The building control of our house is done with components from LCN Issendorff . LCN LCNLCN (Local Control Network) – German bus system for building automation by Issendorff. Uses existing 230V wiring as bus line. Can be integrated into Home Assistant via LCN-VISU or custom integration creates a solid foundation for the automation and control of lighting, blinds, sockets and can also provide measurements such as room temperature or humidity. However, if you also wanted to use Amazon’s Alexa for voice control, you previously had to rely on an external solution, e.g. with Home Assistant, Symcon or OpenHAB including external hardware such as a Raspberry Pi and connect these via an LCN coupler. This requires a certain level of skills, additional hardware and time that not everyone has and wants to invest.
⚠ [affiliate] Keine Produkte mit Cache für home-assistant.
Bitte affiliate-sync --lang en ausführen.
With the LCN-VISU , the previous Ethernet coupler LCN-PKE was expanded so that voice control and the connection of Philips Hue components is possible without great effort. LCN internally uses OpenHAB for this and the small LCN-VISU coupler thus also brings the OpenHAB user interface including remote access via smartphone to the LCN system.
Setup
The LCN-VISU coupler, like its predecessor the LCN-PKE, is a DIN rail module with 1 module width and is therefore very compact. The initial setup is done via WiFi. The LCN-VISU sets up its own WiFi access point for this, to which you can connect, e.g. via notebook or smartphone.
After logging in with lcn/lcn for username and password, you can carry out the initial setup and thus the integration into the existing network. However, the WiFi function of the LCN-VISU is exclusively for setup. A wired network connection is absolutely necessary for operation. However, this is also understandable, because in the closed distribution cabinet, access via WiFi would have its limits anyway.
To now integrate your own LCN installation and configuration with all its outputs, sensors, etc., the LCN-Pro software with the system project file is necessary. Here it is helpful that not only all outputs, variables, blinds, etc. are named as you would later like to see them in OpenHAB and address them with Alexa, but the modules are sorted and named by rooms.
Although you can later adjust individual designations in the list view in the LCN-VISU interface and also remove or move elements such as counters or threshold values from the view - good preparation makes the setup easier.
Once you have named and grouped everything appropriately in LCN-Pro, you can export an XML version of the current configuration under File, which you can then upload in the LCN-VISU interface under Create Views. After the upload and an automatic restart of the module, the LCN outputs, sensors, etc. are already available in the OpenHAB list view and you can now switch and manage via the web interface.
For the modern tile interface of OpenHAB, a configuration must be inserted via copy & paste. The process is simply described in the user interface and is done after a few mouse clicks.
Philips HUE lamps can be paired via the menu item Connect Externally in the setup menu. To do this, start the search for a Philips Bridge in the VISU and put it into pairing mode by pressing and holding its button. The found lamps can then be operated in the OpenHAB user interface just like the LCN outputs. However, this becomes particularly interesting because you can now also control the Philips HUE lamps directly from LCN using LCN inputs and buttons.
Alexa voice control and remote access via smartphone
For the connection of Alexa and access to OpenHAB via smartphone, you need a free MyOpenhab account . The connection of Alexa to a smart home software is a quite complex matter without such a service. MyOpenHAB takes the complexity out of the matter and not only takes care of the simple connection of voice control to LCN, but also the security for remote access via smartphone.
In the MyOpenHAB account, simply enter the two keys that you find in the LCN-VISU under Set up Mobile Use. For mobile access, you now need the OpenHAB app, which is available for free for iOS and Android . In the app, enter the server https://myopenhab.org as well as the username and password of MyOpenHAB. This gives you access to your LCN control - without any open ports in the router, VPN & Co. In my tests, after entering the keys at MyOpenHAB, a restart of the LCN-VISU was necessary (can be triggered under the PCHK settings) so that OpenHAB recognized the coupler as online.
When connecting to Amazon’s Alexa, you install the OpenHAB Skill via the Alexa app. This is then authorized for the use of the OpenHAB instance with the OpenHAB user and password. Alexa then recognizes all outputs, lights, sensors, etc. as new devices and you can activate the ones you want to control by voice command. It hardly gets any easier.
With the successful Alexa connection, many more possibilities arise, because Alexa can also combine several actions into one voice command with the so-called routines. For example, when turning on the TV, which must of course also be controllable by voice command, it would be possible to simultaneously switch on various LCN outputs such as the home cinema lighting and lower the blinds.
But OpenHAB rules can also be created in the OpenHAB user interface of the LCN-VISU. States such as on or off, but also LCN commands can be evaluated or set and complex automations can be created. This is often much simpler this way than via the parameterization of LCN-Pro.
Limitations
The fact that LCN Issendorff has accommodated an OpenHAB server in the small LCN-VISU is already a remarkably good thing. However, the hardware of the LCN-VISU naturally also has its limits. For example, you will also find plenty of additional bindings for further services and functions, but cannot install them.
Of course, it is not possible to run a database server on the LCN-VISU or applications like Grafana or MQTT MQTTLightweight publish/subscribe messaging protocol. Used in smart homes to exchange sensor data and control commands between devices on the LCN-VISU. This limitation is understandable and also sensible in the sense of stable operation of the system.
Conclusion
The new LCN-VISU is a great extension for the LCN bus, which very easily enables contemporary applications such as voice control and remote access. The user interface and the functions are designed so that you don’t have to be a programmer to configure the system. The direct integration into the existing LCN system without an external server, etc. was also a good decision. Basically, I have to say here that it was a good decision by LCN Issendorff to rely on proven open source systems like OpenHAB, instead of developing something proprietary themselves.
For many LCN users, their building control will become a good bit “smarter” with the LCN-VISU and thus more of a smart home, especially since Alexa and OpenHAB open up further possibilities for automation that are often easier to implement than via LCN-Pro. The associated increase in functions should be more than sufficient for many LCN owners. If you want more, you can also connect the coupler to an external smart home hub like Home Assistant, ioBroker or others at any time.
More information: LCN Issendorff Homepage
Hi! I'm Markus – the Fricklr. ⚡ Electrical engineer, 🎵 musician (bass, guitar, keys) and professionally 'something with the internet' 🌐 for over 30 years – nowadays with AI too 🤖 – a 55-year-old generalist from Bavaria, Germany.
Your feedback helps me write even more interesting posts. After "Yes" there's also a small option to support my work.
What do you think? Leave a comment!
Share your thoughts, questions or experiences with the community.