Hey folks!
I just wanted to take a moment to share a simple solution to a problem I addressed recently with my home lasering environment. While waiting for DZ and EKeefe's awesome Advanced Laser Router to be finalized, I went ahead and ordered some parts to build something to address my DMX controlled ILDA routing needs that was extremely 'quick and dirty' in comparison.
As background, I currently use LSX for my main lasing needs. LSX like most LDS (Laser Design Studio) derivatives is limited to controlling a maximum of 8 DACs at any one time via 8 timelines. For most people this limitation is more than adequate, but I got overly excited and started building more and more projectors to incorporate into my environment. My control solution (other than harassing DrLava to add additional DAC capabilities) was to take off the shelf parts and make them into a simple DMX controlled router. Hence the Stupid Laser Router (SLR) was born.
The SLR is simply a bunch of cheap DMX controlled relay boards that route ILDA input signals to two or more ILDA outputs.
I took two approaches, the first two models take one ILDA input and distribute it in an AND/OR fashion to four outputs. The dumber-er version was even simpler - taking three inputs and distributing them to two outputs each using OR logic. The end result is three SLRs that allow me to control up to fourteen projectors with five DACs, although I'm currently using them to control ten projectors with five DACs with three more DACs that are directly connected to individual projectors for a total of thirteen projectors currently mounted/controlled.
Here are some pics. "She ain't pretty, but she's cheap!"
The internals should make those of you with OCD a little mental! Just to make it worse, take a look at the mess that is my main signaling control closet:
Anyway, what these simple devices do successfully is route an ILDA signal to the first output regardless of whether it has DMX connected or even power as that's hooked up directly to the relay's off position. This allowed me to not make any changes or add DMX controls to get my older 8 projector shows to work as they did before. Safety features are generally non-existent with shutter controls and interlocks soldered to all outputs. (By the way, thanks to EKeefe for his guidance during my build.)
All in all, the SLRs are working well. They are nothing compared to the beauty and sophistication that is my EK-DZ Advanced Laser Router, but they are getting the job done for the moment. As proof (and for fun), here is a reworked show with 8 DACs controlling 12 projectors with several switches during the show. (Sorry for those of you who either hate Pink Floyd or are about to say how much better the version you saw from some pro was! )
-David