What Are Virtual Connectors - Compulite Sabre User Manual

A Class C IP address:
ddd . ddd . ddd .
netid
Example: A theatrical network contains
2 Sabre Consoles
10 E-MIX units for Ethernet distributed DMX
2 CompuLINK units for remote video and remote control
A WIN95 File server PC
We select a class C network address, where <netid> = 198.16.114
Hence we number our systems in an ascending order, leaving gaps for future expansion:
Sabre Console 1
Sabre Console 2
10 E-MIX units
2 CompuLINK units
A WIN95 File server PC 198.16.114.30

What Are Virtual Connectors?

Most theatrical lighting desks relay control information to peripherals, such as dimmer
racks, scrollers, and end equipment using the DMX512 protocol. Ethernet technology,
which has been successfully implemented and used for local-area and wide-area
communications for quite a while, has only recently started to infiltrate the lighting control
industry, It has since been considered as a replacement for DMX, in the desk to lighting-
peripheral communication environment.
Existing lighting control desks contain several output connectors each transmitting control
data using the DMX protocol. The idea is to replace these connectors with a single Ethernet
hookup, but to continue sending data packaged and organized as DMX transmissions on the
Ethernet. To fulfill this aim we use Virtual Connectors.
A Virtual Connector is a canal that transmits DMX control data, throughout the lighting
network, on Ethernet. The DMX control data is translated to Ethernet protocol and on
reaching its destination is transmuted back to DMX and physically transmitted to the end
equipment. All Virtual Connectors share the same physical cabling.
In order to understand the concept of Virtual Connectors, it is necessary to understand how
the console and the Ethernet network distribute the output generated by the console.
The information generated by the lighting console is output in DMX512 protocol and
transmitted through the DMX connectors located on the back panel of the board. Each
connector on the console is connected to dimmer racks, scrollers, or moving lights by a
cable. The Channel Patch and the Mix Output menu determine how the output is organized
on the physical connectors.
In an Ethernet environment, the lighting console still generates its data in DMX512
protocol and the Channel Patch and the Mix Output menu still determine how the output is
organized. The generated output, however, can be routed via 'slots' to the Ethernet with
DMX data encapsulated in Ethernet protocol or to the physical DMX connectors.
Slots are an internal mechanism analogous to the physical connectors where the number of
slots is equal to the number of connectors. The default assignment of slots and physical
What Are Virtual Connectors?
ddd
Å
hostid>
198.16.114.1
198.16.114.2
Æ
198.16.114.10 198.16.114.19
198.16.114.20, 198.16.114.21
32-7
Sabre