It is important to have rock solid LAN/WiFi system for this type of installation.
Actually, it will be the backbone of automation system. Reliable manageable switches, WiFi access points, combined into one logical system by controller, good router, main and backup Internet channel, and so on.
The main idea - plan and build small corporate-grade network, not home one.
Use entry and middle lever corporate equipment. By the way, SOHO Cisco equipment is not very expensive, but it is Cisco - very manageable, very reliable.
---In crestron@..., <etienne@...> wrote:
I've been doing high-end resi projects for about 13 years now and need to highlight one important thing I've learned ... listen to your client! Unfortunately resi is not corporate. It is personal, it constantly changes and you have to be on top of it during the sales, installation, commissioning and support phases (support means even 5 years later when somebody phones at 9pm on a Friday-night).
My advice, if you've never done resi, get somebody to help/support you and your company. Large resi projects can end any company if you don't know what you're doing. You'll keep going back. Working in high net-worth clients' personal space is a whole new ball game.
Keep it simple stupid...
---In crestron@..., <hvolmer@...> wrote:
?
Hey all,
I'm a commercial (mostly) programmer whose overzealous boss has gotten him involved in a 35-40 million dollar residential project. I am in the process of compiling info, i.e. design questions, brochures, and general "wow" factor literature for a meeting with the potential client tomorrow. I have talked to Crestron's Residential Sales Reps and gotten some good insights from them, but i thought I would throw it out to you guys and gals.?
What are the pitfalls and perils that aren't generally considered when designing a huge residential system such as this one?
That's a long list that is hard to enumerate. ?I think one key is that your salesman/designer needs to be on top of lots of contractors who may not understand or care about their role in the A/V system - and you need to be on top of them. ?Does the electrician have any idea about lighting systems, or were they just planning on 6-gang light switches? ?Is the plumber or HVAC tech gonna freak when you bring in TSTATs? ?No different than commercial, except that I think large-scale commercial tends to be more structured. ?Many large residential jobs are done by small-time contractors who can't manage details.
Be prepared to be the first person to be blamed when something doesn't work (lighting, HVAC, etc.)
Make sure the installers know what a label is and buy them lots of them.
I was thinking about touting Rava intercom as a side benefit of TSW panels all over the house...good idea or bad??
Seems like a fine idea, and there are some really simple ways to build it if you have a lot of panels.
Whole home DM matrix, i.e. 64x64 possibly....bad idea?
Matrix is almost a given. ?You probably won't have 64 inputs. ?You probably won't have 16. ?So many "depends on" here. ?Local sources, central racks, combination of the above. ?Steer them towards as much central as possible.
What types of DSP do you guys normally use for large, zoned houses?
DSP? ?That's not residential-speak ;-). ?PAD8s or now Sonnex, A/V receivers (I use Denon typically), Crestron Procise, some Anthem.?
Anything you Resi-Pros can offer would help. (And dont worry, I'm not really going to be your competition in the near future, this is a friend of a friend, one off, type thing)
Scary, having an inexperienced dealer jump into something like this. ?Bring on a consultant. ?It's not rocket science, but then again neither is commercial or government work. ?I'd be fairly over my head trying to bid out a school or hotel.
Heath
