Environmental Control Systems (ECS) are used by many individuals with disabilities to control a wide range of adapted household equipment. Anything from lighting, heating, cooling, media to curtain openers-closers can be controlled by an ECS using either infra-red, similar to those used to turn on your TV, DVD or music system or a wireless radio signal like those that ring your door bell.
ECS control systems typically allow switch users to connect one or more input switches to help them navigate around the menu system or on-screen icons.
Some individuals may now benefit from two new switch-aids developed to help users control their ECS unit. Part 1 of this article covers the ECS-Switch Filter; part 2 will describe the ECS-Sustained Pressure Switch.
The ECS-Switch Filter will be useful to those individuals who find it difficult to make a single switch-press and can’t avoid making a series of multiple, unintended switch-presses caused by a hand or body tremor.
It is specifically designed to block a series of unintended follow-on switch-presses being sent to the ECS. The Switch Filter blocks multiple switch-presses for two seconds after the first intended command signal has been passed to the ECS unit.
To show how the Switch-Filter will help imagine what may happen if the user wanted to use their ECS to turn on a room light. The first switch press would send a signal to the ECS telling it to turn on the light. But, any unintended follow-up switch presses would tell the ECS to turn the light off and then on and possibly off again depending on how many switch-presses the user had accidentally made. In these circumstances control of their household appliances would be an unpredictable and potentially frustrating experience for the user. The ECS-Switch Filter prevents this.
The ECS-Switch Filter is a small box that connects between the users input switch and their ECS unit as shown below:
For more information about the ECS-Switch Filter contact Excitim.
Part 2 of this article will cover the use of the ECS-Sustained Pressure Switch as part of an environmental control system.
