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Tech Showcase: Cable and Power Infrastructure

Distribution, monitoring, control, power access, and routing have never been easier with ingenious new devices.

No matter how sophisticated and smart the various components in an installation are, they have to be powered and connected to the others in some way, and one of the most significant areas of progress in AV has been the control of power. To be sure, there are more glamorous and sexy gizmos, but with modern power control and AC outlet mounting the essential distribution, monitoring, control, power access, and routing by wire have never been easier with ingenious new devices.

The TNP355C Tilt ‘N Plug 2 X Pwr + 2 X USB from Altinex can be mounted into a tabletop or other furniture for quick and easy AC power and USB port access by simply pushing down on the top cover. A pneumatic spring then raises it into position. When closed, the unit lies almost flush with the surface into which it is installed, and it is trimmed with a chrome bezel and top cover. The twin tamper-resistant AC outlets each have a 12-amp capacity while both run from a single external AC connection, and the USB 2.0 type A female ports can deliver up to 3 amps of charging current shown by a green light. These are perfect for charging tablets, iPads, and smartphones. The unit is securely fastened into the cut-out opening with adjustable support brackets that allow mounting in surfaces of up to 2.5in. thickness.

Atlas Sound ECS-3

Atlas Sound designed the ECS-3 power sequencer and conditioner to provide a steady power source and three sequential timing sections that can be activated directly on the unit or remotely. The front panel is activated with a momentary switch or by using a contact closure connected on the back or by 5-24VDC trigger feed. There is a pull-out dimmable LED tube light on the front while the back panel can be lit using an optional 16in. gooseneck LED lamp connected via an XLR style socket. Six rear-panel AC outlets can be sequenced in three stages and there are three additional unswitched outlets. The unit also features RF and EMI filters, a front-panel digital volt meter, and dual clamping spike and surge suppression.

Black Box MPSH8-D20-120V

For remote controlled cold rebooting, scheduled power switching, and a host of other handy functions, Black Box Corporation has a solution in the MPSH8-D20-120V with individual outlet switching and monitoring. The outlet-managed PDU and others in this product line can be set up to watch for changes in current levels, circuit breaker status, temperature, unauthorized access attempts, and ping response. Notification is possible by email, text, SNMP, SYSLOG, and audible alarms when the setup parameters are surpassed. Reports can be generated detailing current levels and power consumption. The unit features an RS-232 serial port and a 10/100BASE-T port for network connections. Specific outlets can be set to be disabled in response to events, or to reduce the power load, or they can be activated for devices such as cooling fans.

Chief Manufacturing PAC526FP4

Chief Manufacturing has teamed with SurgeX to produce a line of new in-wall storage boxes with integrated AC power receptacles that include industrial-grade, non-sacrificial surge protection, and multi-stage EMI/RFI noise filtration. The PAC526FP4 is the four-outlet model in the line and it measures 14.25in. square as does the two-outlet PAC526FP2. The slimmer PAC525FP2 is 9in. by 14.25in. with two protected outlets. Each of these has a black finish and flange but white versions of each are available. These models join a larger line of devices including power filter and surge-protected plenum ceiling storage boxes, suspended ceiling kits, and the EGX-SF2 standalone filter/surge wall outlet.

Crestron GLS-EM-MCU

The Crestron GLS-EM-MCU Green Light Power Meter Control Unit is used to log and monitor overall electricity usage in realtime for up to three-phase 347 volt service and 84 branch circuits. The MCU monitors voltage and current by connecting to the line voltage of each phase (up to three) and neutral to calculate and produce detailed statistics of electric power consumption. Up to 84 individual branch circuits can be metered by clamping current transformers around the feed wire of each circuit. The realtime data can be shown on lobby display screens or touchpanels. Logged data is stored in non-volatile memory to prevent data loss and it can be shared with Fusion EM for more detailed reporting.

DVIGear DVI-7520-PDU

DVI-7520-PDU

DVI-7520-PDU

The abundance of AV devices that require external wall-wart-style power supplies has challenged system designers and installers for quite a while now but DVIGear offers a space-saving solution in the DVI-7225-PS distribution power supply. The 1RU unit can operate on AC power from 90 to 264 VAC and AC line frequencies from 47Hz to 63 Hz while powering up to 20 5VDC devices and providing protection against overload, over-voltage, and over-temperature. Each output connector is a twist-lock type to prevent accidental disconnects. Also available is a wide range of DC power cables that support DVIGear equipment. The power supply has a MTBF of over 100,000 hours and its two internal cooling fans prevent overheating. There are three other models with output voltages of either +5VDC or +12VDC and a choice of either 10x or 20x outputs. Another new device from DVIGear is the DVI-7520-PDU providing 12V DC power on eight outputs, each rated for 24W, and an overall power reserve of 200W. The unit is housed in a 1RU half-rack enclosure and it accepts line voltages auto-ranging from 88 to 264VAC and AC line frequencies from 47Hz to 63Hz.

The ETA-ECS6RM Electrical Control Sequencer from ETA Systems features six sequencer timing sections that can be set for one-, three-, or six-second intervals, six independent ECM connections, and six independent contact closures. The front panel includes a Digital AC Mains Voltage and current meter. The single rack unit device can be activated remotely through an external DV voltage from 5VDC to 24VDC. There is also an abnormal AC line voltage indicator, a front panel voltage and current meter, and six independent contact closures. Up to three ETA-ECS6RM units can be daisy-chained together with independent trigger timing settings providing a total of 18 sequence triggered outlets.

FSR TC Charger

FSR’s new line of Table Coaster AC charging table boxes, the TC-CHRG boxes, are designed with a single AC outlet under the hinged cover, and two USB charging ports in the top of the unit. The USB chargers incorporate the necessary firmware to communicate with the user’s device and provide it with the correct charging wattage, up to a full 12W. Powered by the integrated AC power line, there is no need for any external power supplies to power the USB chargers. These stylish table boxes fit a 3.5in. round opening and are easily installed using the standard hole-saw in the table .75in. to 2.5in. thick. The TC-CHRG boxes are available in black or aluminum finishes and can be ordered with 6ft. or 9ft. AC cables.

Furman Sound CN-1800S

The CN-1800S SmartSequencer from Furman Sound is a multi-function, BlueBOLT-compatible single rack space device that combines power protection, remote control, noise filtration, diagnostics and bidirectional serial communication between a primary and secondary units. These can be connected by cable runs of more than 1,000ft. to sequence large AV installations. An optional RS-232-to-Ethernet adaptor allows for control, programming, and monitoring from any Web-enabled device via Telnet, direct HTTP connection, or Panamax/Furman’s BlueBOLT platform. Extreme Voltage Shutdown (EVS) protects equipment from under and over voltage while Linear Filtering Technology (LiFT) reduces AC noise. Functions are DIP switch configured and a key switch prevents unauthorized access. There are four sets of two outlets on the back panel and a single unswitched outlet on the front.

Juice Goose iP-1 Piwi

The Juice Goose iP-1 “Piwi” is a Web-based power control device with an onboard Web server for control and monitoring of its two individual outlets. It also takes text over Ethernet commands via TCP or UDP. The iP-1 fits in a 3-gang wall space or properly sized floor boxes. The Web server can activate each of the two receptacles on the duplex individually and monitor each for current draw from anywhere. There are administrator and user login options, an indicator light for each outlet, and Automatic Power Cycle to reboot a network data router if the network connection is lost. The metal faceplates are available in black, white, and ivory.

Kramer Electronics PSE-1

One of the primary concepts that has eased the job of powering multiple active elements within a system is PoE (Power over Ethernet) and while there is an increasing array of scenarios in this area, Kramer Electronics has introduced the PSE-1 to provide remote power to many devices that may be difficult to power by conventional separate power supplies. The PSE-1 can send up to 13W of power as far as 328ft. on Kramer’s BC-DGKat623 shielded twisted pair. The aluminum enclosure uses its vents along with convection for cooling. Rubber feet are included but the unit can also be rack mounted. This unit allows a single HDBT LAN cable to provide both data and electrical power to compatible devices.

LeGrand Wiremold HIC-R5BZ

The R5BZ-15 plug-in outlet center unit from LeGrand-Wiremold is a single rack unit device with six rear-mounted AC outlets, a 15ft. power cord and computer-grade surge protection. It is one of a series of Sentrex and Perma Power surge protection devices that dissipate and divert excess voltage while reducing EMI/RFI noise and interference. The aluminum housing has a black matte finish and the CabinetMATE models have a gray finish. All have a resettable circuit breaker and a protection indication light. The R5BZ-15 also features a lighted switch on the front panel.

Lowell ACR-SCS4-2009-RT2

Lowell has a versatile power solution in the ACR-SCS4-2009-RT2, a four-step power sequencer with optional surge suppression. The 1RU has a total of nine outlets—six switched and three unswitched. The delay between power sequencing steps can be screwdriver adjusted from 0.5 to 10 seconds and a rear terminal block allows connection of external triggers and an alarm interface. These include two dry contact closures for triggering remote power control units. There is a front-mounted actuation switch that can be the rocker type or a momentary contact key switch. Front-panel LEDs illustrate the power on/off sequencing and remote triggering steps. A red LED flashes while powering down and a green LED flashes during the power up sequence.

Middle Atlantic Products Select Series UPS

The Select Series UPS is a value-priced UPS offering from Middle Atlantic that includes single rackspace models for easy one-person installation that also saves space within the rack. Available in single rackspace models at 500VA or 1000VA and two-rackspace models at 1500VA or 2200VA, all are capable of remote monitoring and control via optional IP card. Middle Atlantic also offers its 

Middle Atlantic Products IsoCenter

IsoCenter Isolation Transformers. They operate as an extension of a main or sub breaker panel and alleviate such problems as noise on power lines (or ground) or even in the AV gear within installations. IsoCenter was recently awarded a U.S. patent that acknowledges the innovative soft-start circuit that controls power to the transformer and limits inrush current when it is first turned on or restarts after a power failure. This reduces the possibility of service panel breakers to trip during short outages or brownouts, and can even prevent damage to the transformer itself.

SnapAV WattBox WB-300-IP-3

From SnapAV, the Watt-Box IP+ Controllable 3-Outlet (3-Controlled) Compact Power Conditioner with Auto Reboot provides premium surge protection and noise filtration, offers three controlled outlets, and is smart enough to automatically reboot the device when network connectivity is lost. Remote access, scheduling, and instant notifications for the integrator eliminate unnecessary service calls. If a router, satellite receiver, or other device loses network connectivity, the smart detection technology will uncover the problem and automatically cycle the power. With the OvrC app, there is a customer management tool that simplifies firmware updates and provides realtime notifications from the field units. Each outlet on the WattBox can be controlled remotely from a phone or tablet and there is Web browser access.

SurgeX Axcess Manager

A sizable amount of the activity at the SurgeX booth at Infocomm revolved around the new Axess Manager and Axess Manager Mobile applications. These allow managers to monitor and control power distribution on world wide networks through a customizable GUI and have PDF or Excel reports documenting all system and user activity. Automatic device discovery makes setup very easy, and the enhanced management provided applies to all SurgeX Axess Suite products, including Axess, Axess Elite, and Axess Ready products. Discovered devices appear on a list and the user can then check the box for each one to be added to the control network. Through this interface, users can do reboots, power cycling, and switch individual power outlets while managing multiple user accounts, user roles, and permission levels. The user interface can be personalized with company logos and branding options.

Tripp Lite NSU-G24C2P08

It’s possible to save 1U of space by combining an Ethernet Switch and PDU into one unit. Tripp Lite’s new PDU Ethernet Switch Combo (model NSU-G24C2P08) offers a basic PDU with 12 outlets and an unmanaged 24-port gigabit Ethernet PoE+ switch with 2 SFP uplink ports. It features eight PoE+ ports to support up to 30W per port and low power consumption with Green Ethernet Technology. There are also two combo SFP (Mini-GBIC) ports for uplink to other switches via optical fiber. The unit also features 2 MB RAM for data buffering, 48Gbps switching capacity at full-duplex, and each port has bandwidth and network activity LEDs. It all comes in a heavy duty rack-mountable steel housing.

More Online

Altinex
www.altinex.com

Atlas Sound
www.atlassound.com

Black Box Network Services
www.blackbox.com

Chief Manufacturing
www.chiefmfg.com

Crestron
www.crestron.com

DVIGear
www.dvigear.com

ETA Systems
www.etasys.com

FSR
www.fsrinc.com

Furman Sound
www.furmansound.com

Juice Goose
www.juicegoose.com

Kramer Electronics
www.kramerelectronics.com

LeGrand-Wiremold
www.legrand.us/wiremold.aspx

Lowell Manufacturing
www.lowellmfg.com

Middle Atlantic
www.middleatlantic.com

SnapAV
www.snapav.com

SurgeX
www.surgex.com

Tripp Lite
www.tripplite.com

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