Posted: October 30 2002 at 14:19 | IP Logged

The SECU-16IR requires either an Ocelot or CPU-XA (earlier version of Ocelot) controller.  The Ocelot will comunicate with the other modules over an RS-485 network.  The Ocelot itself will do a single zone of IR and X-10.  If you want multiple zones of IR, then you would need an SECU-16IR.  The Ocelot also can have digital inputs / outputs and analog inputs with a SECU-16 module.  Most people would probably just start with the Ocelot and then slowly add additional modules if needed over time.

Dave.

Posted: October 31 2002 at 09:46 | IP Logged

An IR Zone would be an area where IR is transmitted.  The "Zone" could be a large area affecting several IR devices or can be limited to a single IR device.  The most important aspect of a zone would be that the IR sent to a particular zone only goes to that zone and no other.  You could set up a couple of zones if you had equipment in the bedroom and equipment in the living room for example.  You could also do this using a single zone where all IR commands would be sent to both the bedroom and the living room.  Multiple zones are handy when you have more than 1 piece of equipment which responds to the same IR commands.  You wouldnt want to change the channel in the bedroom when you were trying to change channels in the living room. 

For most applications, a single zone is sufficient.  I currently control equipment in both the bedroom and living room by a single zone into two signals (I do this by using X-10's PowerMids.  I have one transmitter that picks up the IR and two recievers...one in the bedroom and one in the living room).  This has worked well until recently when I acquired a second satellite receiver that is the same as the first.  I will now have to have at least two zones to control them separately.

Dave.