ION RPU output limit with Gio

Gio comes in four output configs.   A 2k, 4K, 6K and 8K.  The Gio 2K can use the Ion 2K RPU.  The Gio 4 and 8K use the Eos 4 and 8K RPUs.  To support the Gio 6K, we are releasing an Eos 6K RPU.    Basically, if you have a Gio and want an RPU, there is an RPU in the family of products that matches the Gio output.

The Ion 3K RPU is not mentioned in the literature because there is not a Gio 3K.

Hope that helps.

a

Oh wise and wonderful, queen of control console philosophy, Anne:

So the Spiderman:TOTD "Super EOS" is 20,000 channels.  Is that 19,968 or 20,480 outputs?

Theoretically, are the 2K, 4K, 6K, etc. outputs limited by hardware or software?  I'm just trying to wrap my head around why other manufacturers' huge output consoles use distributed processing and EOS doesn't.  Even with Net3/sACN nodes, the console still does almost all of the calculating work, right?  I love the analogy that all lighting consoles are just fast and fancy calculators with extra keys to hide the arithmetic. (And the more-advanced consoles use trig. functions to generate effects.)

Again, hypothetically, I'm guessing that upgrading a Gio 4K to an 8K is less expensive than expanding a grandPA 4K by adding a network signal/processing processor/unit to the network?  I like (I think) that ETC is selling outputs in 1,000 or 2,000 batches instead of channels in 100-unit increments.

One last question: Can an RPU be thought of as just another console albeit without a facepanel?  Or is it more equivalent to an NSP/NPU/DP8000?  Would I ever need/want more than one in a system?

Ah, that makes sense now. Ta

"So the Spiderman:TOTD "Super EOS" is 20,000 channels.  Is that 19,968 or 20,480 outputs?"

That was actually a mistake in the article.  The Eos and RPU at Spiderman were upgraded from 8K to 16K outputs because of the size of the LED rig on the show.    So, it was 16K outputs and 10K channels.

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"Theoretically, are the 2K, 4K, 6K, etc. outputs limited by hardware or software?  I'm just trying to wrap my head around why other manufacturers' huge output consoles use distributed processing and EOS doesn't.  Even with Net3/sACN nodes, the console still does almost all of the calculating work, right?  I love the analogy that all lighting consoles are just fast and fancy calculators with extra keys to hide the arithmetic. (And the more-advanced consoles use trig. functions to generate effects.)"

The output config of a desk is a software limit.  Any console or RPU purchased can be field upgraded to the max allowed by the particular platform with no hardware change.  Even at 16K output, we've not run into the need to get into a co-processing system, as the basic hardware can easily support the required functionality.   The rig output is completely managed by whatever device is the current master.   The gateways are distributing the data, therefore they serve a different function in the rig than similar devices that might be used on other manufacturer's products - and are priced to reflect their role in the system.  :-)

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"Again, hypothetically, I'm guessing that upgrading a Gio 4K to an 8K is less expensive than expanding a grandPA 4K by adding a network signal/processing processor/unit to the network?  I like (I think) that ETC is selling outputs in 1,000 or 2,000 batches instead of channels in 100-unit increments."

On an Eos family product, when you upgrade the output, you aren't adding any more hardware - so, yes, I'd assume this is more cost effective than adding another device into the system.  

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"One last question: Can an RPU be thought of as just another console albeit without a facepanel?  Or is it more equivalent to an NSP/NPU/DP8000?  Would I ever need/want more than one in a system?"

An RPU is indeed a console without a facepanel, similar to the LPC for the Expression product line.  In addition to being used in standard theatre/TV environments,  it is often installed in environments that will be programmed from a desk, and then the RPU left to run the show (think environments like theme parks, "architainment" (hate that word, but...).  In those environments it is not uncommon to have two RPUs, one as the primary, the other as the backup.  The desk, then, when connected to the system, comes online as a client.  In a standard theatre/TV setup, you'd generally only have 1 RPU per system.    Recommended config (but not required) is that the RPU is setup as the primary processor and the desk itself as the backup.  That way, if you ever did have to assume control from the primary, you'd be sitting at the device with a full facepanel.  

One last word (or two) on this.  System output is determined by the lowest output count between the primary and the backup.  So, if you connect a 4K Eos RPU to an 8K Eos, your system output will be limited to 4K.    The output capacity of any client is not important.  So, if you connect a 1K Ion as a client into an 8K system, the Ion will have access to the full 8K of output serviced by the Primary/Backup.  Hope that makes sense.

a

This forum needs a "Thanks you for that useful reply" button.

Steve B.

Steve Bailey said:

This forum needs a "Thanks you for that useful reply" button.

Agreed!  And how about a "Thank you for asking that dumb question" button for me too? ;-)

Is it too late to get those on the list for v1.9.9, or will we have to wait for v2.0?