# Sensor & Automation Specification ## 1. Control Architecture The air system is managed by a layered control architecture: local sensors feed data to a central controller, which modulates the MVHR, dampers, and humidifier. Home Assistant provides monitoring, logging, alerting, and override capability. ```mermaid flowchart TD subgraph Sensors["Room Sensors (per zone)"] CO2["CO₂ Sensor"] VOC["TVOC Sensor"] PM["PM2.5 / PM10 Sensor"] TH["Temperature + Humidity"] RN["Radon Monitor\n(ground floor only)"] end subgraph FilterSensors["Filter Monitoring"] DP1["ΔP Sensor: Pre-filter"] DP2["ΔP Sensor: F7"] DP3["ΔP Sensor: Carbon"] DP4["ΔP Sensor: H13 HEPA"] DP5["ΔP Sensor: Exhaust F9"] end subgraph Controller["Central Controller"] KNX["KNX / Modbus Bus"] HA["Home Assistant"] end subgraph Actuators["Actuators"] MVHR["MVHR Fan Speed"] DAMP["Zone Dampers"] HUM["Steam Humidifier"] DEHUM["Dehumidifier"] end Sensors --> KNX FilterSensors --> KNX KNX --> HA HA --> Actuators style HA fill:#1a5e5e,color:#fff style KNX fill:#1a3d5e,color:#fff ``` --- ## 2. Room Sensor Placement Every occupied room requires a sensor unit. The following table defines sensor requirements per zone: | Zone | CO₂ | TVOC | PM2.5 | Temp/RH | Radon | Notes | |------|-----|------|-------|---------|-------|-------| | Master Bedroom | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Priority zone — sleep quality | | Leo's Room | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Priority zone — child health | | Living Room | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Largest volume, main gathering | | Kitchen | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Separate exhaust system | | Office / Study | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Cognitive performance critical | | Bathroom(s) | No | No | No | Yes | No | Humidity control priority | | Basement / Ground Floor | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Radon monitoring mandatory | | Technical Room | No | No | No | Yes | No | Equipment monitoring | ### 2.1 Sensor Mounting Guidelines - **CO₂ sensors**: Mount at breathing height (1.2–1.5 m), away from windows, doors, and supply diffusers. CO₂ reading at the diffuser is outdoor air, not room air. - **PM sensors**: Mount away from direct airflow paths — measure room air, not supply air. - **Temperature/Humidity**: Away from direct sunlight, heat sources, and exterior walls. **With radiant ceiling heating and raised floor, mount sensors at 1.2–1.5 m wall height** — away from both the heated ceiling surface above and the floor surface below (see 04-flooring-ceiling-spec Section 9.1). - **Radon monitors**: Ground floor / basement only, placed in the lowest habitable room, away from windows and doors. --- ## 3. Sensor Hardware Recommendations ### 3.1 Multi-Sensor Units | Sensor | Recommended Model | Protocol | Parameters | Notes | |--------|-------------------|----------|------------|-------| | CO₂ + Temp + RH | Aqara TVOC Air Quality Monitor or Senseair S8 (custom) | Zigbee / UART | CO₂, T, RH | NDIR sensor, ±30 ppm accuracy | | TVOC | SGP41 (Sensirion) | I²C | TVOC, NOx index | Requires 24h conditioning | | PM2.5/PM10 | Sensirion SPS30 | I²C / UART | PM1.0, PM2.5, PM4, PM10 | Laser-based, long-life fan | | Radon | Airthings Wave Plus or RadonEye RD200 | BLE / WiFi | Radon (Bq/m³) | Continuous, hourly updates | ### 3.2 Filter Differential Pressure Sensors | Sensor | Recommended Model | Range | Output | |--------|-------------------|-------|--------| | ΔP across each filter stage | Sensirion SDP810 or Dwyer MS-111 | 0–500 Pa | I²C / 4-20mA | One sensor per filter stage (5 total: G4, F7, Carbon, H13, Exhaust F9). Alerts when pressure drop exceeds threshold indicating filter loading. ### 3.3 Outdoor Reference Station An outdoor sensor station provides baseline comparison: - PM2.5 / PM10 (verify filtration effectiveness) - Temperature + Humidity (MVHR efficiency calculation) - Air pressure (positive pressure verification) --- ## 4. Automation Logic ### 4.1 Demand-Controlled Ventilation (DCV) The MVHR operates in demand mode, modulating airflow based on sensor readings: ```mermaid flowchart TD CO2{"CO₂ Level?"} -->|"< 600 ppm"| LOW["Minimum Flow\n0.5 ACH"] CO2 -->|"600–800 ppm"| MED["Standard Flow\n0.8 ACH"] CO2 -->|"800–1000 ppm"| HIGH["Boost Flow\n1.0 ACH"] CO2 -->|"> 1000 ppm"| MAX["Maximum Flow\n1.2+ ACH"] VOC{"TVOC Level?"} -->|"> 500 µg/m³"| PURGE["Purge Mode\nMax flow + alert"] PM{"PM2.5 Indoor?"} -->|"> 15 µg/m³"| CHECK["Check Filters\nAlert if ΔP normal"] style MAX fill:#8b0000,color:#fff style PURGE fill:#8b0000,color:#fff ``` ### 4.2 Humidity Control ```mermaid flowchart TD RH{"Room RH?"} -->|"< 35%"| HUMON["Activate Steam Humidifier"] RH -->|"35–40%"| HUMLOW["Low Steam Output"] RH -->|"40–60%"| OKAY["Optimal — No Action"] RH -->|"60–65%"| DEHUMLOW["Reduce Humidifier / Light Dehumid"] RH -->|"> 65%"| DEHUMON["Active Dehumidification + Alert"] style HUMON fill:#1a5e5e,color:#fff style DEHUMON fill:#8b0000,color:#fff ``` ### 4.3 Filter Maintenance Alerts | Condition | Action | |-----------|--------| | ΔP across any stage > 1.5× initial value | Warning: filter loading, plan change | | ΔP across any stage > 2.0× initial value | Critical: change filter immediately | | ΔP drops suddenly | Warning: possible filter seal failure | | Indoor PM2.5 > outdoor PM2.5 | Critical: filter bypass or seal failure | ### 4.4 Night Mode (Bedrooms) - Between 22:00–07:00, bedroom zones get priority airflow - CO₂ target tightened to < 600 ppm (sleep quality) - Fan speed profile optimized for minimum noise - Living room / kitchen dampers partially closed to redirect airflow ### 4.5 Cooking Mode - Kitchen hood activation triggers: - Kitchen zone damper closes (prevents pulling kitchen air into MVHR) - Dedicated kitchen exhaust activates - MVHR boost mode engages to compensate for exhaust pressure - 30-minute timer to return to normal after cooking ends --- ## 5. Home Assistant Integration ### 5.1 Dashboard Elements | Widget | Data Source | Purpose | |--------|-----------|---------| | Air Quality Index (per room) | CO₂ + PM2.5 + TVOC composite | At-a-glance air quality | | Filter Status (5 stages) | ΔP sensors | Remaining filter life % | | MVHR Status | MVHR controller | Fan speed, mode, heat recovery % | | Humidity Map | Room RH sensors | Whole-house humidity overview | | Radon Trend | Radon monitor | 24h / 7d / 30d trends | | Indoor vs. Outdoor | Outdoor station vs. indoor | Filtration effectiveness proof | | Energy Dashboard | MVHR + humidifier power | Running cost tracking | | Ceiling Heating/Cooling | Manifold actuators + surface temp | Per-zone heating/cooling status | | Ceiling Surface Temp | Embedded ceiling sensors | Condensation risk indicator (vs. dewpoint) | | Floor Surface Temp | Embedded floor sensors (if cooling) | Comfort limit monitoring | ### 5.2 Alerting | Alert Level | Channel | Examples | |-------------|---------|----------| | Info | Dashboard notification | Filter approaching change interval | | Warning | Push notification | CO₂ > 1000 ppm, RH > 65% | | Critical | Push + audible alarm | Filter failure, PM2.5 spike, radon > 300 Bq/m³ | ### 5.3 Data Logging All sensor data logged to InfluxDB via Home Assistant for long-term trend analysis: - 1-minute resolution for CO₂, PM, TVOC - 5-minute resolution for temperature, humidity - 1-hour resolution for radon - Retention: minimum 2 years --- ## 6. Communication Protocols ```mermaid flowchart LR subgraph Field["Field Level"] S1["Room Sensors\n(Zigbee / WiFi)"] S2["ΔP Sensors\n(I²C / 4-20mA)"] S3["Outdoor Station\n(WiFi)"] end subgraph Bus["Bus Level"] KNX["KNX Bus\n(MVHR, Dampers, Humidifier)"] ZB["Zigbee Coordinator\n(Room Sensors)"] end subgraph Server["Server Level"] HA["Home Assistant\n+ InfluxDB"] end S1 --> ZB S2 --> KNX S3 --> HA ZB --> HA KNX --> HA HA --> KNX style HA fill:#1a5e5e,color:#fff ``` - **KNX**: Primary bus for MVHR control, motorized dampers, humidifier — wired, deterministic, reliable - **Zigbee**: Room sensor network — mesh, low power, well-supported in Home Assistant - **WiFi**: Outdoor station, radon monitors — direct to Home Assistant - **InfluxDB**: Time-series database for long-term data retention and Grafana dashboards --- ## 7. Wiring Requirements for Baufritz The following must be specified at construction stage: | Item | Quantity | Location | Cable | |------|----------|----------|-------| | KNX bus cable | 1 run per zone | All zones + technical room | KNX TP (green, 2×2×0.8mm) | | 230V outlet for room sensor | 1 per room | At sensor mounting point | Standard NYM | | Cat6 network drop | 1 per room | Near sensor location | Cat6a shielded | | Dedicated circuit: MVHR | 1 | Technical room | 3×2.5mm² | | Dedicated circuit: humidifier | 1 | Technical room | 3×2.5mm² (steam = high draw) | | ΔP sensor cable runs | 5 | Filter housing to technical room | 4-wire shielded | | Outdoor sensor power + data | 1 | North-facing exterior | Weatherproof outlet + Cat6 | | Ceiling surface temp sensors | 1 per zone | Embedded in Plafotherm panels | 4-wire shielded | | Floor surface temp sensors | 2-3 per zone | On/in parquet surface | 4-wire shielded | **Note**: On the ground floor, KNX bus cable and Cat6 runs can be routed through the Lindner NORTEC Doppelboden cavity instead of wall chases, simplifying installation (see 04-flooring-ceiling-spec Section 6.1).