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Understanding Insteon Technology: Features and Applications

insteon home automation iot wireless communication powerline communication

This article covers the basic features of Insteon technology, including the Insteon PHY layer, Insteon signal, Insteon network, and the Insteon home automation concept used in the IoT (Internet of Things). INSTEON technology is a trademark of INSTEON Inc. in the US.

It enables simple, low-cost devices to be networked together using the powerline, radio frequency, or both. All INSTEON devices are known as peers because any device can transmit, receive, or repeat messages from other devices. This means devices don’t require a master device controller or any routing software. The more devices in the INSTEON network, the stronger the Insteon signal.

The following table outlines the features of Insteon technology, which is widely used for Home automation and in IoT(Internet of Things):

SpecificationINSTEON SUPPORT
About NetworkDual Band (RF and Powerline), Peer to Peer communication, Mesh topology, No routing table, Unsupervised
Data Rate13,165 bps (Instantaneous powerline), 2,880 bps (Sustained powerline), 38,400 bps (Instantaneous RF)
Frequency (RF Physical Layer)915 MHz (US), 869.85 MHz (Europe), 921 MHz (Australia)
Modulation (RF PHY)FSK
Sensitivity (RF PHY)-103 dBm
Range (RF PHY)150 feet unobstructed LOS
Frequency (Powerline PHY)131.65 KHz
Modulation (Powerline PHY)BPSK
Min. Transmit Level (PL PHY)3.16 Vpp, 5 Ohms
Min. Receive Level (PL PHY)10 mV
Phase BridgingINSTEON RF and Hardware
Message Type10 bytes (standard), 24 bytes (Extended)
Devices Supported24 bit pre-assigned module ID address, supports 16,777,216 devices in a network
Commands65536 supported
SecurityPhysical device possession, Address masking, Encrypted message payloads

INSTEON Signal

INSTEON signal

Fig-1: INSTEON SIGNAL

Figure 1 depicts the Insteon signal. Here are its characteristics:

  • It uses a 24-bit packet.
  • It is sent at zero crossing.
  • It has a rate of 13 kbps.
  • It uses rolling codes for encryption.
  • A standard message (consisting of 5 packets) has a size of 120 bits in the Powerline protocol.
  • An extended message (consisting of 11 packets) has a size of 264 bits in the Powerline protocol.
  • A standard message size is 112 bits, and an extended message size is 224 bits in the RF protocol.
  • The RF part uses FSK, and the Powerline part uses BPSK.

Insteon Home Automation Basics

INSTEON Home automation Network

Fig-2: INSTEON Home Automation Network

In Figure 2, devices in the network communicate using the INSTEON protocol over the air via RF and over the powerline using the powerline protocol.

Figure 2 depicts a typical installation of an INSTEON home automation system. Electrical power is distributed to homes in North America by splitting the main power line of 220Volt AC. Hence, there will be a pair of two-wire 110VAC powerlines referred to as phase-1 and phase-2. Phase-1 takes care of half of the area in the home, and phase-2 takes care of the second half.

INSTEON RF devices communicate with each other using the RF protocol. INSTEON powerline devices communicate with other PL devices using the INSTEON powerline protocol. INSTEON dual-band devices take advantage of both protocols and will be able to communicate with both types of devices. This concept of INSTEON home automation is widely employed due to the availability of powerline and radio frequency technologies in the home.