Lighting control system

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Lighting control system consists of a device, typically an embedded processor or industrial computer, that controls electric lights for a building or residence. Lighting control systems usually include one or more keypads or touch panel interfaces. These interfaces allow users the ability to toggle power to lights and fans, dim lights, and program lighting levels.

A major advantage of a lighting control system over conventional lighting is the ability to control any device from any interface. For example, a master touch panel might allow the user the ability to control all lights in a building, not just a single room. In fact, any light might be controlled from any location.

In addition, lighting control systems provide the ability to automatically power a device based on programming events such as:

Chronological time (time of day)
Astronomical time (sunrise/sunset)
Room occupancy
Events
Alarm conditions
Program logic (any combination of events)

Chronological time is a time of day or offset from a time. Astronomical times includes sunrise, sunset, a day, or specific days in a month or year. Room occupancy might be determined with motion detectors or RFID tags. Events might include holidays or birthdays. Alarm conditions might include a door opening or motion detected in a protected area. Program logic can tie all of the above elements together using constructs such as if-then-else statements and logical operators.

[edit] Theatre

Architectural lighting control systems integrate with a theater's dimmer system and are often used to control house lights, and sometimes worklights, rehearsal lighting, and lobby lighting. Control stations are placed in several locations around the building and range in complexity from a single button that brings up a preset look to in-wall LCD touchscreens. ^[1] Much of the technology is related to residential and commercial lighting control systems.

The benefit of architectural lighting control systems in the theater is the ability for theater workers to turn worklights and houselights on and off without having to use a lighting control console. On the other hand, the light designer can control these same lights with light cues from the lighting control console so that, for instance, the transition from houselights being up before a show starts and the first light cue of the show is controlled by one system.