I use the CB4 method... and RS232.

I find the RS232 to be much quicker than the IR, and the volume ramps smoother. Also, there is a bunch of protocol only available via RS232, that I use from time to time.

I did one system using the IR in ports on the CT.... and it worked, but I ran into a couple of minor snags:

1. If I'm using RTI touchpanels, I could run the IR direct from the t/p into the CT. However, I also need to POWER the touchpanel, and the CT does not have enough juice to reliably power an array of touchpanels/keypads. With the CB4, I get a nice RJ45 connection on each end of my cables, and the single cable does control and power.

2. Since I'm using RTI, I often want to use the features of the processor. For example, in addition to controlling the B&K, I will offer an ALL OFF feature that will turn off all the electronics in the home, including TVs etc. As soon as I want to do that, I need to get an IR signal from the touchpanels to the RP6 anyways. So, I either have to split the IR, and run it to the CT and the RP6 (messy), or I need to route my IR THROUGH the RP6 and then to the CT. If I'm going through the RP6, the single tasking nature of the RP6 defeats any multitasking advantage of the CT.

3. Since I'm using the RP6, I might as well use RS232. Its quicker, more reliable, and has more features. ALSO, its a single connection from the RP6 to the CT, and I can control 6 zones....

Note: In systems with multiple CTs and/or HD6 units, each one gets a separate CM232 connection. I never link the CTs in anyway.