IDC has won an order from a major global retailer to supply and install a high bay lighting control scheme, based upon the company’s new ZB115 wireless-enabled lighting controller. The retailer had considered using conventional lighting controls, with PIR (passive Infrared sensors) fitted in individual lighting units, but this system would have been too expensive. In addition to reducing cost, the company’s system has also solved the problem that a number of long reach trucks in the DC already have lights, and the retailer did not want the high bay lights to be full on and waste energy when these trucks were in the isles.
“Our low cost wireless networking technology is ideal for this project,” said IDC’s Managing Director, Kevin Buckley. “The wireless technology that we use is easily scalable for distribution centres, industrial sites as well as urban, residential or major road lighting schemes. Our plug- in Wireless Lamp Controller is simple to retrofit to existing installations: it fits into the top of lamps, replacing the existing controller, and is highly robust and secure.”
Each of the two rows of 28 isles in the DC has 14 T5 light fittings, all with dimmable ballasts and controlled by a wireless light controller (wireless isle controller), which provides a 16amp relay and analogue dimming control + light sensor + power metering. Overseeing the system is a master controller with additional GPRS and Linux module that acts as a central controller and provides G2/G3 or Ethernet connection to a hosted server and web browser.
Providing actuation to the wireless isle controller, are three battery operated low power ZB122 wireless push buttons per isle: one for each end and one in the middle. When the operator pushes a button the lights go from 30 pecrent dim to 90 percent illumination. The lights then return to dim after a customer set delay (of around 15 minutes) unless the button is pushed again (both dim settings and timer can be adjusted from the web browser). In addition, the light sensor will automatically dim lights if there is sufficient natural light.
The requirement for the lighting system to cater for low reach trucks means that the pushbuttons at the isle ends also have two very low power IR detectors fitted into their switch enclosures. The low reach trucks interact with these IR detectors via on-board bi- directional IR transmitters, which are powered from the trucks 24VDC battery. This means that, when a truck enters or leaves an isle, the IR detector unit detects its presence and direction, and the system then switches the lights automatically, up or down, depending upon whether the truck is entering or leaving the isle.
Operational statistics on truck movements is provided as part of the system by the company’s web browser, which also monitors power to each isle. A master push button enables all the isle lights to be switched on from the DC reception area.
IDC
www.zig-bee.co.uk
