Pathway Connectivity 6202 Installation Guide

Installer’s Guide

This installation guide describes the requirements
for and the steps involved in the permanent
installation of Pathway C-series, D-series and R­series two-port Pathport® nodes, and Uno single-port
nodes. Some familiarity with DMX512 and Ethernet
lighting networks is assumed.

PRE-CONFIGURATION

Pathport nodes hold their IP and patch configuration in
non-volatile memory. Significant on-site time savings can
be attained by configuring the node name and network
information in the shop. To do so, use the network re­quirements below to create a mock-up installation. Con­figure the nodes using Pathport Manager software. Put
temporary labels on the nodes showing their fit-up loca­tion, then repackage them for shipping.

ON-SITE CONFIGURATION

If nodes are not pre-configured, configuration can done
after installation, on-site. The configuration process will
involve recording the IP address of each node, and then
using Pathport Manager software.

NETWORK REQUIREMENTS - WIRING & LAYOUT

All network wiring should follow standard Ethernet wir­ing rules and be installed by a qualified person. Category
5 wiring or better is required. Pathway recommends fol­lowing the Entertainment Services and Technology Asso­ciation (ESTA) publication Recommended Practice for

Ethernet Cabling Systems in Entertainment Lighting Ap­plications and its supplement. Both documents are avail-

able on-line at www.esta.org.

As part of the installation, all Ethernet wiring should be
certified under the TIA/EIA-568 standard. Pathway may
limit the technical support provided to nodes installed on
non-certified systems.

Good wiring practice does not allow terminating building
wire with a male RJ45 plug or the hard-wiring of data lines
to end devices. To facilitate proper practice, Pathport 2­port nodes ship with an in-line female RJ45 mini-jack,
similar to a punchdown connector, as well as a short
male-to-male RJ45 jumper to connect the jack to the
node. The in-line jack can be installed by finger-pressure
alone, although pliers are recommended. A crimping tool
is not needed. The jumper and jack are available as an
accessory package for the Pathport Uno.

To install the in-line connector, first determine if the in­stallation is using TIA568A or TIA568B wiring scheme.
Strip back the outer insulation jacket no more than ¾”.
Untwist the pairs, trim them to the same length but do not
remove insulation from the individual wire. Following the
applicable color coding scheme on the sticker, slip the
individual wires into the clear plastic guide piece. Position
the guide piece onto the connector half of the jack, and
press down or gently apply pressure with a pair of pliers
until the two pieces click together. The mini-inline con­nector is removable, if necessary.

NETWORK REQUIREMENTS - POE

Pathport nodes are designed to take advantage of the
IEEE 802.3af standard, commonly called Power-over­Ethernet (PoE). PoE-enabled switches are readily avail­able, and their use is strongly recommended to simplify
installation and prevent the need for separate power ca­bling. Please note that the Pathport Uno can only by
powered using PoE and cannot be hooked up to an auxil­iary supply.

NETWORK REQUIREMENTS - ETHERNET SWITCHES

For entertainment lighting networks, unmanaged or
plug-and-play switches are preferable to managed or en­terprise switches. However with larger networks, some­times the only switches available with the number of ports
required will be managed. There are two issues com­monly encountered with managed switches. First is
broadcast storm control.

DMX-over-Ethernet protocols are multi-cast or broad­cast protocols where one source (the console) sends all
the information to all the nodes and each node deter­mines what part of the data stream to use. However the
management features of most switches are intended for
the unicast or one-to-one environment of an office. A
continual broadcast transmission looks like an error – a
broadcast storm – which the switch will try to block. In a
show situation, this would be disastrous. Broadcast storm
features must be disabled.

The other issue is multi-cast filtering. Managed
switches attempt to direct traffic in an intelligent manner
by learning what devices are on what port. Although use­ful in the unicast environment of an office, this feature can
bog down the lighting network and lead to lost packets.
The ‘snooping’ done to facilitate multi-cast filtering is
known to cause issues with broadcast protocols and so

this feature, often called Inter Group Management Proto­col (IGMP) should be turned off.

Other security features of the managed switch should
be examined. Most will not be necessary on a lighting
network and should be disabled. At the very least, this
will help keep the through-put speeds of the switch as
high as possible.

One feature that managed switches can provide that
unmanaged switches cannot is redundancy. Managed
switches can be configured to work around a problem or
even to activate a redundant leg of the network. In some
applications, this feature may be sufficiently desirable to
offset the added configuration time and expense.

For unmanaged and plug-and-play switches, the feature
sheets must be carefully examined to ensure broadcast
storm and IGMP filtering are not permanently turned on.

Switches should be connected to an uninterruptible
power supply (UPS) with power conditioning. A UPS al­lows for orderly shutdown in case of power failure, and
protects against spikes and brown-outs, which can cause
memory corruption or physical damage to the nodes.

OPERATING ENVIRONMENT

All Pathport nodes are designed for indoor use in a dry
location. To maximize equipment life and minimize unreli­ability and sudden failure, the following environment
should be maintained:

• ambient temperature extremes: -10 to +50 degrees C

• operating temperature: 0 to +40 degrees C

• relative humidity: 10 – 95%, non-condensing

• general conditions: clean, dust-free

Installer’s Guide

connector, use the male-to-male jumper (included) to con­nect it to the node. Otherwise, plug the male RJ45 pigtail
directly into the connector on the back of the node. At­tach the green ground wire to the ground screw in the
backbox.

If local power is required for the node, see the note on

local power at the end of this guide.

Gently insert the node straight into the backbox, lifting it
slightly so that is high in the backbox. Once all the way in,
lower it slightly until the tabs at the top of the trim ring
take hold of the face plate. Once the top of the node’s
faceplate is retained, swing the bottom in tight to the wall.
Make sure no wiring or connectors are pinched or exces­sively bent or stressed. Using a #0 Phillips driver (not
included), tighten the two setscrews provided, one on
each side of the node’s face, to complete installation. If
the nodes have shipped with hex-head set screws, in­stead use a 1/16” Allen key (not provided)

The node is ready to be powered up.

C-SERIES NODE INSTALLATION

Disconnect all power before proceeding with the instal-

lation.

C-series nodes are designed to be installed in re­cessed, standard two-gang masonry deep backboxes
(ears in) for flush-mounting or, for surface mounting, in
Pathport surface mount backboxes, part number 6901.
Use of other surface mount backboxes is not recom­mended.

If the node has been pre-configured, check the tempo­rary label to ensure the node is being installed in the cor­rect location.

Check the installed backbox for obstructions or any for­eign material. The backbox should be clean and empty.
Make sure there is a RJ45 female punchdown connector
in the box (preferred) or a male RJ45 pigtail. Install the
in-line jack provided, if necessary.

Attach the Pathport trim ring to the backbox with the 4
screws provided. Do not over-tighten or do anything that
will distort the shape of the trim ring.

Inspect the node and make sure all components are
secure and that the printed circuit boards are secure.
Note that it is normal to see exposed metal on the mating
connectors.

If the backbox contains an RJ45 female punchdown

D-SERIES NODE INSTALLATION

Disconnect all power before proceeding with installa-

tion.

D-series nodes are surface­mount enclosures designed for
conduit-enclosed cabling con­nection to permanently installed
equipment such as dimmers
and relay cabinets. D-series
nodes are shipped attached to
their backboxes.

First, remove the two screws
holding the faceplate to the
backbox. Keep the screws for
later use. Gently remove the faceplate and attached
printed circuit boards. Put the faceplate in a safe and
clean location, such as back into its shipping container.

Determine the location of the backbox in relation to the
incoming and outgoing conduit lines. Remove the appro­priate knockouts then securely mount the backbox to the
wall using appropriate fasteners. If the backbox must be
installed prior to the completion of the conduit and wiring
runs, then label the backbox and the container holding the
removed faceplate and store the container in a safe loca­tion. Make sure the two faceplate screws are stored in

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