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    brinkkl2000
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Found an ETC Net2 DMX Node, what is it?

I was looking through some floor pockets at church last week and found a DMX Node is one of them. It was unplugged but the cat5 cables were lying there, so I plugged it in and it came on and said Universe 3 on it. I finally figured out where that Universe was! I knew we had it, but no one could tell me where it was and even if I had found it, it wouldn't work due to excessive signal loss. Well on the screen, of the node, I believe it said Universe unavailable. I decided to plug a fixture in anyway, and it did in fact work. What exactly is the function of the node, why not just connect directly to the board? I have a read few pages on it, but doesn't really make a whole lot of sense. Why would it say U3 unavailable when it did in fact work. We run an ION board. The node has 2 outputs and was about the size of a double gang elec outlet, not the big rack mount units.

  • The Net2 DMX Nodes are the predecessors to the current Net3 generation of gateways.
    The Nodes are useful as they give us more physical outputs, and these outputs are programmable. As with the DMX outputs on the board, the Nodes are an addition to them.

    It is usually cheaper to run Ethernet around a building and use the nodes versus, running DMX from board to a DMX Splitter and then from the DMX Splitter to each location a DMX drop needs to be. And as DMX is limited to 512 addresses per universe, If you need more addresses than the 2 ports on the back of your console, the Net2 Nodes or Net3 Gateways need to be used to expand DMX control.

    Some documentation of Net2 Equipment: (you will want to look for the Two Port Node items)
    www.etcconnect.com/.../Other-Documentation.aspx

    I'm not sure why it would say Universe unavailable. Kirk will probably come along soon and can give more information or as always give your nearest ETC office a call.
    www.etcconnect.com/.../Contact-Us.aspx

    Joe
  • in reply to Joe Berman
    when you say you plugged a fixture in and "it worked", what did the fixture do? did it move to a home position (if a moving light), did it move to some position (if a moving light), did it turn on, did you get colors?
  • in reply to ueliriegg
    I believe it was a blizzard toughstick. Just a non moving led. I patched it in and could control intensity and color. That would be all I would use that universe for until I could confirm that the signal is strong and consistent.
  • If you didn't have anything patched to Universe 3 before, then the desk wouldn't be transmitting any Universe 3 network packets, and therefore the node wouldn't be receiving any, and therefore says 'unavailable'.
    I suspect then when you patched something to that universe that it stopped saying 'unavailable'.
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