IR Distribution system - IR target positions.

I'm about to install the Clipsal IR Distribution system for the first time. The installation will be in a function room, about 10m x 30m. The remote used will be the 5030URC.

Obviously the room is too big for one target, and they need the system to work reliably from any position in the room. I'm leaning towards overkill on the number of targets to make sure there are no dead spots. I'll be mounting them in the aircon grilles.

My question - if multiple targets pick up one press of the remote, can this cause the command to be sent more than once, and could this cause problems?

Room layout attached, showing aircon outlets in yellow.

[oops - maybe better suited to the Starserve/Home Networking forum! Mods, move it for me? ]

 

Gee, little quiet around here...

I've decided to go with 3x IR targets, evenly spaced across the length of the room. Hopefully this will be the right balance between providing enough coverage, and avoiding multiple targets picking up one command.

I'll post again when it's done, then my conversation with myself will be complete.

 

The IR Distrubution product is actually from Clipsal Datacomms and not Clipsal Integrated Systems so you won't find many CIS people that can help. We did however do the preliminary work getting the product together for Clipsal Datacomms, but have since handed it over and most staff here have had no or little exposure to the product.

 

No worries. I was hoping there might be some installers out there who could offer advice, but I'm sure it won't be that steep a learning curve.

 

Absolutely, not criticising you asking. Just making note that support and training on the product isn't going to happen for CIS staff so we probably won't be able to contribute much. Sorry.

 

Not a problem Richo! Thanks for the replies anyway.

I'll post back here when I'm done, with specifics on what I did and how it went. Hopefully it will be of use to any other C-Bussers who plan to play with the IR system.

 

Hi Peter
Havent used the CBUS IR System ...as i use my own...
With my ir system cant have two receivers picking up the same ir signal ....It appears that they are not exactly in sync so the ir data gets corrupted ...Im sure this will be similiar with other systems as well....

HTH
Frank

 

We have a very complex IR-controlled Cbus system in our lighting showroom. Can't comment of the Clipsal Datacomms IR system, but I can on my own home-made AV system and also on Cbus IR

The trick is to make sure that the IR target are at the OUTSIDE of the room, facing INWARDS. That way, no matter where's little chance that the signal will hit 2 targets at once.

That said, I think you are on the wrong track hiding the targets. What we did in our showroom was make the targets BLATENTLY OBVIOUS - that way the users know where to point the remote and there is no need to have multiple targets just in case.

I good Univesal Remote should be able to fire at least 10m line-of-sight... so just use a couple of targets and let the Users point the remote directly at them (ie: targets NOT in the ceiling pointing straight down)

I'd stick 3 in - one in the centre of one long wall, and 2 targets about 5m in from the corners on the opposite wall. Make them obvious and tell people that's where they should aim the remote

Hope that helps, John

 

Thanks for the input guys. The job is done now, so here's an extended babble on how I did it and what problems I had. Hopefully some other IR newbies will find it useful.


== Target positions ==

Mounting the targets in the aircon vents turned out to be the best way to go, for various reasons (difficult cable runs etc). They're on the outer edge of the grille, so they're fairly easy to spot. I haven't got full coverage throughout the room, but at most you only have to move a couple of metres to get a good line of sight. The upside of this is that there's no chance of two targets getting the signal at once.

There were a few instances of the actual AV equipment picking up the IR signal, for example the projectors which are pretty close to the IR targets. This did cause problems - but a bit of black tape over the projector's IR window fixed it.


== Zone Cabling ==

A slightly silly oversight on my part was the correct configuration of zones. I had run a single Cat5 loop from one end of the room to the other, connecting 3x emitters and 3x targets together. At the far end of the room was a projector, with it's own target & emitter, that I had put on Zone B. But this target would not control any of the AV gear or C-Bus, whose emitter was at the other end of the room... the solution (and the old hands are saying "well, der") was to run another Cat5 back across the room to where I started. Different zones = different cables.

The next problem was the near impossible task of getting another Cat5 down the wall to the AV rack. Thankfully, I remembered Charlie Crackle's series of IR questions in another thread. I had a read, and learned this: The only pins used for IR are 1,2,7,8 (green and brown pairs). The spare pins (3,4,5,6 - orange and blue pairs) are looped together at each target & emitter box - so you can terminate those cores with a separate RJ45 (into pins 1,2,7,8 of course) and use them for Zone B. Godsend! So, if you're willing to muck around a bit, different zones = same cable!


== Clipsal 5030URC Remote ==

Last of all - the 5030URC and it's limited C-Bus capability. I don't know why this thing comes out of the factory with only IR banks A & B pre-programmed, when there's plenty of room to put bank C in there. Anyway, I picked up one of the old fashioned 12 channel C-Bus remotes, so I could get the bank C codes into the 5030URC. It makes a huge difference having those extra four buttons, and I'll keep the old 12 channel clunker on hand for future 5030URC enhancement.



That's it. A pat on the back if you read the whole thing.

 

Glad you got some value from this.