They were the middle class family of the future with every push button luxury convenience imaginable. But now with new home automation systems you dont have to imagine any more. Now you can phone home to switch on your air-conditioner, your spa bath or even water your lawn. You now have the ability to integrate all your electrical appliances and services and more on one platform and then activate or pre-program them from almost any location. That means you can operate your automatic sprinklers from a wall switch in the kitchen or perhaps by phone from work or from overseas. The possibilities are endless.

How does it work?

Once programmed, the system operates as a stand alone system. Even during power failures the memory can be retained. The wall switches look conventional enough, but in reality operate more as a key on a computer, with which home owners can program any electrical function they wish to control. If youre building or renovating, its not uncommon to include air-conditioning, a security system and an automatic sprinkler system. The beauty of an automated system is that it integrates all these systems for you. And even if youre not financially ready for some of the services such as air-conditioning, you can have the wiring already in place, making upgrades an easier task. Its a way of "future proofing" your house and your name doesnt even have to be Jetson.

C-BUS

Simple and effective lighting management

Electrical installations in commercial, industrial and residential buildings have now become radically simplified. Cabling costs have been reduced and a personal computer is now the integral tool of the electrical contractor. Lights can be programmed to switch off when no one is in a room or when there is sufficient natural light. Banks of lights can be monitored by a computer and simultaneously dimmed with the touch of a key. Subsequent alterations to the installation are simply keyed in, without the need for expensive rewiring.

The "system" is called Clipsal Bus (C-Bus)

A fully programmable lighting management system designed to provide effective lighting and to transform savings into reduced power bills. Driven by software developed specifically for C-Bus, each key input and load module has a built-in microprocessor which can be programmed to perform a multitude of effective lighting tasks. Once programmed, C-Bus may operate without a computer as a stand alone system, however, the system's capabilities are enhanced when networked to a computer.

The system is also economical to install

With a dramatically reduced need for costly mains cable. Instead, the C-Bus maximises inexpensive Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) cable to minimise installation costs and installation time. C-Bus is the simplest and most cost efficient lighting management system of its type.