Re: Controlling Holiday Lights

[Marc_F_Hult <MFHult@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sat, 21 Oct 2006 17:31:24 -0600, sylvan butler
<ZsdbUse1+noZs_0610@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
<slrnejlbec.c53.ZsdbUse1+noZs_0610@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>:

>On Sat, 21 Oct 2006 02:13:08 -0400, Robert L Bass <robertbass1@xxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
>> sylvan wrote:
>>> I'm talking about the hardware, and you are talking about the protocols
>>> to talk to the hardware.
>>
>> I don't see why you consider MIDI too slow to accomplish the task.
>
>I'm wanting the hardware to control TRIAC or SSR switches, eg a parallel
>binary I/O port.  With that I can turn on and off a light (or anything
>else) at a rate over 1000 times per second.
>
>This allows all kinds of creative fades to On, Off, or anywhere in
>between at 100% the whim of my self-written software.
>
>MIDI cannot do that and was never intended to do that.  MIDI is a
>control protocol which is used to tell my hardware what to do.  I'm not
>interested in another protocol that will tell my hardware what to do.  I
>am trying to build hardware.  :)

DMX512 (aka DMX-512, DMX512a)  can read and(or) write one byte values to each
of 512 addresses  ~44 times per second. This is faster than the human flicker
fusion frequency under most circumstances (Q: Do incandescent lights flicker
when run on 50 hz power?)

There are many DIY approaches Google " dmx 512".  Also some homebrew and
commercial stuff here: http://www.econtrol.org/dmx512.htm Chips here:
http://www.artisticlicence.com/cat11_1.htm  (I have some left-overs I would
part with cheep.)

Search eBay for  "USB DMX Interface" and "DMX 512" for a panoply of lighting
devices.

DMX is _designed_ for control of lights. If you've been to a rock concert,
theatre, or play in the last decade, you've seen DMX512 at work. RF and
ethernet implementations have emerged.

... Marc
Marc_F_Hult
www.ECOntrol.org