Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre.stagecraft
Subject: Ideas for special DMX-512 controller

Does anyopne have suggestion for a reasonably cheap way to make 
this kind of DXM-512 controller..

The controller should be ablr to control six channels 
The output of the controller is DMX-512 to the dimmer pack 

The status of all chells shoudl be controllable with separate 
switch panels that have followign buttons:
Light on (turns lamp on to predefined setting), light off, 
dimmer up, dimmer down.
There is a computer interface that allows to control the 
output state (set channels to defined state etc..) 

The idea is that normally everything works with push-buttons, 
but when needed the computer can over-ride the button 
controls, preferebly channel by channel (computer 
controls override the channels it needs to control, 
other stau as they were set by buttons). 

Computer interface preferably RS-232, USB or Ethernet (any of those9 
using some simple to use commands. 

Feedback from what is fed to the dimmer to computer direction is 
a plus (doable with bidirectional other DMX-512 interface). 

Idea is that normally thing are controlled with buttons, no computer 
needed, it can be disconnected, powered off or crashed.. 
When needed, the computer can take in and do controlling. 
The computer has always information on the state that goes to 
the dimmer. 


Also other ideas for making this are wellcome. 
I would prefer seeing the answers poted here to the public forum. 


-- 
Tomi Engdahl (http://www.iki.fi/then/)
Take a look at my electronics web links and documents at 
http://www.epanorama.net/