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I need to use over 13 IR emitters. Any idea? =)

jp1016jp1016 Posts: 32
in NetLinx Studio
Well, the company I work for is going to install an automation system in a building, and we'll need way more IR emitters than a single controller supports. Is there any kind of IR port expander that allows me to do so? Or do I necessarily have to add up more central controllers to satisfy the amount or IR's I need?

Thanks in advance

Comments

  • viningvining Posts: 4,368
    You can always get a processor with an ICSNET port and connect multiple NXC-IRS4 cards w/ shells or a card frame.

    You can also just put multiple different devices on the same IR port and put the different devices on that port in a different ranges of IR slots. IR device 1 = slots 1-30, IR device 2 = slots 40-70..etc. You would just need to make a custom combined IRL.

    There's also products from Extron, Global Cache, etc. that you can control via RS-232 to control IR devices.
  • glr-ftiglr-fti Posts: 286
    You have a few options. If your processor is a 4100 you can put up to 4 NXC-IRS4 cards in it. That would give you 16 more IR ports. If you don;t have a 4100 you can get the NXF cardframe which will hold 12 cards or the NXS-NMS shell which will hold 1 card.
  • jp1016jp1016 Posts: 32
    My biggest problem with this issue is that there are 13 air conditioners. So I can't use same IR ports for them, because they all use the same IR commands. Distance is also a major problem. The air conditioners are too far away from each other. Is there a way to overpass the 30 meter cable limit?

    Tanks again
  • JeffJeff Posts: 374
    you can bypass the 30 meter limit by using ICSNet and ICSHub, then putting IR cards at the location of the Air Conditioners. I havent' done much of that so I'm not the expert, but I know it's possible.

    Alternately, if they are in groups and not spread everywhere, you could probably just run AXLink and slave a few Axcent3's in key locations and use their IR ports.

    J
  • edgelitocedgelitoc Posts: 160
    another option is to use AXB-IRS4 which you can connect via axlink
  • DHawthorneDHawthorne Posts: 4,584
    When all the devices are the same, and it is unlikely that I need to talk to more than one at any single instant, I'll pass a single port through a relay array to go to the correct device. In your case, I'm not sure it's very feasible because of the total number of devices; add a relay card or an IR card ... may as well add the IR and keep it simple. But it's another option for cases where you have relays but not IR free.
  • bcirrisibcirrisi Posts: 148
    Global Cache, haven't used them, but have been meaning too..

    http://www.globalcache.com/products/gc-index.html
  • DiogoDiogo Posts: 65
    I think the better way do this, is using the NXS-NMS, you maybe need 2 NXS-NMS plus 2 NXC-IRS4, assuming that you have 8 IR port at the central controller and where you put each NXS-NMS you can use all 4 IR outputs

    At the installation you may need know how work ICSnet and ICShub, I recommend if you have access to amx university make the "Getting Started with AMX Control", it could be helpful.
  • Danny CampbellDanny Campbell Posts: 311
    Or you could scrounge up and old Accent3 and use it in slave mode.
  • DHawthorneDHawthorne Posts: 4,584
    Danny Campbell wrote: »
    Or you could scrounge up and old Accent3 and use it in slave mode.

    I've done taht a few times, but I must admit, I don't like it much. For some reason, NS seems to have trouble loading IR files to a slaved Axcent3 via a NetLinx master. It's intensely frustrating to need to keep trying again and again until they all get through.
  • LawrieavLawrieav Posts: 8
    If the same commands to all devices you could do it through a Xantech RT16-10. You can route the commands through any combination of the 16 output ports. You'd need to IRIS the IR routing commands into the IR file but I managed 60m over 16awg cable to selectively control a bunch of plasma screens.
  • bobbob Posts: 296
    DHawthorne wrote: »
    I've done taht a few times, but I must admit, I don't like it much. For some reason, NS seems to have trouble loading IR files to a slaved Axcent3 via a NetLinx master. It's intensely frustrating to need to keep trying again and again until they all get through.
    Thats true bot not if the slave is an AXCESS cardframe loaded with IRS cards. It will hold 16 IRS cards. And you could slave several together.

    Because you said distance is a factor I would use either AXB-IRS4 boxes connected over axlink or you could also use for each conditioner a NI-700 which is connectect through ethernet to the master (master to master comm). The 2nd option is kind of expensive but pretty clean and using standart ethernet cabling.
  • filpeefilpee Posts: 64
    +1 on the global cache, gives you a few extra rs232 ports as well.

    bcirrisi wrote: »
    Global Cache, haven't used them, but have been meaning too..

    http://www.globalcache.com/products/gc-index.html
  • TurnipTruckTurnipTruck Posts: 1,485
    DHawthorne wrote: »
    I've done taht a few times, but I must admit, I don't like it much. For some reason, NS seems to have trouble loading IR files to a slaved Axcent3 via a NetLinx master. It's intensely frustrating to need to keep trying again and again until they all get through.

    If you update the firmware in the Axcent 3 to the latest, the IR transfers go smoothly. I have upgraded Axcess systems in some restaurants which had Axcent 3s as masters and slaves. I set them all for slave and add an NI-700 as a master. This arrangement works fine.

    I have had a lot more trouble with AXB-IRS4s themselves than I have had with Axcent 3s slaved off Netlinx masters.
  • IshlachiIshlachi Posts: 34
    DHawthorne wrote: »
    I've done taht a few times, but I must admit, I don't like it much. For some reason, NS seems to have trouble loading IR files to a slaved Axcent3 via a NetLinx master. It's intensely frustrating to need to keep trying again and again until they all get through.

    If you aren't able/willing to attempt firmware update on old Axcent3, the files tend to transfer to the slave Axcent3 more smoothly for me from IREdit than NS.
  • trustworthytrustworthy Posts: 74
    Quote:
    vining said -
    You can also just put multiple different devices on the same IR port and put the different devices on that port in a different ranges of IR slots. IR device 1 = slots 1-30, IR device 2 = slots 40-70..etc. You would just need to make a custom combined IRL.


    You can, but only control 2 devices/IR emitters. The current draw on the port is too much with more than two and it will not work. This happens with commercial IR splitters and distributors such as Xantech, RTI etc as well, not just AMX.
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