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InfoComm Sets Standards on Labels for Cables – CLAS

Cabels with labelsSeems like where ever you go, every company or venue has their own method of labeling their cable.  It can get kind of confusing when going between locations and companies.  InfoComm International has come up with a new standard to harmonize labels on cables for the AV world.

More From InfoComm

InfoComm International announced the publication of a new audiovisual standard, Cable Labeling for Audiovisual Systems (CLAS). The new standard defines requirements for labeling cables used in installed AV systems and provides guidance for the easy identification of all power and signal paths in a completed system. Proper cable labeling aids in the operation, support, maintenance, and troubleshooting of AV systems.

InfoComm will present the new standard at a free plenary session during Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2016 in Amsterdam. The plenary will be held February 11 from 3:30 – 5:30pm in room D403 at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Center. Interested parties can register at iseurope.org/infocomm-standards-plenary-session.

“Consistent, clear labeling of interconnected cables, which serve as the core of integrated systems, is very important,” said John Bailey, CTS-D, CTS-I, vice president of technology at Whitlock and chair of the InfoComm task group that developed the CLAS standard. “It is critical that cables are labeled in a consistent and methodical way, especially as large, complex, and facility-wide systems become more commonplace.”

The standard marks a new milestone in InfoComm’s development of consensus standards that benefit the AV industry by raising the bar on quality and professionalism in systems integration and design. Unlike previously published InfoComm standards, which adhere to requirements set forth by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), Cable Labeling for Audiovisual Systems, was developed independently of ANSI, using the same principles of openness, balance, consensus, and due process. The new process, which is overseen by the InfoComm Standards Steering Committee and operates concurrently with ANSI/InfoComm standards development, allows InfoComm to release more rapidly standards that are specific to the AV industry. Potential standards are identified for development by the steering committee, chaired by Jason Brameld, technical director of Torpedo Factory Group.

“A primary driver behind the introduction of InfoComm-specific standards was the fact that a standard such as AV cable labeling would only be required by AV practitioners,” Brameld said. “It is not something that allied trades would necessarily refer to.”

InfoComm is an ANSI Accredited Standards Developer (ASD). More than 700 industry volunteers support InfoComm’s standards development, which has resulted in six ANSI-certified standards, plus a joint standard with the Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) and the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) governing the use of audio, video, and control architectural drawing symbols. A draft ANSI/InfoComm standard, Display Image Size for 2D Content in Audiovisual Systems, is currently in public review. For more on InfoComm standards, visit infocomm.org/standards.

“We took the best practices of standards development and streamlined some of the rigor required by third-party accreditation,” Bailey explained. “By doing this, we can bring to market industry-specific AV standards faster while still focusing on broader ANSI-accredited standards.”

After the InfoComm Standards Steering Committee selected Cable Labeling for Audiovisual Systems for development, an international task group began defining the scope, definitions, and requirements. The standard was presented to the AV industry for review and comments were collected and incorporated. The final standard includes guidance on required primary elements as well as unique identifiers; other identifiers, such as those for cables meant to be accessed by users; and cable label characteristics, including durability, legibility, text fonts, location, and orientation. The standard is free for InfoComm members and available for purchase through the ANSI or IHS standards stores.

In addition to Bailey and Brameld, members of the CLAS task group included Brad Baldwin, Technical Innovation; Walter Black, PhD, VidCAD; and Peter Swanson, CTS, AMX Australia.

“InfoComm thanks the committed volunteer experts who guided and authored the Cable Labeling for Audiovisual Systems standard,” said Ann Brigida, CTS, CStd, director of standards for InfoComm International. “The development by InfoComm of AV industry-specific standards is possible, in part, due to the success, recognition, and authority established over nearly a decade of developing ANSI-accredited standards. This new development process will get AV standards into the hands of professionals who need them as soon as possible so they can adopt industry best practices and drive their businesses forward.”

Learn more about the new standard and InfoComm at www.infocomm.org

ESTA Technical Standards Program CPWG:Wiki

Keeping track of industry standards and the development stages of a protocol can be pretty challenging.  Especially when our industry has SO MANY unique and individualize standards. John Huntington, the blogger/writer of ControlGeek.net felt the same way.  It is mind numbing trying to keep track of all the standards and their progress.

John just happens to be apart of the ESTA’s Control Protocol Working Group, (CPWG).  He recognized that is was a little difficult to keep track the progress of the standards and helped create a wiki site for not only the members of the group to see where any given standard is, but for the rest of the industry too!

John made it clear  that the wiki is not to replace the minutes, but to give a summary which is a bit easy to read and review.  Check out the new CPWG: Wiki at www.esta.org/tspwiki. Thanks John for your hard work in putting this together!

JR Clancy Rigging Report – Powered Fire Curtains

JR Clancy Rigging Report

JR Clancy just released their latest Rigging Report and it has to do with some big changes made to Powered Fire Curtains standards. There are two new fire curtain standards in force, and both of them require powered operation for many more curtains than in the past.

NFPA 80 Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives, 2007 Edition

  • The standard requires that all framed fire curtains be power operated, as well as brail and straight lift curtains in proscenium openings greater than 850 sq. ft.
  • The standard also specifies that “the fire safety curtain assembly shall be closed at all times except when there is an event, rehearsal, or similar activity.

American National Standard E1.22 – 2009 Entertainment Technology Fire Safety Curtain Systems

  • This standard specifies that “non-emergency opening and closing shall be powered except straight lift unframed fire safety curtain systems for proscenium openings less than 925 sq. ft. shall be permitted to be unpowered.”  Note that all framed and all brail curtains must be powered.
  • It also specifies that “all fire safety curtains shall be in the closed position except during events with an audience, rehearsals, technical production activity, or activities on stage that necessitate the curtain be open.”

What Does It Mean?

  1. Fewer fire safety curtains are being mandated in theaters because of advancements in sprinkler systems.
  2. When fire safety curtains are required, there is an increased mandate that they actually perform correctly.  This means an increased requirement for design, installation, testing, and routine inspection by “qualified” professionals.
  3. The requirement for closing curtains during unoccupied times provides additional protection to the theater and does so faster in case of a fire.  It also provides another way of checking the operation of fire curtains routinely.
  4. Powered curtains are easy to raise and lower, making it more likely users will close the fire curtain when the theatre is not in use.

What About The Future?

  1. You’ll need to see if the local building code, project specifications, or architect require conformance to either of these standards.
  2. Expect building codes and insurance companies to require the requirement to keep safety curtains closed.
  3. A 925 square foot opening (850 sq. ft. under NFPA 80) is not very large (46 ft. x 21 ft. for example) so expect to see the majority of all fire curtains being powered in the future.

ESTA Puts BSR E1.28, Followspot Position Standards Up for Public Review

ESTA_TSP-LOGOLate last week, ESTA put the BSR E1.28 document on Followspot Positions up for Public Review and commenting on the TSP or Technical Standards Program website.  Members and industry professionals are encouraged to download, read and review the document and submit any additions or changes they feel the standard might benefit from.

If you do have anything to add or comment on the document, you must fill out a response form before the public review date of December 29, 2009.

The Scope of the Followspot Position document:

The E1.28 document offers guidance on the planning of permanent followspot positions. It is a guidance document, not a mandatory compliance document. The document offers recommendations on the locations of the followspot positions within the venue, the power likely to be needed, the waste heat generated, the amount of space likely to be needed, and the fall protection and egress issues to be considered for the operators’ safety, among other things.

You can download the document from the ESTA  TSP website, www.esta.org/tsp,  to review and submit your comments.

New Book Out by Richard Cadena

elec_for_ent_elect_and_tech-book-cover.jpgRichard Cadena, the author of such books as Lighting Design for Modern Houses of Worship and Automated Lighting: The Art and Science of Moving Light in Theatre, has just released a new book titled, Electricity for the Entertainment Electrician & Technician.

Richard’s new book explains the fundamentals of electricity and explain the principles of power distribution, important safety issues, and discuss techniques and practices around the world.

This is the only reference available that gives you all the information you need specific to YOUR field! No longer will you have to sift through general electrician’s handbooks. The entertainment technology field is changing all the time and this reference will give you enough information to prepare you for a future in the industry or reinforce the practical experience you have already gained. If you understand the principles in this book, you will be well prepared to face the challenges of the day.

Topics Covered:

  • DC and AC Electricity
  • Electrical Safety
  • Grounding/earthing
  • Overcurrent and undercurrent protection
  • Power Distribution Systems
  • Dimming Systems
  • Best practices in the theatrical industry

The book runs $44.95 through amazon.com and is only a pre-order at the moment.

via: JimOnLight

City Theatrical Offers ETL Outdoor Enclosures

somerset1.gifIf you have ever worked an outdoor event, you understand the need for weather proof enclosures on some of those more expensive piece of equipment.

City Theatrical has you covered, literally! They just launched a new series of Outdoor Use Enclosures in the new 7400 series. There are three ratings avilable, NEMA 3R, NEMA 4 and NEMA 4X, all with an IP66 rating. These new enclousures will be ETL Listed to UL STD 508A under City Theatrical’s ETL shop Listing.

These custom enclosures may be manufactured in steel, stainless steel, or aluminum, and may be powder coated in a range of durable and attractive colors. They may be custom ordered in virtually any size and configuration.

To read more about the New City Theatrical Outdoor Enclosures, visit their website at www.citytheatrical.com.

New DMX512-A Standard Now Available

dmx512-connectorThe ESTA foundation recently released the new standard for DMX512-A or better known as ANSI E1.11-2008 Entertainment Technology – USITT DMX512-A, Asynchronous Serial Digital Data Transmission Standard for Controlling Lighting Equipment and Accessories.  The standard are available for purchase on The ESTA Foundation’s Publications website.

ANSI E1.11 – 2008 is the most recent updating of the ubiquitous lighting control protocol that started with the USITT DMX512 standard in 1986. It corrects errors and clarifies text in the 2004 edition and adds functionality. An important clarification is the maximum update rate. The maximum rate is 44 Hz if 512 data slots are being sent, but it can be almost 20 times faster if a data packet contains fewer slots. This has been true ever since the original USITT DMX512, but some receiver manufacturers have missed or ignored this detail. The new edition also adds an Alternate START Code for UTF-8 transmission so that languages that can’t be rendered in ASCII can be used for sending diagnostic text messages. The 2004 edition only allows text messages encoded in the American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII), which only supports American English and a few other languages that use the simple Latin alphabet.

The 2004 edition is now obsolete. Anyone designing new DMX512 products is encouraged to use ANSI E1.11 – 2008 rather than the old 2004 edition. However, the 2004 edition will continue to be sold on The ESTA Foundation website as a service to people trying to understand the requirements of a contract or request for quotation that references it.

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