ILDA IN, ILDA out

[laserLips]

I've seen some lasers with ILDA in AND out. Is this for daisy chaining? How can I implement it?

I've also been looking at software but I cant get it clear in my head which does what...FB3 with easyLase || Cypher light USB Whast the difference?

Graham

[sonaluma]

Hi Graham,

The ILDA in/out connectors are usually just wired in parallel inside the projector (though it would be nice if the ''out'' connector was appropriately buffered).

Since the ILDA cable carries (mostly) analog signals from the DAC to the projector, you can use the usual straight-through cable to connect the ILDA out from the first projector (being driven by DAC) to the ILDA in of another projector to ''daisy-chain'' as you suggest, and they will receive the same signals (subject to impedance of first projector input stage, any long cable runs, etc).

Kind regards,

sonaluma

[buffo]

I've also been looking at software but I cant get it clear in my head which does what...FB3 with easyLase || Cypher light USB Whast the difference?

Hi Graham;

First things first: I want to be sure you understand the difference between a controller (the hardware that connects your projector to your computer) and the software on your computer that you use to create shows. The software also sends the data to the controller to play the show. Often times the hardware and software are sold as a set, but sometimes a given controller will work with more than one type of software.

The FB3 is a controller from Pangolin. It comes with the LA Studio software suite, which includes a live player, a frame file editor, a show editor, a text effects generator, an abstract generator, and lots of extras. The FB3 will ONLY work with the software that comes with it, however. Total price for hardware and software is $500 if you opt for the "LA FREAK" package (which is designed for hobbyists and does not have the DMX daughter board), or $595 for the "FB3 evaluation kit", which includes the DMX daughterboard.

The Easylase USB is a controller from MediaLas. It will work with several different software packages, including Mamba, Mamba Black, and Laser Design Studio (LDS). However, you have to buy the software separately. The controller itself costs around $400, and the software will cost you another $400. (Mamba Black is a very popular software choice with this controller.) While it doesn't have as many features as the LA Studio software suite does, some people prefer the interface of the Mamba Black software.

Cypherlite is a software product that Pangolin has licensed to Neo-Neon. (Also known as Neo-Lasers; they're a Chinese company that sells laser projectors.) The software works with the FB3 controller, and it does basically the same thing as the LA Studio software. There are a few extra features that are included because of the unique design of the Neo-Neon projectors (diffraction gratings, lumina wheels, that sort of thing). You can only get the software from Neo-Neon. If you're planning to build your own projector from scratch, you'd be better off buying the FB3 direct from Pangolin. (Get the "LA FREAK" version; you won't need the DMX daughter board unless you plan to use an external DMX lighting board to control the FB3 instead of a computer.)

In my opinion, the FB3 controller is superior to the Easylase. I've seen them both in operation, and the difference is noticable. I also feel that the software suite that comes with the FB3 is more complete than Mamba Black or LDS. Finally, the FB3 package is cheaper! Personally, I think it's the best value on the market today.

Adam

EDIT: PS - I would add a red laser next, for two reasons... One, it's cheaper, and since you're just starting out (and have to buy EVERYTHING) it's easier to afford a red laser than a blue one. Two, by adding red you can mix it with your green and get yellow, so you'll have three very different colors available. On the other hand, adding blue to green only gives you a teal or turquoise color, which really isn't all that different from either blue or green.

[allthatwhichis]

What he said...

[Pangolin]

Hi LaserLips,

You have probably seen The ILDA In and Out on the Cypher LivePRO Remote from NEO-NEON. Inside that box they have an FB3 and a special board that NEO-NEON made. They call it a "switch board". What it does is allow the FB3 (that's inside their box) to drive the ILDA Output connector as long as no signals are coming into the ILDA Input connector. They also have this same switch board inside some of their projectors.

This "switch board" adds an extra level of convenience for NEO-NEON users because they could use the build-in laser controller (our FB3) or some external ILDA-based laser control software.

For most laser enthusiasts, the switch board is not of value, since they would only have a single laser control hardware/software solution.

Also, one thing that hasn't been discussed in this thread is projected image quality. When comparing the two controllers mentioned above, there might be more to your decision than merely what software is used. Maybe Buffo and others can comment on the projected image quality difference seen on various pieces of hardware and software at past Photon Lexicon events so it won't seem like the author of one controller is putting down the author of another's controller...

Best regards,

William Benner

[buffo]

Also, one thing that hasn't been discussed in this thread is projected image quality. When comparing the two controllers mentioned above, there might be more to your decision than merely what software is used. Maybe Buffo and others can comment on the projected image quality difference seen on various pieces of hardware and software at past Photon Lexicon events

Actually, I did mention it briefly near the end of my post:

In my opinion, the FB3 controller is superior to the Easylase. I've seen them both in operation, and the difference is noticable.

However, to elaborate, at the original FLEM back in January of this year, we got a chance to view several controllers side-by-side. One thing was immediately clear: the Pangolin controller was *vastly* superior to anything else we had there. Fred Blockland was so dissapointed with his Easylase USB controller that he purchased a QM-2000 the next week! (His words were, "I feel like taking a hammer to my easylase controller now.") Aaron followed suit about 3 weeks later.

If you're interested in the details of this, have a look in this thread. Scroll down to around post # 150 or so and start reading. (I think it's around page 4 or so - it's a long thread!) That should be about where we start talking about what happened at the event. I've got a post in there (156, I think) that talks some more about the problems too.

I think it's important to mention that prior to FLEM, Bill had tried to explain to several of us just how much better the Pangolin controller was to the others on the market. Some of us (myself included) had a hard time believing him. He simply said that "the proof of the pudding is in the eating." Now, that sounds very pat, but I have to admit that he was right. Once we saw the controller in operation it was obvious that the Pangolin hardware *is* superior.

Some of us were put off by Pangolin's high price tag, myself included. To a hobbyist, it's hard to justify spending that much. But I hadn't actually seen a Pangolin controller in operation, nor did I have an appreciation for all the extras that come with the package. Now that I have seen it, I'll admit that I was wrong. Pangolin really is the cat's meow, and in my opinion it's worth the money.

Recently, there has been a lot of talk about the FB3. I was not aware of this controller back in January, even though it's been available for a couple years already. At FLEM, Bill mentioned that he was working on a special package that would be aimed at the hobbyist community that would include this controller and some really great software. This eventually became the "LA FREAK" package.

When Bill mentioned that it would sell for $500, I actually laughed in his face because I thought he was kidding. After all, that was $300 cheaper than the Mamba Black - Easylase combination, which is what several of us (including Fred) were running at the time. It was also a third of the cost of the LD-2000 intro package. But Bill assured us that the price was correct.

When people started buying this LA FREAK package, and the price was verified at $500, I realized that I had seriously underestimated Bill. He's come up with a dynamite product at a nearly unbeatable price point. So if I sound like a cheerleader for Pangolin, it's not because I'm a shill. Rather, it's because I was once a vehement detractor of Pangolin, and have since been convinced by the quality of their engineering and the value they offer. And I'm a skeptic; I'm not easily swayed.

Adam

[laserLips]

No further question

[buffo]

Sorry about that... I suffer from terminal verbal diarrhea!

Adam

[laserLips]

It's ok when it contains lots of usefull information rather than chopped carrots and bile.

Edit::
Sorry I thought you said vomit...

swap carrot with sweet corn

[buffo]

Ewwww!

Ok - now I'm sorry I mentioned it. (We've all seen the corn shit, haven't we?) Bleah!

Adam