HDL Automation
KNX Hotel Room Automation — DND/MUR Panel, DALI Gateway and Card Reader
HDL Automation (Guangzhou, China, founded 1993) manufactures KNX-certified actuators, touchpanels, and hotel automation products — ETS6 certified since 2010 (KNX Association member). HDL KNX hotel room solution combines DND/MUR panel, RFID card reader, DALI gateway, and TFT touchpanel at 30–50% lower cost than European brands, widely deployed in Middle East hotel projects and increasingly in East European luxury developments.
Role in our panels
How we use HDL Automation
The HDL KNX hotel room hardware set provides a complete ETS6-certified room automation solution: RFID Mifare card reader (DIN-rail, KNX TP), DND/MUR 2-button panel (LED indication, flush or surface mount, KNX TP), DALI-2 gateway (64 DALI devices, ETS6 plug-in, KNX TP), and 5-inch TFT touchpanel (Android, KNX TP, wall mount). All devices are KNX Association certified and appear in the ETS Online Catalog with manufacturer-provided ETS6 product databases. The complete room set occupies approximately 6–8 DIN modules in the room distribution board, with DALI gateway and card reader on DIN-rail and the DND/MUR panel and touchpanel wall-mounted. The RFID card reader occupancy logic controls the room automation mode via KNX group addresses. Card in (Mifare 13.56MHz, valid card type 1 — guest card): the card reader sends a KNX telegram to the occupancy GA (DPT 1.001 = 1), triggering a comfort mode scene (room temperature setpoint 21°C, welcome lighting scene, curtains open). Card out: after a configurable delay (typically 5 minutes, set in ETS6 card reader parameters) to prevent false eco mode on brief exits, the reader sends occupancy GA = 0, triggering eco mode (temperature setback 18°C, lights off, curtains neutral). Housekeeping card type 2: sends a separate cleaning mode GA (DPT 1.001) — useful for suppressing DND indicator and triggering a cleaning lighting scene. Card type 3 (engineering): full access mode with maintenance lighting scene. The HDL DND (Do Not Disturb) / MUR (Make Up Room) 2-button panel is a dedicated hotel room wall device: two backlit buttons with LED ring indicator (DND = red, MUR = green). Each button press sends a KNX toggle telegram to dedicated GAs (DND GA: DPT 1.001; MUR GA: DPT 1.001). The DND LED state is controlled by a KNX feedback GA from the hotel management system or from the KNX logic itself. Integration with Fermax or Comelit VDS intercom: DND GA = 1 → intercom privacy mode input GA = 1 (suppresses door call tone in room), DND GA = 1 → corridor DND indicator light GA = 1. MUR press sends a maid request signal to the hotel PMS (Property Management System) via KNX to BACnet gateway or KNX to LON gateway, depending on PMS integration. DALI scene programming for hotel rooms uses four standard scenes stored in DALI drivers and recalled via KNX DPT 18.001 scene GA. Scene 1 (Welcome): 80% warm white (2700K for DT8 drivers). Scene 2 (Relax): 30% dim warm (2400K). Scene 3 (Cleaning): 100% cool white (4000K). Scene 4 (Good Morning): 50% warm white, gradual ramp from 0% over 60 seconds. Scenes are stored in the DALI driver memory — once programmed via ETS6 DALI plug-in, the DALI gateway only sends a scene recall command (1 KNX telegram per scene change), not individual dim level telegrams, reducing KNX bus load. For DT8 tunable white scenes, the DALI gateway ETS6 plug-in programs both level and colour temperature into the DALI driver scene memory.
Complete hotel room KNX device set — ETS6-certified card reader, DND/MUR panel, DALI gateway, and touchpanel. Standard KNX group address structure compatible with MDT, Gira, Helvar, and all other KNX brands.
Used in these project types
HDL Automation products
Key components we install
HDL KNX RFID Card Reader
Hotel room RFID card reader: Mifare 13.56MHz, DIN-rail mount, KNX TP, ETS6 certified. Supports 4 card types (guest, housekeeping, engineering, master). Configurable exit delay (1–10 minutes). KNX group objects: occupancy status (DPT 1.001), card type output (DPT 5.010), tamper alarm. Powers from KNX bus (no additional 24V supply required). Compatible with all Mifare Classic, DESFire, and NTAG cards. Used in hotel room automation as the primary occupancy sensor for comfort/eco/cleaning mode switching.
HDL DND/MUR 2-Button Panel
2-button hotel room panel: DND (Do Not Disturb) and MUR (Make Up Room) buttons with LED ring indicators (DND = red, MUR = green). KNX TP, flush or surface mount, available in white. KNX group objects: DND button press (DPT 1.001 toggle output), MUR button press (DPT 1.001 output), DND LED control (DPT 1.001 input from KNX logic), MUR LED control (DPT 1.001 input). Used in every hotel guest room as the standard privacy and housekeeping control panel, integrated with corridor indicator, intercom privacy suppression, and hotel PMS via KNX gateway.
HDL KNX DALI-2 Gateway 64 Devices
DALI-2 gateway: one DALI bus (64 short addresses / 16 groups), KNX TP, ETS6 plug-in for DALI bus scan, addressing, group assignment, and scene programming. Supports DALI DT6 (LED), DT8 (tunable white Tc mode for 2700K–6500K CCT control). Stores scenes in DALI driver memory for low-latency autonomous recall. DIN-rail mount. KNX group objects: on/off, dim (DPT 5.001), colour temperature (DPT 5.001 for DT8), scene recall (DPT 18.001). Used in hotel rooms and suites with DALI LED luminaires for scene-based lighting control at lower cost than European DALI gateways.
HDL 5-Inch TFT KNX Touchpanel
5-inch TFT Android touchpanel: KNX TP, wall mount, ETS6 configuration for KNX group address assignment to on-screen controls. Pre-configured hotel room UI (lighting scenes, HVAC setpoint, curtain control, DND/MUR status). Supports custom page layout via HDL configuration tool. Available in white and black. Used in hotel suites and premium guest rooms as the main room control interface, complementing or replacing physical KNX push-buttons.
HDL KNX 8-Channel Switch Actuator
8-channel 16A switch actuator: KNX TP, ETS6, DIN-rail. Each channel independently configured as switch, timer, or scene. Manual override buttons. Used in hotel rooms for non-DALI lighting circuits (bathroom, wardrobe), socket switching, and fan coil unit on/off control at lower cost than European equivalent actuators. Fully interoperable with MDT, Gira, and all other KNX brands on the same bus.
HDL Automation FAQ
Are HDL KNX devices interoperable with European KNX brands?
Yes — HDL KNX devices are KNX Association certified and listed in the ETS Online Catalog. They use standard KNX TP protocol, standard DPT data types, and standard KNX group addresses — fully interoperable with MDT, Gira, ABB, Schneider, and all other KNX certified brands on the same bus. PanelCraft regularly uses HDL KNX hotel hardware (card reader, DND/MUR panel, DALI gateway) alongside European KNX actuators and sensors in mixed projects. The ETS6 project treats all KNX devices equally regardless of country of manufacture.
How reliable is HDL quality for hotel projects?
HDL has been a KNX Association member since 2010 with over 15 years of KNX product manufacturing experience. Quality for KNX-specific hotel hardware (card reader, DND/MUR, DALI gateway) is generally acceptable for 4-star and 5-star hospitality based on PanelCraft project experience. For procurement contracts, specify a minimum 10-year spare parts availability commitment from the local HDL distributor — this ensures availability for hotel room replacements over the building lifecycle. HDL's DALI gateways have shown good compatibility with major DALI driver brands (Tridonic, OSRAM, Helvar). The 8-channel switch actuators are suitable for standard hotel room loads; for high-inductive loads (fan coil units, motors), use European actuators with appropriate inductive load ratings.
HDL Buspro vs HDL KNX — what is the difference?
HDL Buspro is HDL's older proprietary smart home protocol — a 2-wire RS-485 derivative with HDL-specific telegram format, not KNX compatible. HDL Buspro devices cannot be mixed with KNX devices on the same bus. HDL KNX is a completely separate product line using the standard KNX TP (EIB) protocol, certified by the KNX Association. The two product lines are separate hardware — an HDL Buspro switch is not the same product as an HDL KNX switch. When specifying HDL for a KNX project, always explicitly confirm 'HDL KNX' with the ETS6 product database article number, not 'HDL Buspro'. PanelCraft specifies only HDL KNX products; HDL Buspro is not used in PanelCraft projects.
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