Re: [LCtalk] Stopping DMX output

[Jim Walker]

In this system, the output of the lighting console (ETC SmartFade ML) is 
coming into the LanBox LCX.  The incoming DMX data is being sent to a 
separate layer in the LanBox, and I'm using an "independent" DMX output 
channel on the console to enable or disable the DMX input.  So, if I 
want the show control system to call lighting presets, I can turn off 
the input from the console.  I could also turn off the console itself, 
but the extra security ensures that the lights don't come on 
unexpectedly (this is part of a control system for a digital cinema) if 
someone needs to use the lighting console for editing.

The output of the LanBox is going to a DMX input plate provided by the 
house lighting contractor and into the DMX input of a Lutron Grafik Eye 
4000.  As you probably know, this is not a particularly fancy 
architectural controller, but we did not have a say in that aspect of 
the system.

The wall stations for the architectural system operate over their own 
cabling, with a non-DMX protocol.  So, there is only DMX-in into the 
system, no output to combine using the LanBox.

There are a couple of different ways to handle the coordination between 
the wall stations and the DMX input, but the one we typically use is to 
have the wall stations inactive if there is DMX present.  We install a 
large number of lighting systems in churches, so this works fine:  If 
someone just needs to turn on the house lights they can do so, as long 
as the console is off.  For more-advanced (i.e. Sunday morning) use, the 
console is on and the stations are locked out.

I may have to figure out another way to tell the architectural system 
when to respond to the wall stations...

--
Jim Walker

MediaMerge, Inc.
t. 205.678.0588 x29
f. 205.678.0589