Thread: DMX Servo Contollers and such: DMX Control

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I am going to DMX for my prop control and haunt controls. Going to get an Exorcist from Skulltronix and use DMexorcist as part of the automation despite its price. Anyone using this product yet?


So I was searching and found this item from a company called Northlight.

DMX512 to RC servo controller.

Has anyone used their products? I emailed them and they sound like a good group and their prices are reasonable.

If you have used their stuff let me know how it went.

Has anyone used DMX for pneumatic prop control? I mean multiple pneumatics with lots of motion. Currently I use a keybanger for this. Or I was thinking a hybrid still utilizing a keybanger and triggering it with vsa and a dmx relay..

I've used DMX with pneumatics and there is no reason why you couldn't control 4096 separate valves/actuators over a single DMX chain.. though with VSA you would be limited to 1024

Have a look at this prop, this has 3 actuators, smoke and RGB light and was sitting on a DMX chain that was controlling three other sets at the same time.

That's pretty cool! What were the trigger buttons linked to, meaning what were you using for input / control?

Thanks for the video!

This was controlled using DMXorcist, the buttons went directly to the input box and I had two 9 year old's in the house watching the prop over a CCTV link

here's a vid of the inner workings, the relay board controls the Fogger and pneumatic manifold.

Also take a look on the forum for Terras DMX Vampire coffin

Awesome job, so I have my answer!

Thanks

i am also using dmexorcist to control my whole haunt with many pneumatic systems and can say it is a very worth while product and vital to controlled haunting i love mine and have come up with a large control system based around it. I will be posting pics and info soon ( infact look for some tonight ) in the how to thread

Originally Posted by guitarist155

i am also using dmexorcist to control my whole haunt with many pneumatic systems and can say it is a very worth while product and vital to controlled haunting i love mine and have come up with a large control system based around it. I will be posting pics and info soon ( infact look for some tonight ) in the how to thread

.....which reminds me G155 I REALLY need to email you about the latest version of DMXorcist that include support for the Enttec USB PRO module.... I found that the open module had a few 'limitations' which the PRO Module Fixed.

Only problem with the PRO module is that its not supported by VSA, but what I do now is use the open module for programming and testing and the PRO module for show time..... and before anyone asks the Velleman module is complete crud, I tried one of these before turning to the PRO and it was utterly useless!

Originally Posted by Phoenix_UK

.....which reminds me G155 I REALLY need to email you about the latest version of DMXorcist that include support for the Enttec USB PRO module.... I found that the open module had a few 'limitations' which the PRO Module Fixed.

Only problem with the PRO module is that its not supported by VSA, but what I do now is use the open module for programming and testing and the PRO module for show time..... and before anyone asks the Velleman module is complete crud, I tried one of these before turning to the PRO and it was utterly useless!

Great info, more questions answered about the pro module. So when you say the pro is not supported in VSA this is without the DMXorcist correct, which is whay you use the open to program? Correct. Has anyone at brookshire commented on pro support in future?

DMXorcist is a program that can open and play VSA files, and as a consequence I was able to add support to whichever DMX output module I wanted, and as such it now supports the Open and PRO modules alike

VSA doesn't support the Pro Module, so if you want to playback from VSA you need the Open Module.

If you are using DMXorcist then you could feasibly get away with writing your VSA programs in VSA and then playing them back in DMXorcist, but this process could get a little tedious as DMXorcist doesn't give you any visual feedback on the status of the VSA file like VSA does.

I believe Brookshires are looking into adding support for the PRO module. the sooner the better really.

The reason the PRO module is better than the open Module is because it has its own microprocessor and controls the DMX output independent of the computer, where the open module the computer is controlling the DMX output and consequently if the computer suffers any lag then the DMX output can get choppy and you can experience pulsing. of the DMX outputs, but it took me 2 years to actually experience this problem, and only when I tried to use a bargain basement PC that was virtually overloaded before I started adding any other software to it.

i am running the open with a p4 3.2gh hyperthreaded (but only 512ram ) and didn't have any problems but i will most likely get the pro as a just in case. i have heard things from some lighting guys about the open even locking up and having to force restart but those guys are also using upwards of 200ch