How Computer Controlled Animated Lighting Works - Revision history

Dirknerkle: /* Overview */

2018-12-12T16:31:36Z

Overview

Dirknerkle: /* How do I decide whether to use RS-232, RS-485 or Ethernet? */

2018-12-12T16:30:50Z

How do I decide whether to use RS-232, RS-485 or Ethernet?

Dirknerkle: /* How do I decide whether to use RS-232, RS-485 or Ethernet? */

2018-12-12T16:30:03Z

How do I decide whether to use RS-232, RS-485 or Ethernet?

Dirknerkle: /* How do I decide whether to use RS-232, RS-485 or Ethernet? */

2018-12-12T16:29:29Z

How do I decide whether to use RS-232, RS-485 or Ethernet?

Dirknerkle: /* How does the computer control the lights? */

2018-12-12T16:22:40Z

How does the computer control the lights?

Dirknerkle: /* How does the computer control the lights? */

2017-07-11T11:53:35Z

How does the computer control the lights?

Dirknerkle: /* 8 - What are these SSR things I read about? */

2017-06-27T16:46:32Z

8 - What are these SSR things I read about?

Dirknerkle: /* 7 - How do the viewers hear my music? */

2017-06-27T16:46:21Z

7 - How do the viewers hear my music?

Dirknerkle: /* 6 - How do I decide whether to use RS-232, RS-485 or Ethernet? */

2017-06-27T16:46:11Z

6 - How do I decide whether to use RS-232, RS-485 or Ethernet?

Dirknerkle: /* 5 - How does the computer connect to the controllers? */

2017-06-27T16:46:01Z

5 - How does the computer connect to the controllers?

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:31, 12 December 2018
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	== Overview ==		== Overview ==
−	~~So in~~ a nutshell, the computer plays a "sequence" that you created, it sends control signals out a wire to the controllers, the controllers decode the signals and turn on/off the appropriate lights, and all the while your viewers are listening to the music you've chosen and watching your lights dance with looks of wonder and amazement. And that's how computer animated lighting works.	+	In a nutshell, the computer plays a "sequence" that you created, it sends control signals out a wire to the controllers, the controllers decode the signals and turn on/off the appropriate lights, and all the while your viewers are listening to the music you've chosen and watching your lights dance with looks of wonder and amazement. And that's how computer animated lighting works.

@@ Line 24: / Line 24: @@
 :This is determined by the kind of lights and controller(s) you select and the protocol method you choose for your computer to control them. The software has settings that you simply choose and those settings are saved automatically along with the sequences you design. Then when you assemble your controllers, you'll load the proper settings into them to match. If you later decide to change your computer's settings, you just change the controller settings to match. It's easy to do. The "protocol" is the "language" that the computer and controllers use to talk to one another, and it's vitally important that everything be using the same protocol or you'll encounter communication problems. For example, if you had 5 people in a room and each spoke a different language, it would be difficult for them to understand one another. So they all must speak the same language (i.e. "protocol") for communication to work.
-:One important thing for beginners to understand is that in the DIY world, various kinds of connectors can be used for many different things. For example, the "network jack" on the back of your computer is designed to be connected only to network-type devices such as switches and routers. In the DIY world, for convenience and to reduce cost, the same kinds of jacks, plugs and wires may be used for other things such as serial communication or voltage connections to external light control devices. '''As such, just because a jack or plug "looks" like a network connector and the same cable types will plug into them, BE CAREFUL because they may not be for a network at all and connecting two devices of the wrong type can damage one or both units!'''
+:One '''extremely important''' thing for beginners to understand is that in the DIY world, various kinds of connectors can be used for many different things. For example, the "network jack" on the back of your computer is designed to be connected only to network-type devices such as switches and routers. In the DIY world, for convenience and to reduce cost, the same kinds of jacks, plugs and wires may be used for other things such as serial communication or voltage connections to external light control devices. '''As such, just because a jack or plug "looks" like a network connector and the same cable types will plug into them, BE CAREFUL because they may not be for a network at all and connecting two devices of the wrong type can damage one or both units!'''
 == '''How do the viewers hear my music?''' ==

@@ Line 24: / Line 24: @@
 :This is determined by the kind of lights and controller(s) you select and the protocol method you choose for your computer to control them. The software has settings that you simply choose and those settings are saved automatically along with the sequences you design. Then when you assemble your controllers, you'll load the proper settings into them to match. If you later decide to change your computer's settings, you just change the controller settings to match. It's easy to do. The "protocol" is the "language" that the computer and controllers use to talk to one another, and it's vitally important that everything be using the same protocol or you'll encounter communication problems. For example, if you had 5 people in a room and each spoke a different language, it would be difficult for them to understand one another. So they all must speak the same language (i.e. "protocol") for communication to work.
-:One important thing for beginners to understand is that in the DIY world, various kinds of connectors can be used for many different things. For example, the "network jack" on the back of your computer is designed to be connected only to network-type devices such as switches and routers. In the DIY world, for convenience and to reduce cost, the same kinds of jacks, plugs and wires may be used for other things such as serial communication or voltage connections to external light control devices. '''As such, just because a jack or plug "looks" like a network connector and the same cable types will plug into them, BE CAREFUL because they may not be and connecting two devices of the wrong type can damage one or both units!'''
+:One important thing for beginners to understand is that in the DIY world, various kinds of connectors can be used for many different things. For example, the "network jack" on the back of your computer is designed to be connected only to network-type devices such as switches and routers. In the DIY world, for convenience and to reduce cost, the same kinds of jacks, plugs and wires may be used for other things such as serial communication or voltage connections to external light control devices. '''As such, just because a jack or plug "looks" like a network connector and the same cable types will plug into them, BE CAREFUL because they may not be for a network at all and connecting two devices of the wrong type can damage one or both units!'''
 == '''How do the viewers hear my music?''' ==

@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 == '''How do I decide whether to use RS-232, RS-485 or Ethernet?''' ==
 :This is determined by the kind of lights and controller(s) you select and the protocol method you choose for your computer to control them. The software has settings that you simply choose and those settings are saved automatically along with the sequences you design. Then when you assemble your controllers, you'll load the proper settings into them to match. If you later decide to change your computer's settings, you just change the controller settings to match. It's easy to do. The "protocol" is the "language" that the computer and controllers use to talk to one another, and it's vitally important that everything be using the same protocol or you'll encounter communication problems. For example, if you had 5 people in a room and each spoke a different language, it would be difficult for them to understand one another. So they all must speak the same language (i.e. "protocol") for communication to work.
 == '''How do the viewers hear my music?''' ==

@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 [[File:1-all-in-one.png | center|600px]]
-:Often you can interconnect multiple smaller controllers together to control even more channels. The process of interconnecting controllers is called "daisy-chaining."
+:Often you can interconnect multiple smaller controllers together to control even more channels. In a way, it's like plugging one extension cord into another, and another, etc. The process of interconnecting controllers is called "daisy-chaining."
 [[File:2-daisy chain.png | center|600px]]

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 == '''How does the computer control the lights?''' ==
-:When you "play" your sequence (your show program) on your computer, the software causes your computer to send out special signals to other electronic devices that you build that are out in the yard. These devices are called "controllers" and the lights are connected to the controllers. Some controllers can handle only 8 or fewer "channels" of lights while others can handle many thousands of channels. The lights are plugged into the controllers and the controllers are plugged into electrical power. When the controller gets a control signal from the computer to turn on a certain channel, the controller's electronics figure out which channel it is and then allows electricity to go to that channel, illuminating that channel's lights. Here's an example:
+:When you "play" your sequence (your show program) on your computer, the software causes your computer to send out special signals to other electronic devices that you build that are out in the yard. These devices are called "controllers" and the lights are connected to the controllers. Some controllers can handle only 8 or fewer "channels" of lights while others can handle many thousands of channels. The lights are plugged into the controllers and the controllers are plugged into electrical power. When the controller gets a control signal from the computer to turn on a certain channel, the controller's electronics figure out which channel it is and then allows electricity to go to that channel, illuminating that channel's lights. In the examples below, an "all in one controller" is shown. It's "all in one" because it has its own power supply and can also power the lights directly. Here's an example:
 [[File:1-all-in-one.png | center|600px]]

@@ Line 27: / Line 27: @@
 :While your computer is playing the sequence the computer's sound card will simultaneously be playing the music to keep the music and computer control commands in sync with one another. Some hobbyists use small amplifiers and put speakers outdoors so visitors can hear the music, but sometimes outdoor speakers create issues with neighboring homeowners. So most DIY'ers connect a small, low-power FM transmitter to their computer's sound jack to transmit the music to visitors' car radios so they can listen in the comfort and privacy of their vehicles. Low-power FM transmitters are not expensive -- anywhere from $25-$100 -- but whether you use outdoor speakers or an FM transmitter, the synchronized audio absolutely makes the difference between a truly entertaining "show" and what looks like a yard full of randomly blinking lights.
-== '''8 - What are these SSR things I read about?''' ==
+== '''What are these SSR things I read about?''' ==
 :An SSR is short for "solid state relay" and it's just a device to safely control powerful electrical current by computer control. All-in-one controllers have SSRs built in so that all you have to do is plug the controller into main power and then plug the lights directly into the controller. However, some controllers use external SSRs which are not inside the controller box. Most SSRs are designed to be 4-channel units; 4 channels equates to 4 "circuits." Using remote SSRs sometimes involves a little more wiring, but it can result in a more convenient way to lay out your show. Here are a couple examples:
 [[File:3-remote ssrs.png |center|600px]]

@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
 :Computers and controllers are usually physically connected to one another by wire, often using inexpensive everyday network cabling (called cat5 cable). More often than not, there's an USB or other type of adapter/dongle that plugs into the computer that facilitates the electrical connection between the computer and the physical wiring. The electrical mechanisms that computers and controllers use to talk to one another are called serial RS-232, serial RS-485, and Ethernet (the same mechanism used for computer networking). With regard to speed, think of RS-232 in terms of tens of thousands of bytes per second, RS-485 in the hundreds of thousands and Ethernet in the millions of bytes per second. On top of the electrical mechanism is a "language" that the computers and controllers speak. Another word for this language is "protocol" and popular protocols are Renard, DMX, and E1.31. The Renard protocol can easily run on top of RS-232 or RS-485, DMX can run on top of RS-485 and Ethernet, and E1.31 is Ethernet only. And with some trickery, Renard can also run on top of Ethernet using another electronic gizmo called an "Ethernet bridge." Sometimes, instead of using cat5 cabling, some users replace the physical wiring by using wireless communication and various combinations of small transmitter/receiver setups. Some of these wireless systems can work upwards of 1/4 mile away.
-== '''6 - How do I decide whether to use RS-232, RS-485 or Ethernet?''' ==
+== '''How do I decide whether to use RS-232, RS-485 or Ethernet?''' ==
 :This is determined by the kind of lights and controller(s) you select and the protocol method you choose for your computer to control them. The software has settings that you simply choose and those settings are saved automatically along with the sequences you design. Then when you assemble your controllers, you'll load the proper settings into them to match. If you later decide to change your computer's settings, you just change the controller settings to match. It's easy to do. The "protocol" is the "language" that the computer and controllers use to talk to one another, and it's vitally important that everything be using the same protocol or you'll encounter communication problems. For example, if you had 5 people in a room and each spoke a different language, it would be difficult for them to understand one another. So they all must speak the same language (i.e. "protocol") for communication to work.

@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 [[File:2-daisy chain.png | center|600px]]
-== '''5 - How does the computer connect to the controllers?''' ==
+== '''How does the computer connect to the controllers?''' ==
 :Computers and controllers are usually physically connected to one another by wire, often using inexpensive everyday network cabling (called cat5 cable). More often than not, there's an USB or other type of adapter/dongle that plugs into the computer that facilitates the electrical connection between the computer and the physical wiring. The electrical mechanisms that computers and controllers use to talk to one another are called serial RS-232, serial RS-485, and Ethernet (the same mechanism used for computer networking). With regard to speed, think of RS-232 in terms of tens of thousands of bytes per second, RS-485 in the hundreds of thousands and Ethernet in the millions of bytes per second. On top of the electrical mechanism is a "language" that the computers and controllers speak. Another word for this language is "protocol" and popular protocols are Renard, DMX, and E1.31. The Renard protocol can easily run on top of RS-232 or RS-485, DMX can run on top of RS-485 and Ethernet, and E1.31 is Ethernet only. And with some trickery, Renard can also run on top of Ethernet using another electronic gizmo called an "Ethernet bridge." Sometimes, instead of using cat5 cabling, some users replace the physical wiring by using wireless communication and various combinations of small transmitter/receiver setups. Some of these wireless systems can work upwards of 1/4 mile away.