The programmable logic controller (PLC) has been shown to be a good lighting control unit. One touch of a button and the lights in a room come on “just so” to suit a particular activity or mood. This is great during the nighttime when the daylight is absent. How do you control the light in a room during the daytime? With drapery, of course!

Drapery is a given in any room with windows. Most window treatments are manually operated with pull strings. Nowadays drapes and blinds can be motorized with switches on the wall to operate them open or closed. Depending on the size of room and number of blinds, there could be quite a few switches on the wall. This is where the PLC helps to minimize the wall clutter.

All motorized drapery comes with their own controllers that interface with other control systems. The drapery controllers usually come with dry contact closure inputs that work perfectly with the PLC. All motorized drapery controllers have an open, close and stop input. Some have raise/lower and preset inputs. The PLC was dry contact outputs that wire to these drapery controllers easily. The drapery controllers and PLC should be in the same location, like a storage room or closet, to minimize wire lengths. Once the drapery controllers are wired to the PLC, the shades adjust as lights dim or brighten to generate the light levels for any mood or activity. Keypads, which are connected to the PLC, are aesthetically consistent and allow for lighting and drapery control from one location.

With motorized drapery connected to the PLC, not only will the homeowner control the blinds from keypads on the wall, but can have them open or close depending on amount of sunlight coming into the room automatically. The drapes can open with the morning clock alarm in the bedroom or simply with the sunrise time from an astronomical timeclock.

Here are a few drapery control solutions:

http://www.somfysystems.com/
http://www.lutron.com/shadingsolutions/
http://www.silentgliss.ca/