JNIOR Corner

[Bruce Cloutier]

I don't understand...does it have Wifi? How long does the battery last?

Yes. Completely wireless including wireless charging apparently.

Handheld unit measures 8" x 5-3/8" x 3/4" and weighs 0.7 lbs. Um... measures and weighs something else outside of the states I suppose.

We gave it a value. Ha. I suppose if anyone ever ordered one we might all sign it.

The content is an ongoing effort to completely document the product in one place. BTW, with JANOS v2.1 this is completely searchable from the command line (using the HELP command) or through the WebUI (search link added) with no access to the Internet required. Yes, it is old-school but, frankly, that is not a bad thing.

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... includes faux leather cover. ;-)

[Marcel Birgelen]

Handheld unit measures 8" x 5-3/8" x 3/4" and weighs 0.7 lbs. Um... measures and weighs something else outside of the states I suppose.

Gravity works different here, that must be why we have the metric system!

I like the faux leather structure on the cover and the back. If you fake-embossed the letters on them, Steve Jobs would completely agree from his cloud.

[Bruce Cloutier]

Gravity works different here, that must be why we have the metric system!

The relativistic effects of that alter the dimensions as well... apparently.

We discovered that people are using JNIORs behind the scenes in escape rooms. Interesting.

[Harold Hallikainen]

A couple of our friends are escape room fans, so they started a company: https://paruzal.com/

[Marcel Birgelen]

The relativistic effects of that alter the dimensions as well... apparently.

We discovered that people are using JNIORs behind the scenes in escape rooms. Interesting.

Before this COVID-19 thing hit, we did quite a few escape rooms with a team of friends. Over the years, you get to know some of the people that run them and I've actually advised some of them to look at JNIOR as an alternative to expensive stuff like professional show controllers (Alcorn McBride), old-school stuff like Siemens PLC controllers and a whole lot of modbus and homebrew hobby stuff, like a bunch of RasPi's...

[Frank Cox]

Hopefully not Minos.

[Carsten Kurz]

'The Book of JANOS' sounds like a decent epic movie title.

[Marcel Birgelen]

It reminds me of The Janus Project.

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[Bruce Cloutier]

Of course JANOS is already in the midst of a record run at theaters near YOU!

This rallies the Bible for those of us here at INTEG.

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

What I want to know is if there will ever be a Senior versin available? Something comparable to the Eprad automation...

[Steve Guttag]

My guess is, what it would need to be in that league is an appropriate I/O module with the sort of relay density (and inputs). the eCNA5, starting at 16 relays, 8 of which can handle 10A loads plus 8 optoisolated inputs is notably larger than JNIOR. Though most don't realize it, on the eCNA5, you can add an additional I/O board to double it. Again, in the "most don't realize" category...the eCNA-10 not only comes with its own I/O board that has a lot of relays and inputs and many know that there is the Aux board for another 8 10A relays and 8 inputs...but one can add up to TWO eCNA-5 I/O boards to it has an insane relay potential (and something like 24 inputs...if you fully trick it out). In truth, i normally run out of inputs before outputs on the eCNA and I use a fair number of relay outputs with lighting, masking and curtains, plus controlling projectors, servers, soundracks, exhaust...etc.

I'd like to see an electrical I/O panel where an electrician could tie all of their power feeds for things we'll control..put in the necessary relays/contactors and then just run a low-voltage harness/or control line lie eCNA's LIN up to it. That could be wired before we ever get on site and keep the high voltage out of the pedestal.

[Bruce Cloutier]

What I want to know is if there will ever be a Senior versin available? Something comparable to the Eprad automation...

In terms of the nomenclature... no.

It was once suggested that there be a CNIOR where the 'C' refers to the C language just as in JNIOR the 'J' refers to the Java language. This concept got immediately shot down (mostly by those over 50 in the room).

The JNIOR is not a Cinema-only product. So a panel with labeling like "Top Masking Flat", "Side Masking Flat", "Curtain Open", etc. has limited application from our perspective. This is not to mention how incredibly expensive the metalwork and harnessing in a product like the eCNA-10 is. Connectors are hugely expensive (or more likely just over-priced) and there are a ridiculous number of unused connectors and redundant harnessing in the eCNA-10. It is a very capable product nonetheless. And, it fits well in a cinema application. But you are paying for all of that when you might be using but a few relays.

A 412 JNIOR with our Control Panel is being used to replace the Christie ACT. If Christie would have approached us we would have considered making a more drop-in replacement (including the labeling, etc.) for the ACT. But, apparently, our standard stuff is working for them.

But right now we are running very lean pending business returning after the pandemic. So product development like that has to wait a bit.

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

I never did like the Christie ACT. I think I installed three of them before switching to Eprad. I would much prefer your automation over the ACT any day...

[Steve Guttag]

The ACT only made sense if you were into scripting. Where the ACT could excel was IF you put in the substantial amount of time it took to script how your chain of theatres wanted the automaton to perform...THEN and only then could ACT deployment be about as fast as any and be very uniform from screen to screen and site to site. I mostly saw them deployed in a very haphazard manner where functions were kludged to get them to work, in some fashion. I outright told clients with them that I charge a premium just to work with the ACT because it takes time to get back immersed into the ACT way and configure things such that you don't mess up dependencies.

As for the eCNA, Bruce is correct, of course. One thing Eprad has is TL industries, its parent, is a metal fab house so cabinets and such are not farmed out. Hence they make pedestals too. I'd be surprised if the eCNA10 is the majority of what they make in the product line. I'd say that the eCNA5 dominates for us at about 85%. We only move to the eCNA10 if we will exceed the I/O limits of the eCNA5. The overwhelming majority of our cinemas still put in motorized masking (so suck it, you maskingless theatres). Often times they are multistop motors (like the MDI ones) and sometimes they are on sides and top/bottom...so you can use 8 relay contacts right there. Add in house/screen/aisle lights, maybe a grade drape, magnetic door closures, exhaust...etc. Relay needs add up pretty quick.

Note, Eprad does have a low-metal option if you have one of their pedestals...the eCNA5D. It goes on a slide out panel for easy installation/wiring and just a 2U rack panel for control (just a punched panel with a sticker overlay). Our most popular is the eCNA5P...again...low metal...we normally mount it to a rack shelf.

[Bruce Cloutier]

Busy this morning (yeah a Sunday) releasing JANOS v2.1 ready for the production runs scheduled this coming week.

There are a number product variations that we have contemplated. We were on the road to start banging these out and making them available to test the market when COVID hit. Business is recovering now but slowly. We expected a huge delay between life starting back to normal and investments in new equipment. This seems to be the case and not just in the Cinema market.

I was considering a rack-mounted panel design using an integrated JNIOR core. So the JNIOR and the panel will be one and the panel would not be handled as an expansion module. We have a "low-metal" or practically no-metal option but have been hesitant to implement it. I question the acceptance when you look at a rack as sort of a work of art. The plastic stands out. We will get back to all of that maybe by the end of the year.

In terms of relay counts, you can add numerous 4ROUT relay modules to the expansion bus of a single JNIOR. We have a 4ROUT version with 4 signal relays but haven't been offering it. The Power 4ROUT handles 10A but is only SPDT. There are two issues with running many 4ROUTs. First the OS is written to sequentially handle up to a total of 16 relay outputs. The combination of whatever you have in the JNIOR (4, 8 or 12) and externally. An application, though, can access any number of external 4ROUT. Then the limitation is power. The coils on these 10A relays take a bit of current. The expansion bus is limited. However, it is possible to power the expansion modules from a separate 5VDC supply. You know, the advantage to the JNIOR is that you can run these applications (and multiple at the same time) so you can do just about anything (and we are crazy enough to often toss you the application).

We were considering a 15A DPDT expansion module perhaps in a code-compliant electrical box.

You all just need to gang up on me and this stuff can happen. There is only so much "if you build it they will come" speculative work that we can do. Steve suggested a couple of things. We just weren't able at that point to respond. A lot has changed... but we need to now recover from this global disaster.

There is also interesting activity for us outside of cinema (and A/V).