Ideal object

It really was an ideal object in respect to problem statement. Such projects could be used for installers training. A classic task: lighting, multiroom, home cinema, climate control and general integration of all the equipment for comfortable operation. And at the head of everything – reliability, of course.

The last request has dictated structure of the whole project; all systems had to operate independently before overall control.

Lighting control was based on Lutron Homeworks equipment – industry leader at that time. 60 lighting groups were installed in the apartment, almost one third of it – fluorescent lamps. All groups had to not only switch on/off, but also smoothly change the brightness. Special ballasts with only two – midpoint and phase – conductors were installed for brightness control. The lighting logic is stored in its own Homeworks processor, control is carried out with Lutron button panels. So each system operates fully independent and for the last 12 years we’ve never noted a single malfunction.

As multiroom equipment we’ve chosen ELAN system, which apart from commutation and audio and video signals transmission, assumed phone calls and paging handling. Like that we could redirect an incoming call to any audio zone with simultaneous music muting, if it was playing, implement audio messages translation through all over apartment or separated rooms and even control sound volume and its sources from a phone handset.

As multiroom sources, besides standard satellite and FM tuners, were installed Imerge audio server and Escient Power Play DVD server. Though the last one wasn’t a server in the strict sense, but was a storage for discs metadata and operated a 200-disc DVD Changer.

Home theatre was based on Meridian equipment. More cannot be said. For 25 years Meridian company has been a world leader in sound processing and digital audio systems design. Suffice it to say that coding of all modern Blu-Ray discs sound track is based on the algorithm, designed by this company.

And all this was controlled with built-in and portable Crestron panels, client’s PC and IPad afterwards.

Amongst other features, special system board usage for Daikin VRV system control can be noted. In 2002 Crestron’ recourses didn’t allow to read IR signals from air-conditioning controllers directly, so a special interface for converting RS-232 commands to IR signals was created. Finally, a function of e-mail overview was arranged with Crestron system - entering the apartment client could at once estimate the number of inbox messages on main control panel.