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    eamon
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Controlling networked sensor dimmers with a non etc console

Hi all

 

A friend of mine runs a venue with a large ETC installation that comprises 2 x spaces with networked sensor dimming. The dimmers are situated on different floors to the performance space in question.

They run an Ion in the small space and a company has appeared in wishing to run their touring 520i.  This is normal enough practice but the first he has encountered etc. Is it possible for a 500 series to drive the house dimmers over the ETC shownet? My instinct says it should be possible but I fear this is not possible.

Can the Ion configure one of the DMX ports to be a DMX IN port? It would enable the 500 to be used and the house remote rigger to be utilised. IF the desk cannot do this currently, could it be made an option down the line? I use this facility on my house 500 about 5 times a month.

What do network houses do in similar situations? To me this should be a straightfoward option and a reasonable enough requested with touring theatre companies.

 

Many thanks for any help.

 

cheers

 

eamon

 

 

Parents

  • Eamon,

    I haven't had experience with the 520i, and I can't say whether or not it can communicate over the network.  There is a possibility that it might support sACN, but I couldn't say for sure.

    A common occurrence in many networked installation is to place a 2 port DMX node or gateway in the booth that can accommodate visiting consoles.  This gives you a ton of flexibility regarding what the visiting board can control, as well as give a quick and easy access point to the ETCNet2/3 network.  This lets most any console that outputs DMX control the needed circuits.  

    Currently, the Ion does not support DMX In.

    Let us know if you have more questions -- some others in this forum might be able to speak about the 520i's capabilities.

  • in reply to Hans.Hinrichsen

    Hi Eamon,

     

    The Strand 500 series does not support sACN, so that isn't really an option.

    I would suggest taking Hans' advice and looking into the possibility of getting a gateway in the control room to get touring companies consoles to talk to the network.

     

    Graham

Reply Children
  • in reply to grahamparker

    I was aware the 500 series did not support ACN but the suggestion of the gateway would seem the ideal solution to invest in. Does the gateway compromise 1 x universe or is it configurable??

     

    Many thanks for the prompt replies.

     

     

    eamon

     

  • in reply to eamon

    The DMX gateway comes in many varieties:  1 port, 2 port, and 4 port.  Each port can be configured to be an input or output.  For the most part, they are used to simply place a DMX input into an sACN universe or output sACN data to a DMX line. However, they also have nifty advanced options (called AIP) that allow you to restrict or expand control of a DMX input (down to the address level) to control multiple sACN addresses, or remove them from control.  This is handy if you would want to keep the house light dimmers on your architectural system, and didn't want a guest console taking control.

    This is all configurable via the Gateway Configuration Editor (which is already installed on the Ion when it leaves the factory), and the configuration can be changed at any time.

  • in reply to Hans.Hinrichsen

    Excellent.

     

    Thank you very much for the helpful information. I will relay it on to my friend.

     

    cheers

     

     

    eamon

  • in reply to eamon

    Eamon,

    Just a note-- as the above is slightly inaccurate -- the 1 port gateways do not have AIP.  They do support both input and output functions, but only on a universe by universe basis.

    Hans

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