C2E616401_MB_C1 Schneider Cuadro H Eightfold Matte Black Plastic KNX Switch Interface 13mA Bus-Fed Device

The C2E616401_MB_C1 is the eight-gang keypad of the Cuadro H range, fitted with a matt black plastic faceplate — the largest capacity in the family, in the finish that disappears most completely on a dark wall. The article number follows a simple family rule: 401 denotes eight gangs, the 01 digit indicates a plastic face (as opposed to metal 02 or glass 03), and MB stands for matt black.

Electrically, the plate is a single KNX participant, fed from the bus at 21 to 30 V DC and drawing approximately 13 mA at 24 V. The coupling unit is integrated, with a two-core connector — red to plus, black to minus. There is no mains terminal, which is what allows one article number to serve lighting, blinds and scene recall without any change to the hardware.

The physical envelope measures 86 × 86 × 29 mm. The retaining ring is metal and limited to 6 kgf.cm. Certification is CE and KNX, with IP20 protection for indoor use.

A black eight-gang plate is the most demanding combination in the range to commission well, for reasons that are mostly human. Sixteen operations on one plate means the layout is a design decision, and on a black face the icons and the gaps between the buttons are the only visual cues — so an inconsistent layout across rooms of the same type is obvious to the occupant in a way that it is not on a white plate.

The material parameter matters here too: proximity detection is microwave based, sensitivity depends on the panel material, and both the material and one of two sensitivity levels are set in ETS — so a polymer plate must be declared as plastic.

Keep the dust cover on during decoration and fit the plate last, because a matt black polymer face shows every mark and cannot be polished. The instructions allow only a soft dry cloth for cleaning.

This plate suits large rooms with a dark interior and a complex lighting design. Typical applications include:

• Hotel ballrooms and function suites — where lighting states follow the room layout and the entrance position has to reach every group, and the black face disappears against a dark acoustic wall.
• Boardrooms and executive meeting rooms — where lighting, blinds and the presentation state are controlled from one place.
• Premium residential projects — in cinema and media rooms where the lighting is entirely artificial and a bright plate would be the only light source in the room.
• Restaurants and private dining rooms — where scene changes occur between service periods.
• Retail flagships — where a large floor is divided into display zones operated from a single back-of-house position.

Where the same project uses metal eight-gang plates in the public rooms, the plastic version is normally specified for back-of-house positions where durability of surface matters more than the feel of the plate.