Artistic Licence Announces a Major Upgrade to Its Ethernet Gateways

Artistic Licence announces that all the company's premium Ethernet gateways -- including artLynx quad, artLynx RJ45, dataLynx II and netLynx quad -- now support multi-way protocol conversion. Each port can be optionally configured as a DMX input (previously they were outputs only). This enables the product to route, split or merge Art-Net, sACN, and DMX/RDM data with massive flexibility -- great news for any venue requiring a versatile and easily configurable lighting space.

As the inventors of Art-Net, Artistic Licence always strives to ensure its Art-Net conversion products are the best on the market. This is never more so than with its latest firmware release, now shipping on all new product sales of artLynx quad/RJ45 (four-universes, DIN rail), dataLynx II (12-universes, rack-mount) and netLynx quad (four-universes desk/table-top). Artistic Licence has also just launched a four-universe PCBA module, oemGate quad, for manufacturers wishing to incorporate the technology into their own products.

Already packed with premium features such as electrically protected outputs and support for the very latest protocols (including RDMnet LLRP), these products just took on a new dimension with the addition of DMX input support.

To put this into context, the gateways previously served to convert Art-Net or sACN into DMX/RDM. This is a very common scenario where lighting data is routed via network protocols (Art-Net or sACN), then turned into DMX control for moving lights etc. However, if a data port on the gateway can not only output DMX, but receive it as well, a wealth of new functionality is opened up....

Putting it simply, the comparison of product functionality goes as follows:

Before the upgrade:
* Ethernet to DMX/RDM
* Ethernet merger

After the upgrade:
* Ethernet to DMX/RDM
* DMX to Ethernet
* DMX to DMX router
* DMX to DMX splitter
* DMX merger
* DMX and Ethernet merger
* Ethernet merger

Why is that helpful? Not all lighting desks and controllers generate Art-Net or sACN directly -- there are many systems that output DMX only. For example, a theatre might have a main, Ethernet enabled console at one end of the building and a DMX desk located elsewhere to cater for different seating and stage configurations. Having a single gateway that can "talk" directly to the console, the dimmers, and the lights, and process the data in whatever way is needed -- be that conversion, routing, merging, or splitting -- gives huge flexibility to the venue's configuration options, not to mention the time and cost saving associated with a single, multi-purpose piece of kit.

Are the gateways easy to configure? All the gateways have an internal web browser page that enables simple and rapid configuration of the basic options. Artistic Licence has also spent a considerable amount of R&D time upgrading DMX-Workshop, its popular free software application for lighting network management, analysis, configuration, and diagnostics. It can be used in conjunction with any of the gateways to unlock their full potential, providing access to advanced configuration menus, and extended functionality. We've written a new application note (0130 Gateway merging) to show how to use and configure the wide range of new merging options available.

dataLynx II features:
* Art-Net/sACN to DMX512/RDM or DMX512 to Art-Net/sACN (per port)
* 10/100BaseT RJ45 (Ethercon)
* SFP model additionally supports gigabit
* 12 bidirectional DMX512 ports, compatible with all variants of DMX512
* Art-Net 4 and sACN compatible
* RDNnet LLRP compatible
* RDM (E1.20 - 2010) compatible
* Power, Ethernet & DMX port LEDs
* Failsafe mode
* Default IP address 2.x.y.z
* Configurable using internal web-browser or DMX-Workshop
* DHCP supported
* IEC power connector
* RDM Integrity supported
* Factory reset and Squawk button
* Standard and extreme models feature self-healing protected outputs -- all can withstand continuous connection to 425 VAC
* extreme model additionally features electrical surge protection

artLynx quad features:
* Art-Net/sACN to DMX512/RDM or DMX512 to Art-Net/sACN (per port)
* RDMnet LLRP compatible
* Compatible with all variants of DMX512
* RDM V1.0 (E1.20 - 2010) supported
* 4 DMX512 ports, protected from mains electrocution
* 10/100BaseT Ethernet
* DHCP or static IP
* Failsafe mode - playback scene on loss of network
* Factory reset / squawk button
* PoE (IEEE 802.3af-2003 standard) supported
* Power indicator
* Network and DMX activity indicators
* RDM Integrity supported
* DIN Rail mounting

netLynx quad features:
* Art-Net/sACN to DMX512/RDM or DMX512 to Art-Net/sACN (per port)
* RDMnet LLRP compatible
* Compatible with all variants of DMX512
* RDM V1.0 (E1.20 - 2010) supported
* 4 DMX512 ports, protected from mains electrocution
* 10/100BaseT Ethernet
* DHCP or static IP
* Failsafe mode - playback scene on loss of network
* Factory reset / squawk button
* PoE (IEEE 802.3af-2003 standard) supported
* Power indicator
* Network and DMX activity indicators
* RDM Integrity supported

oemGate quad features:
* PCBA for OEM manufacture
* Art-Net/sACN to DMX512/RDM or DMX512 to Art-Net/sACN (per port)
* RDMnet LLRP compatible
* 4 bidirectional ports (Neutrik XLR5)
* 10/100BaseT Ethernet (RJ45)
* Configure using internal web browser or DMX-Workshop