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Home Office, Home Theatre, Home Entertainment, Home Networking, Home Security and Home Technology
  The very definition of "home" is evolving. Homeowners' expectations are also evolving as new products and technology transforms their lives. The properly wired home, once considered a luxury, is now viewed as standard in the digital age.
K&W uses a structured wiring protocol called ResiNet™ to facilitate the automation of homes and buildings. ResiNet™ is a network of many types of low voltage cables and wires within a home or building. Termination points are located throughout the various rooms, examples of which may include: audio/visual equipment; motorized devices for a pool or spa, drapery or window coverings; HVAC equipment, controls or monitoring devices; security equipment etc.
K&W can provide the low voltage pre-wiring necessary for Security, Multi-room Audio, Home Theatre, Telephone, TV, Computer, HDTV Satellite, CCTV Cameras, Intercom, Lighting Control, Off Air Antenna and Home Automation.
 Central to this structured wiring is an interconnection centre or Hub. The ResiNet™ wiring network carries all incoming information from any number of sources throughout the building to the Hub. The Hub contains programmable software, which translates data sent from one device via one type of cable, into a signal that can be sent to another device on another type of cable. In this way the information is distributed to any designated room within the building, or outside the building (as, for example, an internet e-mail message).
A fully automated system can pay for itself many times over: 24 hour monitoring of lighting conditions by dimming, or turning lights on and off to maintain a predetermined level of light, and full HVAC control are just two areas that can bring about large operating cost savings. The end result is a total system and a network programmed and matched to perform integrated tasks from easy-to-use touch screens and control panels.
Wide Assortment of Choices and Benifits
Some clients feel the need for sophisticated security systems, while others need only a few basic features. Some want a few stereo speakers for background music, while others have a desire for high fidelity sound in each room of their home. Lighting control to some people means lights that come on when any car enters the driveway or when someone walks into a room. To others it may mean infinite dimming levels and romantic mood lights. Telephone systems can range from a simple one line one phone grouping to a fully digital multi-line communications hub. To cover the wide assortment of choices available, we offer several levels of products within each category.
Home Automation is not just for entertainment, turning on lights, drawing the drapes and switching on the radio. These are everyday activities that most of us do habitually. For some people simple activities can be very difficult, if not impossible. Those with limited hand movement from arthritis for example, may find it difficult to reach up to draw drapes. Young children may be unable to reach the light switch to go to the bathroom at night, and no one likes getting out of bed to turn off a light left on downstairs, or in another room. Today, these activities can become effortless and totally automated, thereby enhancing the quality of life for those living there. Reducing green house gasses and general polution, along with envirnomental responsiblity are all areas that a Home Automation system can maximize. Turning down the heat is an obvious area that even programmable thermostats can manage, but managing lighting levels at key times of the day, controling fans, heat pumps or power window shades to manage the homes environment in concert with the time of day, year the sun's nivus and current weather all enhance this important feature set well beyond simply setting times on a themostat. All of these environmenatly friendly possibilities come with the added bonus of real cost savings to the home owner as well.
A side benefit to automating the home is the removal of what we call "wall acne." Electrinc gadgets can tend to clutter the walls of a modern home. Touch screens can replace the thermostat, humidistat, sound system controls, computer monitors, accessory controls and the bank of ugly light switches, with just one elegant touch screen per room.
Understanding the Differences Between Structured Wiring and Electrical Protocols
 The basis for a cost effective automated building or home is low voltage wiring. Low voltage wiring is not the same as the wire used for providing power to high voltage electrical circuitry to power lights and appliances. There are many types and categories of low voltage wiring including; CAT 5 used for telephone and computer, RG 6 used for cable TV, audio/video and various grades of fiber optic strands formed into cable to carry audio and video signals. Together, the various types of low voltage cabling comprise a network of structured wiring.
When installing the wiring for low voltage requirements, it is important to keep it apart from the high voltage electrical wiring. If the two types of wiring are placed in close proximity, interference is likely to occur on the telephone, video or computer communication lines. For this reason, there are usually different construction trades involved in electrical and structured wiring contracts. K&W Audio specializes in the latter, and prefer to install the low voltage wiring after the electrical wiring has been completed.
Planning for Future Needs and Technology
 Installing the wiring inside the walls of a home or building is the key to meeting the requirements for technology in the future. The time to install wiring is prior to the dry-wall stage, when the building is closed in, but before the internal walls are clad. Because wiring is relatively inexpensive, it is more cost effective to install additional wiring needed to meet future requirements at the outset, rather than having it installed later by 'fishing' wires through finished walls, ripping out existing dry wall or paneling, or running visible wiring along the floor or ceiling.
Because K&W system designers are experienced in anticipating future needs, we understand how to ask the client those questions, which stimulate forward thinking. Forward thinking results in wiring for the future, while terminating it discreetly and out-of-sight, ready for future use.
In a well planned structured wiring installation, it could easily be expected that a bundle of wiring of 5 cm or more in diameter would return to the control room from every room or hall.
Eight Common Resinet™ Applications - Central Distribution
Flexibility is the key to a ResiNet™ structured cabling system. The ResiNet™ System makes it possible to custom configure each and every installation while maintaining a neat and orderly termination field that can accommodate application changes as they occur. - Entertainment Centre
Advancements in HDTV and Digital Satellite technology require quality cable and connectors. After these signals have traveled thousands of miles to reach their destination - why gamble on the last 100 feet? - Kitchens
Digital technology makes it possible for appliances to communicate with one another. For example Mom can check on her child in the nursery from a television monitor located in the kitchen. - Nurseries
A nursery equipped with a video camera or intercom system for monitoring baby activity can give peace of mind. The room can be monitored without intruding during rest time or to simply check in at any time from any location in the home. - Children's Room
The world is at your children's fingertips when they access the Internet. By creating a ResiNet™ local area network within you home you can control access to the internet and television while allowing the sharing of software and hardware peripherals such as printers, scanners or fax servers. - Master Bedroom
Control all lighting and security functions in the home from the privacy of the bedroom. Distributed audio and video capability allows one to view a movie or listen to a favorite piece of music from any source within the home. - Security
Closed circuit cameras strategically located throughout the home can be integrated and programmed to record activities while the residents are away. This recorded information can be viewed at any time from anywhere in the world. - Home Office
36% of the new homes being built today are equipped with a home office. The need for increased bandwidth within the home has never been greater and will continue to increase. In many cases music streaming from the home office computer needs to be routed to the central audio processor, elsewhere in the home, and video is poised to as well, stream over the internet and start at this point for distribution too.
Resinet™ Structured Wiring, Some General Principles
Technically the ResiNet™ system is defined as: "An ingress/egress protocol allowing for the introduction and extraction of signals at multiple points throughout the structure." In practical terms it means that a well designed and installed ResiNet™ system will allow a low voltage device to be placed anywhere. Installing a series of cables in every wall requiring ResiNet™ service and running them back to a central Hub will accomplish this. Typically a ResiNet™ wiring node consists of 4 RG6 (coaxial) lines and 2 CAT5E lines.
It is a good idea to have at least one ResiNet™ node per room, including the kitchen, as computers in this area are fast becoming de rigueur in the well equipped home. Along with the Master Bedroom and Family or Great Room, the Kitchen should be one of the rooms with two outlets. The Pantry may be a convenient spot to hide a node. In major electronic areas such as the Den, where there might be several computer devices, we recommend having a node on each wall and one in the floor under the desk. This takes into account current needs and those of the future, when the multiple computer family will become the rule rather than the exception.
A ResiNet™ node will allow each computer, when routed through the Hub, to have access to each other and peripheral devices such as the printer or scanner. The inclusion of 2 CAT5 lines allows the homeowner to take advantage of protocols like IEEE1394B (Firewire). Firewire requires 4 shielded twisted pairs of wire along with 2 more twisted pairs, shielded or unshielded. Using the two 4 twisted pair CAT5 lines ensures enough additional capacity to serve a telephone and fax machine at each node. Also, one of the RG6 lines can be used for the "@home" computer service currently offered by Shaw, Rogers, Excite and others.
It is a good idea to have a node wired into the attic. Placing 6 RG6 and 2 CAT5 up there will give access to a dual LNB satellite dish, an off air antenna and, down the road, a HDTV antenna. The CAT5 lines will allow for motor control of either the off air antenna or the HDTV antenna which will, almost certainly, require aiming.
The 6 RG6 lines are to accommodate an A/V device such as a DVD player or an HD satelite or cable box making one digital audio (up to 5.1 channels) or conversely 2 analog stereo channels, and three video lines (Pr, Py,Pb) available to send signals into the system. The sixth line allows for a "line in", such as cable or satellite dish signal. The CAT5E lines can be used for telephone, fax machine, computer hub, servers and peripherals, intercoms, security systems and cameras as well as infrared control devices. The CAT5E can also be used by control systems such as the Crestron, SpeakerCraft, Niles, Russound or Vantage.
Video and Security
Using a device called a modulator allows the transmission of a signal from one appropriately wired node in the house to others. In practice the signal from a DVD player or DV recorder in the home theatre can be routed through a modulator, either directly or via the receiver outputs, thereby transmitting audio and video throughout the house. The same is true of a video camera (i.e. front door security) or DSS receiver or DVR.
Most of the "free" security systems offered today consist of 3 door contacts, 2 motion detectors and a single keypad along with all the bits and pieces (CPU, siren, transformer, backup battery, wire etc.) to make the system functional. While this system may be adequate for the average two story or bungalow without a walk out, there are some things that should be considered. Obviously all doors should have contacts on them, including the main door in the garage. A motion detector should cover all rooms at grade level and below. This is also true of any rooms that can be accessed from and upper floor deck that, for instance, may have an exterior staircase. Motion detectors typically have about a 60 - 75 degree "spray" so the system needs to be designed with this in mind. Try to avoid direct sunlight as this can play havoc with motion detectors. If the home does not have central air conditioning or if there is a preference for keeping windows open, ensure that each window is wired to allow for security screens. Finally, always make sure that there are at least two CAT5E cable runs into the attic for future use. This allows for things like monitored smoke detectors and CO detectors and additional keypads to be added in the future.
The Simple Explanation Video If you are still a little hazy on exactly how ResiNet™ and home automation works, them perhaps this video from one of our key competitors will help to define how it all works in harmony. Click Here.... Or you could just call us!
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