User's Guide

Home Controller HC300
Installation Guide
Supported Model
C4-HC300-E-B Home Controller HC300
Graphical Symbols in this Guide
The following symbols and their descriptions draw your attention to important
safe practices and additional information that can help you avoid death, injury,
or loss of material or time.
WARNING! This indicates a potentially hazardous situation that, if not
avoided, may result in death or serious injury. DO NOT IGNORE A
WARNING!
IMPORTANT! This indicates information that will help you avoid
damage to your equipment, loss of materials, or loss of time. PAY
ATTENTION TO THESE IMPORTANT STATEMENTS!
NOTE: This indicates information related to the current topic.
Important Safety Instructions
1. Read these instructions.
2. Keep these instructions.
3. Heed all warnings.
4. Follow all instructions.
5. Do not use this apparatus near water.
6. Clean only with dry cloth.
7. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
8. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers,
stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
9. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug. A
polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding
type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong. The wide blade or the
third prong are provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not fit into
your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet.
10.Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at
plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the
apparatus.
11.Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.
12.Unplug this apparatus during lighting storms or when unused for long peri-
ods of time.
13.Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when
the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as power-supply cord or
plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the
apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not
operate normally, or has been dropped.
14.This apparatus has no AC mains power switch. The power cable is the AC
mains disconnect device.
WARNING! To reduce the risk of electrical shock, do not expose this
apparatus to rain or moisture.
WARNING! This CLASS I apparatus must be connected to an AC
mains socket outlet that has a protective earthing connection (i.e., third-
prong ground conductor). DO NOT DEFEAT THE PROTECTIVE
EARTHING CONNECTION!
Introduction to Home Controller HC300
The Control4 Home Controller HC300 provides options for controlling lights,
home theaters, distributed audio systems, and other devices controlled using
various protocols, such as Infra Red (IR), Serial, Contact, and Relay.
It provides extensive media management services for audio sources, such as
CDs and DVDs stored in connected devices. It also allows you to use an
external storage device with USB support for media storage. It also includes
multi-zone audio capabilities, sending music to rooms throughout the home.
Once the controller and other system components are installed and configured
(using Control4 Composer software or another Control4 setup program), your
users can control the system using one of the two user interfaces included with
this controller: On-screen Navigator or System Remote Control.
Control4 Supported Devices
Control4 devices that can be controlled by this controller include:
For a complete list of Control4 supported devices and solutions, see “Products”
at http://www.control4.com
.
Requirements and Specifications
Prior to installing this product, ensure that:
• Wired Ethernet network is in place
• A monitor or TV is available for on-screen navigation and control
The Home Controller HC300 specifications are:
What’s in the Box
The following are included in your Home Controller box:
• Home Controller HC300
• Pluggable terminal block connector (1)
• System Remote Control with LCD Navigator display and 4 AAA batteries
• Composite video cable
• IEC power cord
• IR emitters (6)
• Home Controller HC300 Installation Guide (this document)
• Control4 System User Guide
• Control4 System Remote Control User Guide
• Ferrite Cable Clamp (See “Connect to the Contact Port”)
Additional Resources
The following resources are available to provide you with additional support.
• Your authorized Control4 reseller
• Control4 Web Site: http://www.control4.com
• Composer online help
Front View
1. WiFi LED—Indicates Wifi signal strength (red: poor, orange: good,
and green: excellent). These LEDs blink when HC300 is booting.
2. Data LED—Green LED light indicates data is received.
3. Link LED—Green LED light indicates Home Controller has been
identified in a Control4 Composer project.
4. Power LED—Green LED light indicates AC power is present: Turns on
immediately after the power is applied to the device.
5. IR window / IR Blaster—For capturing third-party IR codes from hand-
held devices (such as remote controls) or blasting IR codes.
Back View
1. Power plug port—AC power receptacle for an IEC 320 power cord.
2. Video Out—Composite RCA, S-VIDEO mini-DIN, or Component RCA
jacks.
3. Audio Out (2 Left-Right pairs)—RCA jacks for stereo channel line output
(line level) for amplifiers or audio switches.
4. Audio In (1 Left-Right pair)—RCA jacks for stereo channel input (line
level) for 1 stereo analog source.
5. Video Sense In-Out (2 pairs)—Composite In-Out RCA jack pairs for moni-
toring the On/Off status of up to 2 video sources.
6. Ethernet—RJ-45 jack for a 10/100 BaseT Ethernet connection.
7. USB (2 ports)—For external storage device with USB support (such as
FAT32 formatted devices).
8. Contact (1 set)—Pluggable terminal block connector for 1 dry contact clo-
sure, logic input connection, door contact sensor, or motion sensor.
9. Relay (1 set)—Pluggable terminal block connector for 1 normally closed or
normally opened switchable connection.
10.Serial (2 sets, DB9)—2 serial devices, such as a monitors or TVs.
11.IR Out (6)—3.5 mm jacks for up to 6 IR output transmitters.
Install the System
To install this controller:
1. Ensure that your home network is in place before starting your system
setup: The Home Controller HC300 requires an Ethernet connection in
order to use all features as designed. When connected, the Home Control-
ler can access Web-based media databases and can easily access
Control4 system updates.
2. Connect the controller to the network: If you are using an Ethernet con-
nection for the Home Controller, plug the data cable from the home network
connection into the Home Controller RJ-45 port (labeled “Ethernet”) and the
network port on the wall or at the network switch.
3. Power up the controller: Plug the Home Controller power cord (provided)
into the Home Controller power plug port and an electrical outlet.
4. Connect system devices as described in the “Connect Devices” section
that follows.
5. Set up external storage devices as described in “Set up External Storage
Device” on page 2.
Connect Devices
NOTE: You can use the Interviewer feature in the Composer software
to step you through the connection process or you can set up the
physical connections and then run Interviewer to tell the Control4
system the applicable connections.
Connect all applicable devices to the Home Controller HC300 using one of the
connection options described in the following table.
Table 1. Connection Options
Touch Screen (Wireless or Wall-Mounted)
Mini Touch Screen
Wireless LCD Keypad
Wireless 2, 3, & 6 Button Keypads
Wireless Thermostat
Speaker Point™
Wireless Dimmer
Wireless Switch
Wireless Outlet Dimmer
Wireless Outlet Switch
Multi Channel Amplifier
Audio Matrix Switch
Model Number • C4-HC300-E-B
Media Recognition • AMG online CD/DVD recognition and
media information service
Audio Recording For-
mats
• MP3: 192kbps
Audio Playback For-
mats
• Uncompressed WAV and PCM: 44.1kHz,
16 bit stereo
• MP3: 32kbps to 320kbps, CBR and VBR
Display • LED indicators
Power Requirements • 100-240 VAC, 60/50 Hz, 0.18 A MAX
Dimensions • H x W x D: 2.78” x 7.24” x 11.98” (with feet
and connectors)
Weight • 4.7 pounds
5
1 2 3 4
7 8 9 10 11
1 2 3 4 5 6
Connection Options
Power plug port—For C6 power connector. See “Power Up the
Home Controller” for more information.
Video Out Options—Composite, Component, or S-Video
port for displaying navigation menus on a monitor or TV. The
Component jack is for displaying high definition video. When
available, use S-Video instead of Composite for a higher qual-
ity display.
Audio Out (2 Left-Right pairs)—RCA jacks for stereo channel
line output (line level) for amplifiers or audio switches.
Audio In (1 Left-Right pair)—RCA jacks for stereo channel input
(line level) for 1 stereo analog source.
Video Sense In-Out (2 pairs)—Composite In-Out port pairs
for monitoring up to 2 video In sources, such as DVD players
or VCRs, that allow the system to determine the On/Off status
of devices. Each Out port allows the signal to loop through the
Home Controller and continue to its intended video connection.
See “Set up External Storage Device” for more information.
Ethernet—RJ-45 for a 10/100 BaseT Ethernet connection. See
“Connect to the Network” for more information.
USB (2 ports)—For external storage device with USB support
(such as FAT32 formatted devices). See “Set up External Storage
Device” for more information.
Contact (1 set)—Pluggable terminal block connector for 1 dry
contact closure, logic input connection, door contact sensor, or
motion sensor. See “Connect to the Contact Port” for more infor-
mation.
Relay (1 set)—Pluggable terminal block connector for 1 nor-
mally closed or normally opened switchable connection, such as
a blind, a fireplace, or a projector screen. The set contains a con-
nection for Common (COM) and Normally Closed (NC) or Nor-
mally Opened (NO). See “Connect to the Relay Port” for more
information.
Serial (2 sets)—DB9 connector for a serial device, such as a
monitor or DVD changer. See “Connect the Serial Ports” for
more information.