Pharos Architectural Controls has developed Pharos Expert, a new DMX and DALI control range. The benefits of DMX are being increasingly demanded in architectural installations that require decorative, colourful and dynamic lighting. This set-and-forget lighting control solution was designed specifically for the architectural lighting market, fulfilling the growing need for a practical, straightforward, and cost-effective lighting controller for DMX and DALI fixtures.
The Pharos Expert range, combining innovation with renowned Pharos Architectural Controls reliability for 24-7 operation, consists of Expert Control, a compact DIN rail unit for 1024 control channels with out-of-the-box test modes and installation-friendly connectors; Expert Touch, a 5” touch screen wall station for intuitive user interaction to access lighting controls, activate scenes and adjust intensity and colour; and two matching accessories, Expert Repeat, a DMX splitter for output distribution, and Expert Switch for PoE networking.
With DMX, DALI and a couple of convenient contact closures and relays on board, Expert Control provides up to 1024 channels – ideal for architectural lighting that requires the benefits of dynamic movement and colour in a cost effective and practical package. Having a control solution which integrates both DMX and DALI natively is extremely beneficial, seamlessly outputting to both protocols to allow designers to manage all lighting in the space at once. Advantages to using DMX control for enhancing the visual environment include providing high capacity, reliable, smooth and fine resolution control of the luminaire output, thereby giving designers the sensitivity they need to set intensity, colour and speed of effects and transitions.
The companion 5″ touchscreen wall station; the elegant Expert Touch has a seamless, uninterrupted glass front plate, and provides a beautiful interface for projects that require frequent user interaction. Automatically generated pages give users control of lighting, allowing them to activate scenes and adjust intensity and colour. An innovative mounting plate solution keeps the touchscreen safely and securely in place.
Expert commissioning software guides users through setting up and creating their lighting design, with helpers and clear, easy to follow processes. This desktop app is a new programming platform for Windows and macOS, designed from scratch to give just the tools needed, with an innovative way of scheduling and triggering lighting based around an intuitive spaces-based approach.
The Expert range has been designed with sustainability in mind. Expert software provides many tools to program lighting efficiently, such as programming by Spaces, which allows programming in specific zones and areas of activity. Setting the location means Expert can respond to local sunrise and sunset times throughout the year, so that Scenes can be scheduled to ensure the right light is delivered at the right time. Expert is a reliable long-life, low power solution, with tools to enable lighting to come on only when required, and only at the levels needed to save power and avoid light pollution. Add Pharos Cloud, a remote access and management service, and you also reduce the environmental impact of follow-up site visits.
Pharos has carefully designed Expert specifically to help the architectural market take advantage of dynamic lighting solutions now common in the ‘architainment’ sectors, without the complexity that comes with the show control requirements of themed entertainment installations.
The Expert range showcases thoughtful product design, focusing on the requirements of specifiers, electricians, installers, programmers, designers, and the end user. Pharos has created a simple-to-specify, commission and programme dynamic lighting control solution where the Expert guides and helps you through each part of the installation and design process. Expert is practical, reliable, and cost-effective, while allowing for exquisite results.
