ETC programming wing

Question

Hello there! 
 
 I just have a few questions about the ETC programming wing. 
 
 1. What does it come with? 
 2. Can it be directly connected to a pc/laptop via USB? 
 3. Does EOS Augment3d software automatically recognise the new connection? 
 4. When plugged in, can I use it instantly? 
 5. Does it need to be plugged into a socket in the wall for power or does it take power from the laptop/pc? Thank you so much!

eos moderator · Answer

Thank you for reaching out. 
 
 The Eos Programming wing ships with
 
 Power supply 
 IEC power cord 
 Dust cover 
 USB cable.

Yes. 
 The Programming Wing is a USB facepanel accessory to provide a console-like experience. Augment3d is just one of the many features of the Eos software, there is no special connection that Augment3d needs to recognize. 
 Yes. The wing has USB ports where you can plug the ETCnomad dongle (sold separately). In this case you will have to connect the wing to the computer before starting the software so the license dongle is detected by the software. 
 Yes, the wing needs mains power, the power supply and power cord are included in the delivery. 
 
 You can find the Eos Programming Wing datasheet here .

eos moderator · Answer

That's a tricky question: You don't need the dongle for the wing to work, it's a USB accessory for the Eos software. You can press buttons and use encoders without the dongle. But if you want to output DMX (or network protocols sending DMX) you will need the dongle. 
 So the answer is: needing the dongle depends on your use-case. If you're preprogramming offline you won't need it, if you want to use it as console and output to a rig then yes, you will need the dongle.

eos moderator · Answer

There are 3rd party products available. Since they are not made by ETC I don't know how well they work and can't recommend one over the other. 
 Maybe the community can say what their using.