SABIC Uses Extron Fiber Optic Technology for Safety and Security

SABIC, the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation, recently opened the 43,000 square meter (463,000 square foot) SABIC Academy next to the company’s 17-story corporate headquarters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. When the company decided it wanted to connect the public address and evacuation systems in these two buildings, it chose fiber optic extenders from Extron Electronics.

Client Needs

SABIC hired AV integrator SmarTech AV to use existing outdoor security fiber optic cable to send emergency announcements and other informational signals from two microphones over the 400 meter (1312 foot) distance between the two buildings, without adding additional infrastructure.

We knew the FOX AV extender would perform well and be trouble free.

Yousef Abdul Hadi, SmarTech Projects Manager

Recommended Solution

SmarTech chose the Extron FOX AV fiber optic transmitter-receiver extender set. Although SABIC currently wants to route only audio signals between the two buildings, the FOX AV extender is made to send video, audio, and RS-232 signals over fiber optic cable. According to SmarTech Projects Manager Yousef Abdul Hadi, Extron equipment was chosen because of its reliability. "We knew the FOX AV extender would perform well and be trouble free," Hadi says.

Safety

The audio link between the two SABIC buildings includes the company’s evacuation system and thus involves the safety of SABIC employees and visitors. In the event that an evacuation or safety announcement has to be sent from the headquarters building to the learning academy, the company wants that announcement to be clearly heard. The FOX AV is an all-digital technology that preserves the quality of both audio and video signals, even over long distances. The FOX AV transmitters and receivers also feature input gain and attenuation, and output level adjustments to ensure optimal and consistent audio levels across the entire system.

Security

Fiber optic solutions are ideal for applications that require electrical isolation and emission-free transmission of AV signals. Because transmission of content over fiber optic cabling is inherently secure and immune to outside interference, fiber applications are particularly favored in government, military, and medical environments. Extron takes the concern for system security even further; the FOX AV extenders can be set to trigger an external control system for immediate notification when a fiber link has been lost, as in the case of an outside party trying to tap into the fiber line.

Microphone Pre-amplication and Volume Control

SmarTech provided two supercardioid gooseneck condenser microphones: one for the security officer and one for the reception area. Each mic requires phantom power, and level control, and both must be mixed to a single line level signal for the input of the Extron FOX Tx AV MM . The compact, quarter rack-width Extron MVC 121 Plus three input stereo mixer was a perfect fit. The mixer provides two mic inputs, 48 volt phantom power, and front panel adjustment of the mix levels if fine tuning is required.

Quick LC Fiber Optic Connectors

The final piece of the Extron fiber optic solution was the use of Quick LC Fiber Optic Connectors for field termination of fiber optic cables. These pre-polished, field installable connectors are high performance and low-loss, providing reliable physical connectivity and precise fiber core alignment. The connectors include strain-relief boots, and a preinstalled wedge clip that features a visual indicator of a successful termination when used with an Extron Visual Fault Locator.

"AV integrators worry about three problems: signal interference, intermittent signals, and signal quality," Hadi says. "We have not had any of these problems with this project."

Quick and Reliable

The use of an all-Extron solution saved time during installation and guaranteed a higher quality signal transmission. Easy to implement Extron audio mixing and robust fiber optic equipment enables the accurate transmission of critical emergency messages between the SABIC buildings, and meets both safety and security needs. Hadi praises the Extron equipment; "The installation was very easy and straightforward, and the system works perfectly."