Using the SmartFade as a DMX/USB interface?

I'm afraid that isn't possible as SmartSoft is just an additional user interface to the console - the console itself is actually running the show.

However:

If you want to control DMX devices from your own custom software, a Net3 DMX Gateway is perfect.

These connect to standard Ethernet and convert ESTA/ANSI E1.31 standard Streaming ACN (also known as Streaming DMX) into DMX-512.
E1.31 is an international standard for DMX-over-Ethernet transmission that can be easily purchased from ESTA, and has several freely-available implementations for you to study and test against.

"sACNView" on SourceForge is an open-source Windows implementation of both transmitting and receiving E1.31 Streaming ACN and you are welcome to examine that code.

Hi there,

Well, that's the impression that I had too... but the thing is technically, if the Smartsoft is interfacing with the console, then it means that the console is "geared" to understand certain commands coming in from the USB port, and of course it also can "speek" DMX. So if one was to get ones hands on the drivers (I'm looking at the guys at ETC now of course :-) that allow for the USB communication between the computer and the Smartfade, then one could write a piece of software that uses the SmartFade just like a USB/DMX dongle...

Thanks for the tip about he Net3 though, I'd never heard of that solution. I've seen several different implementations of the USB dongle type interfaces (and the host of different software packages that gravitate around them) but never had I encountered a RJ45 solution.

Thanks for your input anyhow.

Regards,

Mark.

Hi Mark,

Richard's post put another way: SmartSoft is a program that uses the USB interface to communicate with and "control" the SmartFade firmware. The SmartFade firmware is what is actually sending the commands to the DMX interface. This is all done on the internal processor, which is small and purpose built for this application. Short of rewriting the console's application code, you would not be able to achieve the kind of control that you are looking for.

The drivers used by SmartSoft are included in the SmartSoft folder when you download it from the website. You are welcome to look at them, however, I feel that you will not likely achieve the type of control you are seeking. In addition to that, ETC does not support nor warrant any changes you make to your console that are outside of its intended operation. (Plain English: if you change your console's operating system or hardware, we cannot guarantee it will work properly and still be able to control your show.)

There are several USB-DMX interfaces on the market, some open source. Also, as Richard pointed out, E1.31 Streaming ACN (sACN) is a standard of communication that is being adopted by many manufacturers as well (including ETC) and with the use of a Net3 Gateway, you can convert that signal to hardline DMX.

(P.S.: Richard also works for ETC in our London Office, though he likes to hide it with pictures of cake!)

Hi!

And thanks for you enlightening reply. True, I had a rather simplistic view of the whole set up. I didn't think of the fact that all the processing could be done in the SmartFade...

So I guess I can start negociating with the boss to buy a dongle (I know they're cheep but I can hear his answer right now : "we already bought a lighting desk... why do we need more stuff for the lighting?") The thing is it wasn't me who chose the SmartFade, and I wouldn't have, knowing that we were eventually going to implement Macs... but I now have to live with it, and so I think the dongle is going to be necessary.

I will take a look at the E1.31 Streaming ACN... if that's the way things are going, it's probably time for me to get up to date! (to tell the truth I'm a sound tech originally, but here I'm being asked to implement lighting shows too so I'm trying to "do my best" :-)

I guess all of that just about answers my question then!

Thanks again to both of you.
Hope to talk again some day.

Regards,
Mark.

PS : I never ment to sugest that Richard wasn't from ETC - oh and by the way it's very very pleasant to have a company who's employees answer on the forums!! - I just meant that the only way to get to the drivers for the USB interface was from the techs at ETC.

Oh, you're just after moving light control of (eg) Martin Mac range of fixtures and the like?
- I thought it was some kind of really custom control system from your original post.

Take a look at the SmartFade ML - this is the moving-light-aware console in the SmartFade range, supporting 48 dimmers plus 24 moving light fixtures across two DMX universes.

SmartSoft includes the 'offline editor' for SmartFade ML for you to play with and see if it meets your new moving-light needs.

Indeed I did make my first post intentionally vague as I was realy asking the question on a theoretical "would like to know" kind of basis. But the dead ahead objective is pretty simple really, the difficulty being that I don't have a cent to acheive it... just a SmartFade, a few computers, some knowledge of programing, and an over technical mind :-).

I really wondered if there was a way to do this without having to buy a dongle (yes i know I could build one... I looked at that possibility first actually! But again I would have to buy components, back to the $ problem.)

Anyhow thanks a lot to both of you guys, and keep up the good work over there at ETC. Oh and I love the cake by the way Richard, makes me kind of hungry right now ;-)

Hope to talk to you again some day (perhaps when I have an ML to play with...)

Kind regards,

Mark.

Indeed I did make my first post intentionally vague as I was realy asking the question on a theoretical "would like to know" kind of basis. But the dead ahead objective is pretty simple really, the difficulty being that I don't have a cent to acheive it... just a SmartFade, a few computers, some knowledge of programing, and an over technical mind :-).

I really wondered if there was a way to do this without having to buy a dongle (yes i know I could build one... I looked at that possibility first actually! But again I would have to buy components, back to the $ problem.)

Anyhow thanks a lot to both of you guys, and keep up the good work over there at ETC. Oh and I love the cake by the way Richard, makes me kind of hungry right now ;-)

Hope to talk to you again some day (perhaps when I have an ML to play with...)

Kind regards,

Mark.