Quote:
Originally Posted by dougburi
After reading this thread, you have no idea how much I love my 12 volt wires - one positive; one negative and a multimeter for diagnosis. Someone educate me on all this E-plex / Silverleaf / Crestron stuff -- where are the advantages? Why stick your soft parts in this "bear trap"?? I am old fashioned enough to like turning on the lights without needing a degree in computer programming.
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To all:
I am really glad that this thread keeps bringing up new questions. I am really interested to hear the questions that are on your minds and be able to share a little bit of my understanding of the systems.
dougburi: makes a good point and one that should be thought about in the development of any of these types of vehicles (or yachts for that matter).
For my company and the new ownership of the E-Plex product line it is actually a philosophy that we actually agree with. E-Plex is not the fix all answer to every situation or engineering opportunity.
Yes, that is correct, E-Plex doesn't fit every situation. It is one of the reasons why I really find the current E-Plex owner on the proper track. They know that their product has value when used in the correct scenarios and implemented properly. Stuffed in the the wrong shaped hole it can be a nightmare for everyone (Themselves, OEM's, and End Users). The sister company (same ownership) to the E-Plex manufacturer works with a large number of European OEM's and some of their customers don't use a drop of the E-Plex product line. By offering a variety of solutions they are able to employ the best engineering solution for the assignment.
So what is the right place for E-Plex. Well at almost 50 years old, I am still a little wet behind the ears, but I am old enough to remember working in the gas station and the customers coming in screaming, "$%###*?" about their new car with "fuel injection". They and the mechanics would stand around an dream of the old days when you only had a carburator. Remember how those parts never broke and anyone who was anyone could fix them if they did? Well that wasn't exactly true, was it?
And I am just old enough that I remember learning to program on my friends computer, a Radio Shack Model I with 4 K of memory... yep 4K. We all remember how easy the business world was before the computer, email, the internet and oh yeah... forums. My dad started his own business in 1983 and I remember when he bought a fax machine. He tried to convince my mom that it would revolutionize how business was done. Does anyone even use a fax machine much anymore?
So the point is, technology is marching along and we need to take what is good from it and use it properly in order to make the most of our products today. Technology used correctly can be successful and helpful.
What E-Plex is good at if done properly:
1) Making the complicated less complicated;
2) Giving the end customers features that would not be possible (or at a minimum extremely difficult without such a system);
1) Complicated Less Complicated: (Examples
a) A DC load module can deliver power to 1-16 DC loads with different E-Plex modules. Pick the proper module, put it close to the loads and you now have a system that is easier to troubleshoot (in some ways). If the module has power and is outputing power the wires (power & ground) only have to run a few feet to the load. We are not tracing a wire through a whole vehicle back to a switch or circuit breaker panel;
Just the other day I was working with an RV manufacturer (not Newmar) and they were having problems with a pocket door closing. They thought it was an E-Plex issue because E-Plex controlled the door's operation. I logged into their laptop and watched the operation of the system from Chicago. I was able to tell that the E-Plex system was doing its job properly. Ended up that the door was just sticking and needed lube. Some perceived E-Plex problems really aren't.
b) The wiring loom manufacturing becomes much simplier.
c) The OEM needs to make a running change to add a device to the coach. Attach another set of wires to a module's spare output and you have a new device added. And oh yeah, need to control it, change the screen's graphics and you have a new button.
d) Add intermittant wipers without having to add some special controller from the wiper manufacturer (seen more on yachts than the RV world).
e) The control items of the electrical system (AC panels, DC circuit breakers) can be hidden away (but still accessible) freeing up more room for real vehicle features. One of my yacht OEM's places all of the AC circuit panels under the floor of the cabin in the machine space because the outputs of the panel are controlled by E-Plex relays on the panel. Only reason to ever go to the panel is a tripped breaker... which just really doesn't happen... how often do you trip a breaker in your home?
e) the list could go on.
2) Features you can't (or are difficult/costly to) do without a system like E-Plex.
a) Having multiple locations from which control a load can be controlled. Well we have 3 way switches but can we easily wire a system to have 3, 4 or 5 inteface points without them being digital? Not really. Again in a coach is this really necessary? For some loads it is beneficial others it would never happen.
b) Mood lighting. Can you have coordinated lighting moods without a digital system? Not really. You can dim one light here and another there but can a single button press give you the proper dinner lighting without a digital system?
When I talk about people say I can live without that. True.. so here is an example of something we do that owners seem to love. We turn a button on a 6 button touch pad in the master stateroom into the "Night" button. Sleep time comes and the user hits it and one minute later all of the lights dim out and you are in the "Night" mode. Now that touch pad that had 6 buttons has been converted to only have 1. Press anywhere on the pad in the middle of the night and only the floor lighting (dimmed) and the lights in the bathroom come on (dimmed as well). Use the restroom come back to bed, hit anywhere on the touch pad and the lights dim out again. No hitting the wrong button and waking your spouse with the overhead lights and the lights aren't so bright that they burn your eyeballs out. Hard to do with a traditional 2 wires and a switch.
c) Consolidated control panel:
Well this is really it, isn't it? and with new technology this is what it will be about for a significant amount of time.
With a system like E-Plex you can roll all the vehicle's/vessel's features into a common touch screen for monitoring and control. This means go to one place and look at everything. Power sources, battery status, lights on/off, tank monitoring, leveling conditions, HVAC controls, Security Systems, etc. etc. etc.
This is one thing that separates some multiplexed (digital systems) from the others. Some systems can only do DC loads, some can't talk to HVAC units, and so on. OEM's have to research those types of features to figure out which system suits their needs.
So now, in a digital based control system not only do you have a central place to monitor and control, but technology has made it possible to do that from anywhere.
Most have probably seen that commercial where the wife is boarding the plane and is called and asked to remotely start the car. Well that capability is here and being used in the cars of today.
E-Plex can give its customers the same type of features in a couple of different ways.
If the vehicle has E-Plex and a PC onboard with access to the Internet (even cell phone based Wifi) we can provide the capability for the OEM and the vehicle owner to monitor and control the vehicle remotely. We can even troubleshoot remotely and see exactly what is happening with each electrical circuit or upgrade software/features remotely.
Additionally E-Plex also has the ability to link an owner's iPad or iPhone to the system and have it be a super remote.
Conclusion: A wise implementation of any system, digital or otherwise is required for successful operation of any feature. It is important to really understand the system requirements and possible system designs before a decision can be made.
The OEM has a lot to tackle in this regard and positive communication between OEM's and their customers/suppliers is at the root of this engineering process.
Thanks again for letting me blab about, hopefully adding something to this quality thread.
Bob T
Linear Mode
