Method and apparatus for an indoor horticultural facility
A method and apparatus for an indoor horticultural system that utilizes both a wireless and a wired network to control lighting. The wireless interface is used in a primary mode of operation to control all aspects of lighting including intensity, spectrum and color temperature. The wired interface is used in a secondary mode of operation, whereby an analog signal is used to control the intensity of all LED arrays in each lighting fixture and a digital signal is used to control the intensity of each individual LED array in each lighting fixture. Both the analog and digital signals utilize the same physical interface.
1. A control network, comprising:
a plurality of lighting fixtures configured to receive commands from a wireless network in a first mode of operation and from a wired network in a second mode of operation;
a controller coupled to the plurality of lighting fixtures via the wired network and the wireless network; and
the wired network including,
an analog control; and
a digital control, wherein the analog and digital controls share a common physical interface.
2. The control network of claim 1 , wherein the wireless network includes a Bluetooth network.
3. The control network of claim 1 , wherein the wireless network includes a thread-based mesh network.
4. The control network of claim 1 , wherein the analog control includes a 0-10V control signal.
5. The control network of claim 1 , wherein the digital control includes a serial data control signal.
6. The control network of claim 1 , wherein the common physical interface is a two-wire interface.
7. The control network of claim 6 , wherein the two-wire interface is a twisted pair cable.
8. The control network of claim 7 , wherein the twisted pair cable is part of an Ethernet cable.
9. The control network of claim 7 , wherein the twisted pair cable is part of a telephone cable.
10. A method of controlling a plurality of lighting fixtures, comprising:
controlling the plurality of lighting fixtures with a wireless network in a first mode of operation;
controlling the plurality of lighting fixtures with a wired network in a second mode of operation;
wherein an intensity of all LED arrays of each lighting fixture is controlled with an analog control signal during the second mode of operation; and
wherein an intensity of one or more LED arrays of each lighting fixture is controlled with a digital control signal during the second mode of operation.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the wireless network includes a thread-based mesh network.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the wireless network includes a Bluetooth network.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the analog control signal includes a 0-10V control signal.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the digital control signal includes an RS-232 control signal.