Development and Evaluation of a Modular KNX-Based Smart Building Automation Trainer Platform for Research and Education

Bong Siaw  Wee; Ling Ee  Hwang; Chen Wong  Keong

Authors

Bong Siaw Wee Department of Electrical Engineering, Politeknik Kuching Sarawak, KM 22, Jalan Matang, 93050 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
Ling Ee Hwang NPL Engineering Sdn, Bhd, Sublot 20, 1st Floor Lot 3704 of Parent Lot 3370, Vista Industrial Park (Block 6, Muara Tebas Land District, 93350 Kuching, Sarawak
Chen Wong Keong Department of Mechanical Engineering, Politeknik Kuching Sarawak, KM 22, Jalan Matang, 93050 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

Keywords:

KNX, smart building automation, Engineering Tool Software (ETS), modular training platform, Internet of Things (IoT)

Abstract

The rapid advancement of smart building technology has increased the demand for practical platforms that support education, research, and workforce development in building automation. However, many existing educational platforms are limited in functionality or not flexible enough for experimental research. Therefore, a modular KNX-based Smart Building Automation (SBA) Trainer Platform was proposed and developed for educational, research, and training applications. The proposed modular platform integrates essential KNX components, including a power supply, switching actuator, dimming actuator, shutter/blind actuator, fan coil actuator, Digital Addressable Lighting Interface (DALI) gateway, Windancer KNX, smart touch panel, and a portable modular hardware architecture configured with Engineering Tool Software (ETS). The trainer supports various practical applications including lighting and dimming control, shutter/blind control for up/down movement and positioning, fan coil speed control, smart weather sensor detection, real-time monitoring, and decentralized communication based on the KNX Protocol. In addition, the Smart Touch Panel provides connectivity with the GVS Smart ecosystem to combine a decentralized wired automation system (KNX) with app-based mobile control. This feature bridges local wall-mounted control and remote management. The experimental results demonstrate a 100% successful implementation of all control functions, reliable KNX bus communication without telegram loss and confirm stable real-time operation. A survey based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was administered to evaluate the efficacy of proposed platform for KNX education. Out the total population of 50 users, 48 respondents participated in the survey. Mean score analysis revealed high levels of Perceived Ease of Use (M = 4.7625) and Perceived Usefulness (M = 4.8125). The findings demonstrate that the proposed platform is highly acceptable to users, with respondents perceiving it as easy to use and useful for supporting KNX education. In conclusion, the proposed modular KNX-SBA trainer platform was successfully developed and evaluated. The trainer provides a cost-effective, scalable and portable environment for KNX educational and training while serving as a practical testbed for validating smart building automation algorithms and supporting research in smart buildings and the Internet of Things (IoT).

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