ETC Ion as Ethernet DMX

[greatpopcorn]

I know this sounds a little strange and unnecessary, but here goes....

Our theatre has an external group coming in that uses their own computer to run lights. All of their cues are stored on there, and they are set up to transmit using DMX over Ethernet.

The only problem with that whole idea is that our whole system is wired with traditional DMX, and our budget is just so unreasonably low to be that we cannot purchase a USB DMX dongle for this event. Is there a way to use an ETC ION as a Net3 gateway and transmit down our DMX lines that way?

 

[SteveB]

Short answer, no. The Ion cannot function as a gateway in the way you describe and need, sorry.

Lots of questions though, starting with why the visiting company is using a control system that requires somebody's flavor of DMX over E-Net to function. I would think they would want a DMX adapter in their control head, being that there are many types of E-net/DMX protocols - sACN, ArtNet, GrandMA, etc..... That they might encounter.

Seems odd and I'd be double checking that this is truly the case and that they have no method of generating DMX.

One solution is to rent an ETC gateway that would allow you to receive their Ethernet signal, which would hopefully be sACN and then generate DMX for your system.

Another option is to ascertain if their control system can generate a USITT ASCII cue file that you can dump into the house Ion.

 

[RickR]

A little known feature of the ETC Unison Paradigm is that it can be a gateway. If you have it, and it's configured that way. . .

 

[CraigV]

DMX King has a $150 gateway. http://dmxking.com/artnetsacn/edmx1

Depending on what they're using, Enttec usually has cheap (starting at $60), working devices. They aren't compatible with Nomad, but I know they work with other programs.

 

[techieman33]

I would tell them that there was nothing in house to do that with. And that they could either provide their own artnet to dmx box or they could pay the costs associated with you renting one for the show. No house should be expected to provide anything other than straight dmx into their system. With all of the different protocols, software, and dongles out there it would be impossible for a house to keep several different dongles around just in case someone wanted to use one.

 

[robartsd]

Lots of questions though, starting with why the visiting company is using a control system that requires somebody's flavor of DMX over E-Net to function.

Possibly because they had a computer readily availible and are using free or cheap software to output using the computer's ethernet port. With more and more theaters using some flavor of network control and many software solutions supporting most (if not all) of them, this solution could be resonably feasable. Still, I'd expect the visiting company to pay for the DMX interface if it is needed.