Wireless switching offers churn benefits

Changes to the the control of lighting systems can be easily achieved following the installation of Wieland Electric’s Gesis RC product family using wireless technology from EnOcean. The maintenance-free switches do not require batteries or a mains supply. The power required is generated using a piezoelectric crystal. There is a choice of 2- or 4-way switching modules, which are mounted using screws or adhesive pads and can be easily moved. Every switch has its own address, of which more than 4 billion are available using 32-bit technology. The controllers are readily programmed to accept signals from more than one switch, or one switch can send messages to several controllers. It is thus possible, for example, for one switch to have on-and-off control of the lighting serving an entire open-plan area, with other switches providing local control. The radio-based system has a range of up to 100 m, depending on the layout of the buildings and the materials used in its construction. It uses a radio frequency of 868.3 MHz and a sending power of 10 mW for the 50 ms that the switch is pressed.

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