What is the Hub and how does it work?
Manage features and experiences.
The HUB Pro is the brain of iO devices and the one that manages the features and experiences, as well as the only one that connects to the Internet. Thanks to this, physically the whole system can work perfectly without the need for the Internet, since they use another type of technology to communicate with each other.
What is the Hub?
A Hub could be translated as a hub, so we can define it as a device that is able to connect several devices to each other, that is to say, that concentrates all the connections in one place. In the case of the Hub Pro, in addition to being the central axis of connection, it is also where all the necessary configurations are stored.
The particularity of this Hub compared to other similar computer devices is that it uses a communications protocol created and optimized to be used in home automation and which has been called Z-Wave.
How to register HUB Pro iO - Simon 100
How the Z-Wave connection protocol works
Z-Wave is the technology used to communicate with iO devices. It is a low-wave wireless communication protocol, in which the radio frequency ranges between 865 MHz-926 MHz, depending on the country.
This type of protocol uses iO/Z-Wave devices to create a mesh network to communicate with each other, so the location of these devices is very important.
The way that the HUB Pro uses to communicate with a specific iO device is to use those that are between one and the other, reaching up to 4 devices as transmitters. You don’t need to worry about this data at all, since between one device and another there can be a distance of approximately 9 meters. This value can vary according to the type of attenuation according to the material of the walls and the furniture of the house.
It should also be noted that battery-powered devices do not help transmit and do not count as a transmitting device.
Things to consider when choosing where to install Hub Pro and iO devices
After understanding what the hub is, now we need to know the importance of the installation site. This table allows us to deduce the importance of the situation of the HUB Pro and the iO devices, taking into account the materials that surround them. To create a good device communication mesh and ensure good operation, we must consider the following points:
- Devices should avoid being placed behind obstacles such as household appliances so they don’t absorb all the signal. If it happens, the recommendation is to put another device on the same level to communicate in profile.
- Check that the iO devices furthest from the HUB Pro have iO devices in between and are not separated by external walls.
- It is better to take a longer path through more devices and through materials that absorb little, than through a material that attenuates most of the signal and through fewer devices. In the case of a two-storey house, it is recommended to try to pass the communication from one floor to another through stairs rather than directly from one floor to another.
- The HUB Pro should be placed as central as possible to the installed iO devices. If you want to control the devices remotely, make sure that the Wi-Fi signal reaches the HUB Pro. It should also be taken into account that around the HUB Pro there are no obstacles with materials that involve a large attenuation of the signal.
- Enroll iO devices closer to the HUB Pro to the app before those further away. This ensures that the devices will have a communication path with the HUB Pro upon registration.
- Ensure that the mobile that is given above the device is correctly receiving the Wi-Fi of the house and does not lose connection with HUB Pro.
How to register a HUB Pro
To register the HUB Pro, we first need to download the Simon iO app and register if you haven’t already.
- Go to the installation screen.
- Click on the hub-icon
- Press the HUB Pro LED button for 10 seconds, the LED will turn off during these 10 seconds.
- Wait for the LED to turn solid blue, without blinking.
- From the mobile phone, connect to the Wi-Fi broadcast by the HUB Pro: Install_Simon_iO. Maybe they warn you that it doesn’t have internet, that’s normal.
- If the house where you configure has a Wi-Fi router with Internet, enter the credentials of this router. If there is no router, press “No” and you will be able to create a special Wi-Fi that will be broadcast by the HUB Pro to be able to continue with the configuration.
- Connect to the router’s Wi-Fi, or the one created if there is no router.
- Enter name and icon for installation.