Smart home

A smart home is a system of devices within a household that independently perform specific actions or tasks without human intervention - in other words, an intelligent home. For this purpose, the home automation devices are equipped for wireless communication with each other, for example, with the Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Z-Wave or Bluetooth Low Energy standards. A connection via Wi-Fi with hubs or smartphones is the most widespread wireless technology for smart home devices. Electronic devices for smart homes are increasingly developing from what was once a niche product into today’s standard, as they can be conveniently controlled remotely by the smart home residents.

Devices that are used in a smart home include those that control the climate in the house. These include air conditioners or heaters. Multimedia devices such as voice assistants, household appliances such as refrigerators or those that ensure security are also integrated into Smart Homes. These include video surveillance or fire and burglar alarm systems. Respective Wireless technology can control lighting in the Smart Home.

Which test procedures are relevant for smart homes?

Various test procedures for smart home products are a prerequisite for market approval and quality assurance. On the one hand, the testing of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) is required, in which the mutual influence of different devices on each other is tested. In this way, the immunity to interference can be determined.

Over Air (OTA) testing is necessary for products with built-in antennas, and it applies to smartphones, for example. In this way, return loss or interference emissions can be determined.

The Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) of smart home devices also requires testing. The decisive factor here is the degree of energy absorption by the user’s body exposed to an electromagnetic field of a smart home device.

Cybersecurity must also be examined for smart home products. The quality of commercial software products (cf. ISO/IEC 25051:2006) or the ergonomics of human-system interaction (cf. EN ISO 9241) are the main components of the tests. Here, the requirements for the human-centred quality of interactive systems are assessed over the entire life cycle.