Rooms
DMX Management
For Divisible Halls
Operations, Maintenance
and Design Manual
May 2008
Pathway Connectivity Inc
#103 – 1439 17 Ave SE Calgary AB T2G 1J9
403-243-8110
www.pathwayconnect.com
Table of Contents
Overview 3
Operational Philosophy 3
Operation 4
Maintenance 4
Troubleshooting 5
Layout and Configuration - Overview 6
Layout and Configuration – Design Process 7
Appendix 1 – Typical System Layout 9
Appendix 2 – Design Tables 10
Appendix 3 – Rooms and Pathport Components 15
Pathport Rooms – Operations, Maintenance and Design – Page 2
Overview
Pathport® Rooms is a room-combine system for control consoles, providing a
DMX Management System for Divisible Halls.
Convention centers, meeting rooms and ballrooms often have the ability to be
reconfigured into several smaller rooms. While architectural control systems can
manage the control of room lighting in these special facilities, portable
entertainment control consoles can be a problem. Pathport Rooms ensures that
a console connected in one room doesn’t “spill over” and control lights that it
shouldn’t in the next room.
In this document, “Hall” refers to the entire space. “Room” refers to a smaller
area within the hall created by moving or closing temporary interior walls. Many
hotels and convention centers refer to these smaller rooms as ‘salons’.
Operational Philosophy
The Rooms Control Module is preprogrammed with a map of the hall and all
possible room layout schemes within the hall. Associated with each layout
scheme is a specific DMX channel routing table. Routing tables are based on
the initial design specification and are created during the set-up, programming
and commissioning of the system. With this information, the Rooms Control
Module acts like a DMX patch bay with built-in signal splitting and merging
options.
System hardware is interconnected using readily-available Ethernet wiring and
switches. Power-over-Ethernet is supported to further minimize wiring
requirements.
DMX input and output access points are provided in each possible room, using
Pathport® nodes. Contact closure modules or an installation-specific selection
interface – typically a pushbutton switch matrix (by others) – report the hall’s
current layout scheme to the Rooms Control Module.
As the configuration is changed, Rooms dynamically reassigns the DMX
channels available in each given room of the hall. By automatically managing
the channel routing, Rooms ensures an entertainment control console can only
access the dimmers, moving lights and other devices within each desired area.
Because reassignment can include the merging or prioritizing of input sources, a
Rooms system is typically interfaced with an architectural control system, so the
general room or ‘house’ light controls are also automatically reconfigured
according to the specific layout schemes.
Pathport Rooms – Operations, Maintenance and Design – Page 3
Operation
Operation of the Pathport Rooms system is intended to be transparent to the end
user.
To change the configuration, the user simply properly closes the walls necessary
to create the rooms desired, or the user sets the new configuration with the
installation-specific interface (by others). The Rooms Control Module detects the
changes and automatically reassigns DMX channels accordingly.
Maintenance
The Rooms system requires very little maintenance.
The Rooms Control Module should be powered directly from an appropriate,
unswitched electrical source, ideally incorporating an uninterruptible power
supply (UPS). In the event power is lost to the Control Module, adequate time
must be allowed once power is restored for the Control Module to reboot and reestablish the hall’s configuration before any reconfiguration is undertaken.
Contact closure modules should be periodically inspected for damage or loose
connections and tested.
Pathport nodes should be periodically inspected for physical damage from
impacts or spilled liquids, but otherwise require no maintenance.
If an installation-specific switch interface has been provided, please follow the
interface’s documentation regarding maintenance.
Other elements of the Rooms system, such as Ethernet switches and wiring,
should be maintained and inspected according to their manufacturers’
recommendations.
Pathport Rooms – Operations, Maintenance and Design – Page 4
Troubleshooting
Please remember Rooms is a signal distribution system. The vast majority of
problems that arise lie with the control console or the equipment at the other end,
rather than the wiring in between. Before attempting the recommendations
below, ensure that the controller and the end equipment are powered up,
configured and functioning correctly.
1. Lights or other equipment come on in unexpected or undesired places.
a. Ensure that all moving or temporary walls are properly closed for this
particular room configuration, the manual room-combine switches are set
correctly, and that the contact closure modules are undamaged and
properly engaged.
b. If an oversight in the original channel assignments is suspected,
contact the original installer or integrator for correction.
2. The Rooms Control Module appears to be frozen.
a. The Control Module is able to auto-recover from errors. Do NOT
manually reboot the server by cycling the power.
3. The input and output Pathport nodes don’t appear to be on.
a. Rooms systems typically employ Ethernet switches with a Power-overEthernet capability. Ensure the switch is on and follow the switch
manufacturer’s instruction to ensure PoE is active.
b. Contact your installer or integrator to test the wiring between the switch
and the nodes.
Pathport Rooms – Operations, Maintenance and Design – Page 5
Layout and Configuration - Overview
The steps below will guide a designer through determining the hardware
requirements of a Rooms system and will gather and organize the information
required to configure and program the Control Module. The steps are suitable for
creating a new installation, extending a current one, or retrofitting a Rooms
system into an existing hall. Sample worksheets are included in the appendix.
For those unfamiliar with the DMX512 control protocol for entertainment lighting,
please keep these key points in mind while planning. The protocol allows for a
maximum of 512 channels of control. If more channels are required, they will
exist in a second ‘universe’ of 512 channels, then a third and so on.
Although a dimmer requires only one DMX channel to operate, a moving light
may require as many as 32. Each output port will provide one universe of
channels, so it is a good practice to specify a 2-port node for each general output
location.
The Rooms System will manage up to 128 possible input universes. There is no
limit to the number of outputs.
It is possible to set multiple devices to a single DMX control channel, such as
when many dimmers are required for the ceiling lights in a given area or zone,
but the lights are always to be controlled together.
Pathport Rooms – Operations, Maintenance and Design – Page 6
Layout and Configuration – Design Process
1. Make a drawing of the hall.
The drawing should be with all walls and partitions closed, showing the
maximum number of rooms. Label the rooms (A, B, C, etc.). It may be useful to
note the location of the devices described in each further step, or to make copies
of the base drawing and devote one copy to each type of device.
2. Create a table of Input Ports.
An input port is an access point for a portable control console, so the ports
should be located in each room where users are likely to place their control
board. List each input port by node serial number and port letter, room location,
node type and any special notes.
3. Create a table of General Output Ports.
A general output port is a location where event-specific or portable
equipment can be plugged in to receive DMX control. General output ports
should be placed near anticipated stage locations or evenly scattered around a
given room. There is no limitation to the number of outputs in a Rooms system.
List each output port by node serial number and port letter, room location, node
type and any special notes.
4. Create a table of Dimmer Output Ports.
Dimmer output ports will typically be located in a separate dimmer room
from the hall proper. Determine the number of required dimmer ports from the
number of dimmer racks or relay panels and their intended usage. Sometimes a
hall will have designated locations for temporary dimmers inside the hall itself. A
dedicated dimmer output port should be used at such locations, rather than
utilizing a general output port.
List each dimmer output port by number, location (if necessary), node
type, rack name and the rack’s planned range of DMX addresses. Note which
room or rooms contain the lights controlled by the rack’s dimmers.
Optionally, stipulate a specific channel to be used for some or all of the
rack’s dimmers, regardless of the hall configuration.
5. Create a table of Miscellaneous Device Ports.
Miscellaneous device ports are devoted to permanently installed
equipment such as moving lights, cove lighting or accent LED strips. While
determining numbers and locations, bear in mind the number of DMX channels
some of these devices require. List each miscellaneous device port by serial
number, port letter, room location, node type and purpose. Note the number of
channels of DMX required and the start address, if known.
Optionally, stipulate a specific channel or range of channels to be used by
the device or devices, regardless of the hall’s configuration.
Pathport Rooms – Operations, Maintenance and Design – Page 7
6. Create a table of Device and Fixture Groups
Although not strictly necessary, this step ensures no equipment is
overlooked and assists in the logical grouping of equipment. The difference
between a device and a fixture is that a device is equipment that receives DMX,
such as a dimmer, which in turn controls a fixture or fixtures, such as pot lighting.
Some equipment, such as a moving light, can be treated both as a device and a
fixture. A device or fixture group can consist of a single piece of equipment.
A fixture group consists of a number of fixtures that should behave the
same (i.e. potlights), even though they are controlled by a number of different
devices (i.e. dimmers). Fixture groups are usually based on individual rooms.
A device group can also be used to ensure similar behavior. For example,
a device group can be used to control the color attribute of a group of moving
lights, even though the pan and tilt of each light will be different.
List each group by equipment type, room location, node and port it’s
connected to, DMX channels required, DMX start address, purpose and any
special notes.
7. Create a table of Input Groups.
Sort input ports into groups that should control the same equipment. First
describe the groups required for a completely open hall, then describe the groups
if all the internal walls were closed.
8. Create a Connection Description.
Describe how the input groups will connect to the output ports,
miscellaneous device ports and to the device and fixture groups. The order the
ports and groups are listed is the order in which DMX channels will be assigned.
There are four distinct ways Rooms will connect the inputs to the outputs.
a. Absolute Patch. The device or fixture group will always be at the same
DMX address or address range.
b. Consolidate. The device or fixture group will be controlled by a userspecified single DMX control channel.
c. Append. The device or fixture group will be appended starting at the
next available DMX channel and will be mapped on a one-to-one basis, allowing
for individual control.
d. Disconnect. The device or fixture group will be disconnected.
Once the relationship between the input nodes and the end equipment is
summarized, along with how the input nodes are to connect to the end
equipment in each applicable hall layout, the paperwork is now in place for the
Pathway Connectivity technician to set up and program the Rooms Control
Module internal database.
Pathport Rooms – Operations, Maintenance and Design – Page 8
Appendix 1 – Typical System Layout
Pathport Rooms – Operations, Maintenance and Design – Page 9
Appendix 2 – Design Tables
Input Ports:
Pathport Type and S/N Port Room Notes
(e.g.) Pathport C - PP100162 A C Floor level – north end
Pathport Rooms – Operations, Maintenance and Design – Page 10
General Output Ports
Pathport Type and S/N Port Room Notes
(e.g.) Pathport C – PP100432 A C Grid level – south end over permanent stage
Pathport Rooms – Operations, Maintenance and Design – Page 11
Dimmer ports
Pathport Type and
S/N Port
Pathport D B Main 1-5 Down pot lx A
Rack
name
Dimmer
addresses
Type of
load Room
DMX Input
start channel
Pathport Rooms – Operations, Maintenance and Design – Page 12
Miscellaneous Device Ports
Pathport Type
and S/N Port Description
Pathport C –
PP100567
1 VL5 120 12 C 25
Device and Fixture Groups
Device or
Fixture Room
LED Accents (8) E PP100298 – B 312 24 Can match w/ Room B
Pathport
Node & Port
DMX start
address
DMX start
address
Number of
channels Room
DMX Input
channel
Number of
channels Notes
Pathport Rooms – Operations, Maintenance and Design – Page 13
Connection Description
Input Port Room Connects to:
Pathport Rooms – Operations, Maintenance and Design – Page 14
Appendix 3 –
Rooms
and Pathport Components
Rooms Controller Modules
Model
Number
6605
6610
6620
6630
Model Description
Pathport Rooms controller for up to 5 rooms
Pathport Rooms controller for up to 10 rooms
Pathport Rooms controller for up to 20 rooms
Pathport Rooms controller for up to 30 rooms
Pathport System Components
Model
Number
6001 Single node inline power supply
6010 Pathport Manager Configuration Software on CD
6101 Pathport Uno, Single DMX input node with cover
6102 Pathport Uno, Single DMX output node with cover
6151 Pathport Uno, Single DMX input with Portable Enclosure and bracket
6152 Pathport Uno, Single DMX output with Portable Enclosure and bracket
6201 Pathport C-series node with 2 DMX inputs (XLR5)
6202 Pathport C-series node with 2 DMX outputs (XLR5)
6203 Pathport C-series node with 1 DMX input and 1 DMX output (XLR5)
6225 Pathport D-series node with 2 DMX ports (terminals) and backbox
6235 Pathport R-series node with 2 DMX ports (terminal strips)
6241 Pathport R-series node with 2 DMX inputs (XLR5)
6242 Pathport R-series node with 2 DMX outputs (XLR5)
6243 Pathport R-series node with 1 DMX input and 1 DMX output (XLR5)
6301 Pathway DMX Manager Plus 4-port node (XLR5)
6302 Pathway DMX Manager Plus 4-port node (terminal strips)
6901 C-series Surface Mount Enclosure
6911 C-series Portable Enclosure with hanging bracket
6913 R-series Truss mount kit
6931 R-series front connectors adaptor kit – inputs (XLR5)
6932 R-series front connectors adaptor kit – outputs (XLR5)
6933 R-series front connectors adaptor kit – input/output (XLR5)
6950 RJ45 female in-line mini-jack and M-M RJ45 jumper kit
Model Description
Pathport Rooms – Operations, Maintenance and Design – Page 15
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