SY Electronics KCS range of keypad controllers

The KCS range of keypad controllers are ideal for managing small to medium sized projects controlling a limited number of end-point devices from a centralised location. The KCS keypad controllers still pack a punch as they comfortably handle asynchronous commands and conditional feedback, but their strength lies with their small single gang form factor and ease of use.

Although optimised as a single room control unit, in larger decentralised projects, our KCS range of products work seamlessly with KC keypad controllers. Most use cases for such projects are found in educational, corporate, commercial and IT sectors. However; a growing number of projects are appearing in the residential sector, and in particular projects concerning automation. Whatever the requirement, the KCS range of keypad controllers will provide the most cost effective solution.

Under the hood, you will find two dedicated RS232 ports and two Flexi-ports that can be configured as either RS232 or IR ports. The customization of Flexi-ports, general handling of serial commands, I/O manipulation, colours and other settings are carried out via the NebulaStudio® application, a powerful yet intuitive 'no-code' platform allows for rapid development of the vast majority of projects. 

Despite all the features outlined above and the small form factor, we have maintained the much-loved slender look and feel of our previous keypad series with clean lines enhancing the minimalist design that naturally blends with its surroundings. We also recognise the challenges and rigours of real-world installation environments, and in line with all our AV products the KCS keypads have been engineered to provide robust electrical and mechanical characteristics. All form factor variants, UK, EU and USA have an all-metal chassis and aluminium faceplate finished in black, white or brushed aluminium.

The KCS keypad controllers are available in a choice of 4, 6 or, 8 RGB illuminated buttons. There are also rotary dial variants with LED bar allowing for adjustment of parameters through rotation.
 

RGB illuminated buttons – Each button can be set to a specific true colour and intensity level, allowing for harmonisation of button groups displaying subtle or exaggerated changes. Soft transitions permit smooth fades between illuminated states, creating a more sophisticated user experience. All buttons can be labelled using the supplied legend sheet or own custom labels, and protected with clear caps. A Cap Removal Tool (CRT) is included with each KC controller to assist with removing the caps, should it be required to replace a label in the future.

Flexible comm ports – There are two dedicated full duplex RS232 ports as well as two Flexi-ports which can be configured according to the specific requirements of a project. Each Flexi-port can operate as a full duplex RS232, a combi-port consisting of a half duplex RS232 and an IR emitter, or two IR emitters.

I/O ports – There are 4x Digital I/O Ports available, each of which can be configured as an input or output port.  These ports can interface 24V DC devices and are capable of current sink (pull low) to 200mA. The ports are protected against over current, and back EMF from inductive loads such as relays. The inclusion of input pull-up resistors ensures simple direct interface with external switches or contact closures.

IR learner – For convenience, there is also an inbuilt Universal IR Learner (25-60KHz carrier), which is used for capturing IR codes from any remote-control handset.

NebulaStudio® software – To facilitate rapid development of robust extendable software solutions we have created a number of dedicated applications in a single integrated environment, namely the NebulaStudio®.

At its heart lies an intuitive 'no-code' property-based configuration system ideal for rapid development of most common operations. This is made possible by binding a host of customisable command sequences to specific keypad buttons. These groups of sequential and asynchronous commands together with delays, event timers, colour changes and state transitions realise a specific behaviour which can be customised via a set of properties.

The SY command library is also an integral part of NebulaStudio®. This is an extensible collection of command sequences necessary for interaction with specific end-point devices.   

Finally, the NebulaStudio® includes a native keypad simulator that caters for soft testing of specific configurations.

The SY mesh – This is a radical networking concept logically connecting end-point devices to the mesh network as opposed to a specific controller port. This abstraction allows for incredibly flexible system topologies, greatly enhancing scalability and reliability whilst minimising configuration effort.

Features 

• Choice of 4, 6, or 8 illuminated buttons (RGB)
• Up to 4x RS232, 2x IR emitter
• Rotary Dial and LED indicator options available for most models
• 2x Flexi-Ports – Maximise comm port options
• 4x digital I/O ports (24V, 200mA – Over current & back EMF protected)
• Built-In universal Infra-Red Learner (25-60KHz carrier) 
• Up to 16 concurrent event timers 
• NebulaStudio® platform – 'No-code' or LUA-lite scripting
• Programmable via USB-C 
• Durable and resilient