What's the Deal With The Spotlights? An Introduction to Stage Lighting Control

Wandering around ITP, you've probably noticed a few spotlights on the ceiling. In this session, you'll learn how to control them from an Arduino, or using node.js. DMX-512 is a serial protocol used for stage lighting worldwide. In recent years, it's been supplemented with another protocol, Architecture for Control Networks, or ACN, which can run over Ethernet.

DMX-512 and ACN can be used in many different lighting applications, from stage to installations, using both large lights like the ones we have, and programmable LEDs.

You should know how to program an Arduino, and/or know a little something about node.js in order to get the most out of this workshop.

Resources:

• ITP Light & Interactivity class DMX-512 page
• sACN Source library for Arduino
• DMXSimple library for Arduino
• node-dmx library for node.js
• Presentation Slides