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Quasar Science - Help Center

Wired Control: sACN

sACN is an network based ethernet protocol used to control lighting fixtures like the RR & R2
sACN_IN_Screen.jpg

Most control systems that support sACN can usually send either Multicast or Unicast data.

Multicast sACN is our preferred control protocol. Multicast does not require IP address assignments on the fixtures. As far the lights are concerned you can ignore IP settings altogether which makes Multicast plug & play for end users. All that is required is that you set the Input Universe and DMX address as per your controller's dmx patch list.

Unicast sACN requires each fixture's IP address to be deliberately set to a unique address, as well as the Subnet Mask of your network (i.e. 255.255.0.0). These settings are required since the lighting controller (i.e. Console/Desk) is sending that fixture's dmx data directly to its IP address.

Note

Unicast disables the ability of the RR-R2 to provide the Empty Universe flashing indicator since each sACN stream is direct to each fixture's IP address. Therefore if Unicasting and the assigned Universe has no patched data the fixture will not show as connected (i.e. the Data LED will be off) and the fixture will be in Manual Mode.

Lighting networks with more than one sACN source can use sACN Priorities as a method to ensure that the fixtures can listen to the correct controller. Quasar Science Fixtures will listen to the higher priority controller and ignore lower priority traffic on a per-universe basis. This feature is in FW 0.7b or later.

Tip

The default sACN setting for Quasar Science fixtures is Multicast

To set up the fixture to using sACN Multicast

  1. Go to Config Menu → Wired Mode

    and set the light to sACN.

  2. Go to Config Menu → Ethernet Settings

    View IP Addr should say Multicast, if not, do step 3

  3. Scroll → to Multicast and select Enable.

  4. Go to Config Menu → Ethernet Settings → Input Universe

    Set the fixture to the universe it is patched to

  5. Go to Config Menu → DMX Channel

    Set the DMX Address the fixture is patched to

  6. Connect the fixture to the lighting control network

  7. Profit!!!

To set up the fixture to using sACN Unicast

  1. Go to Config Menu → Wired Mode

    and set the light to sACN.

  2. Go to Config Menu → Ethernet Settings → Multicast → disabled

    The fixture is now in Unicast mode and the controller needs to know the IP address for the fixture

  3. Config Menu → Ethernet Settings → IP Add Mode → Static

    The user will can now set the IP and subnet mask of the fixture in the ethernet settings menu. Detailed instructions can be found here

  4. Scroll → to Multicast and select Disabled

  5. Go to Config Menu → Ethernet Settings → Input Universe

    Set the fixture to the universe it is patched to

  6. Go to Config Menu → DMX Channel

    Set the DMX Address the fixture is patched to

  7. Connect the fixture to the lighting control network

  8. Profit!!!

sACN Priorities

As of FW 0.7 there is the detection of sACN priorities in the RR and R2 fixtures.  When there are two controllers on the same network sending out sACN packets the lights will now honor the higher-priority packet. Priority is Per-Universe for RR-R2 fixtures.

For example: If one console is set to a priority of 110 and the other console is set to a priority of 100, the lights will listen to only the console's output with priority 110.

LTP Merging

As of FW 0.9 sACN supports Latest Takes Precedence Merging (LTP). This is automatic in 0.9A when using wired sACN input with Basic or Advanced routing. Merging is per dmx channel. For more info see: >sACN LTP Merging<

Node mode (is now sACN>DMX Advanced Routing)

An additional option for Quasar Science fixtures receiving sACN is Node Mode which allows the LAN 2 port of the fixture to output DMX. Please note that as of FW 0.9 this mode has moved to the [Advanced Routing] menu. See >Ethernet-to-DMX Routing<

Note

When the light is set to sACN it will not respond to DMX.

sACN uses Universe 1 as the first DMX Universe.

The Universe field on the display will flash if the fixture is set to a universe with no patched data (Multicast Only).

The Wired Network substatus screen will become enabled when the fixture is set to receive data via network.Screen Information Layout

FW 0.8 and earlier: Only the listening sACN Universe is output as DMX.

FW 0.9 you may independently assign any input and output Universe between 1 - 63999.

Notice

The LAN 2 port on Double Rainbows (RR's) act as a network switch and re-transmit network traffic that the fixture receives

The LAN 2 port on Quasar Science Rainbow 2's are not a network switch and do not re-transmit network traffic.

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