showstack / software / eos-family
Eos
ETC's lighting control software for the Eos family: the same code runs on Apex, Gio, Ion Xe and Element consoles and on a Windows or Mac laptop as ETCnomad. The dominant console platform in English-language theatre.
Protocols it speaks
| Protocol | Direction | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| sacn | bidirectional | Enabled by default in Patch, universes 1-63,999. Incoming sACN levels can also be used as a show control trigger. |
| art-net | out | Disabled by default in Patch. Art-Net universes 0-255. |
| dmx512 | out | Local DMX ports on consoles, or an ETC Gadget/Gadget II USB to DMX-RDM converter on a PC or Mac. Up to four Gadgets per computer. |
| rdm | bidirectional | Device discovery from the Patch display. Network RDM requires an ETC Net3 or Response Mk2 gateway with RDM enabled on the DMX ports, running gateway software 5.1 or newer. |
| osc | bidirectional | ETC states all Eos family devices can send and receive OSC when running software v2.3 or higher. |
| midi-show-control | bidirectional | Local MIDI connections on Eos Ti and Gio; Gio @5 and Ion Xe use USB; other consoles need a Net3 Show Control Gateway. |
| midi | bidirectional | Raw MIDI can be sent and received. MIDI notes are output only, and cannot be received by a Net3 Show Control Gateway. |
| mtc | in | MIDI timecode is receive only, locally or via a Show Control Gateway. |
| ltc | in | SMPTE/LTC timecode is receive only and arrives via a Net3 Show Control Gateway. |
| 0-10v | in | 0-10 VDC analogue inputs and contact closures. Four local closures on Ti/Gio/Ion, more via a Net3 I/O Gateway. |
What to watch for
The free Eos download outputs nothing. Without an ETCnomad USB key it runs only as an offline editor or in mirror mode.
ETC counts outputs (addresses), not universes. A base ETCnomad key is 1,024 outputs, which is two universes of 512; the unlocked key is 6,144.
From v2.6.0/v8.0.0 a dongle has only two possible counts, base and unlocked. The old ladder of 256/512/1536/2560 and so on is gone.
Eos v3.2.0 and later, Apex consoles, Windows 10 consoles and all ETCnomad devices dropped Net2 (EDMX) and AVAB UDP output. A house with legacy ETCNet2 nodes has to move to sACN or Art-Net.
Element's output count is fixed at 1,024 and cannot be upgraded. Element 2 goes from 1,024 base to 6,144 unlocked.
RDM Device Discovery is disabled by default, and switches itself off again as soon as you leave the Patch display.
Art-Net is disabled by default in Patch, so a visualiser or node expecting Art-Net sees nothing until the protocol is enabled.
Typical use
- Main lighting control for plays, musicals and opera
- Offline programming and paperwork on a laptop before the fit-up
- Backup, mirror or remote programming station inside an Eos network
- Small rigs run from Nomad plus a Gadget II or a Net3 gateway
Sources
- ETCnomad - Eos Family Online Help — Electronic Theatre Controls primary
- ETCnomad Dongle Counts — Electronic Theatre Controls primary
- Eos Family Console Output Counts — Electronic Theatre Controls primary
- Eos Family Show Control Capabilities — Electronic Theatre Controls primary
- Patch > Protocols - Eos Family Online Help — Electronic Theatre Controls primary
- RDM Device List - Eos Family Online Help — Electronic Theatre Controls primary
- ETCnomad does not output AVAB UDP or ETCNet2 EDMX Protocols — Electronic Theatre Controls primary
Understand the mechanism
Something wrong, or missing?
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