Screen Innovations now shipping Fontus

Fontus allows integrators to utilize existing wire inside a commercial building or home to connect screens and shades to a modern control system 

Screen Innovations’ Fontus, a new product that enables their low-voltage motorized screens and shades to be powered and controlled via any type of traditional two-conductor wiring, is now available. Fontus allows integrators to utilize wire that may already exist inside a commercial building or home to connect screens and shades to a modern control system. 

No bigger than a pack of gum and easily mounted to a DIN rail, Fontus can make a two-conductor wire perform 485 communication as if it were an eight-conductor wire, significantly simplifying the installation. As long as there is a two-conductor wire available near the screen or shade location, Fontus, a dongle that plugs into SI’s new Janus power and control hub, converts low-voltage communications signals and power from a five-conductor system for distribution over two-conductor wire. The signal is decoded for reception at the screen or shade via a second Fontus dongle with no loss of signal.  

“No matter what type of wire is available at the project — old coax from a wall-mounted display, speaker wire, or virtually any type of wire shielded or non-shielded with at least 18 AWG. Fontus is able to utilize it to deliver power and communications signals from our Janus low-voltage power and control hub,” said Michael Braithwaite, CTO of SI. “Full two-way control and power are maintained using our advanced BCP encoding and decoding protocol, giving integrators a proven solution for uniting old and new technologies.” 

Fontus can also be used to enable basic control of screens over two-conductor wire through dry and wet contact closures. IR input, and 485 signals. For example, when a door opens or a projector is activated a contact closure or 12-volt trigger can signal a motorized screen to deploy. “Scenarios like these often require the addition of a control system,” said Braithwaite. “Fontus enables automation all on its own, with no extra equipment required.”

To learn more about the vast connectivity options of Fontus, watch this demonstration video.