Report from the Field

The Enttec Datagates were the backbone of data distribution for the Telecom Christmas Tree. They were easily configured to listen to ARTNET from the GrandMA and a pixelmapped Arkaos DMX media server.

To test and fault find on the system we used one of my favourite lighting control consoles in the world ... The Color Kinetics Color Dial.

This one knob controller spits out 60 addresses of RGB Color cycling DMX. Since that isn't nearly sufficient to cope with the thousands of channels in the Tree system the datagates stepped in with a perfect solution.
First the DMX from the ColorDial was converted to Artnet, then by duplicating the first 50 addresses from that universe twice more and offsetting them to start at DMX 151 & 301 we then had enough RGB channels in one universes for simple rainbow effects.

The final step was taking the full test universe we had created and copying it to all the DMX outputs going to the lighting system.

This was so simple to control ... Children could come to the Chistmas Tree & operate it.

--David Eversfield, Lighting Designer

Project Specifics

What: A Christmas Tree lit up in LEDs requiring 18,000 control channels
Where: Located in Victoria Park, Auckland, NZ.
Who: Sponsored by Telecom, Designed by David Eversfield and installed by OpticShock
When: December 2008
How: Enttec Datagates (and other items described below)

Beauty abounds in color

Telecom Christmas Tree Details

• Control via GrandMA and Arkaos DMX
• 18000 control channels over 36 universes of DMX-ARTNET
• DMX Output by 5 x Enttec Datagates
• 120 x Color Kinetics SLX Strings
• (4500 LED Lights on the Tree, 1250 LED Lights on the Star)
• 33,600 x Fairylights
• 27m Tall
• Components Manufactured Assembled, Installed & Programmed in 14 days
  
  
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