AV Institute
AV INSTITUTE LLCCommercial AV Programming Bootcamp
AV Institute
AV Institute LLC
Commercial AV Programming Bootcamp
8 Modules · 40 Lessons

The 8-week path, end to end

Eight sequential modules, one per week. Each contains five substantive lessons, a hands-on lab, a field assignment, and a 10-question quiz (80% pass mark). The course culminates in a 30-question cumulative final exam and a scored corporate conference room capstone project.

  1. 01

    Commercial AV Foundations

    Roles, signals, cables, and reading AV drawings

    Pacing5–7 hours
    Lessons5 substantive lessons
    Weekly quiz10 Qs · 80% pass
    Open Week 1 Module →
    Key competency

    Read and explain a complete commercial AV signal chain.

    5 Lessons
    1. L01AV Industry Roles & the Commercial AV System Lifecycle
    2. L02AV Signal Fundamentals: Audio, Video, Analog vs Digital, Balanced vs Unbalanced
    3. L03Source-to-Destination Signal Paths
    4. L04Cables, Connectors, and Identification/Labeling Standards
    5. L05Reading AV Block Diagrams, Signal-Flow Diagrams & Equipment Schedules
    Practical Lab: Design a Laptop-to-Display-and-Speaker Signal Chain
    Field Assignment: Create a Labeled AV Block Diagram and Bill of Materials
  2. 02

    Programming & Control Basics

    Control systems, processors, and program logic

    Pacing5–7 hours
    Lessons5 substantive lessons
    Weekly quiz10 Qs · 80% pass
    Open Week 2 Module →
    Key competency

    Write room control logic and explain how a control system talks to devices.

    5 Lessons
    1. L01How AV Control Systems Operate
    2. L02Control Processors, Touchpanels, Serial, IP, Relay & IR Communications
    3. L03Variables, Logic, Conditions, Events, States & Feedback
    4. L04Crestron & Q-SYS Control Concepts — Ecosystem Distinctions
    5. L05Program a Room Start-up, Display On/Off, Source Selection & Volume Workflow
    Practical Lab: Build a Conceptual Room-Control Sequence
    Field Assignment: Write a Room Control Logic Specification
  3. 03

    Touchpanel & UI Design

    User-centered control interfaces

    Pacing5–7 hours
    Lessons5 substantive lessons
    Weekly quiz10 Qs · 80% pass
    Open Week 3 Module →
    Key competency

    Design a complete, accessible touchpanel interface with consistent states.

    5 Lessons
    1. L01User-Centered AV Control Design Principles
    2. L02Touchpanel Screen Layout, Navigation & Accessibility
    3. L03Crestron Touchpanel & Q-SYS UCI Concepts
    4. L04Button Feedback, Room States, Source Selection & Volume Controls
    5. L05Error Messages, Startup/Shutdown Behavior, User Workflows & Consistency
    Practical Lab: Design a Complete Conference Room Touchpanel Interface
    Field Assignment: Submit Annotated Screen Mockups & a Control-State Table
  4. 04

    DSP & Professional Audio

    Digital signal processing, mics, and acoustic echo

    Pacing5–7 hours
    Lessons5 substantive lessons
    Weekly quiz10 Qs · 80% pass
    Open Week 4 Module →
    Key competency

    Design and safely commission a small-room audio DSP path.

    5 Lessons
    1. L01Digital Audio & DSP Foundations: Sample Rates, Gain Structure, dB, Headroom & Clipping
    2. L02Microphone Types, Placement, Balanced Connections & Phantom Power
    3. L03Signal Routing, Mixers, Crosspoints, Automixers & Acoustic Echo Cancellation
    4. L04EQ, High-pass Filters, Dynamics, Delay & Feedback Reduction
    5. L05Biamp Tesira & Q-SYS DSP Concepts: Commissioning, Tuning & Verification
    Practical Lab: Design a Small Conference Room Audio Signal Path
    Field Assignment: Create a DSP Signal-Flow Diagram & Audio Tuning Checklist
  5. 05

    AV Networking

    Ethernet, AV-over-IP, Dante, and network troubleshooting

    Pacing5–7 hours
    Lessons5 substantive lessons
    Weekly quiz10 Qs · 80% pass
    Open Week 5 Module →
    Key competency

    Plan and troubleshoot a commercial AV network segment.

    5 Lessons
    1. L01Ethernet, IP Addresses, Subnet Masks, Gateways & DHCP
    2. L02Switches, VLANs, PoE, Network Topology & Device Management
    3. L03AV-over-IP Fundamentals: Multicast, IGMP Snooping & QoS
    4. L04Dante & Networked-Audio Principles: Routing, Timing & Clock Sync
    5. L05Network Troubleshooting: Ping, Discovery, IP Plans & Common Faults
    Practical Lab: Develop an IP Address & Logical Network Plan for a Meeting Suite
    Field Assignment: Create a Network Diagram with Switch Ports, VLANs & IP Device Schedule
  6. 06

    Advanced AV Control & Integration

    Multi-device integration, APIs, and state management

    Pacing5–7 hours
    Lessons5 substantive lessons
    Weekly quiz10 Qs · 80% pass
    Open Week 6 Module →
    Key competency

    Design an integrated room control architecture and sequence of operations.

    5 Lessons
    1. L01Integrating Displays, Matrix Switchers, Cameras, Codecs & DSP Devices
    2. L02API Fundamentals: IP & Serial Commands, Drivers & Feedback Parsing
    3. L03State Management, Conditional Logic, Room Automation & Scheduling Triggers
    4. L04Modular Programming, Reusable Logic, Error Handling & Logging
    5. L05Design a Multi-Source Conference Room Integration
    Practical Lab: Build Pseudocode for an Integrated Room
    Field Assignment: Submit an Annotated Control Architecture, Sequence of Operations & Test Plan
  7. 07

    Installation, Commissioning & Troubleshooting

    Field practices, acceptance, and fault isolation

    Pacing5–7 hours
    Lessons5 substantive lessons
    Weekly quiz10 Qs · 80% pass
    Open Week 7 Module →
    Key competency

    Plan an install, commission a system, and isolate field faults.

    5 Lessons
    1. L01Pre-Installation Coordination: Drawings, Cable Schedules, Rack Elevation & Power
    2. L02Installation Practices: Labeling, Testing, Cable Management & Site Safety
    3. L03System Commissioning Checklists & Acceptance Tests
    4. L04Fault Isolation: No Video, No Audio, Echo, Network Dropout, Failed Controls
    5. L05Client Handover: Documentation, Training, Backups & Service Records
    Practical Lab: Diagnose Three Fictional AV Field Failures
    Field Assignment: Produce a Commissioning Checklist & Customer Handover Checklist
  8. 08

    Real-World Capstone Project

    Design and defend a complete commercial AV system

    Pacing6–8 hours
    Lessons5 substantive lessons
    Weekly quiz10 Qs · 80% pass
    Open Week 8 Module →
    Key competency

    Produce and defend a complete AV design package for a real room.

    5 Lessons
    1. L01Interpreting a Client Requirements Brief
    2. L02Developing AV System Architecture & Equipment Specifications
    3. L03Signal-Flow Drawings, DSP Flow, Network Plan & Control Sequences
    4. L04Commissioning Tests, Acceptance Criteria & a User Training Plan
    5. L05Presenting a Professional AV Design Package & Defending Decisions
    Practical Lab: Capstone — Design a Corporate Conference Room
    Field Assignment: Submit the Complete Capstone Design Package
Cumulative Assessment

30-Question Final Examination

Covers all eight weeks: signal flow, control, UI, audio/DSP, networking, integration, commissioning, and capstone. 80% to pass. Retakes enabled.

Field Capstone

Corporate Conference Room Capstone

A complete 8-deliverable conference room design package graded on a 100-point rubric. Pass at 80/100.