Pixel Controller Development

A new pixel controller is in development here at GriswoldFX. We are going to call it the “Blitzen 24”. Here is the proposed feature list:

  • 10/100 Ethernet
  • Pixel data decoded from E1.31
  • Firmware and configuration stored on SD Card
  • 4 DMX-512 outputs
  • 24 Pixel ports
  • 5 – 24v power input
  • Capability to drive 4,000+ pixels
  • Remote telemetry of current draw, temperature, E1.31 stats.
  • Real Time Clock
  • Potentially will have standalone sequence player with audio output.

Pricing, footprint, and delivery date are not yet determined. More to come!

E1.31 sACN for DMX Director

Below are links to an E1.31 sACN service for the DMX director. There are both Windows (x64) and Raspberry Pi Linux (ARM) versions available. Currently only works with the first DMX Multicast Universe.

Usage: kadmium-sacn-enttec <serial port>
Examples:
Linux – kadmium-sacn-enttec /dev/ttyUSB0
Windows – kadmium-sacn-enttec.exe COM6

To Do:
* Allow a total of 4 DMX Universes to be utilized.
* Allow DMX Universes to be assigned. (Multicast addresses)
* Create script to register a service for kadmium.
* Remove any references to enttec.
* Configure stats to be written to a file and build a client to display them.

Download for Raspberry Pi Download for Windows x64

The DMX Director

The DMX Director is currently under development. It is a USB DMX dongle that is capable of producing 4 DMX universes. It is also capable of bidirectional communications via it’s 4 RS-485 interfaces. The DMX Director is designed for high I/O and low latency throughput. It has a driver available to interface with Vixen Lights and an open specification to the “Griswold Protocol” to allow 3rd party driver development.

The DMX Director and Griswold Protocol

The DMX Director presents itself as a standard com port to your PC. It requires theĀ FTDI VCP driver. Typically you want to communicate with the DMX Director at 3Mbps. This allows for the lowest latency transfer of data to the DMX director.

The DMX Director expects DMX data to be supplied in a specific format. It is not ENTTEC compatible.

If you wish to communicate with the DMX Director, the most up to date Griswold Protocol can be found here as a Google Doc.