Crestron Zūm Wired is a distributed lighting control platform that utilizes advanced sensors and industry standard dimming protocols to provide automated control of a building's lighting. 

This article includes some best practices to put in place during installation to ensure a smooth start-up with minimal troubleshooting.

Zūm Net and Zūm Link Cabling

Communication between Zūm Wired devices is achieved using two different communications protocols, Zūm Net and Zūm Link. Both protocols use Cat5e or Cat6 cable with RJ-45 terminations, but the purpose and specifications for each protocol are different and it is important not to mix them up in the field in order to avoid damaging the control hardware or processor. When terminating cables, never use "EZ" passthrough RJ-45 connectors, always use standard (non-passthrough) connectors. Passthrough connectors are known to be unreliable and cause communications issues when used. 

Zūm Net is based on the Ethernet standard and is used to provide networked communication between individual ZUMNET-JBOX-* devices and the processor. Zūm Net uses purple ports on ZUMNET-JBOX-* devices and connects back to the network switch at the processor panel.

Zūm Link is based on Crestron's Cresnet communication protocol and is used to connect the primary ZUMNET-JBOX-* room controller to various ZUMLINK-* devices within the room that it controls. Zūm Link uses orange ports on ZUMNET-JBOX-* and ZUMLINK-* devices and is daisy-chained between devices.

Plugging a powered Zūm Link cable into a Zūm Net or Ethernet port will damage the device being plugged in to and may result in the device needing to be replaced. Always follow these best practices when installing Zūm Wired cabling:

• Always use standard (non-passthrough) RJ-45 connectors
• Use different color cable for Zūm Net and Zūm Link. Pre-made cables can be purchased from Crestron, who recommends purple for Zūm Net and orange for Zūm Link
• Always label cables so that it is easy to determine whether it is a Zūm Net or a Zūm Link cable and what device it connects to
• Do not allow runs of Zūm Net cable to exceed 100m or 328' between ZUMNET-JBOX-* devices
• When terminating your own cables, always use standard, non-passthrough RJ-45 connectors. Pass-through RJ-45 connectors are not always compatible with Zūm Net ports and often result in devices that do not report online, report online inconsistently, or have other communication issues

Device Installation

Zūm Wired lighting controllers are primarily junction-box mounted devices (ZUMNET-JBOX-* and ZUMLINK-JBOX-* models), with only some models (ZUMLINK-EXP-DIMU) being wall-mounted. Zūm Wired sensors can be mounted in a variety of ways, using either junction-boxes or mounting directly to the ceiling. Zūm Wired keypads (wall switches) mount using single-gang boxes. See product spec sheets or installation guides for details on how to mount specific devices.

To make start-up, troubleshooting, and future maintenance easier, always follow these best practices when installing Zūm Wired devices:

• Always use standard (non-passthrough) RJ-45 connectors
• Record the serial numbers of all ZUMNET-JBOX-* and ZUMLINK-* devices. Zūm Wired hardware must be addressed during start-up, and it is much easier to accomplish this if there is a record of which serial number corresponds to each device
• Install all devices in accessible locations. There are many reasons that it may be necessary to go back to an installed device (current or future device failure, damaged or improperly terminated cable, fixture compatibility issue, etc.), so devices should always be installed in locations where they will remain accessible during start-up as well as after the job is turned over to the customer
• Label all JBOX devices and cables. ZUMNET-JBOX-* and ZUMLINK-JBOX-* devices are typically given labels on the submittals, and it is best practice to label installed devices with these labels and/or the controlled zone. Doing this helps to simplify any troubleshooting that is required during startup or after the job has been turned over
• Record any changes made to cable routing during installation. Keeping track of as-built conditions is necessary in case any alterations end up necessitating changes to the program, as well as to simplify troubleshooting and maintenance