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Is it difficult to connect smart modules? | ROBBshop to the rescue

Connecting smart switches can be a difficult job, but with the tips from the ROBBshop you are well prepared and you will not run into surprises. For example, use small junction boxes, this simplifies the installation process because these junction boxes require much less installation space. Please contact us if you are unsure that our wireless home automation applications can also be used in your office or home.

But before you read on, first let's talk about the basics of a 230VAC system.

In a 230V power network you will find the following colors of electricity wire:

Bruine draad	Live, de kant waar de stroom op staat
Blauwe draad	Neutraal draad
Zwarte draad	Schakeldraad

Centraaldoos	De doos in het plafond waar doorgaans de lamp hangt.
Inbouwdoos	De doos waar normaal gesproken een schakelaar of een stopcontact in gemonteerd word.

To supply a smart switch with power, you need both the brown and the blue wire. However, the blue wire is not always present at the switch.

The 2 and 3 wire on-off system.

Z-wave home automation products often refer to a 2-wire or 3-wire connection.

one speaks of 2-wire if there is only a brown and black wire in the flush-mounted box. The blue wire is missing because for economic reasons it runs directly from the meter cupboard to the central box (where the lamp hangs), and therefore not via a detour (via the switch). That saves wire, but is inconvenient because most home automation modules need both a blue and a black wire. An exception are some dimmer modules. They work with only a brown and black wire.

A 3-wire system has brown, black and blue present at the switch. This is the best option. If there is a socket next to the switch, there is always a blue wire.

All this can best be explained by means of the image below:

2 draad vs 3 draad aansluitsysteem voor homeautomation schakelingen

On the left a 2-wire connection is shown, this is the situation in most homes. The switch in the flush-mounted box is connected to the brown wire. When the switch is turned on, the black wire is supplied with power. There is no blue wire, so there is no steam in the flush-mounted box. After all, for electricity you need a brown and a blue wire. This is the case in the middle diagram. A blue wire has been pulled back from the central box (the box on the ceiling where the lamp is mounted). In the middle, the blue wire is present in the flush-mounted box (3-wire system).

In the right-most figure you can see how the switch module is connected. The module itself needs a blue wire because it needs power itself to operate.

Note that the switch is no longer directly connected to the lamp, but to the module. The switch and the wireless (Z-wave) signal from the base station are both input signals for the smart switch. The smart switch responds to these signals by switching the lamp on or off (the FIBARO dimmer is an exception, it also works without a blue wire).

Also take a look at our projects page, there is a lot of information. Among other things, about connecting the modules when you do not have a blue wire at your disposal.

Connecting domotics switching modules with Z-wave

You can see the usual situation on the left in the image. The brown (live) wire runs through the switch to the lamp. The blue (Neutral) wire runs directly from the group (meter cupboard) to the lamp and therefore does not run via the switch. This means that only 1 wire of the required 2 is present in the flush-mounted box. This is called a 2-wire system in which the black (switching wire) is also included. Z-wave switches need power themselves and that is missing when the lamp is switched off. For a sulfur switch module to work properly, you need a blue (neutral wire) in the installation box. Usually you can pull it in by pulling back the black wire from the flush-mounted box with a new black wire and blue wire. This can be a job for an electrician, because when the wire comes loose you have a problem, therefore the wires must be connected very well.

Connecting domotics dimmer modules with Z-wave

Zwave dimmers work slightly differently than z-wave switches. Unlike the latter, dimmers do not interrupt the electrical circuit when the lamp is switched off. As a result, it is not necessarily necessary to have a blue wire (and therefore a 3 wire system) for the sulfur module to function properly. Most z-wave dimmers can be connected to a 2-wire system (so without blue wire present in the flush-mounted box). The Qubino dimmer always needs a blue (neutral) wire. You can find more about the difference between FIBARO and Qubino dimmers here.

Do you want to test in advance whether the FIBARO and Qubino modules fit behind your switchgear in the flush-mounted box? Then order our built-in dummy module.

ROBBshop also has a short description with its projects how you can include a smart built-in module in a smart home hotel circuit

For questions you can always email or call us. click here for our contact details, or click on the contact button on the right of the browser.

Instruction video for the 3-wire connection of a FIBARO dimmer module.