Control 4 EA-3 Installation Manual

Control4 EA-3 Controller
Installation Guide
Supported model
• C4-EA3 Entertainment and Automation Controller, 3 Zone
Introduction
The low-cost EA-3 Controller in the Entertainment and
Automation line of controllers lets you control lights, home
theaters, audio and video, and other devices controlled by
infrared (IR), IP, or serial connections. The controller has a
fast processor, dual-spectrum built-in WiFi, HDMI output for
Control4 On-Screen Navigator, and ZigBee radio. The EA-3 is
perfect for single rooms or smaller homes.
The controller also includes extensive media management for
audio and video content: CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray Discs; digital
media stored on connected devices and streaming audio
services, such as Rhapsody, TuneIn, and others. Use an external
storage device, such as an external USB drive or NAS (network-
attached storage), to store music and photos. The EA-3
Controller mounts easily on a wall behind the TV.
After you install and configure the controller with other Control4
devices, your customers can control their system using popular
Control4 interfaces (sold separately).
Box contents
The following items are included in the box:
• Control4 EA-3 Controller (C4-EA3)
• EA-3 Wall-Mount Bracket (C4-WMEA3)
• AC power cord
• IR emitters (6)
• Dual-band antennas (2)
• Single-position terminal block for contact/relay
• Warranty card
Accessories sold separately
• Control4 3.5 mm-to-DB9 Serial Cable (C4-CBL3.5-DB9B)
• Rack Mount Kit (C4-XXXX)
• EA-3 Wall-Mount Bracket (C4-WMEA3)
Warnings
Caution! To reduce the risk of electrical shock, do not expose
this apparatus to rain or moisture.
Avertissement ! Pour réduire le risque de choc électrique,
n'exposez pas cet appareil à la pluie ou à l'humidité.
Caution! In an over-current condition on USB or contact
output the software disables the output. If the attached USB
device or contact sensor does not appear to power on, remove
the device from the controller.
Avertissement ! Dans une condition de surintensité sur USB
ou sortie de contact le logiciel désactive sortie. (additional
translation needed)
For more information, visit the Products pages at www.control4.com
Requirements and speciications
Note: We recommend using Ethernet instead of WiFi for the
best network connectivity.
Note: The Ethernet or WiFi network should be installed before
you install the EA-3 Controller.
Composer Pro is required to conigure this device. See the Composer
Pro User Guide ( ctrl4.co/cpro-ug ) for details.
Speciications
Model number C4-EA3
Inputs / Outputs
Video out 1 video out—1 HDMI
Video HDMI 1.4 output; HD 720p/1080p, 50-60 Hz
Audio out 3 audio out—1 HDMI, 1 stereo analog (3.5
mm), 1 digital coax
Audio in 2 audio in—1 stereo analog (3.5 mm), 1 digital
coax
Audio playback formats MP3: 32 kbps to 320 kbps, iTunes Plus, WMA,
WMA lossless, Apple lossless, CBR, VBR,
AAC, FLAC, and uncompressed WAV and
AIFF.
Network
Ethernet 10/100/1000BaseT compatible (required for
controller setup). PoE+ supported.
802.3af / 12.95W
Power over Ethernet
Built-in Ethernet switch 1 Ethernet/PoE in + 1 Ethernet switch port
Wireless Dual-Band Wireless-N (2.4GHz, 5GHz,
802.11n/g/b)
Wireless security WEP, WPA, and WPA2
Wireless antenna External reverse SMA connector
ZigBee Pro 802.15.4
ZigBee antenna External reverse SMA connector
USB port 1 USB 2.0 port, 500mA minimum, 600mA
maximum
Control
IR OUT 6 IR out, 5V 27mA max output
1 IR blaster, front
IR capture 1 IR receiver, front; 0-60 KHz
SERIAL OUT 3 Serial out (shared with IR out 1-3)
Contact 1 contact sensor—36V DC maximum
operation. The available current for 12V
contact output is 1.25A maximum.
Relay 1 relay—AC: 36V, 2A; DC: 24V, 2A maximum
operation.
Power
Power requirements 100-240 VAC, 60/50Hz or PoE+
Power consumption Max: 18W, 61 BTUs/hour
Idle: 9W, 30 BTUs/hour
Other
Operating temperature 32˚ - 104˚ F (0˚ - 40˚ C)
Storage temperature 4˚ - 158˚ F (-20˚ - 70˚ C)
Fan dB level Max: 35 dB
Dimensions (H x W x D) 8.75" (221 mm) x 5.875" (149 mm) x 1.25"
(31 mm)
Weight 1.60 lbs (0.74 kg)
Shipping weight 2.75 lbs (1.26 kg)
Additional resources
The following resources are available for more support.
• Control4 Knowledgebase: kb.control4.com and Dealer Forums:
forums.control4.com
• Control4 Technical Support
• Control4 website: www.control4.com
.
• Composer Pro documentation in online help or PDF format available
on the Dealer Portal under Support: ctrl4.co/docs
Front view
A B
A Data LED—The LED indicates that the controller is streaming audio.
B IR window—IR blaster and IR receiver for learning IR codes.
C Caution LED—This LED shows solid red, then blinks blue during the
boot process.
Note: The Caution LED lashes yellow during the factory
restore process. See "Factory Restore" in this document.
D Link LED—The blue LED indicates that the controller has been
identiied in a Control4 Composer project and is communicating with
Director.
E Power LED—The blue LED indicates that AC power is connected. The
controller turns on immediately after power is applied to it.
Back view
A B C D E F G H I J
A WIFI—Reverse SMA connector for WiFi antenna.
B Power plug port—AC power receptacle for an IEC 60320-C5 power
cord.
C Contact/Relay port—Connect one relay device and one contact
sensor device to the terminal block connector. Relay connections are
COM, NC (normally closed), and NO (normally open). Contact sensor
connections are +12, SIG (signal), and GND (ground).
D Serial and IR OUT—3.5 mm jacks for up to six IR emitters or for a
combination of IR emitters and serial devices. Ports 1, 2, and 3 can
be conigured independently for serial control or for IR control. See
"Connect IR/serial ports" in this document for more information.
E DIGITAL COAX IN—Allows audio to be shared over the local network
to other Control4 devices.
F AUDIO IN and OUT—Stereo audio input and output ports (3.5 mm
stereo audio jack). Allows audio to be shared (AUDIO IN) over the
local network to other Control4 devices. Outputs audio (AUDIO
OUT) shared from other Control4 devices or from digital audio
sources (local media or digital streaming services such as TuneIn).
G DIGITAL COAX OUT—Outputs audio (AUDIO OUT) shared from
other Control4 devices or from digital audio sources (local media or
digital streaming services such as TuneIn).
H HDMI OUT—An HDMI port to display navigation menus. Also an
audio out over HDMI.
I ID button—Button to identify the device in Composer Pro.
J FACTORY RESTORE—Restores the controller to its factory defaults.
This also reboots the controller.
K USB—One port for an external USB drive. See "Set up external
storage devices" in this document.
L Ethernet—Ethernet port that can be used as a network switch to
connect another local Ethernet device to the network.
M Ethernet/POE—RJ-45 jack for a 10/100/1000 BaseT Ethernet
connection. Use this port as the 'uplink port' to your local network. If
using PoE+ to power the controller, this port must be used.
N ZIGBEE—Reverse SMA connector for ZigBee antenna.
Installing the controller
To install the controller:
1 Ensure that the home network is in place before starting system
setup. The controller requires a network connection, Ethernet
(recommended) or WiFi, to use all of the features as designed.
When connected, the controller can access web-based media
databases, communicate with other IP devices in the home, and
access Control4 system updates.
2 Mount the controller behind a TV, on a wall, placed in a rack, or
stacked on a shelf. See "Wall mount options" below if mounting the
controller on a wall or behind a TV.
3 Connect the controller to the network.
• Ethernet—To connect using an Ethernet connection, plug the data
cable from the home network connection into the controller's RJ-
45 port (labeled "ETHERNET/POE") and the network port on the
wall or at the network switch.
Note: If using PoE+ to power the controller, make all
connections prior to plugging in the PoE injector or switch.
C D E
• WiFi—To connect using WiFi, irst connect the controller to
Ethernet, and then use Composer Pro System Manager to
reconigure the controller for WiFi.
Important: Do not install your EA controller on a
172.18.xxx.xxx subnet.
4 Connect system devices. Attach IR and serial devices as described
in "Connect the IR ports/serial ports" and "Set up IR emitters."
5 Set up any external storage devices as described in "Setting up
external storage devices" in this document.
6 Power up the controller. Plug the power cord into the controller's
power plug port and then into an electrical outlet.
Mounting the controller behind a TV or on the wall
Using the included Wall-Mount Bracket (C4-WMEA3), the EA-3 can
easily be mounted behind a TV, on the wall using a 1- or 2-gang wall
box, or mounted directly on the wall. See the EA-3 Wall-Mount Bracket
Installation Guide for details.
Pluggable terminal block connectors
For the contact and relay ports, the EA-3 makes use of a pluggable
K L M N
terminal block connector which is a removable plastic part that locks in
individual wires (included).
To connect a device to the pluggable terminal block:
1 Insert one of the wires required for your device into the appropriate
opening in the pluggable terminal block you reserved for that
device (see Figure 3).
2 Insert the wire:
• If using solid-core wire, insert the wire into the hole below the
slotted retention tab, and ensure that the wire is tightly secured.
• If using stranded wire, press the slotted retention tab in using a
small, lat-blade screwdriver. Insert the wire into the hole below
the tab, and then release the tab to secure the wire.
Example: If you add a motion sensor (see Figure 5),
connect its wires to the following contact openings:
• Power input to +12V
• Output signal to SIG
• Ground connector to GND
Note: If you connect dry contact closure devices, such as
doorbells, connect the switch between +12V (Power) and
SIG (Signal).