Distribution Board Essentials

Video tutorial · 3:52 min

LOXONE Distribution Board Essentials

Prefer to read? You’ll find everything from the video below as a written guide with images and a checklist. Go to the guide ↓

Written guide

The distribution board is the heart of every LOXONE installation: this is where all cables come together. In this guide, we share our best practices for integrating LOXONE products into your board in a clean and efficient way, so you can prefabricate it in your workshop and save time on site.

Important: There is more than one right way, but you must always follow the technical and legal requirements in your country. The installation must also be carried out by a qualified electrician.

01Wire via terminals

The key to prefabrication: all wiring runs through terminals. From the device in the board to the terminal, and from the terminal to the room.

As a rule of thumb, we plan one Tree Cable and one Audio Cable per room. Each of these cables lands on its own terminals.

LOXONE distribution board: one Tree and one Audio cable per room (heating manifold, living room, bedroom 1, bedroom 2, bath/WC and foyer), each landing on its own terminals
One Tree Cable and one Audio Cable per room, each on its own terminals

Learn more: How to plan the cables for each room is explained in Wiring Essentials.

02Keep AC and DC clearly separated

Inside the board, one rule matters most: keep AC and DC clearly separated. The best way to do this is with wiring channels: one on the left side for AC, and one on the right side for DC.

LOXONE distribution board with separate wiring channels: AC 230 V on the left, DC 24 V on the right
Wiring channel for AC 230 V on the left, DC 24 V on the right

03Build from top to bottom

Build the board from top to bottom. We recommend this arrangement because of the heat that can build up inside the cabinet.

  1. Dimmer and Relay Extensions come first,
  2. followed by the 24 V devices, actuators and interfaces.
  3. Next come the Miniserver and additional interfaces.
  4. On the next level, place the Power Supply & Backup together with the Audio products.
  5. Everything that is not a LOXONE product goes below.
Board layout from top to bottom: Dimmer and Relay Extensions, other Extensions and interfaces, Miniserver and interfaces, Power Supply & Backup and Audio products
The recommended order in the board, from top to bottom

04Protect every circuit

The AC supply for the Power Supply & Backup gets its own RCBO, and the backup battery gets its own fuse.

Don’t forget to protect your DC circuits as well. We recommend the Weidmüller fused terminal blocks from the LOXONE Shop.

Protection around the Power Supply & Backup: own RCBO, battery fuse, Weidmüller fused terminal blocks and PELV
1 Own RCBO · 2 Battery fuse · 3 Weidmüller fused terminal blocks · 4 PELV

Why PELV? We recommend a PELV installation: deliberately connect the ground outputs of the power supplies to the protective earth (PE). This prevents high surge currents from flowing through the electronics during an indirect lightning strike and better protects Miniservers and Extensions from damage.

05Expert tips

Here are a few best-practice tips:

  • Document your board. When you’re done wiring, create proper documentation. It helps you with commissioning, future extensions and service.
  • Leave about 20 % free space in the board so you’re ready for future additions.
  • Use sub-distribution boards in bigger buildings.
  • Share your knowledge within your company. You could build a sample board as a reference for your team, or document finished boards with photos or videos.

06Why build it this way?

Because it lets you prefabricate the whole board in your workshop. On site, you only connect the room cables to the terminals.

  • Prefabricate in your workshop
  • Faster on site
  • Fewer errors

You’re faster, you make fewer errors, and you work a lot more efficiently.

SummaryChecklist

  • ☐  Does every cable run via terminals?
  • ☐  Are AC and DC separated with their own wiring channels?
  • ☐  Did you place the products from top to bottom in the recommended order?
  • ☐  Are the 24 V circuits, the Power Supply & Backup and the battery protected?
  • ☐  Is your board documented?

Build it in your workshop, connect it on site, and your LOXONE project is up and running faster than ever.