Architectural Preset Control
Installer's Manual
Publication 21-1049 Rev B
22 Feb 2013
Leprecon, LLC
P.O. Box 218
10087 Industrial Drive
Hamburg, MI 48139-0218
www.leprecon.com
Table of Contents
1. Overview 3
2. Specifying a system 3
3. Using the APC Hub 5
4. Power Requirements 9
5. Mounting requirements 9
6. Electrical hookup 10
7. Configuration 12
8. Installing panels and faceplates 14
9. Programming 15
10. Preset Playback 17
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1. Overview
The Leprecon Architectural Control Panel system (APC) is a wall-mounted DMX
controller that can be used with any type of DMX compatible dimmer, fixture or
device. There are a total of four different panels (1, 3, 6 or 12 presets) available, as
well as an external HUB that provides power, DMX isolation and buffering, and
proper interconnection to the rest of the lighting system. Other types of power supply
may be used as well.
APC panels can be connected together to provide control from several locations.
Each panel has two RJ-45 connectors to allow daisy-chain connection from panel to
panel.
An external DMX console can be used in conjunction with APC panels by routing the
DMX signal from the console through the panels and out to the dimmers or DMX
controlled fixtures. This configuration allows a very simple method of taking control
from the panels when DMX signal is present from the console.
2. Specifying a system
Leprecon APC panels can be used in many different ways. Examples of typical
systems include:
1) Panel-only system - APC panels are used to directly drive DMX dimmers with no
theatrical controller.
2) Interface with console - Panels are wired in a daisy chain configuration with a
DMX controller. This allows automatic transfer of houselight functions from panels to
the console at the beginning of a performance, and back to panels at the end.
To ensure a reliable system, make sure to observe these guidelines:
· All systems will require a power supply for the APC panels. The APC Hub by
Leprecon is an off the shelf solution that will provide power, wiring breakout, DMX
isolation and DMX Deceleration in one package. If your system specification
includes the APC Hub, instructions for use are included in this manual. If the Hub
is not used, a commercial power supply can be used. See the Power
Requirements section for details.
· Up to ten panels can be connected in a system. Panels operate as a single set of
presets, pressing Preset 1 on any panel will bring up the same scene, and all
panels will light the Preset 1 LED.
· A DMX source is needed to program the APC system. If there is a DMX controller
in the system, this can be used for programming. If the system consists of APC
panels ONLY, a DMX controller must be connected to the system temporarily for
setting up and storing scenes.
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· Leprecon APC panels use reserved DMX start codes to communicate with each
other inside the system. For this to work, all APC panels must be connected in the
same DMX segment. If panels are separated by an optical isolator, the
communication between panels may be blocked. For control to transfer properly,
there must not be an isolator between the controller and the APC panels.
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3. Using the APC Hub
The Leprecon APC Hub provides several important functions in an APC panel
system.
1. DC power - the Hub will power up to ten APC panels using RJ45 terminated CAT5
cable.
2. DMX Interconnect - A five pin DMX input connector is wired internally to the APC
CAT5 cable.
3. Optical Isolation - The Hub includes a DMX isolator and buffer to provide the best
signal integrity from the panels to the lighting system.
Two additional features of the Hub are designed to make it more tolerant of fixtures
that do not fully comply with the DMX512 specification:
1. DMX Deceleration - data rates and time between packets are relaxed for fixtures
that cannot cope with full speed DMX transmission.
2. Start Code Stripper - Some poorly designed fixtures or dimmers may respond to
the internal panel communication used in an APC system. Filtering in the Hub
prevents these signals from reaching the fixtures.
The Hub has two optional mounting accessories, a pair of wall mount brackets and a
pair of rack mount brackets. If your application requires either of these accessories,
they are available from your Leprecon dealer.
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Rear panel connections
The rear panel of the APC Hub contains all of the connectors needed to interface
to the lighting system.
1. AC Power Input - IEC inlet with 5 amp fuse. A spare fuse is included in the
fuse drawer in the lower part of the outlet. A locking wire bail can be used to
secure the power cord.
2. DMX Input - 5 Pin XLR Male for connection to the lighting controller or
console.
3. APC Panel connection - RJ45 jack to connect to the wall panels in the system.
4. DMX Output - 5 pin XLR female for connecting to the dimming system and
DMX controlled fixures.
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Front panel connections
The front panel of the APC Hub includes three LED indicators:
CH 1
1. Power - this LED is lighted if the internal power supply is working properly.
2. Signal - This LED is lighted if an external DMX controller is connected to the
Hub and is sending valid DMX data.
3. Ch1 - Levels on DMX channel 1 are shown by the brightness of this LED. This
provides a handy basic system test.
Instructions for using the APC Hub
Setting up the APC Hub is very simple.
1. Connect the Hub to a power source using the supplied power cable. Verify
that the Power LED is lighted.
2. Plug in the DMX cable from the control console to the DMX Input connector. If
the permanent system will not include a controller, one must still be used for
initial programming.
3. Plug in the DMX cable to the dimmers or fixtures.
4. With the panels still unplugged, verify that the DMX controller is properly
addressing the fixtures in the system.
5. Check the Ch1 LED indicator to see that it reflects the level on DMX channel 1.
6. Power off the Hub.
7. Plug in the RJ45 connector and CAT5 cable from the panel system.
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8. Power the Hub back on, check for the Power indicator.
9. Program the panels as detailed elsewhere in this manual.
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4. Power Requirements
APC panels require DC power for operation. The power is applied on the RJ45
cabling that also carries DMX signal from panel to panel and through the lighting
system. If the system includes a Leprecon APC Hub, the power supply requirements
are handled by the Hub.
Power supplies must be in the range of 9 to 12 volts DC. The DC common should be
isolated from the AC chassis ground to prevent ground loops in the DMX system.
A supply capable of delivering 1 amp at 12V will power ten panels in a system.
Connection to the panels is shown below.
Power supply common is tied to pins 3, 5 and 7, +12V is tied to pins 4, 6, and 8.
Color code is based on the T568A standard.
RJ plug connections
RJ 45 pin Color Function
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
white / orange Data Minus
orange Data Plus
white / green Common
blue V+
white / blue Common
green V+
white / brown Common
brown V+
5. Mounting requirements
APC panels fit in almost any standard electrical back box or low voltage box.
The required box for each panels is shown below:
Panel Box size Outside width
APC-1P 1 gang 3.59"
APC-3P 1 gang 3.59"
APC-6P 2 gang 5.41"
APC-12P 3 gang 7.22"
The panel faceplate extends beyond the edges of the back box.
If multiple faceplates are to be installed in the same back box, add 1 gang to the
back box for each additional faceplate.
Each APC panel ships with mounting screws.
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6. Electrical hookup
For APC only systems (no DMX controller), CAT5 cable with Ethernet type RJ45
connectors is used to interconnect panels and the dimmers or DMX fixtures together
in a single daisy chain configuration. Each APC panel has two RJ45 jacks, making
daisy chain connection simple to implement.
The APC cable is carrying DMX-512, so standard practice for DMX signals must be
observed.
1. All wiring must be daisy chain connection ONLY. No Tee, star or multipoint
connections are allowed.
2. Each end of the DMX chain must be terminated. Jumpers on the APC panels
allow the last panel in the line to be terminated.
3. DMX512 cannot connect to more than 32 devices without external buffer
amplifiers.
The diagram below illustrates a typical system that includes a DMX controller. All
panels and DMX devices must be connected in a daisy chain manner as shown.
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If the system does not include the APC Hub, DMX data connections to the panel are
shown below:
XLR Pin Function Color RJ45 Pin
1
2
3
Common white / green
Data Minus white / orange
Data Plus orange
3
1
2
For more information regarding properly designing and installing a DMX system, an
excellent publication is available from PLASA. "Recommended Practice for
DMX512", written by Adam Bennette, is the definitive guide to properly implementing
a DMX network. It can be ordered from the Plasa website at www.plasa.org
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7. Configuration
Once all APC panels in the system are correctly cabled, the next step is to configure
the panels for proper operation. Jumpers on the back of each board are used to
select the panel function. See diagram below for jumper locations.
Note: Early hardware release has JP1 (terminate) on the parts side of the board. It is
necessary to remove the processor board from the button board to set termination.
Jumper Function Default state
1 DMX Terminate Open - not terminated
2 Master enable Open - Slave
3 Arch / backup Open - Arch
4 Single Station Open - multiple station
5 Not used Open
6 No DMX when off Open - DMX always on
7 Not used Open
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Notes regarding each jumper option:
1 - Termination
In a properly configured DMX system, there is a single transmitter, many receivers
connected in a daisy chain, and the last receiver in the data line is terminated.
Putting a jumper on JP1 will add 120 ohms across the DMX line, terminating the line
to prevent reflection.
2 - Master Enable
Each APC system must have one and ONLY one panel set as the 'Master' panel.
This will be the panel that is used to program the system. Generally a position near
the control console will be the easiest to program, although any panel can be set as
Master. If different types of panels are used (3P, 6P, 12P) the Master panel must be
the largest panel, or the same size as the largest panel to allow all scenes to be
programmed.
3 - Arch / Backup
When used with an external console, APC panels are disabled when DMX signal is
present from the console.
When the console is turned off, there are two ways the panels can respond:
· Architectural mode - The APC panel will fade up the last preset selected.
· Backup mode - The APC panel will continue to send the last scene from the
console. All panel presets will blink, prompting the operator to select a particular
playback.
4 - Single Station
If only one panel is used in a system, set that panel as Master and Single Station.
6 - No DMX when off
When this mode is set by placing a jumper on JP6, the APC system will stop sending
DMX when no console is present and no panel presets are on. This can be useful for
turning off some intelligent fixtures that monitor the DMX line, and automatically
'lamp off' when there is no control signal.
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8. Installing panels and faceplates
APC panels consist of three parts:
· Faceplate - 1/8" aluminum snap-on cover, painted and screened.
· Mounting plate - Sub panel that screws to the mounting box.
· Board stack - button and processor boards that are pre-assembled to the mounting
plate.
To install the panels:
1. Separate the faceplate from the mounting plate. A small screwdriver can be used
to separate the panels. Remove the cover carefully to avoid bending the LED
indicators.
2. Attach the mounting plate and board stack to the electrical box using the screws
provided. Make sure all configuration jumpers are set before screwing down the
panel.
3. Do NOT attach the faceplate for the Master panel until programming is complete.
Faceplates can be installed on the slave panels, no further access is needed to
these boards. Simply align the faceplate with the mounting plate, and gently press
into position.
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9. Programming
APC panels record and play back 512 DMX channels for each preset provided.
When the APC panels are wired, mounted and energized, presets can be stored to
the Master panel.
Two hidden switches are used to program the Master panel. These switches are
accessible with a small screwdriver or paperclip behind the mounting plate. The top
switch is used to record scenes, the bottom switch is used to set fade times for all
scenes, including 'Off'.
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To Record Presets:
1. Make sure the face plate is removed from the Master panel.
2. Turn on the DMX controller. The Record LED behind the front panel will light.
3. Using a small tool, gently press the Record switch. The red Record LED will
begin to blink.
4. Set the correct scene using the DMX controller. Once set, press the preset
button that you wish to record.
5. The Record LED will remain stop flashing, but remain on.
6. Repeat the process for each preset.
To set Preset Fade times:
1. Turn off the DMX controller. The Record LED behind the front panel will turn
off.
2. Press a Preset button to select a preset, the adjacent LED will light.
3. Using a small tool, push the Time switch. at the bottom of the panel. The
yellow Time will turn on.
4. After three seconds, the yellow LED will blink once per second. Each blink
indicates 1 second of fade time.
5. To set and store the fade time, press the Preset button again. The time
between the first yellow LED blink and the button press will be captured as the
fade time.
6. If the preset button is not pressed within 15 seconds, Time entry terminates,
the yellow LED turns off, and the fade time for the preset is unchanged.
To set Preset OFF fade time:
Program the 'off' button fade time as described above. This sets the 'fade to
black' time for all presets when the Off button is pressed.
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10. Preset Playback
Once presets are recorded, the APC system is ready for use.
If there is no control console in the system, or if the console is turned off:
· Pressing any preset button will fade in the stored scene using the fade time that
was set for that scene.
· Pressing a new preset will start a fade from the old preset to the new preset.
· Pressing Off will fade out any scene.
The panels will be disabled if a control console begins transmitting data. The DMX
line will be driven by the console, and the panels will be in 'standby'. All preset will be
turned off, and all LED indicators on the panel will be off.
When the console is turned off, the panels will respond in one of two ways,
depending on the setting of jumper JP3 on the Master panel. The default setting is
for JP3 to be open, selecting Architectural mode. If a jumper placed on JP3, the
system will operate in Backup mode.
· Architectural mode - The APC panel will fade up the last preset selected when the
console is turned off.
· Backup mode - The APC panel will continue to send the last scene from the
console. All panel presets will blink, prompting the operator to select a particular
playback.
The Off key can be programmed for a special function when the console is off and all
panel presets are turned off. Installing a jumper on J6 on the master panel will
program the system to turn DMX OFF instead of sending all zero channel data. This
feature can be used to 'lamp off' some types of intelligent fixtures.
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