AMX Makes Early Debut of ICSLanTM Device Control Boxes

  • AMX has announced the immediate availability of its new ICSLanTM Device Control Boxes— two months before the originally planned ship date. The compact units let users connect devices not typically Ethernet enabled, including projectors, displays, lighting and shades to an Ethernet network via a single standard twisted pair cable for remote management using a NetLinx® Controller. Virtually any device controlled by IR, RS-232, I/O or relays can be connected to an IP network and managed, regardless if the device is in the next room or across the globe.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to offer the ICSLan Device Control Boxes to the marketplace two months sooner than planned when introduced at InfoComm 2011,” said AMX President and CEO Rashid Skaf. “The ICSLan Device Control Boxes are yet another solution from AMX that emphasize our commitment to bring audiovisual and other equipment that is critical to today’s business collaboration into an IT environment for interoperability and easier management.

Speaking of the early release of the ICSLan Device Control Boxes, AMX Product Manager Jeff Burch said: “The response from our customers to the announcement of the ICSLan product line at InfoComm has been very positive. We wanted to get them to our customers as quickly as possible. We’re proud of the effort our engineering team put in to make this possible. This is the third new product this year alone they have delivered before the announced availability date.

Already named one of 10 Automation Products for Your Next Install by Commercial Integrator magazine, the ICSLan Device Control Boxes give AV integrators and IT managers a simple and cost effective solution to simplify the management of the “whole” building and “whole” home. The compact units allow one NetLinx Controller to manage many more devices than the number of ports present on the Controller.

Although technology that connects non-IT devices to an IP network is not completely new, what is new is the simplicity with which the ICSLan Device Control Boxes allow this to happen. Because they are native NetLinx units, programming is easy; no special codes or commands are needed.

Further simplifying installation, the ICSLan Device Control Boxes feature Power over Ethernet (PoE) functionality eliminating the need for a power supply at the install location.

ICSLan Device Control Boxes are available in the following configurations: the EXB-IRS4 for IR/S interfaces, the EXB-COM2 for serial interfaces, the EXB-REL8 for relay interfaces, EXB-I/O8 for input/output interfaces, and the EXB-MP1 for multiple interfaces including IR, serial and I/O.

To learn more about the new ICSLan Device Control Boxes from AMX, please visit www.amx.com/products/categoryCentralControllers.asp

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