DMX Occupancy Sensor

John Noah

Member
Is there such a thing? I'm looking to control a few high bay lights that now work with DMX. I have a 8 input DMX merger and would like a device that can send DMX signal when someone enters the room to send value to turn on lights and turn off when it senses nobody. We sometimes have randoms or cleaning crew that enter the space and need to do things.
 
I'm not aware of any occupancy sensors that directly send out DMX.

What is your existing control system? Many occupancy sensors can work as a contact closure, if your current system can take in a contact closure that would be the easiest solution.

Otherwise you may have to add a small system to achieve the same solution. ETC Echo is one example that can do this, but you will need several parts. Echo Occupancy sensor, Echo DMX interface, and the power supply.
 
Is there such a thing? I'm looking to control a few high bay lights that now work with DMX. I have a 8 input DMX merger and would like a device that can send DMX signal when someone enters the room to send value to turn on lights and turn off when it senses nobody. We sometimes have randoms or cleaning crew that enter the space and need to do things.
Calling @jfleenor
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard
 
the 0-10v are actually being used to dim the lights from DMX to Analog currently using a nitty interface. I am not sure of how I can maintain dmx control and occupancy control using the same contact closure. I think that ETC route sounds interesting. My idea is since I already have the dmx merger with 5 available inputs left, (one for board, one for house light operation near board, one for wall switch) when no signal is present the occupancy controls take over. The ETC seems like it has a few more steps than I needed, but that may actually work out to my favor. So I'd be looking at the ETC sensor, a dmx programmer, and 2 or 1 of their power supply?
 
We (Touché Controls) are almost there with our Room Manger systems, which will be cost effective architectural controls with DMX.


Right now, to get DMX integration like that, I'd have to sell you a lot of pieces (the DMX interface, a sensor, a local interface module, and a master), and I'm pretty sure would be way out of your budget for this.
 
the 0-10v are actually being used to dim the lights from DMX to Analog currently using a nitty interface. I am not sure of how I can maintain dmx control and occupancy control using the same contact closure. I think that ETC route sounds interesting. My idea is since I already have the dmx merger with 5 available inputs left, (one for board, one for house light operation near board, one for wall switch) when no signal is present the occupancy controls take over. The ETC seems like it has a few more steps than I needed, but that may actually work out to my favor. So I'd be looking at the ETC sensor, a dmx programmer, and 2 or 1 of their power supply?

A few pieces of equipment
ETC Echo DMX Scene controller
The occupancy sensor
and a power supply

the exact part numbers depend on your space and how you are installing them. ETC also had small DIN rail boxes. If you want to get even fancier there are button stations that go with the system. Button to turn lights on, lights turn off automatically. You will need an echo access interface for some more advanced programming, but your local ETC dealer should be able to provide a programming tech that can add one temporarily if needed.
 
The Doug Fleenor "Alarm Interface" sends a stored dmx scene upon contact closure. It also allows DMX pass-through when not triggered so you can use it without a merge box (if you only had 1 dmx source in your system). However that's a moot point with your multi-input merge.

It can be repurposed for this use with an appropriate contact closure occupancy sensor (or even a standard 120v one from Home Depot if you have it firing a relay instead of a lightbulb)

Now I'm trying to wrap my head around a foolproof way to make the sensor NOT work during a show. Because if you put a manual "disable" switch somewhere it will be forgotten either in the off or on position and either way could cause issues at the wrong times!
 
The Doug Fleenor "Alarm Interface" sends a stored dmx scene upon contact closure. It also allows DMX pass-through when not triggered so you can use it without a merge box (if you only had 1 dmx source in your system). However that's a moot point with your multi-input merge.

It can be repurposed for this use with an appropriate contact closure occupancy sensor (or even a standard 120v one from Home Depot if you have it firing a relay instead of a lightbulb)

Now I'm trying to wrap my head around a foolproof way to make the sensor NOT work during a show. Because if you put a manual "disable" switch somewhere it will be forgotten either in the off or on position and either way could cause issues at the wrong times!
@Craig Hauber A non-dim controlled by the board could be commanded on at all times the board's in use. The non-dim could operate a relay to disable the occupancy sensor.
Think POSITIVE.
Test NEGATIVE.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard
 
I have used the cheap DMX LED dimmer boards as a way to sense when the lighting desk is on - the dimmer boards have an LED which is lit solid to indicate power, but flashes to indicate DMX is present. It's easy enough to detect whether the LED is flashing or permanently on/off. If you detect it flashing, you disable the motion sensor.
 
@Craig Hauber A non-dim controlled by the board could be commanded on at all times the board's in use. The non-dim could operate a relay to disable the occupancy sensor.
Think POSITIVE.
Test NEGATIVE.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard
One theater I work with never powers down their board. I always suggest otherwise -more so fans don't plug with dust from being run constantly (like when they are building sets and dust is flying everywhere).
Not to mention guest LD's always wiping it and loading their own setups.

So harness the blinking DMX light idea, but it's never not blinking -even when B/O if the board is left on.

I might install this occupancy sensor system in there just to force them to power down their board more often!
 
Do most arch controls / theatrical controls integration involve the console output running through the arch. controller?

Going forward, without a centralized dimming rack, I see this as the logical way of doing things, but is there any reservations from the theatrical side of things? Sort of, "I don't want a box that can fail in the middle of my DMX line!"

Just trying to get a little input before I go and design the next product.
 
I can't speak for "most" but if I were designing a theatre network today it would be sACN networking everywhere and a priority scheme that lets the console(s) take over the house and surrounding spaces from the architectural control system. There are plenty of options for converting sACN to DMX and other protocols. So, a distributed reliable backbone on all the architectural devices and no concerns about what is controlling them. It also gives you a way to change out or add architectural control devices as new technology comes along.
 
Our Vignette architectural control system has be designed to solve the issues discussed here. Some of the features it has:
  • Contact Closure inputs for Occ sensors (see attached wiring diagram)
  • Protocol conversion
  • Supports four universes per playback (each gateway has four playbacks)
  • sACN priority changes on the fly (by time of day, button, contact closure)
  • sACN triggers
  • Console Take Control/Priority Override
    • mutes wall stations
    • configurable crossfades on source change
  • Stage Manager's HOUSE OPEN button
  • PoE and/or Daisy-Chain 485 over Cat5
  • Timeclock
  • wall stations from 1 to 6 gangs wide configurable with any of
    • 2-button
    • 4-button
    • single slider
    • dual slider
    • triple slider
    • white or black
  • massively scalable
See video playlist here.
 

Attachments

  • Vignette Sensor Wiring.pdf
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Coming at it from the other direction... The NET-X II from Chauvet Pro will take cold contact closures (Switches or occupancy sensors) and assign them to DMX snapshots (or even sequences).
So you could (for instance) assign your architectural fixtures to their own DMX universe, and have the NET-X fire cues that only they will react to when triggered by an occupancy sensor, or even a regular wall switch.
 
Design philosophy varies. Strand promotes independent house and stage systems, and that was the only option for a long, long time. ETC Unison line was named for unifying them. Technology to choose your method has become normal, as Ford and Bob show.

For me it depends on the use of the space, but they all seem to be multipurpose.
 

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