Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: How do I Automate a Digital Booth?

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Posted by Richard Orsak (Member # 4472) on 05-26-2013, 11:21 AM:

I was trying to see if it might be possible to automate all the startup and shutdown functions to operate the booth remotely?

Currently the following is the startup sequence:

Turn on sound rack breaker and then the auditorium breaker for the lights

Then turn on sound rack UPS

Turn on breakers for the UPS for the Barco, and the Server

Turn on projector and when it boots, then turn on server...

Is there a way to do this remotely? Or to automate the process?

Is there a separate box that could be installed so I could boot the equipment without actually having to throw the breakers each and every time?

Would be nice to have something next to the sound rack and not have to go into the breaker box each time...(my sound rack is mounted "in wall" in the booth, about 8 ft from the breaker box)

Thanks!

Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 05-26-2013, 11:57 AM:

This isn't a direct answer to your question, but you really shouldn't use a panel circuit breaker as a switch. They aren't designed for that purpose. At a minimum, get some real switches installed between the panel box and the equipment so you don't have to keep switching the circuit breakers on and off.

While rare, it is possible for a circuit breaker to mechanically fail in such a way as to cause arcing in the panel box and you really don't want to be standing in front of it with your hand on one of the breakers if that happens.

Posted by Gavin Lewarne (Member # 5397) on 05-26-2013, 12:01 PM:

Not sure on the automation thingymabobs (im sure others will help)

We don't ever touch the actual breakers for any of the equipment. The breakers are always "on". What we use are wall mounted rotary switches, capable of switching 3 phase , 240v, 32a per phase. They can be used on single phase too by just omitting 2 of the 3 phase connections.

The server UPS has its own feed from a 16a breaker going through a wall mounted fused switch which we leave permanently on.

The Sound / Processing / Network rack goes through one rotary switch on a 32a breaker. The projector has its own 24a breaker and rotary switch.

I was always told never to use the breakers as switches as they can, and do wear out which has caught us out before we had our refurbishment and caused the loss of screenings as we could not power the 35mm rectifier.

Rotary switches we have - http://compare.ebay.co.uk/like/330522958851?var=lv<yp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&_lwgsi=y&cbt=y&device=c&adtype=pla&crdt=0&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=63&ff19=0

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 05-26-2013, 12:09 PM:

Some breakers are indeed switch rated. I'd argue that a even good breakers (Square-D QO) not only will deal with being used as switches are on par, price wise with additional specific switches. We are not talking about a typical light switch that will be used several times a day...the duty cycle is but once per day.

As to automating a booth. It can really be as automated as you want it to be. Even Film-Tech's DCS has shown that it can take care of powering booth equipment based on the actual schedule it receives from the POS for maximum energy conservation.

Posted by Gavin Lewarne (Member # 5397) on 05-26-2013, 12:14 PM:

Steve - I don't doubt some breakers are switch rated. But here in the UK and possibly Europe they are absolutely not allowed to be used as switches, if you follow the rules of UK / EU electrical code to the letter. There are some exceptions but nothing really valid for cinema use

Not only that but the more recent changes to the code state that any new installations must have RCBO breakers on any circuit with any form of 13a (consumer) socket on them. These RCBO breakers do not always reliably turn on if any of the equipment on the circuit is immediately powered and cannot be isolated.

Posted by Dave Macaulay (Member # 813) on 05-26-2013, 03:38 PM:

First, one generally does not turn off a UPS: they stay on all the time to keep batteries charged. Shutting the power off to a UPS just puts it into battery backup power mode, and it will provide power to whatever is plugged into it until its batteries are discharged.
You can add contactors to control any power you want to switch off, and control them from a digital cinema automation system like the Jnior. Not unusual to do this with exhaust fans - switching them off manually invites having them left off on startup, and leaving them on draws unneeded air through the projector filter meaning filter cleaning or replacement is required more often.
To have the system powered down and start itself up, you would need a properly sized contactor for each circuit controlled. However, I don't advise unmanned startup of booth equipment, powerup is stressful on equipment and failures tend to happen then: an amp going "smoke machine" with nobody around wouldn't be good. I think it best to have a staff member do the morning switch-on if stuff is shut down at night. They will be able to deal with serious problems and would see any projector red lights or servers that fail to boot, hopefully resolving any issues before a show is late and passes have to be issued.

Posted by Jim Cassedy (Member # 4115) on 05-26-2013, 05:18 PM:

I think most electrical codes prohibit the use of circuit breakers as switches,
although as we all know, it's commonly done.

As for "completely" automating the startup & shutdown proceedure, I have to
wonder "why"? Just remember- - it IS possible to automate yourself out of a job.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 05-26-2013, 06:01 PM:

One can get "Switch Rated" breakers.

In fact, you can go a step further and get Square-D breakers with the switch part built in and sequenced.

http://www.lyntec.com/products/ac-power-control/ac-sequencing-products/mslc-series-modular-sequencing-load-centers/

A common means of turning on equipment is the use of "contactors". 3 or 4 pole contactors can turn on a great many individual circuits with just one switch.

Remember too...many of the fully automated booths also have NOC services that can be set up to detect things that blow out on turn on. Naturally, it all depends on what services the various devices have.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 05-26-2013, 11:59 PM:

All we do is flip the breakers in the wall panel and walk away and turn off these breakers at the end of the night on close.

The show scheduler section in the servers does the rest.

Posted by Tony Mace (Member # 2985) on 05-28-2013, 06:28 AM:

Our setup has plugins next to the server rack (equipment under projector), we have 3 power/surge bars that equipment is plugged into and a ups to the GDC server.

We use the switches on the power/surge bars, 3 of them and separate switch on the barco. UPS is on all the time running the GDC.

We never touch the breakers on the other end of the booth. Its just the 4 switches in the rack under the projector.

Tony

Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 05-28-2013, 07:48 AM:

Not exactly an answer to your question, but worth mentioning: There is plenty of information on this forum as to why it is not advisable to shut down your server at night. For longevity of the equipment, it is better to leave it powered 24/7. This assumes a standard multiplex (or even a single) that runs shows daily. If you are only using the server once every week or two, that may be a different story.