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VELBUS INSTALLATION GUIDE 

©2015 Velbus 

www.velbus.eu 

1

 

INTRODUCTION

 

VELBUS - A MODULAR BUS SYSTEM 

Velbus is a 

modular

 system. Each module works autonomously of the others 

and for a rule does not need a central controller for its operation. This makes 
the system very flexible and robust. Even in case of a local failure, the system 
keeps working as a whole. 

There is no pre-set starting price (for example a master controller or central 
processor) therefore you will only pay for the modules that are really needed. 
If you later require additional shutters, lights, dimmers etc. to be automated, 
you  need  only  purchase  and  install  the  relevant  modules.  There  are  many 
different modules to choose from, including: relay modules (lights or sockets), 
dimmers (halogen, LED ...), shutter modules, motion and twilight sensors, etc. 

Summary of Contents for VMB4RYLD

Page 1: ...Installation Guide ...

Page 2: ...v 2015 08 04 ...

Page 3: ...ventional installation 9 Pricing vs functionality 10 2 Cabling 12 Electrical cabling 12 Bus cable 13 3 Which modules will I need in my electrical cabinet 14 Din rail power supply 14 DIN rail relay modules 15 DIN rail dimmer modules 16 DIN rail shutter modules 17 DIN rail configuration module 17 Din rail input modules 18 Example 18 ...

Page 4: ...nnel blind module 21 5 Connecting the modules 22 Terminators 22 Addresses 22 Bus wiring 24 Other wiring 26 6 Programming the modules 27 The principles of working with Velbus 27 Getting started with a new project 29 Creating actions 43 Visualizing and modifying actions 47 Changing feedback characteristics of input modules 49 Forcing and inhibiting 51 Configuring modules 53 ...

Page 5: ...Heating cooling control 54 Creating and modifying program steps 59 7 HELP What have I done wrong 63 8 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 68 ...

Page 6: ...of a local failure the system keeps working as a whole There is no pre set starting price for example a master controller or central processor therefore you will only pay for the modules that are really needed If you later require additional shutters lights dimmers etc to be automated you need only purchase and install the relevant modules There are many different modules to choose from including ...

Page 7: ...ds of meters are possible PRINCIPLE The simplest setup would consist of just two modules an input and an output module Input modules process the information coming from the outside world Push buttons switches sensors etc send their status to the bus in small commands or packets of data Output modules interpret these commands and control lighting heating air conditioning electrical outlets shutters...

Page 8: ...N bus is very stable and by lowering the baud rate it can effectively operate without problems over very long distances up to 1 1 km using EIB cable The bus operates on pulses or packets of data Even during the dimming of lights or the activation of an all off function there is very little traffic on the bus This obviously has great advantages over other systems Dozens of simultaneous requests can...

Page 9: ...nsive and complicated installations This could not be further from the truth A standard everything off or panic button is already the start of an automation system A Velbus automation system can consist of only a few modules and be fully functional It can also be very large and complex providing full automation and very advanced features Velbus proves its worth every day in thousands of installati...

Page 10: ...e living room to give feedback about a light in a nursery and so on Properly configured your Velbus automation system also saves energy Imagine for instance a light in the hallway that automatically turns off a feedback LED that reminds you the light on the driveway is still on an all off switch that takes care of all hidden consumers and automatically puts the heating in energy saving mode and so...

Page 11: ...ts dimmer modules shutter and window blind modules interface modules for the switches that you wish to use and or glass touch panels with integrated thermostat functions and so on The total price of these modules is the total price of your Velbus materials and is one of the lowest on the market The configuration software is free including any future updates When compared to competitive brands you ...

Page 12: ... available Unlike a conventional installation you do not need to include any switching in the path of these cables This detail alone saves you cabling costs and lets you benefit from the ease with which electric cables are installed around the property no multiway or two way switching needed In larger installations you will save even more on the wiring by using one or more electrical cabinets per ...

Page 13: ...s worth considering using flexible conduit in your installation to protect the cables and greatly reduce the time necessary to modify or extend the installation in the future Caution If you use different low voltage power supplies the grounds must always be connected to ensure the correct potential difference across all parts of the installation As stated above the Velbus bus cable must have four ...

Page 14: ...u Professionals Installers to find out how much control power your full installation will consume For a normal home one 4 5 A VMBSMPS power supply will suffice the rule of thumb is 1 A maximum current consumption for every 4 relay modules In larger installations a low voltage power supply can be installed in each electrical cabinet containing Velbus modules The grounds of the various low voltage p...

Page 15: ...tched on each channel The live and neutral wires normally coming from an isolated and protected circuit breaker are simply connected to the input contacts of this module which makes them available as 4 relay outputs The VMB4RYNO has 4 single pole single throw dry programmable relay contacts As mentioned above each channel can handle currents of up to 16 A AC resistive Each 4 channel relay module h...

Page 16: ...mmer module or a Velbus four channel 0 10 V control VMB4DC together with dimmers that use 0 10V analogue signalling as input e g the Velbus VMB2LEDDC or third party mains dimmers For dimming LED strips PWM we have the VMB2LEDDC 0 10 V 2 channel dimmer to be used in combination with the dimmer controller module VMB4DC For more information about dimming with Velbus please refer to www velbus eu dimm...

Page 17: ...ON MODULE In order to configure your Velbus system you will need a Velbus PC interface Through the interface modules you will be able to use the free configuration software Velbuslink to program and monitor the Velbus modules The VMBRSUSB shown here with its dust protection cover removed is a dual RS232 and USB slave socketed version for installation onto a DIN rail As an alternative to this DIN r...

Page 18: ...In order to make use of long cables and or to replace an existing teleruptor installation the VMB7IN is needed This is a 7 channel input module for mounting on a DIN rail This module does not offer feedback to the switches but does have status LEDs in its body EXAMPLE In a home where one wants to have just twenty automated lights one would need one VMBSMPS power supply and five VMB4RYLD relay modu...

Page 19: ...ndicators if LEDs are fitted sold separately Feedback can also be programmed with a night mode Please note that the wires connecting the push buttons should not be extended For Niko buttons a 1 or 2 button interface VMB2PB A N with integrated LEDs blue or amber and a 6 button version VMB6PB A N are also available Velbus glass touch panels Our VMBGPxxx glass touchpanels VMBGPOD shown left VMBGP1 VM...

Page 20: ...esults of your programming at first hand MOTION AND TWILIGHT SENSORS Velbus has its own motion twilight and temperature sensors to be installed along the bus The VMBPIROW white and VMBPIROB black outdoor motion twilight and temperature sensors allow for simultaneous motion and twilight detection as well as temperature measurement The VMBPIRC ceiling motion and twilight sensor has simultaneous moti...

Page 21: ...ling functions of up to 12 other glass panels Simple button events can change modes in all other glass panels if required by using VMB1TS temperature sensors together with a VMB1TC module for control and configuration of weekly programs Once configured heating modes day night anti freeze and comfort can also be changed by directly pushing the VMB1TS control button This range fits in Bticino Living...

Page 22: ...putting the switch on 1 closes the terminator It is best to note where these terminators are closed given that they may be hidden later on in the wall or cabinet In Velbuslink a terminator icon can be manually set next to the modules with closed terminators Note that for most modules this information is not stored in the modules themselves but only in the Velbuslink project file on your PC ADDRESS...

Page 23: ...o four addresses for the button functions one address for every 8 buttons and an additional address for the thermostat function Addresses versus channels Each address in Velbus is further subdivided in channels max 8 channels per address Channels correspond to individual buttons relays shutter channels and so on Example An 8 channel pushbutton interface module the VMB8PBU will have one address i e...

Page 24: ...hannels can be operated but also push buttons input channels dimmer channels blind channels and so on Renaming the modules and channels on p 38 BUS WIRING Modules can be mounted anywhere along the four wire Velbus cable line At every joint the polarity of the power supply and and data bus H and L must be maintained If mistakes are made in this respect nothing will be broken but your Velbus system ...

Page 25: ...re put in and taken out of the wall repeatedly This attention to detail will save a lot of searching later Stranded core cables are more forgiving in this respect The modules in your electrical cabinet must be connected in the same way The wiring rail VMBRAIL can be used along a DIN rail to link multiple modules at once This rail can be easily cut so you can also use it to link fewer modules if re...

Page 26: ... be directly connected in turn It goes without saying that your dimmable lighting circuits should be connected to dimmer module channels see DIN rail dimmer modules p 16 and so on Once power is up on your Velbus system you can already control each module relay dimmer shutter etc using the small button located behind each plastic cover even before any programming has taken place This way you can te...

Page 27: ...tting its feedback LEDs The programming is thus retained within the output modules for instance relay dimmer and blind modules If an output module is configured to respond to more than one input module an unlikely failure in a single input module will not affect the interaction between the output module and the other modules Each output module can be programmed to respond to any button or feature ...

Page 28: ...oad the Velbuslink software from the www velbus eu website and install it on your PC Windows only This software is free of charge We recommend to regularly check for updates on the website as new modules and functions may be included You can subscribe to the Velbus newsletter and or updates to automatically receive notifications in your inbox When Velbuslink scans your physical installation this w...

Page 29: ...ect from your PC to the memory maps of the modules overwriting the latter GETTING STARTED WITH A NEW PROJECT Creating a new Velbuslink project We will assume from this step on that you are working with a live Velbus installation connected to your PC with a USB cable Make sure none of your Velbus modules are in error mode LEDs blinking several times pause then blinking again In case of errors pleas...

Page 30: ...VELBUS INSTALLATION GUIDE 2015 Velbus 30 www velbus eu Choose a filename and folder and click next Select connect to my existing installation and press next ...

Page 31: ...n the following window select Direct cable connection RS232 USB and press next The software will automatically choose the port on which the Velbus USB module is connected Click finish to automatically establish a connection and start configuring your devices ...

Page 32: ...LLATION GUIDE 2015 Velbus 32 www velbus eu Now select scan my installation for modules This will make Velbuslink scan the bus for modules Click next to proceed A window will pop up showing the progress of the scan ...

Page 33: ...ecommend read settings from my existing installation as this is the only way to be sure that your project configuration in Velbuslink matches the actual configuration in the physical modules A window may pop up showing the progress of the memory read after which you will be notified that your new project has been created Press Finish to start configuring your Velbus installation ...

Page 34: ...odule with electronic addressing will be provided with the address FF by factory default3 As the system does not allow duplicate addresses it displays exclamation marks next to these addresses You now need to assign a valid address to all modules that still have an FF address If there are modules with duplicate address neither you nor the software will be able to effectively communicate with them ...

Page 35: ...e window that appears shows all connected modules with their current addresses To change the addresses we can use automatic detection Note Only use the automatic detection function if no two modules with the same address apart from FF are present in your Velbus system If this should be the case manually change the duplicates into new unused addresses first Make sure Automatically select detected m...

Page 36: ...avoid confusion if someone else would accidentally push a button Addresses of selected modules are changed by entering a new value 01 to FE hexadecimally or 0 254 decimally4 in the address field Press the Enter button on the keyboard or click on the Change button to confirm Each module should be selected in turn and its new address set to suit your requirements DIN rail modules can be detected in ...

Page 37: ...ddress management dialog and check the list of modules in your Velbus system to confirm that none have a red exclamation mark showing Most recent modules have a blank space on their cover for you to write notes or names on so that if you pre program before installation or wish to make life easier on a future inspection of the installation you can quickly cross reference the module in Velbuslink Fu...

Page 38: ... appears A window will pop up allowing you to operate the channel e g switch a relay channel on or off Clicking on the on off buttons will actually operate the relay and you should see the connected fixture be turned on or off This way you can check which channel is connected to which device from within Velbuslink and rename it accordingly Not only relay channels can be operated but also push butt...

Page 39: ... respective modules It would be good practise to confirm the fixtures that are connected to each output module by pressing the mechanical button on each output module or operating that channel from within Velbuslink see Operating channels from within Velbuslink above then rename that output module and channel accordingly Likewise names and channels of input modules can be identified and renamed in...

Page 40: ...hen make these layers visible or invisible in the navigator window To create manage and toggle the visibility of layers click on the Layer Manager icon Adding a layer is done by clicking on the building block with the green symbol To delete a layer highlight the unwanted layer and click on the building block with the red symbol Likewise layers can be renamed by clicking on the building block with ...

Page 41: ...e in the navigator window Using the detector tab A useful feature for double checking your names or finding modules and channels is the Detector tab You can also use it for renaming channels First make sure the types of modules you want to be detected relays dimmers inputs are checked in the top section of the Detector window When you press on a button an input button or a button on the output mod...

Page 42: ... for instance with a USB cable to a VMBRSUSB configuration module start Velbuslink click on New project and follow the wizard give all modules a unique address between 01 and FE hex or 0 255 dec rename the modules and channels This can be done in several ways o by simply selecting them one by one and renaming them o by operating the channels from within Velbuslink and checking which device is acti...

Page 43: ...ate the following action between the relay channel this time acting as initiator and the push button this time acting as subject Allocating an input button to an output channel There are many ways of creating an action between input module buttons and output module channels Whichever way you choose to create actions within Velbuslink the results that will be written to the modules are the same Not...

Page 44: ...bination selected by this drag and drop process All that remains to do to complete the action programming is to define the type of action that you want to happen when this button is pressed If necessary the action parameters for instance a delay time can be specified in the right hand panel 2 Double click and select As with most software there are various ways to achieve the same goal Here we show...

Page 45: ...ill appear and the input selection will be pre populated with the button selected here Note the double arrow to the left of initiator and subject clicking on the arrow will switch the selected channels around Clicking on Click to select a subject or the Select button see below will bring up a new window from where you can locate and select the module and channel that you want this new action to wo...

Page 46: ...hlighted click on OK The selection window will close and take you back so that you can now choose the type of action you want to happen see 1 Drag and drop above The list of available actions will vary depending on the output module selected 3 Detection Instead of looking up the channel in the select a channel dialog a channel can also be selected by detecting it In the add action window click on ...

Page 47: ...ed by you In the example below the Inputs Heating and Sensors groups have been deselected Here we have pressed the small button for channel 1 located on the relay module itself see image under DIN rail relay modules p 15 Pressing Accept will fill in this channel in the add action dialog at the appropriate place You can then select the type of action you want to happen Remember to modify any parame...

Page 48: ...ges will only be written to the modules after synchronisation write of course In the navigator window you can also see that next to every channel associated with an action a chain link icon appears According to what has been programmed into them other icons may appear next to modules or channels NAVIGATOR PANE ACTIONS PANE Double click to edit action ...

Page 49: ...dback LED on when relay is closed feedback LED off or dimmed when configured to serve as a locator or orientation lamp when relay is off Feedback LEDs can also blink for instance when a dimmer is dimming a timer is running a blind is going up or down et cetera In some situations you may want to change this default feedback behaviour for instance to link the feedback LED of a button to a different ...

Page 50: ... 2 click on the Configure module symbol 3 In the Configuration settings window that appears click on the tab LED Feedback if this tab isn t visible check Show advanced features at the bottom of the window 4 Double click on Feedback next to the channel s name 5 In the LED Feedback window that pops up select Monitoring Click on OK then on Done Step 2 is defining which output channel has to be monito...

Page 51: ...ility These are all configured following the same steps as described above FORCING AND INHIBITING For many modules forcing and inhibiting actions are available Inhibiting While inhibited a channel will be turned off released During inhibition mode it will no longer respond to signals coming from the bus It will however still pick up these signals and when coming out of inhibition mode it will exec...

Page 52: ...te the on action and simply remain off Priorities Using a combination of regular inhibiting and forcing actions one can set different levels of priorities Forced off has priority over forced on which has priority over inhibiting actions which in turn have priority over regular actions Example a sunscreen has to be lowered when the indoor temperature exceeds 25 C But when the wind sensor closes too...

Page 53: ...on the type of module Relay channels for instance can be set to normally closed or normally open For input buttons the array of possible settings is much wider the response time can be set single dual multi mode can be chosen LED indication and backlights can be configured program steps can be added and so on In glass panels additionally the thermometer and thermostat functions can be configured d...

Page 54: ...21 for a quick overview of relevant modules We will explain here the principle of heating control using a VMBGPOD glass panel with OLED display as master panel in the living room and a VMBGP2 two button glass panel in the bathroom 1 Activate the temperature sensors First of all the thermostat functions of both panels have to be activated by assigning them an address different from FF Access the ad...

Page 55: ... the VMBGP2 panel and access its configuration dialog by clicking on Edit the settings in the tab Temperature General Change the sensor name we chose Bathroom and set the desired target temperatures for each heating mode The sensor name chosen here will also appear on the VMBGPOD display when we configure this later on Click on Done Next select the VMBGPOD master panel in the navigator window In t...

Page 56: ...sensors Next we will link the VMBGP2 Bathroom temperature sensor to the VMBGPOD master panel so the first can be accessed from the latter s display In the VMBGPOD configuration settings go to the tab Temperature Remote select the Bathroom sensor and click on Show ...

Page 57: ...an remain active until the next program step or the next manual intervention Please refer to the product and FAQ pages on www velbus eu for more details 4 Create connections Finally we need to create the right connections actions between the temperature sensors and the relay channels controlling the heating system How the Velbus relays need to be physically connected to the heating system depends ...

Page 58: ...emperature which depends on the active mode anti freeze day night or comfort these channels will be closed Pressed Once the temperature is again equal to or higher than the target temperature the channels open again Released In the example below the measured temperature is 22 5 C As the target temperature is set at 25 C the heater and pump channels are closed Pressed Schematically represented the ...

Page 59: ... channels open again the relevant parts of the heating system will be deactivated too As long as at least one connected pump channel is closed Pressed the pump relay will also remain closed Only when all connected pump channels are released will the pump be deactivated More configuration options e g hysteresis sensor calibration delays etc are accessible under the Temperature tab of the modules Fo...

Page 60: ...f the program step can be configured When all fields have been set as needed click on OK to to add the program step To modify a program step simply select it in the Program Steps tab and click on the Edit button Every module has three possible programs Program 1 2 and 3 Programs are not the same as program steps In each module a maximum of 64 or 85 program steps can be defined depending on the typ...

Page 61: ...on settings dialog This setting is only accessible when Velbuslink is connected as the active program is immediately written to the module even without syncing The programs in an input module can also be manipulated by certain actions coming from other Velbus modules To do so create an action and as subject choose the input module channel Module programs ...

Page 62: ...ng program steps Those modules that have thermostat functions e g the glass panel series VMBGPODx VMBGP1x VMBGP2x and VMBGP4x also have a configuration tab for program steps related to heating and cooling Heating and cooling program steps can be configured in the tab Temperature Program steps The principle is the same as explained above under Program steps for input modules This way heating coolin...

Page 63: ... correctly due to an incorrect Windows device driver During the installation of Velbuslink the necessary drivers should automatically be installed in the folder C Program Files Velleman Velbuslink Driver or C Program Files x86 Velleman VelbusLink Driver If necessary you can manually install this driver into your Windows system To do so open your Windows Start menu and do a search for devmgmt msc o...

Page 64: ...es increase from 00 upwards but nothing was found This usually has a wiring problem as the cause Is the polarity correct everywhere along the bus data wires H and L Is the supply voltage present along the bus Do all modules have the red power LED illuminated Are the terminators correctly set See Terminators p 22 Maybe somewhere a supply cable has been connected to a data cable by mistake Does your...

Page 65: ...appear to have been changed in Velbuslink simply because the view has been switched from decimal to hexadecimal this setting can be found in the View menu on top Some input modules provide their status as pressed even though nothing is connected If you connect feedback LEDs you must respect the polarity of these LEDs If you mount them backwards you get the effect of an activated push button Some L...

Page 66: ...ton or input channel Push the button for at least three seconds to make sure The channel may also be locked In Velbuslink right click on the channel select this module unlock buttons In case of a static electrical discharge power down the system wait a few seconds and power up again A module with electronic addressing remains untraceable red X next to its state in Velbuslink although the LEDs on t...

Page 67: ... because Velbus fails to find the module Only synchronise when there are no red X marks or exclamation signs next to any of your listed modules For best results only work on a software configuration once the Velbus system has been scanned by Velbuslink to confirm the presence of all of your modules Automatic detection selects the wrong module The address of the module you are expecting is probably...

Page 68: ...tance if you want a light to be on on startup configure an on action between the virtual relay startup initiator and the relay channel subject next configure a virtual button to activate this virtual relay during one second use action no 15 restartable timer with time at short press set to 1 second finally set the virtual button to Normally Closed Select the module click on the configure symbol op...

Page 69: ...MBHIS Home Center server comes with a built in logical module allowing all inputs and outputs and various special elements Sonos triggers IR command codes et cetera to be connected through a high level programming interface What happens to the time and date setting after a system power loss The actions and settings that have been programmed in the modules will never be affected by a power loss As ...

Page 70: ...ck update function in Velbuslink click on at the upper right of the main window while connected to your installation In both cases all modules in the installation will instantly copy the new time and date Attention when setting the time the seconds are set to 00 Keep this in mind especially when testing things like program steps Remark All current input modules make a backup of the date every 24 h...

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