Xiaomi smart home: characteristics and features of operation

The system of "smart home" can be called one of the main trends of recent years. Now on the market you can find a lot of interesting and fairly similar in composition sets from various manufacturers of similar systems. Today we will talk about the mechanism of "smart home", developed by Xiaomi, which is one of the fastest growing global brands in the technology segment.

The product from Xiaomi is called Mi Smart Home Kit. It represents the combination of various electrical appliances, which form a single network, which allows you to control the work of each of them, creating a cozy microclimate indoors or in construction. For many people, using such a system may seem extremely difficult.But the company managed to expand the capabilities of this mechanism and at the same time make it substantially simpler, while improving the functional component.

It is the system from Xiaomi that is convenient because its work can be controlled using a smartphone. During the setup process, the system can be tied to a user account and managed to be managed remotely using the Internet.

Such a system includes various motion sensors, door position control, wireless switches, smart sockets, a multifunctional gateway, wireless buttons and a temperature and humidity sensor. In general, everything that can make life as easy as possible for a person and make his stay in one or another room as comfortable and cozy as possible. A description of such a system can be found on various websites dedicated to this brand. But in general, the essence of all such systems is not much different from each other and it boils down to exactly to facilitate the life of a person,save his time and inform him about everything that happens in the house or on the object in his absence.

If we talk about who would suit the system "smart home", then you can list a lot of answers. For example, it will be an excellent solution for an apartment because when its owner is not at home, he can not only control the consumption of various energy resources, but also monitor the safety of his home, as well as control everything that happens in the apartment. This solution will be interesting to the owners of private houses of various sizes. They will be able to control what is happening in the territory of the house and in areas where the owner is not currently located.

Now we should touch upon the question of the advantages and disadvantages of the “smart home” system from this manufacturer from China.

The advantages of this system are:

• the ability to work on a wireless connection type Wi-Fi;
• low consumption of electrical energy;
• the possibility of adjusting the functions of the set to the needs of the owner;
• protection of all transmitted information from third parties;
• the ability to add to the kit new devices, if they need;
• the ability to configure the system under the alarm type;
• two modes of operation of the system: remote and when people are in the house;
• the system is fully automated;
• attractive design of all components and devices;
• easy system setup;
• the possibility of savings on utility bills, due to the control of energy used;
• A large number of different gadgets that can be added to the system.

The advantages of such a system can be attributed to the fact that its installation does not require any construction-type works - drilling walls, laying cables. The devices are simply fixed on the walls with the help of double-sided adhesive tape, which comes in the kit. It should also highlight the advantages of the hub itself, which is the central element of the system, which turns all devices and sensors into a single organism.

In addition to the main function, you can note its other advantages:

• the presence of a built-in speaker allows you to use it as a device for listening to music and an alarm clock;
• can work like a night light.

But if we talk about the shortcomings, the user reviews indicate that the main thing is the non-adaptation of the system for the European market. Everything is focused on the knowledge of the Chinese language and, in general, under Chinese standards. For example, device plugs have a special design and are suitable only for Chinese outlets. And functional modules have no settings in Russian or even English. Even the radio works exclusively in Chinese.

Now it is necessary to dwell on a review of all the devices that make up the Xiaomi smart home mechanism. And we will begin consideration with a central control unit called Smart Home Gateway. This detail will be the unifying element of the system into a single whole. The function of the unit is that it interconnects various sensors, and provides the command of one or another part of the system.

A model with a gateway of the second version is being released. In the first there is no radio, and the second incorporates a radio receiver. In addition, the second version can work in developer mode and copes well with the implementation of various tasks in management systems similar to the one under consideration. The dimensions of the controller are eight centimeters in diameter and three and a half in width. It has a key, when clicked, other functions are activated.

The following components are safety modules. These include two gadgets - Window and Body Sensor. The first is an opening sensor, in which there is a magnet, a volume sensor and a reed switch.

Body Sensor is a small cylinder-shaped device made of white plastic that has a hole for a clip. Thanks to her, it will be possible to activate the device.This gadget has a seven-meter detection radius. The viewing angle is 170 degrees. Using the application, you can customize its work associated with other devices. If the sensor detects movement in the room when there is no person, a notification will be sent to the owner’s phone. Body Sensor can activate the nightlight in the dark time of the day so that you can safely reach the desired point in the house.

Window Sensor will serve for safety. It is usually mounted on window frames or doors, combined with other parts of the system. This sensor signals the air cleaner to shut off if it locks an open window. It is easy to connect to the alarm. If it is turned off when the owner is not at home, and at that moment a window is opened, the device will detect this and the main hub will activate the alarm. By the way, when used as an alarm, there will not be an extra Mijia camera, which is also produced by this company.

The device consists of a magnetic part and an element with a hole for a clip and a small light diode that will inform about the status of the device. The sensor is easy to connect to double-sided tape.

The next component is the Smart Power Plug. This gadget connects to a power outlet and has a blue LED that indicates whether the device is active or not. It can be controlled remotely due to the presence of a sensor that uses Wi-Fi technology. Control can also be carried out using the key on the top. The convenience of such an outlet is that you can connect any device equipped with a plug of various types. A number of modern models are equipped with a USB connector, which allows you to charge your phone and other devices.

You can configure the Window Sensor in various ways. More information about this can be found on the forum w3bsit3-dns.com, where an entire branch is devoted to each component. For example, you can set the outlet to be turned off at a certain point or for a certain period of time. You can also control power from the outlet to home appliances or other devices. Suppose if the TV is on and the tablet is charging, then you can immediately turn off the TV at a certain time, and the tablet will charge.

The following components that need to be said - the temperature sensor and humidity sensor.If such components are connected to the system, then upon reaching a certain temperature level in the room, the sensor will give a command to turn off the heater. If you combine a humidifier with a humidity sensor, the effect will be the same. It is important that the air does not become too dry or humid, because when the value of the indicator you are interested in decreases, the devices will know about it and the equipment will turn on again.

It can be used in different ways:

• as a light switch;
• like a doorbell;
• as a multifunctional device: turn on the light when 1 pressed, activate the humidifier when 2, and activate the heating in the apartment with a long click;
• activate the alarm and the necessary modules, scripts.

Well, the last component, but of a programmatic nature, the entire system will be an application called Xiaomi Smart Home. It is thanks to him that the “smart home” from Xiaomi is managed. Also, for the program to work correctly, you must have Wi-Fi.

Note that the application has several flaws, the main of which is the language problem, which was already mentioned above.Translation of the application resembles a mixture of English and Chinese, which is why it will not be easy to deal with its work in full. Although you can always look at the review on the same w3bsit3-dns.com, which clearly and clearly describes how and what to do and what to choose and click to activate a particular function.

But for those who have a smartphone based on Android OC, there is good news - there is a special crack that will help to quickly understand the nuances of the application settings. Briefly write what you need to do to make the application active. First you need to create a new Mi-account or attach an existing one. After that, the hub is plugged into the outlet and should start flashing yellow. After that, you should add the device to the system and the application should reconnect to the hub, but it will turn blue. After that, the automatic update will start.

You should also consider a little and other devices from Xiaomi, which are not so often become components of the smart home system, but they can be.

Robot vacuum cleaner called Mi Robot Vacuum can clean the room without any damage to the walls and furniture. This is possible due to the presence of a sensor that is built into it. He sees the obstacles and allows the device not to face them.

The next device is a water purification filter called Mi Water Purifier. Its feature is that it has four stages of treatment, which significantly improve the quality of water.

Another device is called Mi Air Humidifier. This is an air purifier. The principle of its operation is very simple - the air that needs to be cleaned enters the device from four different sides, and already cleaned out through an opening located in the upper part of the device. The air purifier can be called quite powerful. For example, within ten minutes of his work, you can clear the air on an area of ​​up to twenty square meters.

Another device that can be said about is the Mi Air Humidifier. This is a device that moisturizes the air. It will be especially important to use if there is no moisture in the air, that is, it is too dry and filled with dust. You can control such a device using a special application, where there is a power-on time, a timer and so on.

An additional device that will be of interest to many is the smart kettle Mi Smart Kettle. From its features, it is possible to single out the possibility of maintaining a certain temperature, as well as switching on and off by predetermined parameters. Such a kettle is a great solution for a schoolboy who just came from classes and wants to drink tea, and for parents who returned home after a hard day’s work.

Creating and customizing scenarios will depend on the needs of the residents of the house and their wishes. The only limiting factor may be the number and type of different modules. Directly for each module, you can customize the scripts work - when the sensor is triggered, you should choose what action and on what devices will be carried out.

After the script is created, it will appear on the sensor settings page,responsible for a particular question. It is activated by. The system can additionally include sensors of any type. To do this, select the desired item in the Gateway menu, and then click the Add subdevice button. After that, you need a clip to press a key in a tiny hole. Now the sensor itself will make the connection to the control unit.

In the lower menu, you can activate the nightlight as a separate key, as well as the arming mode. Its activation is usually carried out within 60 seconds, so that a person can leave the room or building. After activation, the main unit starts flashing red, and after ten seconds an audible alert occurs.

You should also say a little about modes.

In total, you can activate two modes:

• houses;
• not at home.

If there is no person at home, the scenario will be activated, according to which the alarm system and other sensors will be activated. And when you return home, you can choose the second mode, which will turn off the alarm, but it will activate the lighting and all the equipment you need.

The system can respond to where your phone is located. You can move a certain distance, which is longer than you were indicated in the program settings and the security system is automatically activated.It will turn off when you return to the range of the system.

Now let's talk about how to connect the various components of the "smart home" from Xiaomi. Consider this when we have a complete set of components. This will allow you to fully disassemble the connection of all elements.

First you need to carry out the physical installation of system components. It should be noted here that no construction or other work is needed. As mentioned, everything is glued to the walls using ordinary double-sided tape.

After that, the wireless network should be connected, which is mandatory for the operation of the smart home. First, download Xiaomi Smart Home to your mobile phone. After logging in, the account is set up, which will be useful later.

Now you need to make the connection of the main gateway to Wi-Fi. After the central device is plugged in and turns yellow, it means that it is ready for device selection and configuration.All actions that will be performed by the user must be correlated with the algorithm that appears on the display. The sounds that accompany the operation of the device may not be clear to everyone, as they are provided in Chinese.

Consider the step-by-step installation instructions.

• Before turning on the outlet, the screen displays a certain image. After clicking on the Yes button, the diode on the gadget will flash yellow.
• Now, by clicking on the checkbox, we activate a certain indicator mode.
• We carry out the login and password for Wi-Fi. It should be noted an important point - the data must be the same for all gadgets. True, it is necessary to wait until all devices are connected.
• After some time, the list of applications will be replenished with another one that will manage the system. By clicking on the application icon, you can get to the control panel.
• All gadgets that are connected will be reflected on the smartphone screen.

Now we can only implement the configuration of the equipment. If we are talking about the main unit, then all actions with it are carried out in the Gateway point. As an example, we give the light, where you can change the brightness and tone,which are governed by the sliders.

In the alarm settings item, you enter accurate time data. It is important to remember that time must be adjusted to the temporary difference with China. You can activate the alarm on and off by preferring to turn off manually or turn off using a sensor.

Also in the alarm settings point it is easy to set the start time of the signal and the duration of the call.

If we talk alarm, then there are the following settings:

• the time when you can make the siren active;
• the type of sound and its volume;
• the number of operating devices.

To set up a doorbell, you need to set a certain volume, as well as define an alarm melody. By the way, in the mechanism of the “smart home” there is a rather important function - an alert if someone rings the doorbell. Such an alert comes on the owner's smartphone.

To devices that are already connected, you can add new ones using the Add Device item.

The advantages of this solution will be:

• a large variety of devices;
• no need for various construction works for their installation;
• low cost of various elements.

The only drawback can be called a small non-adaptability of devices and software component under the domestic user, but this condition does not affect the operation of the system itself, which can be called qualitative. We also note that due to the large number of devices this system can satisfy human needs to the maximum and significantly save its time in a number of household aspects, which will be of interest to almost everyone. It is also important that the manufacturer constantly releases more and more new gadgets that are constantly improving and increasing the capabilities of such a system.

In the next video you will find a full review of the smart home from Xiaomi.