ABB free@home
App-Based Home Automation by ABB — Simple Programming Without ETS6
ABB free@home is ABB's proprietary residential home automation system, launched in 2012 as a simpler alternative to KNX for homeowners and installers who want smart home features without the complexity of ETS6 programming. Unlike KNX, free@home uses a graphical app (ABB-free@home app, iOS/Android) for system configuration — drag-and-drop function assignment between devices, scene creation, and timer scheduling. The system is widely specified in the Central European residential market (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) for standard apartments and smaller villas where full KNX is not justified by budget.
Role in our panels
How we use ABB free@home
System architecture: the System Access Point (SAP 2.0) is the free@home brain — a DIN-rail device (KNX TP bus connection and Ethernet RJ45) that runs the configuration, logic processing, and user API. All free@home field devices (switch actuators, dimmer actuators, room controllers, binary inputs) connect to the SAP via KNX TP bus (same cable as KNX: YCYM 2×2×0.8 mm², same 29V DC bus voltage from same PS640 power supplies). The free@home bus uses KNX TP physical layer but a completely different application layer — free@home devices are NOT compatible with KNX devices on the same bus segment without the gateway. Programming via app: the ABB-free@home app (Windows/Mac via System Access Point web interface, or iOS/Android app) uses a visual room editor: import floor plan image, place virtual device icons on floor plan, connect switches to actuators by drawing lines. No ETS6, no group addresses, no DPTs — the SAP generates the internal data model automatically. Maximum system size: 64 devices per SAP (expandable to 512 with additional SAPs in same network). Compared to KNX ETS6: free@home configuration is 80% faster for standard residential functions (on/off switching, dimming, scenes, timers) — but lacks ETS6's granular DPT control, complex logic blocks, and multi-manufacturer device interoperability. KNX gateway FGA/A 1.1: for projects mixing free@home and KNX devices (e.g., free@home switch actuators in standard rooms, KNX DALI gateway for commercial-quality lighting in living room), the FGA/A 1.1 gateway bridges the two systems. The gateway appears as a virtual free@home device that maps free@home function channels to KNX group addresses. Example: free@home switch state (living room lights on) → FGA/A 1.1 → KNX group address GA 1/1/0 DPT 1.001 = 1 → KNX dimmer actuator turns on. KNX sensor input → FGA/A 1.1 → free@home function trigger. Limitation: the bridge is one SAP per FGA/A 1.1 maximum; only one active gateway per free@home network. This gateway enables renovation projects to keep existing KNX devices while adding free@home in extended rooms. ABB free@home wireless: free@home Wireless devices (wireless sensor actuators, wireless room controllers, wireless push-buttons) use 868 MHz radio in the same frequency band as KNX RF but with the free@home protocol. Wireless range: 20m indoors through 2 walls. Wireless free@home eliminates cable routing for renovation projects. Maximum 100 wireless devices per SAP (vs 64 wired). Wireless device battery life: 2-3 years (CR2032 for push-buttons, AA for room controllers). The ABB-free@home system also integrates with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Apple HomeKit via the SAP cloud connection — voice commands control free@home devices and, via the FGA/A 1.1 gateway, KNX devices in the same installation.
free@home coexists with KNX via the FGA/A 1.1 KNX gateway — free@home device states bridge to KNX group addresses bidirectionally. Free@home switch actuators appear as KNX virtual devices for KNX logic. Free@home SAP cloud connects to Alexa/Google/HomeKit, giving voice control to KNX devices via the gateway without a separate smart home hub.
Used in these project types
ABB free@home products
Key components we install
System Access Point 2.0 (SAP, DIN-rail, 64 devices)
The free@home system brain: DIN-rail mounted, connects to KNX TP bus (same YCYM 2×2×0.8 mm² cable and PS640 29V DC power supply as KNX). Runs configuration, logic processing, and user API for up to 64 free@home devices. Web interface for Windows/Mac configuration via browser; iOS/Android app for mobile access. Ethernet RJ45 for LAN connectivity and cloud services. Expandable: multiple SAPs on same network support up to 512 devices total. Hosts the visual floor-plan room editor — import image, place device icons, draw connection lines. No ETS6, no group addresses required for standard free@home functions.
SA/M 4.6.1 sensor-actuator 4-gang switch (4 inputs, 4 relay outputs)
Combined 4-channel binary input and 4-channel relay output module on DIN-rail. Inputs (24V DC, volt-free contact): connect conventional push-button switches, door contacts, or window sensors — converts physical inputs to free@home function triggers. Outputs: 4x relay contacts (16A per relay, volt-free) for switching lights, socket circuits, or fan coil on/off control. Powered from KNX TP bus. Programmed via ABB-free@home app: assign each input to a free@home function (toggle switch, push-button, blind trigger); assign each output to a switching actuator function. Common use: wiring existing non-smart switches in renovation projects to free@home without replacing wall plates.
FGA/A 1.1 KNX gateway (free@home to KNX bridge)
Bidirectional bridge between ABB free@home and KNX TP installations. Appears as a virtual free@home device in the SAP — map free@home function channels (switch state, dimmer level, blind position) to KNX group addresses (DPT 1.001, 5.001, etc.). KNX sensor states flow back to free@home as function inputs. One FGA/A 1.1 per SAP maximum. Used in: renovation projects adding free@home rooms to an existing KNX installation; projects using free@home for standard rooms and KNX DALI for living areas; enabling Alexa/Google/HomeKit voice control of KNX devices via the free@home SAP cloud connection. DIN-rail mount, powered from KNX TP bus.
ABB-free@home wireless push-button (868 MHz, 2-year battery)
Battery-powered wireless push-button (1, 2, or 4-gang versions) using 868 MHz free@home radio protocol. CR2032 battery, 2-year life with typical switching frequency. Indoor wireless range: 20m through 2 walls. Commissioning: pair with SAP via ABB-free@home app — assign push-button channels to free@home functions (lighting toggle, dimming, scene recall). No cable routing required — ideal for renovation projects where running TP bus cable is impractical. Snap-in flush-mount frame compatible with ABB Busch-Jaeger Busch-axcent and Busch-Dynasty switch ranges. Maximum 100 wireless devices per SAP.
Room thermostat RTH/A (display, humidity, free@home TP)
Wall-mounted room thermostat for free@home TP bus. Integrated LCD display showing room temperature, setpoint, and HVAC mode. Temperature sensor (±0.5°C accuracy) and relative humidity sensor. KNX TP bus powered (no separate 24V DC supply). Free@home app programs setpoint range, operating modes (comfort, standby, economy, protection), timer schedules, and heating/cooling curve. Output: floating contact relay for 2-pipe heating/cooling valve actuator (or 0-10V output for FCU speed control). Used in free@home residential projects for individual room temperature control — replaces conventional wired thermostat with smart scheduling and remote access.
ABB free@home FAQ
Can ABB free@home and KNX devices share the same TP bus cable?
Yes — they share the same physical cable (YCYM 2×2×0.8 mm², same 29V DC bus from PS640), but they do NOT communicate with each other directly. Free@home devices and KNX devices use different application layer protocols — a free@home dimmer cannot respond to a KNX telegram and vice versa. They coexist electrically on the same cable without interference, but communication isolation is maintained. Integration between the two systems requires the FGA/A 1.1 KNX gateway, which handles translation at the application layer. For very large installations: keep free@home and KNX on separate bus lines (separate cable runs, separate PS640 supplies) to avoid any risk of protocol interaction.
Is ABB free@home suitable for commercial buildings or only residential?
free@home is designed for residential and small commercial applications — apartments, villas, small offices up to 512 devices per network. For commercial buildings with 100+ rooms, complex HVAC integration, DALI lighting control, energy metering, BMS integration, or multi-manufacturer device requirements: specify KNX. The ETS6 programming complexity that makes KNX challenging for simple residential projects is exactly what enables the level of customisation and interoperability required for commercial buildings. ABB themselves recommend free@home for residential (up to 4-5 apartments) and KNX for commercial — they are not competitors but complementary products in ABB's portfolio.
Does free@home support DALI-2 lighting control?
No — ABB free@home does not have a native DALI-2 gateway or DALI commissioning tool. Free@home dimmer actuators are phase-cut or trailing-edge dimmers for mains-voltage LED/incandescent loads. For DALI-2 control (addressable luminaires, daylight harvesting, EN 50172 emergency testing), KNX with a KNX-DALI gateway (MDT DALI, Tridonic MSI, Helvar Router 950) is required. The FGA/A 1.1 bridge can expose a free@home switch state as a KNX group address that triggers a KNX DALI gateway scene — but this is indirect, and the DALI commissioning must still be done in ETS6 and the DALI commissioning tool. For projects requiring DALI-2: specify KNX throughout; do not use free@home.
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