News

1/9/2003

Audio Design Associates Increases The Power Of The ADA Bus With The 10/100 Base-T Ethernet Control

Audio Design Associates, Inc. (ADA) has announced it will be introducing ADA Net, a 10/100 Base-T Ethernet control interface for all of its ADA Bus components including the award-winning Suite 16 (Best Custom Installation Product - CEDIA 2003), Suite 8x8, Tune Suite, Suite 7.1, Cinema Rhapsody Mach II and Cinema Reference Mach II, at this year's CEDIA Expo in Indianpolis.

ADA began incorporating sophisticated two-way (bi-directional) serial data control in its more advanced systems in 1989. That year, ADA's MT-3000 Multi-Tuner earned honors at the Summer CES for being both the first triple tuner as well as the first tuner which was capable of bi-directional RS-232 control. In 1990, ADA extended the ADA Bus to its multi-room audio/video offering in System Omega/3000. Also that year, ADA released its first home theater preamplifier, the SSD-66 which also incorporated bi-directional ADA Bus technology and was the world's first bi-directional surround sound decoder. Since these early days of two-way serial control, ADA has expanded the ADA Bus control concept to include control via Cat. 5 cable, bi-directional RF control, and two-way IR control.

Albert G. Langella, ADA's President and Chief Design Engineer notes, "We were the first to recognize the need for two-way operation of custom electronics as our vision has always encompassed system integration. While the ADA Bus continues to serve us well, the addition of ADA Net makes our systems compatible with standard home networks. This will greatly improve our dealers ability to integrate ADA electronics, setup and configure systems, while now offering remote trouble-shooting."

Initially, ADA will be offering an external Ethernet to ADA Bus device, the ISO-E. Here, one or several ADA Bus components can communicate across a single Ethernet interface. Several sub systems, each with multiple ADA Bus components, can be located throughout an installation where each sub system connects to its own ISO-E/Ethernet port. "I foresee that in addition to the ISO-E, eventually most ADA Bus components will have their own ADA Net jack onboard" states Richard D. Stoerger, Vice President & C.O.O. "However, for the time being, we want to immediately offer this technology for both new and existing installations."

In addition to the ISO-E, ADA is also offering its MC-5000, MC-5500, and MC-4500 Table Top keypads with the ADA Net port. These elegant controls simply plug into a home network for instant bi-directional control of the zone they are located in. These keypads also have a plug for DC power from a transformer included with the keypad. Stoerger continues, "For homes that are not pre-wired for standard music controls but do have a home network, these keypads are the ideal control option as they can plug into any open Ethernet port. Because they are table-top keypads, no special installation is required." This makes it possible to retrofit ADA keypads into most any custom installation.

www.ada-usa.com