Smart homes the smart way - consumer unit for domestic entertainment networking installations from Schneider Electric

The traditional way to provide multiple rooms in a domestic property with telephone, Internet and TV access is to install separate products such as telephone junction boxes, TV distribution amplifiers and an Internet router, then run separate cables for each service. Like most obvious solutions, however, this approach has a few drawbacks.

To eliminate these shortcomings, Schneider Electric has introduced the Delta 8 range, a combined VDI (voice-data-image) solution which allows telephone, Internet and TV signals to be distributed simultaneously on the same cable to every connected outlet.

Very simple installation:

The compact Delta 8 core unit, which has been designed to blend in with any home, can easily be wall or shelf mounted, or it can even be fitted in a DIN rail style enclosure. Once in place, it is simply connected to the incoming phone line, the TV aerial and Internet modem/router and then it's ready to act as the 'consumer unit' for VDI services.

In fact, installation is probably easier than a normal power consumer unit, as the core unit uses punch down connections for the outgoing cables making connection quick and straightforward. At the remote socket outlet the RJ45 connectors use a tool-less principle again aiding rapid connection.

The core unit accepts up to two telephone lines, which can be fed to any outlet via a selectable switch on the core unit. With eight outlets in total and each outlet carrying three services, this is equivalent in functionality to 24 phone, TV and data outlets but, if more are needed, extra core units can easily be daisy-chained with the first.

Connections between the core unit and the outlet sockets are made with shielded multicore cables. As easy to install as ordinary power cables, these cables are fast and simple to terminate at the core unit as the Delta 8 system uses insulation displacement connectors.

For connections from the sockets to the appliance - TV, radio, telephone, fax machine or computer - standard ready-terminated leads are offered, and all that is necessary at the socket outlet is to match the lead to the type of appliance connected. For those areas where all three services are required simultaneously, perhaps a lounge or home office, the external triple play splitter device provides this useful benefit in a neat and compact way, making the system even more powerful.

Finally, for verifying the installation and checking signal levels, a convenient and easy-to-use test kit is supplied.

Installer benefits:

For installers, the Delta 8 system has a whole range of benefits. It greatly reduces the amount of cabling needed for comprehensive VDI distribution systems, making them fast and easy to install. With it's standardised screened cabling and matched components, Delta 8 also eliminates the complications and problems which often occur when installations are carried out with products bought from a variety of sources.

The benefits are equally compelling for the homeowner or developer. Delta 8 systems can be installed discreetly with no unsightly tangle of cables, and both the core units and the sockets are attractive in appearance. The real clincher, however, is versatility. Since all of the VDI signals are distributed over the same cable, swapping a TV for a computer, for example, is as simple as unplugging the TV and plugging in the computer - no changes at all are needed to the wiring.

There is one final consideration - what about the cost? Since Delta 8 systems need so little cabling and are so easy to install and set up, the overall costs are comparable to those of conventional VDI distribution systems, yet provide much greater functionality.

With the continued growth in demand for smart home systems, installers are well placed to grasp this opportunity and offer new added value yet profitable solutions to their developer or end user clients, creating new longer-term business opportunities.

Delta 8 is, claims Schneider Electric, 'the ideal solution assisting installers to open up this valuable source of additional income by offering attractive, dependable yet versatile systems at realistic prices'.

The picture shows Schneider Electric's Delta 8 unit.