Qbus: Building controls, DALI lighting interfaces and connected installation software

Qbus develops building-control hardware and software, including DALI lighting modules, Modbus interfaces and installation-management tools.

Best for: Installers combining lighting, HVAC and energy visualisation within a Qbus installation.
Less suited to: Projects expecting every third-party Modbus device to work without model-specific configuration.
Deployment: Local controllers and bus modules with PC software and optional online management.
Data in: Qbus inputs and outputs, supported DALI devices and configured Modbus registers.
Pricing: EQOmmand requires a one-time licence; other project pricing was not established.

Overview

Qbus develops a building-control system linking functions such as lighting, heating, ventilation and shading. Its company history describes a product range expanded from its 1999 founding into energy management, HVAC control and security-related functions. The portfolio combines control hardware with software for installers and occupants. For energy-related projects, the relevance lies in bringing measurements and building actions into the same installation. That differs from purchasing a standalone electricity-monitoring service: the Qbus controller and bus architecture form the operating context, with interface modules extending it to selected external equipment and lighting networks.

Offering

The QDM01 DALI Master connects a Qbus installation to a DALI lighting system. The module includes a DALI power supply and supports up to 64 addressed devices. Configuration and addressing take place through System Manager III, with individual or group addresses linked to Qbus outputs. Documented features include specified DT8 colour-control functions and selected DALI-2 sensor functions, rather than an unrestricted assertion that every lighting device behaves identically. The module makes lighting available through Qbus switches, visualisation and control interfaces. Its exact supported functions are more useful for selection than a generic DALI label alone. The energy-management range adds Luqas LQS06SA for managing energy flows and LQSCH20SA for up to 20 charging points, alongside pulse counting through ECM04.

Products and platforms

SER485/Modbus
Serial interface

Configured mapping between supported Modbus registers and Qbus I/O.³
EQOmmand
PC visualisation

Installation control, floor plans and an energy dashboard.⁴
Installer Dashboard
Remote management

Online administration, monitoring and support of Qbus installations.⁴

Technology

The SER485/Modbus interface maps external equipment registers into Qbus inputs and outputs. Its documentation describes predefined equipment types as well as a custom configuration route. A selected predefined type supplies register, function-code and conversion information; commissioning software can read values and show the corresponding status. The page contains differing capacity statements in its specification and configuration sections, so a single maximum register count is not reproduced here without resolving the firmware and documentation version. This preserves the useful integration method while avoiding a misleading universal capacity claim for every installed module.

Markets

The software catalogue distinguishes local visualisation from remote installation support. EQOmmand runs on a PC and provides floor plans, output control and an Eco Dashboard for measurements such as electricity, water and gas. The Installer Dashboard provides a central online view for installers to create installations, associate devices, configure cloud interfaces and inspect logs. It also supports remote configuration of a Qbus controller or Luqas module. These are separate tools with different users and operating roles. Qbus Open adds Ubiebox connections to supported systems including Sonos, Hue and KNX, with Home Assistant and openHAB also named in the architecture.

Company

Qbus dates its founding to 1 September 1999 in its anniversary account. The company describes the original goal as connecting building systems so they can operate together, followed by expansion into lighting, energy management and HVAC. The business supports an installer-led model with technical documentation, configuration software and training resources. Current software includes both local control interfaces and online support for multiple installations, reflecting an evolution from individual building automation toward ongoing installer management. Its official company profile identifies Erpe-Mere, Belgium as headquarters.