ABSTRACT

In a distributed control system, panel-based control functionality is distributed across the facility. In its simplest form, this approach is already quite common. An example is when a control panel is installed on each floor of a multistory building for networked control from a master panel, or convenient access and individual standalone control by each floors occupants. This strategy can be taken further using small control panels, typically with only 2-4 control outputs each, that are installed in the immediate area of the loads they control, typically above the ceiling. (These distributed control panels may be called automatic relay packs, remote relay packs or some other term by manufacturers.) A completely distributed system would have no control panel in the electrical room, which can save space. The distributed panels are typically networked via low-voltage cabling to share information and implement local and global commands based on a shared protocol. For centralized scheduling, these distributed panels can connect back to a system time-clock.