: Low Temperature (ie. 16° – 4° = 18°).
• Protection: Off but will turn on at a set temperature (ie. 7°) to prevent the floor getting too cold.

In order for these to function, the thermostat has to be set to always on. Each temperature setpoint can be modified under parameters as shown below:

Once these parameters have been setup, there will be 2 group objects available:

• Special Mode
• Special Mode Status.

Link these to a mode function button on a KNX Panel and you are good to go!

Conclusion:

A well programmed KNX install can seamlessly integrate with UFH and if programmed well, can provide a great user experience. Heating can be incorporated with timers, scenes, and other automation also. For more advance knowledge on underfloor heating or further questions that this guide didn’t answer, contact Knxtra.

Integrating motorised blinds with KNX can be an effective way to enhance automation and scenes within an install. Key challenges with Blinds is how to control multiple at one time and get reliable statuses.

To control blinds, you need a blind actuator. You can use specific blind actuators or find a combo/universal relay that features blind control as well. Commonly blinds use switched 230V to control the up and down movements. Other type that can be found are RF, Wifi and Low Voltage control. This guide will focus on 230V blinds.

In general, this guide applies to vertical blinds, horizontal blinds/curtains, slats, and windows.

You also need some method of controlling the blinds. There are many devices that have the ability to control blinds. A push button can act as a up/down switch through to an advanced touch panel showing percentage status. Blinds can also be incorporated into scenes where one button push commands them to a certain height.

Blinds have two options for control. Relative control or Absolute control.

Relative Control:

• Up/Down (1 Bit)
• Step/Stop (1 Bit)

Absolute Control:

• Position (Percentage)
• Position Status (Percentage)

Often both methods of control are used simultaneously in an install as you may have a push button, a scene, a touchscreen, and a scheduler all as available control methods. Here are an example of the blind control object found in an Interra ITR combo actuator.

Parameters for blinds:

Key parameters for blinds are their up/down travel time. The devices use these times to calculate the current position. Lets say that a blind takes 30s from open to closed. 15 seconds would be considered 50%. The time for the step movement is how long the blind will move for when a pushbutton is pushed. The time for the direction reverse ensures that the motor is never put into up and down at the same time. If this happens it will damage the motor and likely the driver too.

To set the blind times. Measure the up and down time using a stop watch. Round up to the nearest second and enter into parameters. If there are significant time difference between up and down, these can often be entered as different values.

If the time is too short, the blind won’t make it the whole way. if it is too long, it will calculate percentages wrong.

Ensure that the blind motors physical limits are set correctly. It is ok for the blind to be given power when the blind has hit its physical limit.

Blinds can be controlled via scenes and schedulers.

Some common options for controlling blinds are:

Single Button Control:

Single button control can be setup in two different ways.

Dual Button Control:

Most touch screens implement this method

Touchscreen Control:

Controlling Multiple Blinds at Once:

The goal with KNX controlling your heatpump is to allow full control

The basic heatpump functions are:

• On/Off
• Temperature Setting
• Mode Setting
• Fan Speed Setting
• Slats

A heatpump also needs to know what the current ambient temperature of the room is.

Interfacing with a Heatpump.

A Heatpump comes with a standard wall controller, KNX heatpump gateways replace the wall controllers and convert the information into KNX telegrams.

Heatpump Control

KNX easily interfaces with most heatpumps on the market. Most standard heatpumps are installed with a wall controller or remote. By connecting your heatpump to KNX, you remove the need for the wall controller or remote by enabling the KNX system to control the heatpump.

There are many KNX heatpump gateways available on the market made by lots of brands for lots of brands. Contact Knxtra if you need help to pick the best product for your application.

The gateway intercepts all of the data and can send/receive.

To program heating we need a device that acts as heating controller

Common heatpump control requires the following things:

Actual temperatue

Setpoint temperature

Mode

Fan Speed

Flaps

Unlike Underfloor heating, heatpumps have an internal thermostat so we do not have to program one.

You need some device to control the heatpumps. It is highly reccommended that this device is a touchscreen that has climate control features. Zennio’s and Interras new touchscreen range are examples of good climate control devices.

This is an example of what a generic heatpump interface provides:

This is an example of what a heatpump controller provides.

Actual Temperature Input:

Most wall heatpumps have an internal sensor that measures the temperature of the room. Some ducted units have senors in the return vent that measures room temperature. However, in some cases you may want to have an external sensor on the KNX bus that reads room temperature and feeds it back to the heatpump.

Most interfaces will allow you to enable an external reference object. This will disable the internal sensor and will read the temperature from the KNX bus instead. Ensure that you have a device that sends temperature regularly.

Fan Speed

Fan speed can be controlled a number of different ways via knx. The most common is enumeration. Other methods include 1 bit step and

Fan Speed

A traditional install will have one or two light switches for one light circuit. With KNX, we can have as many switches as you’d like for as many light circuits as you like. You can also use a switch to turn on multiple different functions together such as blinds, heating, and music. How do we do this? KNX calls them scenes. This guide walks through how to create a scene.

There are two ways to switch multiple functions at one time. These are by using a single group address and linking many functions together or by using the KNX scene datapoint.

Group Address Method:

A group object can send to one group address but listen to many (the maximum is depending on the devices memory size). What this

Scenes can control multiple devices and functions, such as lights, blinds, HVAC systems, etc., to respond to a specific command.

Some examples of function groups could be:

• Goodmorning
• Goodnight
• All off
• Movie Scene
• Party Scene
• All blinds
• Pool
• Garage on
• Etc
• “Morning Routine” Scene: Gradually increase lighting, open blinds, and adjust room temperature to gently wake up occupants.

There are two main methods of controlling these scenes. KNX has a dedicated scene object which we will touch on soon but if your scene only requires switching lights on and off there is a faster an easier way to achieve this.

Using a central group address as a scene:

Using KNX Scenes:

3. Scene Triggers:

• Manual Activation: Scenes can be activated manually through user interfaces like switches or touch panels, allowing instant customization.
• Scheduled Activation: Scenes can be scheduled to activate at specific times, aligning with daily routines or events.
• Sensor-Based Activation: Integrate sensors (e.g., motion sensors or light sensors) to trigger scenes based on environmental conditions.

KNX scenes enhance the user experience in a smart building, offering personalized and automated control over various devices. By following these steps and considering the diverse triggers and controllers available, users can effortlessly create and manage scenes tailored to their preferences and lifestyle, optimizing comfort and energy efficiency.

KNX also has something called a sequence.

I am under construction. Coming Soon!

I am under construction. Coming Soon!

This help guide discusses the use of feedback and status objects within devices. Most manufacturers will provide separate objects such as an input for control and an output for status. This guide discusses how to link status group addresses if there is no second status group object.

In the group objects panel, each group object has a symbol that indicates whether data can be passed in, out or in both directions.

The orange arrow indicates that the object is an output. This means that data can be sent from the group object onto the bus.

The blue arrow indicates that the object is an input. This means that data from the bus can modify the device.

If both arrows are present, the group object is bidirectional. Data can be sent both in and out.

A group object can listen to multiple group addresses but can only send to one. The one it sends to is the first one assigned.

When programming KNX, you may come across parameters relating to hysteresis. This guide explains what hysteresis is and how to make the most of the function.

Hysteresis will appear most commonly with devices that use a threshold value. Some examples of thresholds are:

• In a thermostat, the threshold may be the setpoint temperature. ie, 22°.
• In an energy monitor, the threshold value may be where you want an alarm to sound, or devices to turn off.
• In a proximity sensor, the threshold value may be the lux level that you want the sensor to operate below.

You will often see two associated parameters called upper threshold and lower threshold as shown below.

The upper and lower values define when the turn on and turn off occurs. The image below shows an example where there is a threshold value of 22° with a hysteresis of ±2°. The output will turn on at 20° and turn off at 24°.

This has a few advantages. In thermostats for heating or cooling systems, the difference in on/off values are used to prevent the system from constantly turning on and off in response to minor temperature fluctuations. The difference between the two setpoints (the hysteresis band) ensures that the system does not respond to minor changes which avoids excessive wear.

The hysteresis band’s width (e.g., the difference between the turn-on and turn-off temperatures) is an important parameter that needs to be carefully selected. Too narrow a band might not effectively prevent short cycling, while too wide a band might lead to noticeable temperature variations that could affect comfort.

This guide describes cyclical/periodic sending.

Status values such as temperature, energy or lux needs to be continually updated. Each telegram sent contains a dingle value representing the state of the object. Many KNX devices allow you to send telegrams cyclically or periodically. The settings are simple and usually include an enable parameter and a time parameter as shown below.

It is a balance to get the right time period between switching. Too fast and you flood the KNX bus with traffic. Too slow and it the receiving device doesn’t update and react fast enough.

Cyclical sending can also ensure that no telegrams are missed. For example, a device will send one telegram when the button is pushed. If for some reason this telegram gets missed by the other device, the device won’t receive it. However, if the device was set to cyclical sending of 1 min. It will ensure that the telegram is received.