Control 4 CA-1, C4-CA1 - Control And Automation Controller Installation Manual

Introduction

The Control4® CA-1 Control and Automation Controller enables control of lights, security systems, sensors, door locks, and other devices controlled by IP, ZigBee, Z-Wave®, or serial connections. The controller has a fast processor, external antennas for WiFi and ZigBee radios, an internal slot for a Z-Wave module (sold spearately), and can be powered by PoE. This controller is perfect for home, apartments, and other installations that do not require IR control or audio streaming.
After you install and configure the controller with other Control4 devices, your customers can control their system using the Control4 apps, system remote controls, touch screens, or other Control4-supported interface devices (sold separately).

Box contents

• CA-1 Control and Automation Controller
• External power supply with international plug adaptors
• Antennas (2)

Accessories available for purchase

• Control4 Multi-Purpose In-Wall Box (C4-MPIWB-BL)
• Z-Wave Module - Region H (C4-ZWH)
• Z-Wave Module - Region U (C4-ZWU)
• Z-Wave Module - Region E (C4-ZWE)

To reduce the risk of electrical shock, do not expose this apparatus to rain or moisture.

In an over-current condition on USB, the software disables the output. If the attached USB device does not appear to power on, remove the USB device from the controller.
For more information, visit the Products pages at dealer.control4.com.

Requirements and specifications

Note: We recommend using Ethernet instead of WiFi for the best network connectivity.

Note: The Ethernet or WiFi network should be installed before starting the CA-1 controller installation.

Note: The software required to configure this device is Composer Pro. See the Composer Pro User Guide (ctrl4.co/cpro-ug) for details.

Specifications

Additional resources

The following resources are available for more support.

• Control4 Knowledgebase: kb.control4.com
• Dealer Forums: forums.control4.com
• Control4 Technical Support: dealer.control4.com/dealer/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
• Z-Wave documentation: ctrl4.co/z-wave

Front view

1. Status LED — The RGB status LED gives system status feedback. See "Troubleshooting" in this document for LED status information.
2. Z-Wave port — Removable plastic cover on top of the controller with a Z-Wave port underneath for a Control4 Z-Wave module.

Back view

Installing the controller

Requirements:

• Ensure that the home network is in place before starting system setup.
• A wired connection to the network is required for initial controller setup.
• The controller requires a network connection (Ethernet is recommended or WiFi) to use all of the features as designed. When connected, the controller can communicate with other IP devices in the home and access Control4 system updates.
• Composer Pro software version 2.10.0 or newer is required for configuration.

Mounting options:

• On-wall—The controller can be mounted to the wall using screws. Remove the rubber feet, measure the distance between them, and insert 2 screws into the wall so that the heads are about 1/4 to 1/2 inch from the wall. Position the holes on the back of the controller over the screw heads and slide the controller onto the screws.
• In-wall—The controller can be mounted in the wall, behind a TV or other equipment for a discreet installation. The Control4 Multi-Purpose In-Wall Box is sold separately and is designed for use with the CA-1 and other Control4 equipment. See the Multi-Purpose In-Wall Box Installation Guide (ctrl4.co/iwb-ig) for more details.
• DIN rail—The controller can be mounted to the wall using a section of DIN rail channel. Mount the rail to the wall, and then attach the controller to the rail.

Connecting the controller

1. 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") and the network port on the wall or at the network switch.
   • WiFi—To connect using WiFi, first connect the unit to Ethernet, attach the WiFi antenna to the controller, and then use Composer Pro System Manager to reconfigure the unit for WiFi.
2. Attach serial devices as described in "Connecting the serial port." Serial port is only used for controlling external devices, the controller must be connected over Ethernet or WiFi to set up the Control4 programming.
3. Connect any external storage devices (USB) as described in "Setting up external storage devices" in this document.
4. Connect the power cord to the controller's power port and then into an electrical outlet (if the controller is not powered by PoE).

Connecting the serial port (optional)

The controller includes one RJ-45 serial port that can be configured for RS-232, RS-422, or RS-485 serial communication.
The following serial communication configurations are supported:

• RS-232—Hardware flow control, up to 115,200 Kbps.
  (TXD, RXD, CTS, RTS, GND)
• RS-485—Single twisted pair, half duplex
• RS-422—Two twisted pair, full duplex

To set up the serial port:

1. Connect a serial device to the controller using Cat5/Cat6 cable and an RJ-45 connector.
   
   
   The serial port pinout follows the EIA/TIA-561 serial wiring standard. Standard Cat5/Cat6 Ethernet cabling (EIA/TIA-568) would result in split D+ and D- data pairs, causing reduced performance in RS-485/RS-422 applications. Use the wiring shown in the diagrams below.
2. To configure the serial port settings, make the appropriate connections in your project using Composer Pro. See the Composer Pro User Guide for details.
   
   Note: Serial settings are defined in the device driver in Composer. Serial settings (baud, parity, and serial port type) are automatically configured when a device driver is connected in Composer Pro to the serial port connection of the CA-1 driver.

Serial port pinout and wiring recommendations

Installing a Z-Wave module (optional)

An optional Z-Wave module can be added to the Z-Wave port on top of the controller. Z-Wave Modules are specific to your region. See the Z-Wave Setup Guide for software configuration and more information (ctrl4.co/z-wave-sg) To install the a Z-Wave module into the controller:


Power off the controller before you install the Z-Wave Module.

1. Using a small flathead screwdriver, remove the small plastic cover on top of the Z-Wave module.
2. Note the location of the connector on Z-Wave port and the location of the connector on the Z-Wave module.
3. Orient the Z-Wave module to fit in the port opening, hold it by the tab on top of the module, and insert it straight opening and insert it straight down into the port.
4. Replace the plastic cover.

Setting up external storage devices

You can store and access media from an external storage device, for example, a network hard drive or USB memory device, by connecting the USB drive to the USB port and configuring or scanning the media in Composer Pro.

Note: We support only externally-powered USB drives or solid state USB sticks. USB-powered external hard drives are not supported.

Note: When using USB storage devices with the CA-1 controller you can only use one partition with a 2TB maximum size. This limitation applies to USB storage devices with all other controllers also.

Composer Pro driver information

Use Auto Discovery and SDDP to add the driver to the Composer project. See the Composer Pro User Guide for details.

Note: A CA-1 controller may only run as Director in a single-controller project. CA-1 controllers may be used as secondary controllers in projects with other controllers that can be a Director in a multiplecontroller project.

Note: The CA-1 controller requires OS 2.10.0 or higher.

Connecting Z-Wave and ZigBee devices

All software configuration including connecting ZigBee and Z-Wave devices is done with Composer Pro. See the Composer Pro User Guide for more information.

Troubleshooting

Reset to factory settings

The factory reset process will remove the Composer project.

To restore the controller to the factory default image, perform the following steps:

1. Insert one end of a paper clip into the small hole on the back of the controller labeled RESET.
2. Press and hold the RESET button, the controller will reset and the Status LED will go solid red.
3. Hold the button until the LED blinks double yellow. This should take five to seven seconds. The LED will blink yellow while the factory restore is running. When complete, the LED will turn off and the device will reset to complete the factory restore process.

Power cycle the controller

Press and hold the ID button for five seconds. The controller will restart.

Reset the network settings

To reset the controller network settings to the default, follow these steps:

1. Disconnect power to the controller.
2. While pressing and holding the ID button on the back of the controller, power on the controller.
3. Hold the ID button until the LED is solid blue, then immediately release the button.
4. If during the boot sequence the LED stays orange, press and hold the ID button until the LED blinks blue, and then release it.

LED troubleshooting guide

LED legend:		= solid		= flashing (4 Hz)
		= flashing (1 Hz)		= flashing (1/2 Hz)

Status LED

	Power up		No IP address
	Controller is booting		Controller is updating
	Reset check		Update error
	Boot complete		Factory restore in progress
	Connected to Director (link)		Factory restore error
	USB over-current detected

Supported model

• C4-C A1
  Control and Automation Controller, CA-1