Where is the clock????

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by industeq, Mar 14, 2009.

  1. industeq

    industeq

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    Newbie here and installing my first Clipsal along with learning the C-Bus toolkit.
    I have been reading the forums but confused on programming a schedule (calendar) for some outside lights.
    I want to have turn on & off at a specified time.
    Here in the USA when I called tech support they said there is 3 options:
    ? A Programmable touch screen.
    ? A Pascal Automaton controller.
    ? A Powerlink NF3000G3 Controller for a lighting panel
    Now having a background with the Powerlink as a present user I am wondering if having a Pascal controller is a over-kill for just a clock?
    Is there any other Pascal functions I am missing or any other information available for 3rd party applications?

    A touch screen is a bit over budget for controlling lights on/off outside.

    Alan Dobbs
     
    industeq, Mar 14, 2009
    #1
  2. industeq

    ashleigh Moderator

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    Hi Alan

    You need something that can run schedules. Your choices are one of the touchscreens, a PAC, a PC running SchedulePlus, or a new product about to be released very very very soon (in Australia... there will be some approvals delays before it is available elsewhere).

    All of these products let you set up a schedule, you can choose times and days for things to happen, you can base things on sunset / sunrise times (which uses your latitude and longitude to work out where you are and calculate the times). You can also compensate for daylight savings time.

    All these products will do this fine, the PAC is the one that comes with a warning. Because the PAC, of itself, has no user interface you have a slight problem. If daylight savings start / end times change (and in our end of the world the governments seem to change it about every 1-2 years) then you have to go back and re-commission the PAC.

    I don't know enough about the powerlink controller to be able to say one way or the other if/what/how/when/where it's scheduling works. It may or may not have the same issue as the PAC (ie if daylight saving start/end dates are changed... can you adjust that on the controller or do you need to re-commission it?)
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 14, 2009
    ashleigh, Mar 14, 2009
    #2
  3. industeq

    darrenblake

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    darrenblake, Mar 14, 2009
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  4. industeq

    paulw11

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    Hi,

    You could also use a C-Bus coupler with a clock that provides dry contacts. There should be plenty of those available - the choice would probably be determined on where you wanted to mount it - DIN rail in a switchboard or wall mounted for easy user access.

    Paul
     
    paulw11, Mar 15, 2009
    #4
  5. industeq

    NickD Moderator

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    You could also use a sundial and a C-Bus light level sensor.

    Nick
     
    NickD, Mar 15, 2009
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