The ERC system offers a range of devices to manage and automate different aspects of an escape room. Whether controlling lighting, handling sensors, or playing media, these devices help create a seamless and interactive game experience.
The main devices which are connected over ethernet in a LAN are called boxes. All boxes are auto-discoverable. When a new box is connected, it will automatically appear as a newly detected device in the Designer.
- SBUS Box – Provides a bus to connect our Pods in a daisy-chained manner, significantly reducing cabling in the escape room. The electronics are powered over the same cable as the bus signal. Read more.
- DMX Box – Is a DMX interface which is well integrated in the ERC. Read more.
- Media Box – A media player that runs on a Raspberry Pi in kiosk mode. It can play audio, video, and display images and text. It is also designed to support the hint system. Additionally, the web interface can be customized, allowing you to add various graphics and even buttons to create an interactive display. Read more.
Note that the SBUS Box and DMX Box share the same hardware, with a selectable mode allowing it to function as either an SBUS Box or a DMX Box.
A variety of Pods can be connected, with more planned for future expansion. The Pods are daisy-chained, significantly reducing cabling in your escape room. This is further optimized as the Pods’ electronics are powered through the same cable that carries the SBUS signal. Like the boxes, the pods are also auto-discoverable. The following pods are available
- IO Pod – Provides 8 I/O ports, which can be used to detect buttons, switches, and (analog) sensors. Six of the eight I/Os can also be configured as outputs, capable of driving small indicator LEDs, for example. Read more.
- Control Pod – Primarily designed to control two magnetic locks, but can also be used to drive LED lights with PWM control. It features two inputs, allowing a single Control Pod to manage two doors, each with a lock and a door sensor. Read more.
- RFID Pod – Facilitates RFID-based puzzles and interactions, with each pod equipped with an RFID reader. Read more.
The following third-party systems are also integrated:
- Philips Hue – Fully integrated for dynamic lighting control. Groups and Scenes are included. Read more.