How to use the computer light console

How to use the computer light console

Different computer light manufacturers have computer light controllers for their own brand of computer lights. These controllers are difficult to control computer lights of other brands. Although computer lights all accept DMX512 international standard signals, they cannot achieve universal purposes.

PULSAR108 controller is a computer controller produced by British company Pulsar. It can output 0-10V signal, RS232 signal and DMX512 signal, and has 108 output channels. It can memorize 216 scenes SCENE, 54 scene running lights, and 6 environment running lights CHASE ENVIRONMENT. The controller is equipped with a magnetic card recording interface, which can be used to store lighting programs. PULSAR108 controller can output 108 independent channels, and each channel can control a channel of a digital device that accepts DMX512 signals. In other words, no matter what brand of computer light or digital silicon box it is, as long as it accepts DMX512 signals, PULSAR108 controller can control it. For example, if there is a 14-channel computer light, it will occupy 14 channels on the console. The specific 14 channels will depend on the address code of the computer light. Find the channel with the same address code on the console. From this channel, the next 14 channels are all the channels of this computer light. Because PULSAR108 has only 108 channels, the address code of the computer light cannot exceed this range. From the above, it can be seen that PULSAR108 has realized the universality of standard signals.

Next, let's take a brief look at the programming of the PULSAR108 console. Let's look at its programming steps first. First, memorize the lighting effect as a SCENE scene. You can divide the required lighting effect into several scenes and memorize them separately. Then, store the scenes in the CHASE scene chase lights in order. In this way, a simple lighting program is completed. The light path, scene and scene chase lights can form 48 ENVIRONMENT environments, and 6 environment chase lights can be connected to any 48 environments as chase light programs. Now make a simple CHASE scene chase, memorize the required SCENE scene, make the computer light into the desired effect, press SAVE OUTPUT SCENEPAD memory scene key, select a page in the scene page S1-S3, and select a key from the 18 KRYBOARD PADS numeric keyboard as the position of this lighting effect. This completes the memory of a scene. In the same way, all the required lighting effects can be memorized as scenes one by one. With a scene, you can memorize the CHASE scene chase. Press the PROGRAM CHASE SEQUENCE PAD memory scene chase key, select any page in the scene chase page C1-C3, select a position from the 18 numeric keyboards, find the scene page where the lighting effect is stored, and press the numeric keys for the storage of the lighting effect position in sequence. Now the scene has been stored in the scene chase. Finally, press the PROGRAM CHASE SEQUENCE PAD memory scene chase key to end editing the scene chase. Call out the chase program and you can see that the lighting effect will change in the arranged order. The speed and smoothness of the chase can be adjusted by using the SPEED fader and the SLOPE fader. The PULSAR108 console also has a four-digit password to prevent non-professionals from operating it. If the program is lost, the lighting program can be copied to the console via a magnetic card, but its output channels are too few, only 108 channels, and 14 channels of computer lights can control 7 units. Many large-scale performances often use hundreds of computer lights at a time, so a computer console with more output channels, more convenient use, and more powerful functions is needed.


A computer console called AZURE2000 (Azure 2000) from the British Aifuli Company can output four standard DMX512 signals, with up to 2048 output channels, and can control 200 computer lights and 200 dimming channels. There are 10 replay faders, 40 replay buttons, and 500 scenes or chases can be memorized, and the memory of chase steps is not limited by the console memory. The console can run 20 scenes or chases at the same time. It is equipped with a 3.5-inch floppy disk drive to store or load lighting programs, and can also perform software installation and console upgrade operations. The console is equipped with a VGA interface for external display, from which the current operation status, various output parameter system menus, etc. can be viewed.
First, let's take a look at the operation interface and display interface of AZURE2000. The operation interface is divided into two areas, blue and gray. The blue area has a system menu key area, which has a numeric keypad and 7 [AG] buttons corresponding to the system menu. The device selection area has 1-20 buttons to select the corresponding dimming channel or computer light. The control mode area can make the console enter different operation modes. The computer light function selection area can select the function of the computer light. The gray area is mainly the replay button and replay fader, chase light control and environment control, etc. The specific content of the menu can be seen from the lower left of the display screen. The lower right of the display screen shows the content controlled by the two data wheels A and B and the running status of the chase light, etc. The [ON SCREEN] key in different areas can expand different display interfaces, such as: light path output, scene and chase light page, etc. You can get operation prompts in the information window at the bottom of the display.

AZURE2000 can control all computer lights that accept DMX512 digital signals. Before controlling computer lights, you must first set up the console. Generally, there are two methods. First, set up the console first, and then set the address code for the computer lights according to the console settings; second, set the address code of the computer lights first, and then set up the console according to the address code of the computer lights. When setting up the console, you need to have the program files of the relevant computer lights. Generally, computer lights can be found in the light library that comes with AZURE2000. If there is no model of computer lights you need, you can download the program files of the lights from the Internet.

It is best to do a machine clearing operation before setting up. Select SUPERVISOR management mode in the console mode selection area, select WIPEAL clearing in the system menu, and press the "F" button in the keypad area. The system will prompt whether to perform the machine clearing operation, and then press the "F" button to complete the operation.

Enter the PROGRAM editing mode of the console, and then you can set the console. Select the PATCH setting button in the blue area, and the DIMMER and FIXTURE buttons next to it will flash at the same time, prompting you to set the dimming channel or the computer light channel. At the same time, the display will show the output of the current DMX link, and the menu area in the lower left corner of the display will also show the operation options. Here you can also select the DIMMER OR FIXTURE channel, and you can also select the DMX link output. There are four channels, ABCD, to choose from. It should be noted that when connecting the equipment, it must correspond to the selected link. Select the FIXTURE button, the console will read the light library data in the floppy drive, and all the brands of computer lights will be displayed on the screen. Select the corresponding brand and press ENTER to enter. At this time, all the models of computer lights of this brand will be displayed. Select the correct model and press the ENTER button. After the console reads the file of the computer light, the menu area of ​​the display will display YES or NO. Press the A button (YES), and the display will display the DMX link output status again. In the information window at the bottom of the display, you will be prompted to set the computer light in the position of the DMX link. Enter the address code of the computer light that has been programmed in advance on the small keyboard, or use the default value. Select a preset page in the device selection area and select a position from the 20 preset positions. At this time, you will see that the DMX link output has the same number of DMX output channels as the computer light channels. Now the setting of one computer light has been completed. If you want to set multiple computer lights of the same model, press and hold the first and last buttons of the preset position at the same time to set the selected area to the computer light of this model. The same method can be used to set other computer lights. Finally, press EXIT to exit the setting operation.