superuser2
Member
Hi CB,
I'm hoping to use EOS software on my Mac in place of an aging console in our auditorium. Unfortunately, I had misidentified the lighting network as ETCNet3 on the basis of a device in the dimmer room advertising itself as a Net3 ACN gateway. Upon further investigation, it's running ETCNet2 firmware, and all our "nodes" are Net2 2-port gateways. Dimmers are Sensor+ with CEM+ control modules. Attempts to investigate their configuration were stymied by an IE6-only web interface - I don't believe there is a way of running IE6 anymore, aside from having a computer that was never upgraded, which I don't.
However, from the front panel, I have determined that they receive EDMX (Net2) input, as well as DMX. The DMX input is in "error" state unless the board in the booth is turned on and plugged into the DMX wall outlet, which leads me to conclude that it is a straight-through DMX cable between the booth and the dimmer rack.
When the board is instead connected to the lighting network via a Net2 Node, the CEM+ indicates that its DMX inputs are down but EDMX (Net2) stays online. This leads me to conclude that the Sensor+ rack sits on the Net2 network and speaks Net2 natively to the Net2 nodes.
It is something of a puzzler, then, what the Net3 ACN gateway is doing there. We think it might have something to do with the Unison house light/relay system. However, one of its DMX outputs is definitely running through conduit to the dimmer rack. So we're not sure what that's doing there. I'll see if I can find system documentation.
We could also obviate the need for additional hardware by flashing one of our Net2 nodes with Pathport firmware and configuring it to do sACN->DMX translation, then connecting it via DMX to an unmodified Net2 node, effectively using it in place of a USB DMX adapter.
However, in both of these cases, somewhere in the room there is a really stupid assembly of Computer->Magic Box->DMX Cable->Magic Box->Ethernet. Is there some way I can configure my devices so that it all just happens in software?
I'm hoping to use EOS software on my Mac in place of an aging console in our auditorium. Unfortunately, I had misidentified the lighting network as ETCNet3 on the basis of a device in the dimmer room advertising itself as a Net3 ACN gateway. Upon further investigation, it's running ETCNet2 firmware, and all our "nodes" are Net2 2-port gateways. Dimmers are Sensor+ with CEM+ control modules. Attempts to investigate their configuration were stymied by an IE6-only web interface - I don't believe there is a way of running IE6 anymore, aside from having a computer that was never upgraded, which I don't.
However, from the front panel, I have determined that they receive EDMX (Net2) input, as well as DMX. The DMX input is in "error" state unless the board in the booth is turned on and plugged into the DMX wall outlet, which leads me to conclude that it is a straight-through DMX cable between the booth and the dimmer rack.
When the board is instead connected to the lighting network via a Net2 Node, the CEM+ indicates that its DMX inputs are down but EDMX (Net2) stays online. This leads me to conclude that the Sensor+ rack sits on the Net2 network and speaks Net2 natively to the Net2 nodes.
It is something of a puzzler, then, what the Net3 ACN gateway is doing there. We think it might have something to do with the Unison house light/relay system. However, one of its DMX outputs is definitely running through conduit to the dimmer rack. So we're not sure what that's doing there. I'll see if I can find system documentation.
- It appears that if I brought the CEM+ units and the ACN gateway to latest firmware, they would speak Net3. Then EOS software (with the Nomad dongle, which we have) would be able to talk to them. Is that accurate?
- I have heard elsewhere on the forum that Net2 2-port nodes (of which I have 4 and only need 1) can be flashed with Pathport firmware so that they speak Net3. This would mean we wouldn't have to buy new Net3 nodes in order to continue using the console from outside the booth. It looks like Pathways isn't allowed to support or endorse this but multiple people say it's possible. I would do it by uploading Pathport firmware through ETC Network Configuration Editor.
We could also obviate the need for additional hardware by flashing one of our Net2 nodes with Pathport firmware and configuring it to do sACN->DMX translation, then connecting it via DMX to an unmodified Net2 node, effectively using it in place of a USB DMX adapter.
However, in both of these cases, somewhere in the room there is a really stupid assembly of Computer->Magic Box->DMX Cable->Magic Box->Ethernet. Is there some way I can configure my devices so that it all just happens in software?