SP Controls SmartPanel - Manual (Page 46)

Page 42 SmartPanel Configuration and Installation Guide
www.spcontrols.com © 2002-8 SP Controls, Inc. 930 Linden Ave. So. San Francisco CA 94080
C
ONTROL
W
IRING
O
PTIONS
This section describes the control wiring between the Panel and your projector.
RS-232 is almost always wired between the Panel and the projector
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. Depending on the
projector and your choice of projector commands, you may also have to wire either infrared (IR)
or wired remote control lines from the Panel to the projector.
As shown in Figure 13, the Configuration Utility’s Wiring Options tab:
x lets you configure the Panel for IR or wired remote control, and
x shows which wiring options you need to run between the projector and Panel.
Deciding between Wired Remote and the IR Emitter
With many projectors, the choice of wired remote or IR emitter is up to you. However, some
projectors do not have wired remote ports. In these cases, one of the options in the Utility is
grayed out, and you do not have a choice.
There are differences between IR signals and wired remote signals (e.g., carrier and polarity), but
we do the work of determining them for each projector. You merely need to configure the Panel
for the connection you wish to wire.
Using wired remote
In general, wired remote control is more reliable than IR control, even for identical control
signals.
Unfortunately, using wired remote with many projectors prevents the use of the handheld remote.
This can be annoying if someone has to pull the wired remote wire before using the remote, but
remember that we address this problem with Hidden Functions.
Using the included IR Emitter
On the other hand, use of the included IR Emitter presents problems as well. IR reception is
affected by ambient light conditions; emitters come unstuck from the projector’s IR window; and
users can control projectors with remotes. The latter is a problem when users change the
projector status in ways that the Panel cannot sense and adjust to; for example, changing the
input selection with a remote leaves the Panel indicating the projector’s input incorrectly.
Note: We recommend reading our discussion of Hidden Functions before deciding how to wire,
as hidden functions may give you enough control that you don’t need the remote for
installation adjustments. In this case, using Wired Remote is usually the most reliable
option.
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RS-232 cabling requirements for each projector are found in its Projector Driver Application
Note.