The MediaLink® System and AM General: Humming Right Along

AM General designs and manufactures the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV, pronounced "HUMVEE") used by the military, as well as its consumer counterpart, the HUMMER. As a world leader in tactical wheeled and special purpose vehicles with more than 50 years of experience, the folks at AM General recently expanded their executive conference room at the new H2 Plant in South Bend, Indiana.

At first, AM General executives were primarily interested in using a SMART Board for PowerPoint® presentations. They called their local MCSI dealer in South Bend, and requested a SMART Board demonstration. When the people from MCSI arrived, they sensed a need for a more integrated system.

"They thought the SMART Board was self-contained, and that it would do everything," said Jim Hevel, Sales Consultant for MCSI. "Once we determined what they were hoping to do with it, we recommended a fully integrated system along with the SMART Board."

The first challenge facing the installation of an integrated system was to develop a means of system control that was simple enough for anyone to use without going to the expense of a sophisticated touch panel control system. "We ended up recommending and installing the Extron MediaLink System," Hevel said.

MediaLink Control

Hevel recognized that the most important element of the system was simplicity. "We set forth to design the 'perfect' system for their needs," he said. "The MediaLink gave us the ability to control the system's power, input selection, projector source control, and volume—all from a convenient and centralized control device mounted on the wall."

The control device Hevel is referring to is the Extron MLC 206 MediaLink Controller. A simple and affordable device for one-projector environments, the MLC 206 is an extended remote control panel, ideal for AM General's executive conference room. Executives with little or no training can walk in and operate the AV system by simply pressing any one of the selection buttons.

The MLC 206 is mounted on an Extron MLM-5GWP (see picture below) near the door of the conference room. The MLM-5GWP is a five-gang wall plate with four single space Architectural Adapter Plate (AAP) openings. The AAP openings are populated with two of the MediaLink's numerous accessories, the Extron IRCM-VCR and IRCM-DVD , double space IR control modules.

The IRCM-VCR provides remote control of a VCR's basic features: rewind, play, forward, pause, and stop. The IRCM-DVD provides remote control of a DVD player's most commonly used features: previous, play, next, pause, and stop. "These were extremely easy to set up for control of the two players," Hevel said.

Together with the MLC 206's input source buttons, the control modules enhance the system's simplicity and meet the conference room's requirements.

In the Cabinet

A system rack is housed in a cabinet located in a separate area behind the conference room. The rack holds a CPU, an S-video DVD player, a composite VCR, an Electro-Voice two-channel 7100 power amplifier, and an Extron MLS 306 MediaLink Switcher, a low-cost, simple-to-use, six input, one output, multi-format active switcher. The MLS 306 is designed for single-projector environments and to complement the MLC 206. It provides switching for composite video, S-video, and computer-video. For audio switching, the MLS 306 offers pre-amp volume control as well as bass and treble control.

As an add-on to the MLC 206, the MLS 306 facilitates the low-cost system integration solution AM General was looking for. The VCR, DVD player, CPU, and a PC connections coming from the conference room table are all input into the MLS 306. The MLS 306 outputs to a local computer monitor, a sound system, and a Sharp VG-V10XU LCD projector. The projector receives commands via RS-232 control from the MLC 206. With the MediaLink System in place, the sources, projector, and even the power are all centrally controlled and operated.

"We used one of the available relays on the MLC 206 to trigger the sequential power unit," said Tim Cichos, an associate engineer for MCSI who configured the MediaLink System for the conference room. "When the display power button is pressed, it powers on the whole system. We found the MediaLink software and hardware very straightforward and easy to use."

Conference Table and Display

An Extron P/2 DA2 MT distribution amplifier is conveniently mounted onto one of the large support columns of the conference room table. An Extron VGA cable with audio is run from the DA and connected to a customized pass-through device in the top of the table. This enables a handy connection point for laptops. The P/2 DA2 MT is connected to mini high-resolution cabling encased in conduit that runs under the desk, through the wall, and into the cabinet for connection to the MLS 306.

The P/2 DA2 MT is a one input, two output high-resolution VGA-UXGA distribution amplifier with 300 MHz (-3dB) RGB video bandwidth. For meetings in the executive conference room, presenters can easily plug in their laptops and share their data with attendees on the LCD projector.

The 400 square foot conference room has two display devices. A SMART Board is being used for illustrating designs from a computer. The Sharp projector is mounted on the ceiling and controlled through the MediaLink System. It is used for projecting RGB, VGA, and video images on the motorized 8-foot front projection screen that hangs on the opposite wall.

System Operation

"Overall, this is a pretty basic system," said Hevel. "I believe we accomplished the owner's objective of an unobtrusive installation. At the same time, we provided a respectable level of performance and flexibility."

Hevel claims the MediaLink's architectural design and simplicity are what sold the AM General staff on its installation. "They really didn't want a lot of equipment visible in the room," he said. "The MLC 206 matches the color of the interior walls. It's also an active device that effectively communicates with the switcher and the projector. In that sense, it's a rock-solid solution."

Larry Day, an executive director for AM General, shares Hevel's enthusiasm. "Those using the system are senior managers and executives of this company," he said. "Their time is very precious. This system is designed to allow them maximum benefit with minimum consumption of resources."