How do you take two different DMX sources and combine them into one signal? The answer, until recently, has been to use a piece of hardware that can receive both DMX source inputs and then merge them back into one DMX signal that is then sent to the fixture(s). This has been simplified somewhat, however, by the software engineers at ArKaos who developed Kling-Net.
Kling-Net was created as an alternative communication protocol for pixel mapping video on an LED fixture. As it is an Ethernet-based protocol, it is sent out from an ArKaos media server via an Ethernet cable and then connected directly to the fixture or via a switch and then out to several fixtures. This communication protocol is not the same as DMX or Art-Net, and it does not require being merged back into the DMX stream before communicating with the fixture.
Advantages
There are a number of advantages for using Kling-Net. First of all, it’s intelligent. When a fixture has implemented Kling-Net as a source for LED control, then an ArKaos media server can communicate directly with the fixture, and both can send and receive information from one another, including fixture type and control mode. It also automatically configures every unit on the network with a unique IP address so that you don’t have to go to each fixture and assign an address individually.
Another advantage for using Kling-Net is that, since it is an independent control interface, it is not affected by the DMX protocol mode used by the lighting console. In other words, if a programmer plans on using pixel mapping via DMX, then they have to pick the extended DMX protocol mode for a fixture that allows each LED on the face of the fixture to be controlled individually. This would require a lot of DMX channels on the lighting console! However, this is bi-passed completely when using Kling-Net. Kling-Net communicates directly with the LEDs on the fixture, so it is not dependent on the DMX mode selected. As the programmer, you could choose the non-extended control mode for a fixture so that you can have DMX controls for Pan/Tilt and other DMX channels, while Kling-Net sits there quietly and does its thing with the LEDs.
Disadvantages
There are just a couple of disadvantages that I can come up with against using Kling-Net. First, the fixture itself has to have Kling-Net implementation, which requires adding a small microprocessor on board to process Kling-Net. While many do, not all manufacturers support the idea of adding another protocol and piece of hardware to their fixtures as of yet. The only other disadvantage of using Kling-Net is that it requires a network, so switches are going to be necessary for connecting multiple fixtures.
Summary
The convenience of using DMX over Kling-Net for pixel mapping boils down to one thing: not having to run a second cable to each fixture. The downside of using DMX, though, is that you have to patch all those LEDs individually and then use DMX Merge to combine the RGB DMX values output from the media server back into the signal stream. So really, while the differences may seem minimal, Kling-Net is a cleaner and more direct way of pixel mapping than using DMX. And having bi-directional communication with each fixture also makes for a much simpler setup and programming process.
As pixel mapping becomes more commonplace in shows because of fixtures like the Ayrton MagicPanel 602 and High End Systems SolaWash LED, the need for better
pixel mapping control is growing as well. While Kling-Net is not the industry standard for pixel mapping at this time, it does show that there is a need for this type of interface in the industry for this particular type of programming. And while it is possible to use DMX for this, why wouldn’t we want to find a simpler and more effective way to create visuals if we have the opportunity? I can’t think of any reason, and neither could ArKaos.
The next time you want to use LED fixtures with pixel mapping and find yourself cringing at the thought of patching hundreds of RGB control channels on your lighting console, consider Kling-Net. The time will be well spent!
