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    lightingismylife
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Sensor dimmers

Hello,

I am going to do be doing the lighting at a theatre that has Sensor lighting dimmers. They also use a Express 48/96 console.

I want to use my BlueLite X1 software/hardware to program the lights but for some unknown reason the Bluelite will not talk to the Sensor dimmers. I had this problem last year when wanting to use my Lanbox computer lighting hardware/software and never was able to make it work and gave up. I'm guessing there is some setting that is wrong in the Sensor dimmers CEM so they are not seeing the DMX signal from the BlueLite. So not sure if its a patch issue, I think its patched to universe 1 and it has a 1 to 1 patch. So I have no ideas. My BlueLite does work at our smaller theatre with different dimmers.

Anyone on here know if there is some kind of basic DMX setting that can be turned on? or if needed to turn off EDMX if it is on.

One other thing, the lights are set up on some kind of touch pad system so you can turn the house lights on while back stage or turn on stage lights while working on the stage (no work lights). Maybe it is doing something strange.

Please offer step by step information on things to check. The building is owned by the city so they know nothing about the stage lighting and the company that was managing the place does not know anything about the lighting hardware.

Thanks for your help.

David

  • Original Sensor or Sensor+?

    Do the dimmers perform as expected with the Express? 

    Is the Express sending DMX or ETCnet?

    The touchpad of which you speak is a Unison architectural lighting control station.

     

  • in reply to derekleffew

    "Is the Express sending DMX or ETCnet?"

    Express can only send Net1 and no Sensor CEM or CEM+ uses Net1 (AFAIK), so the Express is probably sending DMX to the dimmers.  Thus there is no EDMX present at the racks, UNLESS there's an Emphasis server in the system.

    I would guess that the flavor of DMX that the BlueLite or Lanbox is sending is a slightly slower or faster version of DMX - there's a LOT of variations in DMX, BTW.  Can you adjust the speed of the sending console ?.  Do you have a DMX tester BTW ?, useful in this type of circumstance to find out if the visiting console is sending a valid DMX signal.

    The touch pads you refer to sound like a Unison system as Derek posted, and "usually" a Unison system is essentially just another DMX console system, in parallel with the Express.  Unison is probably configured to control specific DMX addresses - such as house lights, work lights, etc... and not the stage lighting dimmers, while Express (or any other console) can usually control the addresses that Unison operates.  Thus I doubt that it's a Unison conflict, but who knows and more system info is needed.

    - How are you attempting to connect your BlueLite to the system ?, via the DMX cable that usually is on the Express ?.

    - Is there an Emphasis server and is the system on Net2 with EDMX ?.

    - What Sensor dimmers ?, old or CEM+ ?.

    - Is there a 3rd console (or DMX tester) you have that can send a DMX signal to the racks ?.

    Steve B.

     

     

  • in reply to derekleffew

    I belive its the original Sensor.

    Yes the dimmers work fine while using the Express

    I'm pretty sure the Express is sending DMX. Last year I used a splitter so I could run my I-beams that they worked fine while using the Express.

    Thanks for the touchpad info.

  • in reply to lightingismylife

    Is the Express sending DMX or ETCnet?"

    Express can only send Net1 and no Sensor CEM or CEM+ uses Net1 (AFAIK), so the Express is probably sending DMX to the dimmers.  Thus there is no EDMX present at the racks, UNLESS there's an Emphasis server in the system.

    I would guess that the flavor of DMX that the BlueLite or Lanbox is sending is a slightly slower or faster version of DMX - there's a LOT of variations in DMX, BTW.  Can you adjust the speed of the sending console ?.  Do you have a DMX tester BTW ?, useful in this type of circumstance to find out if the visiting console is sending a valid DMX signal.

    The touch pads you refer to sound like a Unison system as Derek posted, and "usually" a Unison system is essentially just another DMX console system, in parallel with the Express.  Unison is probably configured to control specific DMX addresses - such as house lights, work lights, etc... and not the stage lighting dimmers, while Express (or any other console) can usually control the addresses that Unison operates.  Thus I doubt that it's a Unison conflict, but who knows and more system info is needed.

    You are right regarding the Unison on how it is configured. But I think it is using the same dimmers as the stage and house lights

    - How are you attempting to connect your BlueLite to the system ?, via the DMX cable that usually is on the Express ?.

    I unplug the DMX cable from the Express and plug it into the BlueLite using a 5 pin to a 3 pin adapter. (I know the adapter is good as I use it over at our reg. theatre.

    - Is there an Emphasis server and is the system on Net2 with EDMX ?.

    Do not belive there is a Emphasis server, Not sure about Net2 or EDMX.

    - What Sensor dimmers ?, old or CEM+ ?.

    Old model Sensor

    - Is there a 3rd console (or DMX tester) you have that can send a DMX signal to the racks ?.

    I have a 24 channel ETC brand older console I can try. (Will try that Friday when I can get back in there.) I wish I had a DMX tester but they cost big $$$$.

     

  • in reply to lightingismylife

    Check the pinout of your adapter and USB device.

    Many DMX devices with 3-pin connectors have DMX + and DMX - swapped over compared to the DMX standard for 5-pin XLRs.
    - I haven't been able to check if this is the case with a BlueLite X1 Mini USB>DMX unit.

    The standard (as used by Express) is:

    Pin 1 - "Shield"
    Pin 2 - "DMX -"
    Pin 3 - "DMX +"
    Pins 4 & 5 - Not Connected

    So you may need to swap over pins 2 and 3 in the 3 to 5-pin adapter for it to work.

  • in reply to Richard

    Hello Richard,

    I'm pretty sure the + and - are the proper way because the BlueLite will activate my dimmers at our main theatre which uses the proper DMX. The BlueLite just won't at the rental place.

    I did hear that the older sensor units need to see all 512 channels and the BlueLite only sends 32 DMX channels at a time unless you have more channels then the DMX is sent in groups of 32 till you get to 512. The BlueLite folks said to try and put a dimmer out there on channel 512, That way the BlueLite would send all 512 channels.

    I tried this and it did not help. I went up to the Sensor rack and check the status and it said no data.

    I have a LED DMX tester and I noticed when I check the signal out of the Express that you can see the LED blink like you should. Now hooking the tester to the BlueLite you can hardly see the LED flash I'm thinking the signal is so fast that you can hardly see the LED blink. I wonder if the DMX speed is to fast for the old sensor dimmers.

    I have a small program the BlueLite folks made for me to try I will do that next as I did not have the file with me on the laptop computer.

    Thank for everyones help.

  • in reply to lightingismylife

    Hello,

    I did some more testing and found that the slower DMX did not make the BlueLite work with the ETC dimmers. I tried an ETC 24 channel board and that did not work. I also tried a different port located off stage that a person can plug a controller into. I unpluged the ETC board in the booth and plugged in the BlueLite controller on stage. Still no DMX getting to dimmers.

    I'm guessing it might have something to do with the Unison system that is hooked up to the dimmers. I found the contact information on the company that installed the system back in 99 so maybe they can help.

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