Grand MA Catalyst and Artnet

[jasonrudolph]

As I understand the Grandma can link through artnet to the catalyst in version v4.

I am going to be using a couple of NSPs and consoles linked together as well as 3 catalyst's link through Artnet.

You might want to check with MA about this..... The NSPs run on MAnet, which must be a 100baseT line, while artnet runs at 10baseT. Unless you have two seperate ethernet outputs on the GrandMA (which some of the newer ones do) you might have problems with this.

[samsc]

an ethernet switch which can handle 10BT and 100BT will take care of any ethernet speed changes required between computers and artnet boxes, or down any backbone link.

http://www.netgear.com/products/busi..._switch_sb.php

I run artnet at Gigibit ethernet or over airport to a switch.
it also runs over fibre.

only the connection between the artnet box and final switch needs to run at 10BT.


i dont know anything about specific protocol issues with grandma desks.


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for example you can use a g5 with gigabit ethernet turned on for say - file sharing - and use artnet at gigabit ethernet speeds down the same link - as long as you use an ethernet switch which will convert ethernet to 10BT to connect to the artnet box.
Ethernet switches will try to maintain the full speeds of all the connections. they have buffers.
they also have routing tables to route data only to devices that that are active down a link.

[Stiney3]

That sounds right. I have used a grandma with a NSP and artnet before. The switch changed the speed to a 10baseT for the Artnet box but left the rest of the net work running at a 100baseT.

[jasonrudolph]

I guess it depends on the size of your show. I have had significant problems trying to do this on shows in the past. It wasn't an issue of 10 vs 100, I know that switches take care of this. It was the fact that the GrandMA only had one ethernet port, and talkign to the NSPs and Artnet at the same time became an issue. Of course, for me sometimes just NSPs even slow down significantly due to the sheer amount of traffic on the line. Your mileage may vary, this is just what I have experienced in the past.
Besides the fact that once your show reaches a certain size, you cannot use the artnet output or built in DMX ports on the GMA, and have to use NSPs.

[Mr_P]

I just had GrandMA and catalyst running in my office for training yesterday... (and connected to the internet....)

GrandMA was set to default IP address = 192.168.0.49

I have a DCHP server which gives out address range 2.0.0.2 - 2.0.0.100 subnet 255.0.0.0 - and catalyst mac was set to auto

Patched the corrected version of the Catv3 profile in the GrandMA (download it from the MA user forum... the one on the desk was wrong. I will post the best one here later... might re-write it too)

Everything was connected via gigabit switches - dont worry about the 10baseT speed of artnet - switches sort it out - its not an issue!

Checked Catalyst Artnet viewer HUD - and my input was there! - simple. Patch the layers to the universe that the artnet from your Grand MA appears...(in blue when you change the value)

Note: - Artnet boxes and catalyst doesnt always appear in the GrandMA search screen... However - If you enter the information manually on the GrandMA DMX slot - i.e subnet 0 universe 1 - then it will work.

Im a little confused how GrandMA was able to communicate - especially as the IP addresses were in different ranges - MA = 192.. and Cat and the rest of the network = 2.. but it did. Any suggestions to explain this would be apriciated!....

However - hope this helps to show that it IS possible - with no extra artnet or DMX hardware required. Just a switch and 2 x RJ45 cables

S

[Stiney3]

From what I understand from talking to ACT lighting, HES, and our companies network tech is that the MAnet and Artnet are two different protocols that are running down the same line. Just like a server at a business.

Now this is were I could be wrong... but I believe the Grandma is outputting the two different protocols with separate I.P. addresses. But, as I said, that is my feeble mind coming up with that hypothesis.

[samsc]

Im a little confused how GrandMA was able to communicate - especially as the IP addresses were in different ranges - MA = 192.. and Cat and the rest of the network = 2.. but it did. Any suggestions to explain this would be apriciated!....
S

artnet can be set to use either a specific ip address, or a broadcast address,

broadcast addresses can also have sub nodes - such as 2.255.255.255 which only goes to devices using 2.x.x.x addresses.


if the grandma broadcasts its data using a target of 255.255.255.255 then any device on the network can read the data -

if the grandma broadcasts it data using a target of 2.255.255.255 then only devices using 2.x.x.x address can read the data.

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Catalyst normally outputs artnet data using a broadcast address of 255.255.255.255.

it can be set to poll the devices to get static addresses of the artnet nodes, in which case it broadcasts directly to the device address.
using static addresses helps routers in large networks.
as the artnet data will be filtered by the network switches and only sent to specific devices.

for example using routable static artnet - if i have two artnet boxes connected to an ethernet switch- i send data to box boxes using their exact address. the ethernet switch will work some magic, and send only the network data for each specific device to the box.

this capability means that you can dramatically increase the capacity of a network to get more output universes without getting network bottlenecks from the 10BT capacity of artnet boxes.
This was the scheme used on the Wynn hotel.
The network backbone was fibre based- to get low latency output.
each artnet box connected through a switch.

[jasonrudolph]

Im a little confused how GrandMA was able to communicate - especially as the IP addresses were in different ranges - MA = 192.. and Cat and the rest of the network = 2.. but it did. Any suggestions to explain this would be apriciated!....
S

On the GrandMA you can't actually set the IP address for artnet output, it is automatically 2.something (I forget). The IP address you set on the board is for MAnet only, and for talking to MAvideo, etc.

Jason

[samsc]

On the GrandMA you can't actually set the IP address for artnet output, it is automatically 2.something (I forget). The IP address you set on the board is for MAnet only, and for talking to MAvideo, etc.

Jason

if its automatically 2.x.x.x

then you need to set the macintosh to be on 2.x.x.x

[Mr_P]

This all makes sense now.... (I think)

Catalyst, MA3D Visualiser and a PC running MA 'On PC' were set to pick up a DHCP address in the range of 2.x.x.x. (actually with subnet 255.255.255.0 - due to linksys router limitation) The MA board was plugged in to the same network (obviously). However, the PCs MA3D visualiser running 'On PC' could not communicate with the real board via the MA protocol, because the PC IP address was 2.x.x.x and GrandMA protocol works on 192.168.0.x.

However, when the IP address of the MA3D Visualiser and MA 'On PC' was changed to 192.168.0.x it was able to communicate with the board, and the board was still able to communicate with the Mac running catalyst (2.x.x.x).

So - the IP address configuration on the board refers to the MA protocol ONLY(192.168.0.x) - not artnet! (which is not obvious at first! and not explained in any manual.) The bit of the desk that produces artnet is set internally to the address range of 2.x.x.x and is not configurable (as it says on the desk's artnet screen).

Does the desk use two IP addresses, as suggested, - one for each protocol, rather than using a 255.255.255.255 broadcast message? Will see if someone from MA can confirm this...

either way - it does comunicate with Catalyst in the 2.x.x.x artnet range, straight out the back of the desk. (and its easier programming on an MA!)

S