Application Notes: Dante in Corporate AV Installations
Boardrooms, conference rooms, campuses, lobbies — real-world deployment scenarios Corporate AV is among the most practical deployment target for…
Overview
Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) allows the FLEX Matrix to send power and input commands to connected HDMI displays without requiring a separate control system or RS-232 connection to each display. CEC commands travel over the HDMI cable itself — the same connection used for video.
What CEC Enables on the FLEX Matrix
- Auto power-on: When a source is routed to an output, the FLEX chassis sends a CEC power-on command to the connected display.
- Auto power-off: When no source is routed to an output (or on scheduled event), the FLEX sends a CEC standby command to the display.
- Input switching: The FLEX sends a CEC active source command, switching the display to the correct HDMI input automatically.
- System-wide power control: Power on or off all displays simultaneously via a single command — ideal for morning startup and end-of-day shutdown sequences.
CEC Requirements
- Display must support HDMI CEC (often marketed under brand names: Samsung Anynet+, LG SimpLink, Sony Bravia Sync, Vizio SmartCast, etc.)
- CEC must be enabled in the display’s settings menu — it is sometimes disabled by default
- HDMI cable must support CEC pin 13 — standard HDMI cables are compliant; some low-cost cables omit this pin
- CEC applies to HDMI outputs (FLEX-HDMI12OUT) only — not CATx outputs (FLEX-CAT12OUT)
Configuration
- In the FLEX web GUI, navigate to Output Settings.
- Select the HDMI output port.
- Enable CEC Control for that port.
- Configure the CEC behavior:
- Power On with Signal: Display powers on when video is routed to this output.
- Power Off with No Signal: Display enters standby when the output is unrouted.
- Input Select: Display automatically switches to the HDMI input connected to this output port.
- Test by routing and unrouting a source to the output and verifying display response.
CEC Limitations
- CEC behavior varies by display manufacturer — some displays implement CEC incompletely or non-standardly
- CEC power-on latency varies (typically 2–10 seconds depending on display)
- Not all CEC commands are supported by all displays — test with your specific display model before deployment
- For guaranteed display control, use RS-232 or IP control via a KanexPro control processor alongside CEC
CEC vs. RS-232 Display Control
| CEC | RS-232 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cabling | Uses existing HDMI cable | Requires separate RS-232 cable |
| Reliability | Varies by display brand | Consistent, bidirectional |
| Command range | Power, input select, volume | Full display command set |
| Feedback | Limited | Full status feedback |
| Best for | Simple deployments, consumer displays | Professional installs, control systems |
