The new Class 5 SmartMotor DMX Guide is now available for download from the Moog Animatics website at: http://tinyurl.com/animatics-DMX-Users-Guide.
This manual explains the Moog Animatics Class 5 SmartMotor support for the Digital MultipleX (DMX) communications protocol. It describes the major concepts that must be understood to integrate a SmartMotor as a DMX slave device.
Each SmartMotor may use from one to the full 512 channels of DMX data in a given DMX universe (network). Standard, free, open-source DMX software works with the SmartMotors through USB to RS-485 adapters based on the FTDI chip set. This means that no custom hardware is required.
DMX data may be used for:
- Motion data, such as position, velocity and acceleration
- Subroutine calls, such as home routines or preset move patterns
- Changes in modes of operation.
Additionally, multiple 8-bit channels of data may be summed together to form higher-resolution data packets.
Examples are provided in the manual for accessing and using various motion modes through DMX to operate the SmartMotor. All SmartMotor programming features and extended modes of operation are still retained.
"The most unique feature of the DMX-capable SmartMotor is that it maintains its peer-to-peer communications - its ability to communicate with other SmartMotors and share resources - using Moog Animatics' Combitronic technology," said a company spokesperson. "Each SmartMotor connected to the same network communicates on an equal footing, sharing all information and, therefore, sharing all processing resources.
"When a Combitronic network is used in parallel with a DMX network, you can:
- Avoid the cost of repeaters.
- Gain bidirectional, end-to-end connectivity within the Combitronic network of motors. There are no other motors on the market that can talk to each other on a side bus while being a slave to the DMX host controller.
- Compute or synchronize motion between motors within the same Combitronic network. For example, DMX values (from the host controller) could be used to adjust amplitude and frequency of SmartMotor Cam tables for an electronic camming or gearing application that controls the motion pattern of a bank of stage lights.
"In short, DMX-equipped SmartMotors retain all the features and benefits of the standard Class 5 SmartMotor, including features like electronic camming, gearing and Combitronic support."
For more information contact:
Moog Animatics
1421 McCarthy Boulevard
Milpitas, CA 95035
408-965-3320
sales@animatics.com
www.animatics.com