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May 2012

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by Michael S. Eddy

In our everyday lives, we are surrounded by technology that gives us feedback and lets us know when something is wrong, like when the printer needs a new ink cartridge or cars that e-mail you with engine diagnostic information. Until recently, lighting equipment gave users very little feedback about what was going on with the lighting system. To make sure lighting equipment can talk back, not just to other equipment from the same manufacturer, the entertainment technology industry has created new standards to allow feedback on a signal that used to be only one way. One of these feedback standards is Remote Device Management (RDM). You will start to hear more about this system as more manufacturers produce products that take advantage of RDM.

The InfoTrace Control and Management System from Wybron Inc. is a system that uses RDM for management of DMX-controlled lighting devices such as color changers, moving lights, conventional lights, and accessories. “InfoTrace is a set of Wybron products, built on industry-wide standards, to simplify the setup and running of complex lighting systems,” comments Miles Dudgeon, marketing director for Wybron. A complete InfoTrace system consists of InfoGate software, InfoStore, a web-based information management tool, and Wybron’s new line of IT products. The core component of the system is InfoGate, which consists of a gateway device and a software application on your computer. InfoGate hardware sits inline with the DMX signal and uses RDM, sending the feedback from lighting devices to the computer. The InfoGate program shows the operator everything that is happening out on the lighting system and allows them to make changes to the devices, without actually needing to go up on a ladder.

Across-platform Potential
InfoGate facilitates remote addressing and diagnostics for potentially every piece of DMX equipment in the lighting system. Yes, even non-Wybron equipment can be modified with the addition of the InfoChip, a legacy converter to work with the InfoTrace system. InfoGate works with all RDM-compatible equipment from any manufacturer. In addition, for legacy equipment built prior to RDM—which still includes most equipment—any non-RDM equipment can be upgraded with the installation of an InfoChip. Because InfoGate can work with any equipment, the setup, unit testing, and troubleshooting for an entire system can be coordinated from a single laptop or a PDA.

Wybron’s IT range of equipment—Coloram IT color changers, CXI IT dual scrollers, and Eclipse IT and Eclipse II IT mechanical dowsers—is equipped with a series of sensors that can relay a wide variety of information to the InfoGate software. InfoGate can both send instructions to devices and gather back status information from the devices. These sensors can detect everything from light, temperature, and voltage to fan speed and even color string frame color information. So, while RDM equipment will allow identification and remote addressing, IT equipment can give more specific status information and even warn of potential problems, possibly averting failures in the middle of a service. If the status of a device indicates any problem, InfoGate displays an alert with the nature of the problem and the exact location. Troubleshooting can be done in a fraction of the time by avoiding a lot of searching for the cause of a problem.

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Michael S. Eddy writes about design and technology. He can be reached at mseddy2900@hotmail.com.   .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)