I'm a long time Node-RED user, but starting to get into KNX for lighting and lighting control (e.g. light switches etc.)
I have bought a few KNX lighting dimmers, a KNX power supply, wired up our new build with KNX cable to lightswitches and server room location, need to source some KNX connectors, and I'm ready to start testing.
Anyone here using KNX for their lighting, and interfacing with Node-RED? I have a load of questions really, but would appreciate some general tips getting started.
- I don't yet have an interface for programming. Getting hold of USB interface here in the UK is over £150, and it's only a bit more for an IP interface. After a bit of reading, it seems like a KNX IP router will be the best thing for me to be able to interact with devices on the KNX network. Is that correct?
These are slightly more expensive than IP bridges etc., but I have read they can provide more flexibility. All I need to do is to be able to command KNX devices from my Node-RED server. Or from my laptop etc. I don't need to use KNX over IP (at least - I don't THINK I do - right now I cannot see the benefits but would be interested in hearing otherwise).
I am a real Arduino fan and happy to roll my own hardware, should I be buying an IP router? Or can I do it in a more simple and cheap way?
- I guess there are multiple ways to interface with the KNX network, perhaps some are hardware based and some are software based. Is that correct?
I am looking for the most robust and failsafe way to interface Node-RED to the KNX network over the long term. In my mind, that means using hardware where possible (as opposed to software running on a server that may get updated or have downtime etc....)
My first goal is to be able to set up my dimmers with scenes (built in to KNX? I'm not even sure how that works). I would like these KNX scenes to somehow be reflected in Node-RED so I can interface them with my own Node-RED lighting scene control stuff. Basically when a KNX light switch is touched, it will change a scene, and I'd like that to be immediately visible in Node-RED, and of course the ability to command these lighting scene changes in Node-RED.
Then after that I may be interested in some more flexibility e.g. with sensors etc... but possibly not as the main reason I'm using KNX is for stability with my core lighting system and it can get expensive for other stuff that I consider to be "fun".
If anyone can write me a primer on KNX within the context of home automation using Node-RED that would be ace 
- or just any tips.
Thanks
