Operating moving lights on a Strand LAN using an Ion?

[jerekb]

Having a problem that has been going on for a long time now. We have a Strand system with an ETC Ion board. The moving lights will not receive a DMX signal unless we plug them directly in to the board through DMX. The theatre is set up so that the Intelligent lights use DMX to a Strand network Node to Cat5 then on to the network. It will not receive a signal from the board through the network node but works great through a direct DMX512 directly into the board. The DMX is not an option as there are no DMX ports on the cats.
ETC ION< CAT5>Wall pocket LAN>CAT 5 power supply>COM 3>CAT 5>Strand network Node>DMX512>High End Studio Spot 250.
The board uses also uses a DMX512 out to the dimmers for the standard lights. Do i need to select something in the board or is it most likley a network issue. (Please say board... LAN is built in to building Please help I called strand, ETC, and High End and none of them have found a solution.

[highschooltech]

If strand works anyway like etc you need to buy the input node and go from the dmx outputs on the ion into the input node. There is no way to go direct with the cat 5 cable because the manufacterors do not make compatible protocols. I'm assuming this pretty much what you have in the way of DMX nodes: http://www.strandlighting.com/index....egory=Controls.

[icewolf08]

You won't find a solution by calling any of the manufacturers, this one was just never meant to be (sorry). This is a situation of similarity to trying to plug a Mac formatted hard drive into a Windoze PC. Ion speaks ETCNet3 and Strand speaks ShowNet. Both are TCP/IP protocols but they are not the same language. An ETC console CANNOT speak directly to a Strand network node, and a Strand console CANNOT speak to an ETC Network node.

So, highschooltech is correct, if you want to continue to use the Strand node, you will need a second Strand node that is configured to take DMX in and send it down the Cat5 as ShowNet data to the other node. Otherwise, just pick up an ETC DMX node like this. Using a true ETC node or gateway will open up worlds of functionality and configurations that will make life very easy for you. A properly configured node can output any universe on any port. Also nodes come in all sorts of flavors and configurations, you can get rack-mount or portable, different numbers of ports, and all kinds of other cool things. Talk to your local ETC rep or dealer and find out which is right for you!

[Sony]

Like icewolf08 said...it's just not possible. The ETC ION uses ETCNet3 and Strand uses ShowNet. While they are both similar in regards to the fact that they are both protocols meant to send DMX Information over TCP/IP and Ethernet. That's where the similarity ends...they both use a different command, instruction and packet structure and therefore are not directly translatable. You ether need to buy an ETC DMX Output Node or get a Strand ShowNet DMX Input Node. Ether way you're looking at spending a fairly large amount of money, probably around $500 or more. The easiest and cheapest solution would most likely be to just get a really long 5-pin DMX Cable and run it to wherever it needs to go.

Most likely you're gonna need one of these

http://www.etcconnect.com/product.ov....aspx?ID=20369

[TimMiller]

so how are your dimmers working off of your ion?

[Sony]

Originally Posted by TimMiller

so how are your dimmers working off of your ion?

From what I can make out, his dimmers are plugged directly into DMX. Only his FOH and Electrics are on the ShowNet system.

[TimMiller]

The ION does not have any DMX outs. It only has eithernet.

[jmabray]

Originally Posted by TimMiller

The ION does not have any DMX outs. It only has eithernet.

Absolutely untrue. It has two DMX out ports on it.

Check out the last page of this.

The EOS is the console that only has Ethernet outputs.

With version 1.4.2 Ion has the capability for ArtNet output over the ethernet port (as well as other protocols). Unfortunately Shownet is not one of them. You might look to see if Shownet can take an ArtNet signal. If it can, then this will work, otherwise, you will need to use the straight DMX jacks.

[tomed101]

Originally Posted by TimMiller

The ION does not have any DMX outs. It only has eithernet.

Ummm... no... It has 2 DMX outputs directly on the back

[Footer]

There is a way to do it, and its pretty easy and cheap to do. Think of it like this, you have Shownet and ETCnet3 (which is just ACN from what I can recall) existing on the same network. They are both traveling the same pipe but they can not talk to each other. You need a 3rd box that will let them talk, and this box does exist. It runs on a PC and all you need to do is hook ethernet up to it and you are set. It runs on top of linux and is rock solid. For the life of me I can't remember where to get the software. I know its open source out there, so I will find it and repost it.



Now, if strand would just release and upgrade to the SN110 nodes like they said they would to run on ACN, this would not be a problem. I am hoping that day happens, and happens soon, but I doubt it will.