KNX server in Dubai: choosing a LogicMachine controller
A KNX server, also called a KNX automation server or logic controller, sits on the KNX bus and the IP network and adds installation-wide functions: logic, schedules, web visualisation, trend logs and links to Modbus and BACnet. The LogicMachine5 controllers sold by KNX Mall in Dubai do this from a DIN rail; the right model depends on the panel's interfaces.
What a KNX server adds to a KNX installation
KNX does not need a central controller: according to KNX Association, every KNX device has its own microprocessor. A server is added for the jobs that span devices and systems. Embedded Systems, the Riga-based maker of LogicMachine, describes it as an IoT edge controller for building automation. On a KNX project it brings:
- Logic. With Lua scripts, LogicMachine can run thermostat and control logic directly on the controller. Scenes control several data points at once or run timed sequences.
- Schedules. Built-in schedulers take weekly, monthly and yearly rules. Events run at a set time, or at sunrise or sunset for the site's coordinates. Holidays are entered by date or by day of the week, and an event can skip them or run only on them. Facility staff can edit schedules in the user interface, without the admin tool.
- Web visualisation for PCs, wall screens and mobile devices, on site and remotely.
- Trend logs and alerts. Trend logs record meter and sensor values at a set interval and chart them. The alert log keeps script alerts and KNX connection status messages.
- Links to other systems. BACnet/IP server and Modbus RTU/TCP master are built in; Modbus slave and BACnet client use the vendor's script libraries. Through the BACnet server, the building management system (BMS) can access binary and numeric objects with Export enabled. MQTT is also on the vendor's list of native protocols.
- Remote access and security. Remote access runs through the vendor's LM Cloud or the built-in OpenVPN, WireGuard and ZeroTier clients; over VPN or ZeroTier it also covers KNX device programming. The datasheets list KNX Data Secure, KNX/IP secure routing and user-level permissions. The controller is fully operational without internet access; cloud features are optional.
Choosing a LogicMachine5 model
The LogicMachine KNX controllers we sell share a common base. Each has:
- one KNX/TP port;
- one Ethernet port (RJ45) and one USB 2.0 port;
- one RS-485 port and a second port that switches between RS-485 and RS-232 in software (the LM5p2-KC has two RS-485 ports plus the switchable one);
- power at 24 V DC via terminals or passive Power over Ethernet (PoE);
- DIN-rail mounting and IP20 protection.
They differ in width and in what they add. CAN FT is the field bus for the CANx extension modules, covered below.
| Model | Width, DIN modules | CAN FT (for CANx) | DALI | 1-Wire | On-board analog/digital I/O | Built-in KNX choke |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LM5Lp2 | 3 | No | No | No | No | No |
| LM5p2-DW1 | 4 | No | 2 lines, "DALI2 not supported" | 2 ports | No | No |
| LM5p2-PMC | 4 | No | No | No | No | Yes, with a KNX power terminal for 24–29 V DC |
| LM5p2-KC | 4 | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| LM5p2-KCD | 4 | Yes | 1 line, "DALI2 supported" | No | No | No |
| LM5p2-RIO3 | 6 | Yes | No | No | 16 channels, each an analog input (0–30 V) or a digital output (24 V); 2 analog outputs (0–10 V) | No |
Specifications: LogicMachine datasheets dated 5 November 2026 and the vendor's hardware page.
The DALI-2 notes are the vendor's own markings on its hardware page; the datasheets do not repeat them, and no source gives the number of DALI devices per line.
Pick by what the panel has to connect:
- KNX, IP and serial devices only: the LM5Lp2, the narrowest in the table at 3 DIN modules.
- DALI lighting (IEC 62386): the DW1 for two DALI lines, or the KCD for one line marked "DALI2 supported", which also has CAN FT.
- 1-Wire: the DW1, the only model in the table with 1-Wire ports.
- An extra RS-485 port: the KC.
- 0–30 V analog signals or 24 V outputs in the panel: the RIO3. Its 16 channels are 16 in total, each usable as an input or an output, not 16 of each.
- A KNX choke in the controller housing: the PMC, after reading the power note below.
- CANx modules now or later: the KC, KCD or RIO3, the models with CAN FT.
Extending with CANx modules
CANx is the vendor's own range of extension modules on a CAN FT field bus. The modules have no KNX port: they connect to the controller's CAN FT port, and Embedded Systems states that a LogicMachine is required to commission them and connect them to other protocols. In the table, that means the KC, KCD and RIO3. Each module's product page lists the controllers it is made for.
- CAN-DALI-M3 is a CANx DALI gateway with one DALI bus, 3 DIN modules wide. The vendor lists it as "Supports DALI-1 and DALI-2".
- CAN-UIO16 adds 16 channels, each an analog input (0–30 V) or a digital output (24 V), also 3 DIN modules wide.
What else you need
- KNX power for the line. The LM5Lp2, DW1, KC, KCD and RIO3 connect to the bus through a KNX bus terminal, and their datasheets list no KNX power, so plan the line's KNX power supply as usual. The PMC has a built-in KNX choke and a KNX power terminal for 24–29 V DC, but the vendor gives no bus current and does not say whether a separate KNX power supply or choke is still needed with it. Confirm the KNX power concept and the line load with the vendor before you order. KNX power supplies are under KNX power supplies and interfaces.
- 24 V DC for the controller, on its terminals or as passive PoE through the Ethernet port.
- An Ethernet connection. The visualisation, remote access, BACnet/IP and Modbus TCP all run over IP.
- ETS for the KNX devices. KNX Association describes ETS as the manufacturer-independent engineering software tool for KNX.
- A ventilated or cooled panel. The vendor's operating range is 0 °C to +45 °C, so plan the panel for a UAE summer.
Apple Home and Google Home
LogicMachine supports Apple Home (HomeKit) and Google Home, according to Embedded Systems. For Apple Home, an app on the controller exposes the objects you choose, and you add them in the Home app by scanning a QR code. Google Home goes through the vendor's LM Cloud (an app on the controller, an LM Cloud account and the LogicMachine action in the Google Home app), so it needs an internet connection; local control in the visualisation does not.
Buying LogicMachine in Dubai
KNX Mall sells LogicMachine controllers and CANx modules online, for collection from its Dubai office. On your written request we hand the order to a carrier in the UAE at your cost and risk, as our shipping policy explains; buyers elsewhere in the GCC send their own courier or freight forwarder to collect. Every order comes with a VAT invoice, issued to your company with its tax registration number (TRN) on request. Availability and lead time are confirmed after you order. For a project list, press "Request a project quote" on a controller's page. Technical support covers equipment bought from us: quote your order number or the device's serial number.
Planning a KNX server for a UAE project? Order a KNX server for collection in Dubai.
KNX server FAQ
Does every KNX installation need a KNX server?
No. KNX devices work together without a central controller, according to KNX Association. A server is worth adding when the project needs logic across systems, schedules that facility staff can edit, a web visualisation, trend logs, or a link to Modbus or BACnet.
Does LogicMachine work without an internet connection?
Yes. Embedded Systems states that it is fully operational without internet access, with no telemetry or user data collection. Internet is needed for the cloud functions, such as remote access through LM Cloud and Google Home control.
Can LogicMachine share KNX data with a BMS?
Yes. LogicMachine has a BACnet/IP server and a Modbus RTU/TCP master built in; Modbus slave and BACnet client use the vendor's script libraries. The BACnet server exposes binary and numeric objects with Export enabled.
LogicMachine, Apple Home, HomeKit, Google Home and DALI-2 are trademarks of their respective owners.
