AVIXA Releases Rack Design for Audiovisual Systems Standard

AVIXA, the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association, announces the release of its standard, Rack Design for Audiovisual (AV) Systems (F502.02:2020), which outlines the requirements for audiovisual rack planning, design, accommodation, and equipment layout. This standard joins the Rack Building for Audiovisual Systems standard to provide formalised guidelines for efficient design, build, and integration of racks in AV systems.

This new standard covers the fundamental processes and decisions necessary for designing equipment into a reliable AV equipment rack, from rack selection, thermal management, power system design, to earthing (grounding) and bonding requirements. It also covers the design input information that should be available to achieve an agreed-upon outcome prior to designing the rack, including system design documentation, rack location/environment, entry/connection method for site cabling, and more.

According to the standard task group’s co-moderators, Jay Franetovich, CTS, Product Manager, Legrand, and Nick Pidgeon, CTS, Director, Visualization Limited, serviceability is one of many key benefits of the Rack Design standard.

“This standard ensures the system you’re designing is well built. It considers all aspects of the design – including cable management, thermal management, and power – to ensure a reliable system,” said Franetovich. “Additionally, our customer base expects standardisation, particularly when there are people from other industries doing multiple aspects of a job. Often, the person who builds the rack is not the same person who services it. A rack designed and built to both AVIXA’s Rack Design and Rack Building standards provides assurance, consistency, and familiarity to the person servicing the rack.”

“For me, it comes down to the efficiency of the build and the future serviceability,” said Pidgeon. “Thermal management and serviceability go hand in hand. If the thermal management is poorly addressed, then the system’s longevity will be compromised. And if there is overcapacity – too much equipment within the rack – it’ll be hard to get to the equipment to service it.”

Rack Design for Audiovisual (AV) Systems standard Task Group Members:

• Jay Franetovich, CTS (co-moderator), Product Manager, Legrand
• Nick Pidgeon, CTS (co-moderator), Director, Visualization Limited
• Jason Brameld, Technical Director, Torpedo Factory Group
• Greg Carstens, CTS-D, CTS-I, Audio/Visual Design Engineer, University of Colorado
• Kenneth Ng, CEO, Mojoworx Asia Ltd.
• Jeroen Oey, CTS, Team Leader/Maintenance-Install, European Commission

“The talented team that developed this standard represents multiple AV disciplines and spans the globe – from manufacturers to AV design engineers from Asia-Pacific to the U.S.,” said Ann Brigida, CTS, CStd, Senior Director of Standards, AVIXA. “It’s important to have a broad scope of voices from different geographies ‘in the room.’ Regional scenarios are critically analysed, and the best methods win out. The benefits of following AV standards are passed onto the end user in many forms, including savings in cost, energy, and time, while having a high-functioning system.”  

To learn more and purchase the Rack Design for Audiovisual (AV) Systems standard, visit www.avixa.org/standards/rack-design-for-av-systems. This standard is free to AVIXA Premium and Elite members.