CPI16 Interface
The CPI16 Interface card was designed to help reduce the cost of adding IOs to a NetLinx system and at the same time drastically reduce the installation efforts when using either the AXP-CPI16 or the NXP-CPI16, 16 Channel Custom Interface cards. Typically large museum installations have numerous visitor inputs (physical buttons with illumination). The most common way to provide AMX interface is to use the NXC-IO10 Card for Inputs and the NXC-REL10 for the relay outputs. However, this is a fairly costly approach when the numbers of buttons start dictating multiple quantities of these cards. A little known solution is to use either the AXP-CPI16 or the NXP-CPI16 circuit cards. They provide 16 inputs and 16 outputs per card for sixteen visitor buttons with LED feedback. And, they are a fraction of the cost. Even if an AMX Dealer is aware of these devices, they avoid using them because the most obvious way to interface with these cards is via a ribbon cable. Ribbon cables are good for interconnecting circuit cards, but are terrible for interfacing with real world switches and LEDs in kiosks and exhibits. So even though they are one-fifth of the cost of a NXC-IO10/NXC-REL10 solution they are seldom used.
Thus, we developed the CPI16 Interface. It is a very simple device, i.e. there are no active components. We just provided a vehicle that you can plug either of the CPI16 variants into and use Phoenix style screw plugs to connect your real world wires into. There is a screw terminal for each input and each output as well as two sets of power takeoff connectors to export power to the LEDs in the switches. The circuit card comes with standoffs with the idea that fabricators will install them on rack shelves in the vicinity of the NetLinx controller or in the exhibit structure. Click on the image for a closer look. CPI16 Interface cards do not include the CPI16 or the Phoenix connectors. We can supply the connector plugs for an additional cost, if desired.
Pricing
- CPI16 Interface Card – $80.00