Artistic Licence upgrades ethernet gateways
- Details
Says the company, “As the inventors of Art-Net, we always strive to ensure our Art-Net conversion products are the best on the market. This is never more so than with our latest firmware release, now shipping on all new product sales of artLynx quad/RJ45 (4-Universes, DIN rail), dataLynx II (12-Universes, rack-mount) and netLynx quad (4-universes desk/table-top). We have also just launched a 4-universe PCBA module, oemGate quad, for manufacturers wishing to incorporate the technology into their own products.”
Already loaded with features such as electrically protected outputs and support for the latest protocols (including RDMnet LLRP), these products have taken on a new dimension with the addition of DMX input support.
“The gateways previously served to convert Art-Net or sACN into DMX/RDM. This is a very common scenario where lighting data is routed via network protocols (Art-Net or sACN), then turned into DMX control for moving lights etc. However, if a data port on the gateway can not only output DMX, but receive it as well, a wealth of new functionality is opened up.”
Not all lighting desks and controllers generate Art-Net or sACN directly - there are many systems that output DMX only. For example, a theatre might have a main, ethernet enabled console at one end of the building and a DMX desk located elsewhere to cater for different seating and stage configurations. Having a single gateway that can 'talk' directly to the console, the dimmers and the lights and process the data in whatever way is needed - be that conversion, routing, merging or splitting - gives huge flexibility to the venue's configuration options, not to mention the time and cost saving associated with a single, multi-purpose piece of kit.
(Jim Evans)
