30 I ICT TODAY
work, especially AV. When designing
structured cabling for distributed
AV networks, the ICT professional
should consider the long term needs
of the end user, types of AV being
sent over the cabling (e.g., medical
imaging, documents, renderings)
and what types of cabling specific
manufacturers require to guarantee
the performance of their equipment.
This may be Category 6, 6A, shielded,
optical fiber or any other numerous
possibilities. Beware of the need to
write a proprietary specification of
a certain manufacturer’s cable; a TIA/
EIA compliant cable that is appropriate
for the application per the
manufacturer should suffice.
Pathways
When designing structured cabling
pathways for AV systems, the ICT
professional should take into account
both present and possible future
needs. The world of AV is everchanging
and the need for moves,
adds, and changes (MACs) will be
quite frequent as new technologies
are introduced. Large point-to-point
infrastructure (box and conduit) are
used in mission critical facilities, such
as an integrated operating room. It
the backbone for quite a bit of the
connectivity to edge devices, wire-
less supplementation and more as
time progresses. However, the ICT
professional is also concerned with
the translator and glue for the entire
low voltage design, including AV,
cellular, distributed antenna system
(DAS), electronic safety and security
(ESS) and a host of other systems.
If an ICT professional is uncomfortable
with some or all aspects of
an AV system that needs to be incor-
porated, it is suggested to bring in
an ICT professional that specializes
in AV or work directly with an AV
integrator to get the desired func-
tionality and equipment installed.
ICT professionals will need to
focus on quite a few areas of design
when incorporating the AV infrastructure
to support AI; here are a few
of the areas that will be encountered
on most projects:
Cabling
Network convergence has been
around for quite a while and will
continue to be a dominant strategy
when designing structured cabling
infrastructures. However, not all net-
work traffic runs on the same net-
During design, there should be multiple
meetings between the ICT professional and
the end user to discuss the desired functionality,
graphical information and logic that
should be used when operating the
various AV systems.
will accommodate the possibility to
modify cabling for enhanced video
quality and functionality without
getting into floors, walls and ceilings.
Consider total cost of ownership
(TCO) when designing the pathways;
this cost-effective approach will
provide some flexibility in the
beginning versus trying to retrofit
an existing installation.
Software and Programming
During design, there should be
multiple meetings between the
ICT professional and the end user
to discuss the desired functionality,
graphical information and logic that
should be used when operating the
various AV systems. Think about
incorporating sensors into AV
enabled rooms that control the
system, lighting and energy-saving
heating, ventilation, and airconditioning
(HVAC) when the
end user walks into the room. Use
a splash screen for easy to use instructions.
There are many ways
to control a room, but stability and
predictability are key to the end-user
experience and should be carefully
planned during design and incorporated
during installation. Complex
systems require specialists that should
have varying levels of manufacturer
certifications that include the ability
to accurately program a sequence of
operations for the intended end user.
Cybersecurity
As distributed AV networks are
incorporated into more campuses
and facilities across the world, the
need for the network security team
to be involved early and often with