Discussion on the Design of Lighting Control Network for Theater and Television Station

The lighting equipment system is one of the most important equipment systems in theaters and TV stations, and the lighting control system is the key to the design of the lighting equipment system. Whether the design scheme is safe, advanced, complete, and applicable, and whether the equipment selection is stable, reliable, and advanced will directly affect the advancement and quality of the entire project.

In recent years, network technology has begun to be applied to the lighting systems of theaters and TV stations, and has shown its new application prospects to the industry. Network wiring solutions have had a strong impact on traditional DMX wiring solutions. In the bidding documents of many new large-scale lighting control projects, the description of network technology requirements has become an indispensable content.

In the past few years, the purpose of applying network technology in lighting control systems was mainly focused on how the new network lighting control technology can be more reliable and effective than the traditional DMX wiring lighting control technology to ensure the normal performance of performances. The new technologies used in the design scheme include DMX transmission of network wiring and network hot backup synchronization technology of the dimming console data in use.

In recent years, as network technology matures, network lighting control equipment produced by domestic and foreign manufacturers has been continuously enriched and improved, and network interface lamps, network dimming desks, network dimmers, network video cameras and various forms of network lighting monitoring equipment have appeared one after another.

The emergence of all-fiber lighting control network has built a gigabit-class "information highway" network platform for the main areas of lighting control systems such as lighting control room, dimmer room, office, equipment layer, and boom area, realizing the rapid two-way transmission of a large number of various signals related to lighting control, monitoring, and management between various lighting network devices. Software related to lighting control and system management came into being. Lighting engineers, system designers, managers, and owners began to focus on: in the process of designing lighting control network systems, in addition to ensuring absolutely safe and reliable performances, lighting control systems must also consider more management issues related to lighting network systems.

The following basic design principles are some of the author's thoughts when considering the design of network lighting control systems, for readers' reference.

1. Highlighting the functions and characteristics of theaters and studios, the lighting control system is based on the most fundamental requirement of ensuring absolutely safe and reliable performances and broadcasting activities.

2. On the basis of fully achieving the fundamental requirements, emphasize the extremely important role played by the lighting control network system in the technical management, business management and safe electricity management of theaters and studios.

3. Adopt new technologies and new processes to make the technical level, performance and parameters of lighting control equipment reach the international advanced level.

4. The functional practicality, technological advancement, safety of use, operational reliability, ease of maintenance, and investment economy of the lighting control equipment.

5. The new system must be compatible with all brands and new and old lighting equipment.

Meeting the needs of users is the fundamental purpose of design. An advanced, practical and high-quality theater and TV studio lighting control system must be a system that guarantees studio safety, a system with high-tech management level, a system that is synchronized with international standards, a new form of cooperation between manufacturers and users, and a system that can be developed sustainably.

1. A system to ensure safe broadcasting

The most fundamental task of the TV studio lighting control system is to ensure the reliability and convenience of the lighting control operation of each broadcasting activity. Based on the technical requirements of the theater and TV studio lighting control system, we recommend taking the following important measures in the system design.

1. Network dual-machine hot backup

The main equipment of the system (such as dimming consoles, dimming cabinets, etc.) adopts products with advanced functions of network dual-machine hot backup control or dual-machine hot backup triggering to ensure the absolute reliability of the system's lighting control during studio activities.

2. Fiber optic trunk line

Optical fiber is used as the main line to transmit control, monitoring and feedback information between the main equipment in the theater and studio, between each studio in the same subnet, and between each subnet and the main control room. Optical fiber has the following advantages: good electromagnetic insulation performance; no outward radiation of signals; suitable for long-distance information transmission and occasions requiring high security; optical fiber transmission signal attenuation is small: data transmission is safer and more reliable. Optical fiber has a wide frequency band and a data transmission capacity of up to 1000 megabits, which can ensure the smooth flow of data information highways; optical fiber communication is a very mature and advanced technology, and optical fiber communication equipment is easier to repair and maintain; optical fiber connectors are superior to other forms of interfaces in terms of corrosion resistance and anti-falling. Optical fiber has a wide range of ambient temperature, is little affected by changes in temperature and seasons, and has a long service life. Therefore, the transmission solution using optical fiber as the main line provides a strong guarantee for the reliability of the lighting control system in theaters and TV studios.

3. Multiple signal interfaces:

All fixed dimming cabinets or mobile dimming silicon boxes have DMX signal interfaces, RJ45 network interfaces and SC multi-mode optical fiber network interfaces, allowing multiple control signals to be connected at the same time. In other words, in addition to receiving the main control DMX signal of this control room, it can also receive the DMX signal from the auxiliary control, backup or central monitoring network of other control rooms. The system can be very conveniently controlled by various hot backup, long-distance, multi-directional and centralized control methods according to the needs of the program to ensure that the program broadcasting activities are foolproof.

4. Dimmer electrical parameter feedback function:

All fixed dimming cabinets or mobile dimming silicon boxes have the function of feedback of electrical parameters. Through software and authorization password, the working status of each silicon block module in each cabinet or mobile dimming silicon box can be monitored at any location on the lighting control network: such as open circuit, short circuit, load, temperature, current and other states and set them. It has an automatic alarm function to guide maintenance personnel to quickly eliminate faults.

5. All equipment feedback control status function

All lighting-related devices in the system have feedback control status function. All devices in the dimming system can be monitored and set at any location on the lighting control network. When a device fails (such as a DMX node not working), an alarm will be triggered immediately. This will guide operators to deal with the fault in time before an accident occurs.

6. UPS delayed power supply

All control consoles and major networks in the system are powered by standby UPS with delayed power supply, which can ensure the system's high anti-interference ability and protect control data during power outages.

7. Compatible with all brands of equipment

The system will be equipped with a DMX network input/output interface to be compatible with all brands of new and old equipment such as dimming consoles and silicon boxes.

8. Function of saving scenes

The dimming cabinet has the function of saving scenes. In the event of a sudden failure of the controller, it can maintain the lighting status of at least the last scene to ensure program recording.

9. Other requirements:

All input and output (I2C) interfaces of dimming consoles have photoelectric isolation protection function, and all circuit boards of dimming consoles and dimming cabinets are produced by surface mount technology (SMT). Various signal interfaces adopt high-quality military products and have hot-swap function.

2. A system with high-tech management level

The design not only fulfills the fundamental task of "ensuring the reliability of lighting control operations for studio activities", but also utilizes the powerful functions and advancement of lighting network technology to make the lighting control system for theaters and TV studios an intelligent, networked and continuously upgradeable model system in the industry.

In view of the specific needs of theater and TV studio lighting control systems in terms of technical management, business management and safe electricity management, we connect the lighting control systems of multiple studios and theaters into several control subnets according to their functions and regions, set up a central monitoring room, use optical fiber as the network backbone, and use network equipment such as optical fiber switches and routers to connect each subnet, thus forming a "theater and TV studio lighting control all-fiber Ethernet network system."

The "Lighting Control Network System Integrated Management Software" is designed for theaters and TV studios according to the specific needs of different projects. Its purpose is to enable the system to provide lighting technicians and managers with very rich value-added services in terms of technical management, business management and safe power management of the studio. The following are some of the main functions of the "Lighting Control Network System Integrated Management Software".

1. Comprehensive monitoring of dimmer electrical parameters Dimmer Information:

Monitor and process the real-time and historical data of the electrical parameters (such as current, voltage, temperature and switching value, etc.) of each circuit light in all network dimmers in the system. Report errors in real time or generate a series of technical analysis charts or technical reports, such as the use of a certain lamp position in a year, the actual average service life of a certain type of bulb, the power consumption of a certain performance, etc.

2. Comprehensive monitoring and management of dimming console Video Link:

The system allows the operator to easily understand the real-time operation of all dimming consoles in the network. This includes the operator's personal information, scene, preview, group, centralized control, effect, current light wheel position, user input commands, etc. The changes in the operation interface of any dimming console can be monitored in real time on multiple PCs. All these on-site dimming consoles and operator-related operation technical data are recorded in the dimming console operation database of the system monitoring server, which is an important technical historical data for TV studios and theaters. By processing these operation technical data through software, a series of technical analysis charts or technical reports can be generated, such as the use analysis of a dimming console in a studio within one year; the operation process of a certain performance can be replayed, from which the operation habits of a certain lighting engineer can be analyzed; after a performance accident occurs, the dimming console operation database can also be analyzed to obtain technical conclusions such as whether the accident is related to improper operation, etc. ...

3. Offline Edict Software:

The dimming console offline editing system is a multifunctional dedicated control and monitoring software. It has the same operating interface as the real dimming console, supports Chinese and English operating interfaces, and can be implemented on multiple ordinary desktop or portable computers. It can be used simultaneously in different studios and mainly realizes the following functions:
It can be used as an actual, independent, portable dimming console (main dimming console)
It can be used as a network backup dimming console for the main dimming console to achieve "full tracking hot backup"
It can be very convenient to achieve multiple control methods such as centralized, multi-directional and remote control
The field control data edited offline (in the office or at home) can be transmitted to the dimming console through the network: including field, centralized control, group, effect, wiring, dimming curve, etc.
The status of the network dimming cabinet (Dimmer Information) can be monitored in real time: including port status, total current, total voltage, error alarm, current, switch, temperature and brightness of each channel.

4. Lighting effect design software WYSIYYG "Wyss":

The most typical lighting effect design software at present is the WYSIYYG "Weiss" (What You See Is What you Get) software from Canada's CAST company. "Weiss" is suitable for lighting design, lighting director, and lighting control in theaters, TV stations, dance halls and other places. Designers can use "Weiss" to design lighting diagrams and generate all the required wiring diagrams, lighting schemes, and color schemes. "Weiss" has preview and rendering functions and has layer settings and scene layout design functions. It has multiple libraries: conventional lamps, various types of sports lights, various types of light poles, hangers, colors, patterns, performers, structures, and can be updated and downloaded at any time. It can also introduce other lighting equipment libraries or custom lighting equipment. "Weiss" provides design document reports and related data statistics to provide data for installation. "Weiss" modules and dimming consoles can be connected via two-way Ethernet communication. It has a field editor function, which is achieved by recording lighting elements and lighting appearances or in different combinations or by selecting light paths and allocating light brightness. "Weiss" can also support real-time monitoring of the lighting field during execution, which can be displayed using 3D or 2D graphics. The famous Registered Partner Developer Program (RWD) of CAST's WYSIYYG software is an important measure for its global promotion. At present, 13 well-known dimming console manufacturers in the world have participated in the RWD program. These companies include Compulite (Israel), ETC (USA), Flying Pig (Europe), HDL (China), High End (USA) and Strand (UK). WYSIWYG software can be directly installed on network dimming consoles and offline editors produced by all RWD program manufacturers, and realize seamless connection with WYSIWYG console software, thereby realizing the integration of design and control.

5.Dimming network equipment management system:

By using the dimming network equipment management system, managers can set the working parameters of all lighting equipment (including: DMX nodes, network power distribution cabinets, network dimming cabinets, network dimming consoles, network workstations, network cameras, etc.) on the network (without going to the equipment site), such as IP address, DMX address, lighting circuit preheating value, dimming curve settings, etc. It is also possible to arrange the use schedule of multiple studios on the computer to effectively control the work of all network DMX nodes and prevent certain unauthorized use from occurring. It is also possible to monitor all equipment in the dimming system in real time. If any equipment fails, the system will issue an alarm.

6.Multimedia monitoring and command system:

The multimedia monitoring and command system uses the sufficient bandwidth information channel provided by the fiber optic network. Several network cameras can be used in each subnet. With the monitoring software, managers can monitor the video images of multiple key work locations (such as dimmer rooms, equipment floors, audience areas, stage areas and other key areas) at a glance at any location in the network, realizing a "full closed-loop" lighting control method.

The audio intercom system can also be connected to the fiber optic network to realize network-based command and dispatch of television broadcasting activities.

7. Lighting equipment use file management system:

The lighting equipment usage file management system is used to manage the usage of all devices in the network. It runs on a general desktop or portable computer and uses Windows as the operating system. It has the following functions:

Save and manage the purchase information, manufacturer information, warranty status, etc. of all devices.
Record the maintenance history of each device.
Record the start time, shutdown time, operator, etc. of each device in real time.
Automatically record the error history of each device.
Can print out all the above information.

8. Lighting network system safe power management system

Safety power management is an important part of the lighting control system management. In this solution, the safety power management of the lighting control system mainly uses the optical fiber network to monitor the important parameters of safety power in the dimming cabinets, power distribution cabinets and equipment rooms of each studio. When an abnormal situation is found, the monitoring equipment will automatically alarm and guide the on-duty personnel to quickly deal with the accident.

This network control system also prepares authorized data interfaces for the security and fire management departments of theaters and TV stations. All security data about the lighting control system generated by this system will serve as important reference materials for the management departments.

All selected dimming cabinets are equipped with a complete electrical parameter network feedback function, which can easily feedback the electrical parameters of each circuit light in the dimmer (such as current, voltage, temperature and switching value, etc.) to the safe power network monitoring and management system in real time.

An optional dedicated safety monitoring network interface can be used to feed back important parameters such as the on/off status of the distribution switch, three-phase voltage, three-phase current, neutral line current, contact temperature, distribution cabinet temperature, temperature in each machine room, infrared fire alarm probe, etc. to the safety power network monitoring and management system through the optical fiber network.

3. A system synchronized with international standards

The lighting control network solution mainly implements the DMX-512 standard protocol and the lighting network standard protocol in terms of control signal standards (it is recommended to use the ACN standard of the American ESTA organization and the European Art Net standard). That is to say, the main lighting equipment (such as dimming consoles and dimmers) selected in this system has both DMX and ACN (or Art Net) standard network interfaces. The DMX-512 standard protocol mainly ensures the stable and reliable transmission of control signals between lighting equipment, while the ACN and Art Net standard protocols are to stably and reliably transmit a large number of other monitoring, mutual communication and feedback TCP/IP protocol signals in the system in a bidirectional manner on the premise of ensuring the stable and reliable transmission of control signals. It allows lighting control equipment from different manufacturers to communicate and operate with each other. It will play an extremely important role in the technical management, business management and power safety management of the lighting system.

4. Create a lighting control system with a new form of cooperation between manufacturers and users and sustainable development

The design is committed to designing the lighting control system of theaters and TV studios into a model system that can be continuously upgraded. The all-fiber network cabling system creates a gigabit information highway platform for the lighting control system of theaters and TV studios, which will keep the network foundation of the lighting control system advanced for a long period of time.

In recent years, new lighting-related equipment with TCP/IP network interfaces (such as network computer lights, network dimmers, network distribution cabinets, network cameras, etc.) have been emerging. In the future, theater and TV station managers will propose expansion, addition or improvement of system functions based on new management needs and the development of new lighting equipment (such as a certain management and monitoring interface is not programmed in accordance with actual needs, making the use of the equipment inconvenient).

In order to continuously meet the new needs of users, if the network structure of the control system remains unchanged, the manufacturer will improve certain equipment in the system (most of which will be modifications to software functions). The manufacturer will regard these services as normal after-sales services.

In traditional DMX studio wiring systems, the only requirement of users for the system is to stably and reliably transmit the lighting control DMX signal. As long as the equipment is used normally, users rarely propose improvements to existing equipment.

In the future theater and TV studio lighting control network system, users and manufacturers will be in a new interactive relationship. In addition to the basic requirement of ensuring that their equipment can operate safely and reliably, users will continue to propose new value-added services for the system in response to new management requirements. In order to meet these new value-added services, manufacturers will continue to extend their services. This close cooperation process creates a new cooperative relationship between manufacturers and users, which will promote the theater and TV studio lighting control system to become a system that can be continuously developed, upgraded and improved.

Conclusion: As we all know, in recent years, the world has experienced the process of analog mobile phone systems changing to digital network mobile phone systems. In this process of change, mobile users' requirements for mobile systems have gradually increased from just stable and reliable transmission of high-quality call signals to new value-added services brought about by mobile system networking, including SMS, MMS, email, web browsing and online banking. It is this new interactive cooperation form in which mobile users constantly put forward new value-added service requirements and mobile communication manufacturers constantly improve systems and launch new product series to meet users' new service requirements. It is this interactive game of chasing between manufacturers and users! It has promoted this huge technological revolution in the mobile communication industry.

Similar to the situation of mobile communication, the application of network lighting control system is creating a new cooperative relationship between manufacturers and users. This new form of cooperation between manufacturers and users in the lighting control industry will also promote a huge technological revolution in this industry!