The AV Installer’s Survival Guide: Nine Golden Rules

“It's better to ask twice than to mess up once”

Ancient knowledge taken from AV industry history book

The idea of this article came during another business trip organized to find and eliminate the causes of incorrect operation of the AV complex at the facility. The reasons for that are almost always the same. So it should be possible to save a lot of time, finances, human effort, and nerves if certain rules were followed from the very beginning of a project. There are 9 of them, they are well-known and may seem trivial. Unfortunately, these rules are rarely followed properly, as if AV engineers deliberately ignore them so that life is not too boring.

Perhaps, in some cases, the reason is that these well-known rules lack specifics - the details are important. In other cases, the rules may seem superfluous. But if you refuse to comply with them, you must do so consciously, understanding how you can avoid the problems associated with the violations. And this, as a rule, is not done.

The tricky part of the situation is the fact that breaking the rules does not always lead to an obvious negative result immediately. Problems may occur later, under certain conditions, from time to time. The system begins to “glitch”, and it can be very difficult to find the cause of this behavior.

So here we are, with Nine Golden Rules to Save Your AV Project (and Your Sanity). Have a good read!

Rule 1

Neglect of the organization of power supply and grounding of equipment in the AV complex is perhaps the most common cause of problems. Therefore, these issues deserve special attention. The requirements for the organization of power supply are regulated by standards and other regulatory documents. The main purpose of the standards is to ensure the safety of human life and health, as well as the reliability and durability of electrical installations. All this is very important, but it is not enough for AV complexes. AV systems can be very sensitive to the quality of the power supply, requiring additional measures to protect against interference.

Our standard recommendations are as follows: the AV complex equipment should be powered from one input, preferably from one phase of the power grid, and grounded to one (real, not nominal) grounding circuit without forming loops.

Why is this so, because there are no such requirements in the documentation for individual AV devices? It is important to understand that the AV complex is not a set of disparate devices, but a single system that performs certain functions, including collecting, processing, transmitting and outputting visual information, as well as audio reproduction. Therefore, power supply issues need to be worked out for the entire complex as a whole, starting from sources, and ending with displays and acoustic systems.

Yes, these are just recommendations, not requirements. Deviations from them are possible, but these cases need to be worked out separately. For example, when organizing the power supply of large complexes, a UPS with dual current conversion and a 3-in-1 function may be required, which will avoid phase distortion. Also, using fiber-optic cables for galvanic isolation, connecting device housings with a drainage cable, etc. may be a good solution.

Interestingly, it is not always easy to determine that problems have arisen precisely because of improper power supply or grounding.For example, any ungrounded control system panel, even a pro-tool like Kramer RC-308, can change the originally programmed key functions, which looks like a malfunction. Doesn't matter the brand. Such problems are often unstable, which also greatly complicates the diagnosis. Therefore, it is important to ensure proper power supply and grounding of the AV complex from the very beginning.

Solution recommendation

For power protection and management, we strongly recommend the SurgeX lineup.

Various models are available, all of them provide power protection and management functions to keep electricity under control. 

Check our SurgeX selector to find the proper device for your installation.

SurgeX Selector  

Best pick? SurgeX Squid!

Why? Because of DC banks, obviously. Thanks to the presence of DC banks SurgeX Squid allows integrators to remove problematic, often cheap power supplies and connect devices such as VC cameras, wireless presentation systems or transmitters/receivers directly to Squid. Advantages? More stable power delivery, full control over it and eliminating the possibility of power supply failure.

SurgeX Squid  

That’s the first of our Nine Golden Rules — and perhaps the most important one.

Stay tuned for the next part of The AV Installer’s Survival Guide, where we’ll explore the next key rule that keeps your AV projects safe, stable, and reliable.