InfoComm has announced the publication of a new AV standard, Cable Labelling for Audiovisual Systems (CLAS).
The new standard defines requirements for labelling cables used in installed AV systems and provides guidance for the easy identification of all power and signal paths in a completed system. Proper cable labeling aids in the operation, support, maintenance and troubleshooting of AV systems.
InfoComm will present the new standard at a free plenary session during Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2016 in Amsterdam. The plenary will be held February 11 from 15:30 to 17:30 in room D403 at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre. Interested parties can register here.
Unlike previously published InfoComm standards, which adhere to requirements set forth by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), Cable Labelling for Audiovisual Systems, was developed independently of ANSI, using the same principles of openness, balance, consensus and due process. The new process, which is overseen by the InfoComm Standards Steering Committee and operates concurrently with ANSI/InfoComm standards development, allows InfoComm to release more rapidly standards that are specific to the AV industry.
Potential standards are identified for development by the steering committee, chaired by Jason Brameld, technical director of Torpedo Factory Group. "A primary driver behind the introduction of InfoComm-specific standards was the fact that a standard such as AV cable labelling would only be required by AV practitioners," Brameld said. "It is not something that allied trades would necessarily refer to."
After the InfoComm Standards Steering Committee selected Cable Labelling for Audiovisual Systems for development, an international task group began defining the scope, definitions and requirements. The standard was presented to the AV industry for review and comments were collected and incorporated. The final standard includes guidance on required primary elements as well as unique identifiers; other identifiers, such as those for cables meant to be accessed by users; and cable label characteristics, including durability, legibility, text fonts, location and orientation. The standard is free for InfoComm members and available for purchase through the ANSI or IHS standards stores.
In addition to John Bailey and Jason Brameld, members of the CLAS task group included Brad Baldwin, Technical Innovation; Walter Black, Ph.D., VidCAD; and Peter Swanson, CTS, AMX Australia.