Introduction #
Introduction :
Thank you for purchasing an Electroconcept product.
Please read carefully the following guide before using DMX / Art-Net V3 4 Universes In 4 Universes Out Merger Node.
Responsibility:
Electroconcept can’t be held responsible for any damage caused by a misuse of any kind such as loss of utilizing, consumable destruction (tapes, CDs, LED Strips, etc.) or any other financial loss due to an unappropriate use of our products or any impossibility to use them; so as any wiring mistake during the installation.
Guarantee:
Electroconcept products benefit from a two years manufacturer guarantee (electronic components only, except consumable ones e.g plastic components). The product must be returned to Electroconcept postage paid and in its original package. If not, the package will be refused and returned to sender. Electroconcept company is in charge of the product restitution.
Are excluded of the guarantee benefits the followings : any damage caused by carelessness, mistake, lack of maintenance by the user (broken, burned, heated, soaked, silted up, etc.); wrong installation or misuse by the user.
All our products are tested before sending to buyers. Modifications of any kind are at your own risk and out of guarantee benefits.
Technical Specifications #
- Power supply: 230 V AC
- Power consumption: 10 W
- Dimensions: 204 mm x 128 mm x 48 mm
- Art-Net Input / Output: RJ 45
- Physical DMX Input: 4 (2 XLR 3 pin, 2 green plugs)
- Physical DMX Output: 4 (1 XLR 3 pin, 3 green plugs)
- USB : Micro SD card direct access
- Micro SD port : configuration file
Connectors #
Front side :
2 DMX XLR3 pin Inputs : DMX IN 1 and DMX IN 2.
1 DMX XLR3 pin Output : DMX OUT 1
On the front side, DMX / Art-Net V3 4 Universes In 4 Universes Out Merger Node settings are accessible thanks to its screen and its navigation wheel.
Back side :
1 230 V AC power connector
1 USB port to reach Micro SD in « Mass Storage ». (low speed connectivity)
1 RJ 45 Ethernet port for Art-net connexion
1 Micro SD connector to save and load the configuration file
2 DMX Inputs through 3 pole green plugs: DMX IN 4 and DMX IN 3
3 DMX Outputs through 3 pole green plugs: DMX OUT 4 , DMX OUT 3 and DMX OUT 2
Connectors pinout #
Green male plugs can be linked to DMX connectors by respecting the following connexion drawing :
Connexion #
DMX / Art-Net V3 4 Universes In 4 Universes Out Merger Node is powered by a 230 V IEC C13 cable.
To use the Merger Node, connect it to your computer or your network with a RJ 45 cable and go to Parameters.
To use the DMX, connect your Merger Node to your DMX equipment with a suitable DMX datas cable through XLR Inputs / Outputs or DMX 3 pole green plugs.
Parameters #
This menu allows you to configure the IP address of the Node Merger to integrate it into your computer network, as well as to back up and restore configuration files.
ARTNET : Offset
Universes Offset Art-Net In broadcast mode Set up, allows to adjust Merger Node’s starting number for the first universe named ARTNET IN0.
Caution : by convention in the Art-Net standard, the first universe starts at 0. We have chosen to follow the Art-Net standard. Therefore, for all universes settings, the first universe is called 0 Input and Output.
IP :
By default, Node’s static address is 2.0.0.15. This address has to be chosen following your network configuration.
Masque IP :
By default the Merger Node sub network mask’s address is 255.0.0.0. This address has to be chosen following your network configuration.
IP DE DIFFUSION:
By default the Merger Node broadcast address is 2.255.255.255. This address has to be chosen following your network configuration. It can also be a static address.
According to the Art-Net standard, preference is given to networks like 2.x.x.x or 10.x.x.x with a subnet mask of 255.0.0.0. As a result, the Node’s broadcast address will be 2.255.255.255 or 10.255.255.255.
If you choose to connect your Node to your home network, such as 192.168.0.x with a 255.255.255.0 subnet mask, then your Node’s broadcast address will be 192.168.0.255.
ArtnetOut0 to : Out 0 universe number sent to DIFFUSION IP.
ArtnetOut1 to : Out 1 universe number sent to DIFFUSION IP.
ArtnetOut2 to : Out 2 universe number sent to DIFFUSION IP.
ArtnetOut3 to : Out 3 universe number sent to DIFFUSION IP.
Freq Fixe : YES / NO
DMX frame speed as Input, fix rate or variable rate as the frequency Input may be.
Freq Sortie :
DMX frequency as Input choice Freq fixe to YES.
Export Config :
Merger Node’s configuration export on a micro SD card in the form of a CONFIG.TXT file.
Import Config :
Merger Node’s configuration import on a micro SD card in the form of a CONFIG.TXT file.
Mode USB :
USB mode allows to read directly micro SD card’s content with a USB cable plugged in the back. In this menu, all the Merger Node’s functions are stopped.
Sauvegarde :
Configuration parameters backup in the Merger Node’s internal storage.
Retour :
Back to Merger Node’s start screen.
ROUTING #
This menu enables to create a software Patch thanks to 200 routings between the different universes as Input and as Output plus 4 additional intermediate buffers.
Routage :
Routing number in the process of being modified.
Actif :
If the box is checked, the routing in question is processed by the Merger Node.
DMX :
Routing Input table, it is these datas that are taken into account before your routing transformations. These datas can either be a physical XLR universe as Input or Output, or an Art-Net universe as Input or Output or a buffers universe.
Adresses :
By default from 000 to 512, that is the entire universe to be processed, channels can be restricted to DMX channels only to move them and / or to transform them.
Vers :
Routing Output table, once the incoming datas have been processed, these latter are sent to the universe specified by this parameter. Here again, the routing output universe can be a physical XLR output universe, an Art-Net output universe or even a buffer universe.
Adresse :
Datas starting point Output address handled by the routing in the previous universe selected (Parameter to 🙂
Type :
Type of data fusion to Output universe selected.
Three types are possible:
1/ HTP : Highest Takes Precedence, after handling, channels are compared and those with the highest value are retained. This is also the mode to choose when performing operations such as address shifting and/or interpolation to 16 bits or any other type of handling before final routing.
2/ LTP : Latest Takes Precedence, after handling, channels are compared and only the last channels that have changed values are retained. This mode is only used on handled universes final routing to compare two entire universes.
3/ Backup : this mode enable two universes to be used for redundancy or backup purposes. When the main universe fails, the backup universe is sent instead. In the case of multiple backup universes, the backup universe assigned to the highest routing is the master.
Mode :
1 to 1 : It is the classic mode. Each Input channel is the same as the Output channel.
1 to 2 : 16-Bit interpolation to transform an 8-Bit channel into 2 16-Bit channels of. MSB becomes the value of the 8-Bit Input channel and the LSB is 0.
1 to 2 : 16-bit gamma interpolation to convert an 8-bit channel into two 16-bit channels. The MSB becomes the value of the 8-bit input channel and the LSB is interpolated.
Fading :
This setting simulates older lamp-based devices, causing a delay in product response.
ROUTING EXAMPLES #
Simple routing:
During a performance, the user uses a computer to send three Art-Net universes (universes 0, 1, and 2) that he wishes to transform into physical DMX universes. He also has a console that he uses as a launcher for his scenes on an Art-Net universe at the input of his software (universe 4).
The Node Merger will therefore be used as a simple Art-Net Input/Output Node.
Example of the four active routes to be used in this scenario :
| Routing : 000 Active v DMX : ARTNET IN0 Addresses 001 to 512 To: DMX OUT1 Address 001 Type : HTP Mode : 1To1 fading : 0 | Routing : 001 Active v DMX : ARTNET IN1 Addresses 001 to 512 To : DMX OUT2 Address 001 Type : HTP Mode : 1To1 fading : 0 | Routing : 002 Active v DMX : ARTNET IN2 Addresses 001 to 512 to : DMX OUT3 Address 001 Type : HTP Mode : 1To1 fading : 0 |
| Routing : 003 Active v DMX : DMX IN1 Addresses 001 to 512 To : ARTNET OUT4 Address 001 Type : HTP Mode : 1To1 fading : 0 |
More complex routing:
During a performance, a user operates a software and an interface for his effects machine park in a first universe on the one hand, and for his architectural decoration in a second universe on the other hand. He also dedicates a small console to lighting in the second universe, on an ad hoc basis, when there are no stage effects.
The problem he faces is that his architectural decoration is created using projectors from different brands that do not all have the same fixture. He uses four colour changers in 4-channel RGBW mode and two large 16-bit RGBW blinders in 16 channels.
The Node Merger will then be used as a Merger on the user’s second universe as well as a “Patcher” for the small console.
His architectural patch is as follows:
Colour changer 1: Start address 001
Colour changer 2: Start address 005
Colour changer 3: Start address 009
Colour changer 4: Start address 013
Colour changer 5: Start address 017
Colour changer 6: Start address 021
Colour changer 7: Start address 025
Colour changer 8: Start address 029
16-Bit Blinder 1 : Start address 033
16-Bit Blinder 2 : Start address 041
Example of the 12 active routings to be used in this scenario for the architectural decoration universe patch:
| Patch of color changer 1 Routing : 000 Active v DMX : DMX IN2 (coming from the console) Addresses 001 to 004 To : TEMP BUF0 (buffer universe) Address 001 Type : HTP Mode : 1To1 fading : 0 | Patch du changeur de couleur 2 Routing : 001 Active v DMX : DMX IN2 (coming from the console) Addresses 001 to 004 To : TEMP BUF0 (buffer universe) Address 005 Type : HTP Mode : 1To1 fading : 0 | Patch du changeur de couleur 3 Routing : 002 Active v DMX : DMX IN2 (coming from the console) Addresses 001 to 004 To : TEMP BUF0 (buffer universe) Address 009 Type : HTP Mode : 1To1 fading : 0 |
| Patch of color changer 4 Routing : 003 Active v DMX : DMX IN2 (coming from the console) Addresses 001 to 004 to : TEMP BUF0 (buffer universe) Address 013 Type : HTP Mode : 1To1 fading : 0 | Patch of color changer 5 Routing : 004 Active v DMX : DMX IN2 (coming from the console) Addresses 001 to 004 To: TEMP BUF0 (buffer universe) Address 017 Type : HTP Mode : 1To1 fading : 0 | Patch of color changer 6 Routing : 005 Active v DMX : DMX IN2 (coming from the console) Addresses 001 to 004 To : TEMP BUF0 (buffer universe) Adressse 021 Type : HTP Mode : 1To1 fading : 0 |
| Patch of color changer 7 Routing : 006 Active v DMX : DMX IN2 (coming from the console) Addresses 001 to 004 To : TEMP BUF0 (buffer universe) Address 025 Type : HTP Mode : 1To1 fading : 0 | Patch of color changer 8 Routing : 007 Active v DMX : DMX IN2 (coming from the console) Adresses 001 a 004 To : TEMP BUF0 (buffer universe) Address 029 Type : HTP Mode : 1To1 fading : 0 | Patch of Binder 1 Routing : 008 Active v DMX : DMX IN2 (coming from the console) Addresses 001 to 004 To: TEMP BUF0 (buffer universe) Address 033 Type : HTP Mode : 1To2 (Interpolation 16Bits simple) fading : 0 |
| Patch of Blinder 2 Routing : 009 Active v DMX : DMX IN2 (coming from the console) Addresses 001 to 004 To : TEMP BUF0 (buffer universe) Address 041 Type : HTP Mode : 1To2 (simple 16-Bit Interpolation) fading : 0 | Final Console routing Routing : 010 Active v DMX : TEMP BUF0 (buffer universe) Addresses 001 to 004 To: DMX OUT1 Address 001 Type : LTP Mode : 1To1 fading : 0 | Final interface routing Routing : 011 Active v DMX : DMX IN1 (coming from the console) Addresses 001 to 512 To : DMX OUT1 Address 001 Type : LTP Mode : 1To1 fading : 0 |
