Animated Lighting Controller Family

In this type network configuration, one command can instruct a lighting controller to perform complex lighting effects on a specific channel.  The controllers also have the ability to memorize scenes and groups allowing multiple lights to be controlled by a single command. This allows complex effects to be predefined across multiple controllers and triggered simultaneously.

Standard Animated Lighting Control Protocol

Animated Lighting's controllers are meant to be part of an intelligent light control (distributed) network of animation controllers. Other controllers on this network can include digital controllers, servo controllers, and sound controllers.

With your computer or our stand alone Monster Brain Animated Processor in control, an Animated Lighting physical network consists of industry standard RS485 protocol over standard cabling. The total network length can be up to 4000’ (or longer with repeaters). Wireless options are also available.

Built-in Lighting Effects

Because Animated Lighting controllers have a built-in processors, issuing a simple command puts the light channels to work.

• Ramp: The ramp effect turns on the on the output of the light controller to the specified on level. The Ramp effect uses the ramp Rate when turned on, and the Fade rate when turned off.

• Fade: The fade effect controls how fast a lighting channel travels from its current level to completely off. The Fade effect uses the Fade rate.

• Blink: The blink effect turns on and off a light on the output of the light controller at a specified rate. The Blink effect uses the Ramp rate, Fade rate, and Blink rate.

• Pop-Fade: The pop-fade effect turns on the light or group of lights instantly then fades to off at the specified fade rate. The Pop-Fade effect uses the Pop-Fade rate.

• Reverse-Pop Fade: The rev-pop fade effect turns an already on light off instantly then ramps back to the on level. The Rev-Pop Fade effect uses the Rev-Pop rate.

• Sparkle: When used with an individual light, the sparkle effect will pop fade the light at random times. When used with a group, the sparkle effect will pop fade individual lights in a group at random times. The Sparkle effect uses the Sparkle rate.

• Flicker: The Flicker effect make the light or group of lights appear to look like a burning candle. When used with groups the lights will flicker individually. The Flicker effect uses the Flicker rate.

• Shimmer: The Shimmer effect varies the intensity of the lights connected to the light controller. When used with groups the shimmer effect the light will shimmer simultaneously. The Shimmer effect uses the Shimmer rate.

Click the image to enlarge
	Typical one controller  layout
	Typical multi controller layout
	Typical FM radio layout
	Typical wireless data layout

Stand Alone Macros

Macros are small programs the user can define and store on individual light controllers. These are incredibly useful if you need a controller to be stand alone and not connected to the entire control systems network. The most popular macro use is with our 4 channel controller and wreaths with four different colored strings of lights. The wreaths will change color independently and in any sequence you can imaging.

Macros are used for several purposes:

• A macro can run whenever the controller is turned on. This is useful if the board will be used in standalone mode.

• Macros can be run from ACL programs. This is useful for storing pre-defined sequences. Then you only need to issue one command and the board will run by independently.

Already have a DMX based lighting system but don't want to pay the high prices for more dimmer packs?  Animated Lighting has you covered.  Use our standard 4 or 16 channel, 4. 15, 30 or 60 amp controllers with a built in DMX interface. 

The 30 amp controllers have two 15 amp power cables, can be used on one- or two-phase installations and correctly detect what phase each power input is connected to.  60 amp controllers have four 15 amp power cables,

Each light controller in the system can have a unique starting channel number. This is how the system differentiates one output or channel from another. The controller’s starting channel is set using the two rotary address switches on the board. There are 16 positions on each switch allowing a possible 256 possible settings (16 x 16).

For a larger version of this table, please click the image above.

Each light and/or device in the system has its own light channel.  Valid channel numbers are 1 through 512. Typically you would set each controller’s starting channel to a unique number, making sure the channels don’t overlap from controller to controller. However, this is not a requirement. It is possible to overlap channels on controllers. If two controllers have the same channels then those channels will do the same thing (e.g. first controller has channels 1 through 16, second controller has channels 8 through 23, etc). This feature makes it very easy to have two controllers doing the same thing without needing to control more channels.