Crestron Launches Compatibility Chart, Testing for Light Fixtures

Lighting control was so simple when there was just the incandescent bulb and maybe a handful of other lighting fixtures, mostly in the commercial market.

But now that we have LEDs, fluorescent lighting and a wide range of other options, it’s a little more confusing … and more important to know a controller’s capability vis-à-vis the types of bulbs used in any given job.

For that reason, Crestron -- developer of home automation and other control systems -- has developed an online Lighting Fixture Compatibility Chart (pdf) that enables integrators, lighting designers and specifiers, architects and lighting manufacturers to put their fixtures to the test.

The new Crestron service provides the dimming range and level of compatibility with Crestron controllers so partners can spec the appropriate lighting solutions for the specific fixture.

Moreover, the company provides a portal, the Lighting Fixture Test Request, through which partners can submit lighting fixtures for compatibility testing with Crestron controllers.

Website visitors simply log in or create a free account, provide fixture model details and submit the request for their fixture to be tested. Crestron will confirm receipt of the submission and provide instructions for where the fixture should be sent for testing. Once the testing is complete Crestron will send the fixture(s) back to the user at the return address specified, along with a printed copy of the test report within three to four weeks of submitting.

The initiative provides Crestron partners with a “simpler way to spec a project," says Crestron director of engineering Rushi Kumar. "Installers, architects, lighting designers and specifiers can avoid incompatibility issues often found once systems are installed in the field. Everything is pre-tested so their lighting solutions will work seamlessly."