In any control and automation system, ease–of-use is important. When it's controlling a complex network of systems across a 10,000-square-foot home, however, it's absolutely vital. Such was the case for a technology installation completed by Petrone Technology Group Inc. on a new home in Holmdel, N.J. For lighting and climate control systems, home theater components, distributed audio, and more, the homeowners required a single cohesive control system with a minimalistic look. In addition, while the installation took place in New Jersey, Petrone's offices are in Wellington, Fla. As service calls would be difficult, the system needed to be exceptionally reliable.

"To create the minimalistic feel our clients were looking for, we wanted to provide them with full control over all systems from a simple iPad^® interface, while incorporating a few handheld and in-wall controllers throughout the home for increased reliability," said Anthony Petrone, founder and CEO of Petrone Technology. "We chose RTI solutions for this project because they allow us to do far more at a much lower cost than other control manufacturers' products, and they provide the rock-solid reliability required for an installation over 1,200 miles away from our office. Furthermore, we knew RTI's powerful RTiPanel app and tight integration with third-party systems would be key in meeting our clients' needs."

In addition to several displays and a dedicated home theater, the New Jersey home is equipped with multiple RTI AD-8 distributed audio systems for streaming music from an RTiDock iPod^® dock, a Sirius tuner, and a whole-home media server. Petrone Technology didn’t stop with the entertainment systems, however; the integrator provided their client with complete control over electronic systems throughout the property — inside and out. Leveraging the power of the RTI system allowed them to offer control over the Lutron^® Homeworks^® QS lighting system, the pool, CCTV and front-gate systems, and even a controllable outdoor firepit. Beyond all of this is the incredible climate control required for a home of this size, which integrates Tekmar and Aprilaire^® systems for control over 17 zones of radiant heat, five HVAC zones, and five hydronic coils. It even monitors the temperature and humidity in the wine cellar.

To provide two-way control over all of these different elements, Petrone chose RTI's XP-8 control processor — which offers advanced control interface options, such as two-way RS-232, routable IR, relay, and Ethernet control — complemented by ZM-24 transceiver modules and RM-433 RF receivers. Because rolling a truck to the home isn’t an option, a standalone Ethernet network was built that allows Petrone Technology to update programming on the processor, keypads, and iPads remotely from Florida.

The homeowners interact with the system via RTI's RTiPanel app running on iPads, with additional RK3-V in-wall controllers and T3-V+ and T4 handheld controllers also located throughout the property. Thanks to the XP-8's seamless integration with the third-party systems in the home, the homeowners receive two-way feedback on the iPads, allowing them to easily monitor and control volume levels, lighting settings, and temperature in every part of the home. Furthermore, a front gate sensor allows them to view the open/close status of the gate, in addition to viewing a video feed from the gate on an iPad or RK-3V in-wall controller. The home's firepit is controlled via RTI's U2 weather-resistant controller.

"The homeowner is really impressed with their control system,” added Petrone. With RTI's Integration Designer^® programming software, we were able to provide them with a completely customized, intuitive interface for the RTiPanel and handheld and in-wall controllers. Combined with the powerful two-way functionality, this not only allows the homeowners to control all aspects of the home easily, but guests can as well without the need for any instruction. The system has gone over so well that we're adding another building on the property later this year, and it will also include full RTI control."