FEATURE: ROOM CONTROL
applications, used alongside traditional controllers and interfacing with the same automation system. Control4 has experience of several installations of this type, as Paul Williams, VP of security and communications products, explains: “A good example of complementary operation is in a sports bar or restaurant location, where it is often convenient for staff to use a mobile device to alter limited aspects of the environment; lights, temperature, music and video content as a subset of the whole system. Another is where a visitor may use their own device to have limited control of a presentation room.” A further area of benefit is
where it can be desirable to have a mobile operator or maintenance interface to the main system. As an operator interface, it provides presenter mobility and allows them to address an audience in a more normal way without being confined to an installed interface. As a maintenance interface, a wireless device can allow personnel to check individual devices – including projectors, lighting and audio amplifiers – without having to run unnecessary systems, have a second technician working with them or forcing them to return to the main equipment rack to adjust individual devices. The complementary configuration is driven largely by the desire to centralise the control functionality within a control system rather than within the mobile device for security and reliability reasons. If the tablet is lost or even if the battery runs down, a replacement unit can simply and quickly connect to the wireless system, retrieve the necessary files automatically and become a replacement interface without interruption to the overall system.
CHANGING MARKET While the main automation system manufacturers have embraced the arrival of smart devices by creating their own apps, some companies do see the personal device as the main control interface and have ceased production of their own controllers. Instead they are focusing on software platforms and application tools for tablets and smartphones. “The market for proprietary touchpanels has greatly diminished. As a consequence Savant ceased production of its own touchpanels to control
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At BBVA Group’s La Moraleja training centre, Lutron’s Quantum iPad app controls and monitors all artificial and natural light and is integrated with building management systems
its range of switching devices and controllers as soon as the iPad became available, at the same time making the control apps free to encourage users to connect their own devices,” explains David Webster, CTO for distributor RGB Communications. “The presumption is that this will be the lowest-cost solution and that the end user is now expecting it. For many users who organise their entire digital life with a tablet device, controlling AV facilities in a room is second nature and so it will be a primary method of interaction for them.” A significant factor that has enabled the use of tablets in commercial installations is the ability to lock an operation down to prevent a user switching to another, unauthorised one. This has been possible for some time with Windows-based devices and was introduced in Apple iOS6 as Guided Access mode. Prior to this, there was no way to lock out the home button to prevent users from escaping the desired application and switching to something else. Applications have been
developed that provide limited access to parts of systems, for example in providing control of lighting in the immediate area or in controlling just the projector inputs, lighting and sound level in an auditorium, but preventing access to other system level configuration points. In many cases the dedicated application is combined with presentation software to provide an integrated and complete user- friendly presentation system. Control and interface applications can be easily and economically written for all main operating system platforms deployed on tablets and smartphones, with programming teams available on a wider scale than those specialising in more traditional control software. Applications
can often be modified and downloaded remotely, negating the need for site visits and further reducing the cost of implementation. Those for Android and Windows platforms can be distributed directly by the manufacturer while those for Apple devices can only be deployed and delivered through the iTunes store after approval and testing by Apple. Despite the delay in
releasing applications caused by this process it is generally not seen as a disadvantage and can actually provide benefits, in version control, updates and the ability for external developers to write apps. Jeremy Scheinberg points out another advantage: “Since many of the installations we have been discussing are reliant on wireless networking and complicated always-on communications, it is important to be able to test the application thoroughly.”
WEB CONTROL An alternative technique is that offered by web-based control coupled with network delivery and potentially Cloud services. Applications that use a web browser interface extend the control surface beyond the local vicinity to enable users to manage settings from a distance. In domestic situations it means that heating and lighting can be adjusted from an office desk before a homeowner returns for the evening. In commercial environments it enables facility management from afar. Gelten says: “We offer a
range of applications and user interfaces, and depending on the target segment, they are based on a web interface or app. For example, if the interface to a certain installation is accessed by several people who may have different access rights, we usually
May 2013 35
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