Page 10 – LCD

Mode Lighting – Edin Ipad integration

admin on April 9, 2010

I received a message from head of R&D at Mode Lighting this morning to let me know that they are nearing completion of their Iphone app for controlling Edin Systems. The Edin Network processor should also alo contol over exsisting installations using the Iphone , Ipad and Itouch devices. Watch this space for more info:

First pictures of the Mode eDIN Network Processor’s Floorplan plugin-software-app running on Apple’s brand-new iPad.

iPad users can navigate a building and use the multi-touch features of the iPad to zoom into areas. Energy usage is shown live on the screen.

Users can lighting levels globally, or by area or by channel. Users can select scenes and even make adjustments to levels using the touch-screen.

Come and see a live demonstration at the Light&Building trade fair, hall 4.1 stand D11.

Personal Controls Programming

admin on February 19, 2010

We often program properties for developers with a simple but usable “show flat” configuration. This gives the basic requirements that allow a system’s potential to be demonstrated.

When the property is sold we are called back to personalise the lighting system for the new owners. We generally go in a couple of weeks after the new owners have moved in as this gives a chance to get used to the space and how they are going to use it. The programming visit lasts a day with a consultation followed by a full re-program and a full demonstration.

We recently completed just one of these visits for some new owners in an East lothian property and were asked to return to assist with the setup and commissioning of the multi room AV system in addition to the work on the lighting control system.

Remote Control

We wish them all the best in their new home.

Lighting Design Qualifications

admin on December 22, 2009

Lighting Control’s Neil Silver has recently completed the LIF Certificate course. The course is designed to educate in all aspects of lighting and is recognised as such across the lighting industry.

The award of the Certificate is also recognised by SLL (The Society of Light and Lighting) as partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the SLL Lighting Diploma.

The course included a large practical design exercise which involved a complete lighting design for the interior of a multiuse building environment.

Neil’s submission was recognised with a high grade due to it’s quality and comprehensive completion of the design task.

Pronto Programming

admin on September 8, 2009

The Lighting Control team recently carried out programming of a Phillips pronto 9600 controller for a small meeting room installation carried out by our sister company SI Sound and light.

The control is using an AMX presentation switcher with wireless control by a Pronto 9600 and a RFX9600 extender.

Integrating control of VELUX INTEGRA® Windows

admin on August 6, 2009

velux The new range of VELUX INTEGRA® skylights allow remote control via infra red for skylights above stairwells and at height.

The infra red control while very advanced can be imitated by an infra red blaster as part of your lighting or building control system. In this way the control of the windows can be grouped into system macros or timed rules as part of the overall control schema.

The control over roof lights in this way allow groups of roof lights to be controlled together.

Velux

Microphonics™ – Thats not a word!

admin on June 26, 2009

Microphonics™ isn’t a word is it? It is now!

Microphonics

As those of you who know me will be aware I am a big fan of Automation. The use of sensors in control systems is the clever and progressive way forward.

Putting light switches when they are not the best solution is a waste of money, time and energy. However specifiers and installers are still scared of occupancy sensors.

They are scared of the call-out when Mr Client has been plunged into darkness while reading his paper in “The Library”.

This has been a real problem and often the only way to counter the problem is to up the time delay off to a sufficient level that we are confident that a traditional good quality PIR occupancy will re-trigger the time delay off.

This of course is not an ideal solution as we end up having lights and fans on burning energy for longer than we should have.

Some companies looked at gate sensors systems by which a control system could monitor a person entering and leaving a space and combine these with a PIR to get a more accurate result. These systems have a number of limitations including the problems cause by multiple users and high cost due to the requirement for multiple sensors.

Sensor Switch have produced a dual technology sensor which combines a PIR detector with a high gain microphone and some clever audio processing to achieve a good result.

Motion is first detected by the PIR and the the microphone is switched on to listen for continued occupancy.

The system filters out repetitive noises such as plumbing and HVAC sounds to allow the sensor just to trigger from sudden noise changes such as created by a user.

I will be very interested to find out how well the unit deals with background music!

Lighting Control showing the colours

admin on May 3, 2009

Colourstyle1

Lighting controls were showing the colourstyle controller at the recent Bar 09 Show at The highland Showground in Edinburgh.

The Colourstyle controller is the perfect controller for back bar effect lighting. The controller allows complex colour effects to be setup using the setup wizard and then provides a very usable interface for day to day use.

The system can also be programmed with timed rules to allow automation.

DMX Architecture Were here to help!

admin on April 6, 2009

DMX as a standard was developed for the entertainment industry and has been adopted for use in large architectural projects over the last few years.

Lot of articles on the internet cover the electronic details of what DMX is which is of interest to those wishing to create products that send or receive and wish to comply to the standard. This is of no interest to lighting designers and electrical contractors. The architecture of a DMX control system is governed by the other side of the standard EIA485 this describes the electrical system that DMX uses as it’s bedrock. This is the roadway that the communication runs on; if this underlying infrastructure is not correct then the communications trying to use it will falter and the system will never be stable and reliable.

DMX Standard was originally adopted for use by “lampys” at touring events where large entertainment systems are setup up for a show or a series of shows before being all packed up into a number of trucks and moved to the next show.

Power distribution for these shows is all done using flexible rubber cable and Ceeform cables connecting different parts of the systems using portable distribution units. The construction industry has a more cost effective and longer lasting method using steel wire armour and fixed distribution boards around a project.

The distribution for a project is designed in a drawing office by an electrical engineer.

Power Distribution Drawing

The engineer designs the system by completing calculations and specifying suitable cabling and distribution panels to ensure that the system will work correctly and safely.

DMX is used by the construction industry primarily to control colour change lighting. By it’s nature a single colour change unit uses three or four channels of DMX and puts a unit load on the DMX controller of the system.

In the same way as the electrical distribution example above DMX requires design. It’s a simple thing to say but frequently the architecture of a DMX system is left to chance. When a ring main is required in a electrical system often the exact numbers of outlets and types of outlets will not be specified or indeed if a small change is required then the installing electrician will make the design change in a flash. This is simple as a the architecture (limits on length, number of outlets, spurs) is well known by that electrician through years of installing these simple systems.

DMX is a simple architecture however colour change systems can use a large number of DMX recievers and control channels. In addition to this systems should be designed to allow section testing by isolation and also to ensure downtime in certain areas of the system will not affect control over other parts of the system.

Simple DMX systems have a single cable connecting a number of fittings allowing a controller to control attributes on all these fittings independently. In reality all but the most basic DMX systems require boosters, splitters and termination to allow a stable system to exist and to ensure minimum installation time.

DMX is a not a proprietary control standard it is used by countless manufacturers and the size and complexity of DMX control required in a project is on the increase all the time.

So don’t chance it ! Were here to help!

The DMX 512-A Handbook

Save energy with Lighting control systems

admin on March 27, 2009

Energy saving light bulbs have taken over the world in the last couple of years so much so that later this year (2009) the major retailers in the UK plan to remove filament light bulbs from there shelves.

However in most projects with lighting controls low energy light bulbs are not to be found. In fact most systems do not support them.

Dimmable energy saving light bulbs are still in the early days of development and are not yet as cost effective as their non-dimmable predecessors.

Lighting control systems can however give significant energy savings.

Control empowers correct usage of multiple fittings. With more circuits to control only the lighting that you need for a task need be turned on saving 100% on lighting that is not required.
Off during non-activity: Using timed off’s and proximity sensors in a lighting control system we can ensures that lights are not left on when the need not be.
Daylight harvesting: Daylight harvesting allows lights to be automatically dimmed to a level dependant on the amount of natural light reaching the target area. This saves in energy usage as the quantity of additional lighting used is limited to what is required exactly.
Dimming at full power: Not running lamps at 100% can result in massive extension of lamp life.

Mode Lighting and the 17th edition

admin on March 27, 2009

The recent introduction of the 17th edition regulations means a number of changes in the protection of circuits.

Mode Lighting units such as the tiger and Evolution have no main isolator and hence even in the previous edition of the regulations a mechanical isolator was required to isolate the incoming power to the unit to carry out mechanical and electronic maintenance.

The best solution seems to be three independent RCBo’s mounted in an external housing local to the Evolution control pack.

1 RCBO for each phase/bank of breakers – this requires that the pack neutrals are split for each RCBO and that the pack power supply (3 phase + neutral connection) is rewired to the mains supply side of the RCBOs. A warning label should be applied to the pack to this effect.

If a single phase supply is used for Evo/Tiger, it becomes easier, in that assuming RCBOs are only needed for one or two of the banks of breakers, the PSU can be powered from the remaining bank (ie all 3 PSU live inputs can be connected to the bottom of one set of breakers).

In all cases, it is essential that the load live and neutral outputs are connected to the relevant set of outputs, otherwise the resultant imbalance will cause tripping.

If you need advice on design or installation of a lighting control system please contact us and we can look over your project and ensure it meets all the current standards.