Emergency Lighting ●From previous page
Bluetooth Mesh Offers Extensible Communications Wireless communications offers the most feasible approach to connect luminaires. Most commercial buildings aren’t designed to add additional physical wire for intelligent lighting communication. More than half of commercial buildings are 60 years old or older, predating prewired computer networking. Retrofitting cabling to connect luminaires isn’t cost-effective. There has been discussion of connecting luminaires using Power over Ethernet (PoE), but that has not yet gained industry acceptance. However, it is relatively simple to add wireless communications to programmable LED luminaires. Using wireless communications for lighting
control is certainly not a new concept. ZigBee (IEEE 802.15.4) is a low-power radio platform that has been used for system controls since 1998, However, ZigBee typically can only communicate in a single vendor environment, which eliminates potential use for other data traffic. That’s why SIG-qualified Bluetooth mesh is gaining acceptance as an extensible, open communications platform. Bluetooth mesh is a broadcast system, so each
connection point or node sends and receives signals to all adjacent nodes. No central routers or gateways are needed since the nodes handle all data traffic, and because of the mesh architecture Bluetooth devices can be added or removed without disrupting data traffic. Using LED luminaires as Bluetooth mesh nodes makes it easy to monitor and manage emergency lighting.
The beauty of Bluetooth mesh is that it is based on a mature, open standard that makes it easier for vendors to make products that are guaranteed to be compatible. Bluetooth mesh also is readily scalable, and the mesh design ensures redundant connections. In addition to emergency lighting controls, Bluetooth mesh also can handle different types of two-way data traffic making it ideal for building management systems.
From Lighting Controls to Building Management Once you have emergency luminaires connected into a wireless communications network you can use the same two-way communications system for other types of building control data. Consider the possibilities of extending emergency controls. Sensors in networked emergency luminaires can be used to detect fire, smoke, carbon monoxide, and other hazards. If a hazard is detected, a programmed response can trigger an alarm, alert
What if you could eliminate the need for
visual inspection by centralizing and automating safety luminaire monitoring?
emergency responders, open or lock fire doors, and even point the way to safety. If you add machine learning to the control
system then the emergency response systems can become proactive. For example, in addition to alerting emergency services, the sensors could detect the number of occupants in any part of the building and send an alert. Since Bluetooth mesh is an open
employee and visitor badges can track people through the building, providing access based on unique tag identifiers. Bluetooth tagging also can be used to quickly locate personnel or equipment, such as in a hospital or medical center. The Bluetooth mesh grid even can be used for wayfinding within the building or campus using a smartphone.
The same wireless infrastructure can be used for building management. Sensors in emergency luminaires can be used to
monitor for available lighting, temperature, and other environmental
conditions. If it is a sunny day and there is plenty of available light from windows or skylights, the sensors can be instructed to dim room lighting. Similarly, the same sensors can be used to activate the HVAC system depending on room temperature. Manufacturers are already delivering
standard, you can use a laptop, tablet, or smartphone to access emergency systems to gather
information and issue instructions. Now consider using the same infrastructure for building security. Sensors can be used to detect motion after hours. Bluetooth tagging of
22 | electrical wholesalerSeptember 2019 Lighting Edition
Bluetooth-equipped luminaires. Fulham recently introduced a new line of LED drivers with SmartLink capability to add Bluetooth mesh when needed. Creating a programmable, wireless emergency lighting system promises to be the first step in a revolution in lighting and building controls.
fulham.com
ewnews.co.uk
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