standards news
Standards News Headlines
10/12/2008
RDM Plugfest
16/10/2008
Five Draft Standards in Review
25/08/2008
SD7 Aids RMIT Technical Courses
05/08/2008
Control Protocols, Luminaire Inspection, and Floors Testing Draft Standards Are Offered for Review
09/07/2008
Ten EPIs to Facilitate ACN in Public Review
07/05/2008
Revised DMX512-A in Public Review
Draft Standard for Portable Power Feeder Cables in Public Review
The draft standard BSR E1.18-1 - 200x, Standard for the Selection, Installation, and Use of Single-Conductor Portable Power Feeder Cable Systems for Use at 600 Volts Nominal or Less for the Distribution of Electrical Energy in the Entertainment and Live-Event Industries, is available for free download and public review at http://www.esta.org/tsp/documents/public_review_docs.php through February 23, 2009. (The document will no longer be available on and after February 24.) BSR E1.18-1 is part of a larger E1.18 project to offer guidance on portable power feeder cable systems. This particular draft document contains the majority of the recommendations, suitable for most common portable power distribution situations. Public comment is requested so that the draft standard may reflect the consensus of informed opinion in the live entertainment industry.
For more information, please contact: Karl G. Ruling, Technical Standards Manager, ESTA, 875 Sixth Avenue, Suite 1005, New York, NY 10001, Tel 1-212-244-1505, Fax 1-212-244-1502
RDM Plugfest
The ESTA Control Protocols Working Group is hosting an RDM Interoperability Plugfest in conjunction with ESTA's Technical Standards Program meetings January 23rd-25th at the Dallas/Ft. Worth Solana hotel in Westlake, Texas. This free event is geared towards the numerous manufacturers that are adopting ANSI E1.20 Remote Device Management (RDM) technology in their products. A dedicated meeting space and power are being provided to allow manufacturer's to bring and test and debug their products against a wide-range of other real-world RDM products rather than the costly and embarrassing expense of doing it at a customer's site. The goals of the event are to help manufacturers improve the interoperability of their products with other products using this new standard and to allow
them to network with others in the industry.
Members of the Control Protocols Working Group and RDM Task Group will be on-hand to provide guidance and answer technical implementation questions on RDM throughout the weekend. Discounted hotel room reservations may be booked through ESTA at https://www.esta.org/news/hotelreservations.php.
For more information and to register for the Plugfest, contact Scott Blair at sblair@rdmprotocol.org
For more information about ESTA's Technical Standards Program, please contact Karl G. Ruling, ESTA's Technical Standards Manager, at standards@esta.org.
Five Draft Standards in Review
Three Fog & Smoke Working Group draft standards were been posted October 15th on the ESTA website at http://www.esta.org/tsp/documents/public_review_docs.php for public review through December 15. (The reviews are over when December 16 starts.) The three draft documents are:
· BSR E1.5 - 20xx, Entertainment Technology - Theatrical Fog Made With Aqueous Solutions Of Di- And Trihydric Alcohols;
· BSR E1.23 - 200x, Entertainment Technology - Design and Execution of Theatrical Fog Effects; and
· BSR E1.29 - 200x, Product Safety Standard for Theatrical Fog Generators that Create Aerosols of Water, Aqueous Solutions of Glycol or Glycerin, or Aerosols of Highly Refined Alkane Mineral Oil.
The one completely new standard in this list is the last one, BSR E1.29; the others are revisions of existing American National Standards. The revisions consist of changing the CAS registry numbers for dipropylene glycol and mineral oil to better specify the chemicals used in fog effects and for which we have health and safety data in the scientific literature. The last draft standard, BSR E1.29, is a new standard, intended to help guide product safety testing laboratories (e.g., UL, ETL) in evaluating fog-making equipment for design or construction defects that might create unacceptable hazards. It is based on ANSI/UL 998 - 2006, Humidifiers, but has modifications to deal with safety issues peculiar to fog generators.
Two draft Control Protocols Working Group draft standards continue to be available for public review on the ESTA website through November 24. The two draft documents are:
BSR E1.20 - 200x, Entertainment Technology - Remote Device Management over USITT DMX512, a revision of the existing American National Standard E1.20 – 2006. The goal of the BSR E1.20 - 200x project is to correct errors in the document, not to add new functionality or to change existing functionality. The review documents consist of an errata list and the text proposed for the existing standard to correct the errors. ANSI E1.20 is an extension to USITT DMX512 and ANSI E1.11 that allows for bi-directional communication on the primary data link.
BSR E1.27-2 - 200x, Entertainment Technology - Recommended Practice for Permanently Installed Control Cables for Use with ANSI E1.11 (DMX512-A) and USITT DMX512/1990 Products, is a recommended practice for permanent data cabling installations for interconnecting lighting equipment that comply with ANSI E1.11 (DMX512-A) or with USITT DMX512/1990. The recommendations include definitions of acceptable cable and connector types and the ways in which they may be used.
In addition to being asked to review the documents to see if they offer adequate advice, reviewers are asked to notify ESTA of any protected intellectual property in the draft standards. ESTA does not warrant that its standards contain no protected intellectual property, but it also does not intend to adopt any standard that requires the use of protected intellectual property, unless that property is necessary for technical reasons and can be licensed by anyone without prejudice or preference for a reasonable fee. Any protected intellectual property should be noted on the public review response form.
For more information, please contact: Karl G. Ruling, Technical Standards Manager, ESTA, 875 Sixth Avenue, Suite 1005, New York, NY 10001 telephone 01-212-244-1505 fax 1-212-244-1502.
standards@esta.org
DMX512 Cabling Recommended Practice and Revisions to RDM Available for Review
Two draft control protocols documents are available for public review on the ESTA website through November 24, 2008. The draft documents and their supporting public review materials are available at
http://www.esta.org/tsp/documents/public_review_docs.php.
BSR E1.27-2, Entertainment Technology - Recommended Practice for Permanently Installed Control Cables for Use with ANSI E1.11 (DMX512-A) and USITT DMX512/1990 Products, describes the recommended types of data cable to be used in permanent installations to interconnect lighting equipment that comply with ANSI E1.11-2004 (DMX512-A) or with USITT
DMX512/1990. It also makes recommendations for how the cable should be installed and connected. The recommended practice, when finally approved as an American National Standard, is expected to be useful in helping to guide electrical contractors unfamiliar with entertainment lighting systems on the proper way to install a DMX512 data cable system so that it works.
BSR E1.20 - 200x, Entertainment Technology - Remote Device Management over USITT DMX512 - is a project to revise the existing RDM standard, ANSI E1.20 - 2006. There are some errors in the published document that need to be corrected; the project is only to correct those errors, not to add new functionality or to change existing functionality. The public review document is a two-part document that first lists all the proposed changes and then shows those changes as they would appear in a revised version of E1.20. Only those pages with changes are part of the review document. The other pages would not be changed from how they are in the existing ANSI E1.20 - 2006.
Please note that the ESTA website shows a Review End Date for the two documents of November 25. The review has ended when that day is reached. Comments should be submitted before that date. In addition to being asked to review the document to see if it offers adequate advice, reviewers are asked to look for protected intellectual property in the draft standard. ESTA does not warrant that its standards contain no protected intellectual property, but it also does not intend to adopt any standard that requires the use of protected intellectual property, unless that property is necessary for technical
reasons and can be licensed and used by anyone without prejudice or preference for a reasonable fee. Any protected intellectual property in the document should be pointed out in the comments.
For more information about the public review, please contact: Karl G. Ruling, Technical Standards Manager, ESTA, 875 Sixth Avenue, Suite 1005, New York, NY 10001 Tel 1-212-244-1505 Fax 1-212-244-1502
SD7 Aids RMIT Technical Courses
The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (aka RMIT University) in Australia is one of the country's leading educational institutions. It offers a vast range of technical courses and has a reputation that is global in its reach.
One course that elicits an extremely high demand for entrants is the Music Industry course. The University aims to offer its students the best and most relevant products available to equip them fully for life out in the real world and the recent opportunity to get hands on experience with a DiGiCo SD7 has helped to do just that.
The project in which the SD7 was involved is a collaboration between two RMIT departments: Music Industry / Technical Production and Audio Visual Technology, with Music Industry / Technical Production (TAFE) being a two year (Certificate IV and Diploma) course that focuses on the skills necessary to become an audio engineer or producer.
"There are a number of providers offering similar courses," say John Phillips, programs manager for the courses. "But RMIT has consistently had the highest number of graduates securing ongoing employment in the industry, attaining positions as studio engineers, live engineers, working in music, television, film and theatre and other audio production areas."
As part of the second year curriculum, the students are involved in a major project that involves staging and recording a live performance at an established and popular Melbourne venue. This venue is the Corner Hotel, which is home to performances by many well known local and international acts.
The performance is recorded to multi-track via Pro-Tools and then mixed in RMIT's 5.1 equipped studio and released as a DVD in surround sound.
"The Music Industry team collaborates with the AV department that films and edits vision in our AV studios to match recorded audio," continues Phillips. "The audio consists of Front of House, stage monitors and, importantly, recorded audio.
"The recording rig comprises an OB van supplied by Ernie Rose, who is, of course, an important part of Australian recording history, being the main man behind Metropolis Studios, which was the benchmark for Melbourne studios for many years.
"As Ernie Rose's O/B van now features the SD7, we were keen to be able to access the new desk."
For the RMIT students, the opportunity to use the SD7 offered them a real world, live recording scenario using state-of-the-art equipment. "The OB van and the SD7 had just arrived from doing the sound for the Logies (the Australian version of the Oscars) and a full scale concert for an international artist earlier in the week the students were working on the project, and would continue on to similar jobs after," says Phillips. "So the students were grateful to have such a ‘real world' opportunity.
"All of the RMIT Music Industry lecturers (those involved in this project were Michael Pollard, Tim Johnston, Jill Shelton and Steve Ward) are also industry practitioners, working as studio and live engineers and producers. Staff and students alike were impressed with how surprisingly intuitive the SD7 is, making it possible for first time users of the console to achieve desired results quickly an effectively, which is, of course, paramount in a live recording and mixing situation."
The SD7 performed faultlessly throughout the night, as three bands were recorded live to both disk via Pro Tools and digital tape backup.
"This project has been running at RMIT for four years," Phillips concludes. "And this recording, using the SD7, has been the most successful and trouble free yet. Ernie Rose, of course, is also a fan of its use.
"We look forward to being able to use the console again in the next live recording."
Control Protocols, Luminaire Inspection, and Floors Testing Draft Standards Are Offered for Review
The public is invited to review three newly revised draft standards in control protocols, luminaire inspection, and floors testing. The three draft standards are posted for free download on the ESTA website at http://www.esta.org/tsp/documents/public_review_docs.php. They will be available there for review from now through September 22; the documents will be removed when the ending date shown on the website, September 23, is reached. The three draft standards are:
BSR E1.31 - 200x, Entertainment Technology - Lightweight streaming protocol for transport of DMX512 using ACN, describes a way of transporting DMX512-type data over Ethernet using ACN's Session Data Transport mechanism. DMX512-type streaming data can be intermixed with random access data and high speed feedback in a flexible and scalable way.
BSR E1.32 - 200x, Recommended Practice for the Inspection of Entertainment Industry Luminaires, is intended to help people evaluate luminaires to see whether they are reasonably safe or are in need of repair or maintenance. The project was started in response to discussions about what causes "false tripping" with GFCIs are used in entertainment venues. Sometimes the tripping isn't false at all, but is the proper response to poorly maintained lighting equipment with excessive leakage current. Proper maintenance is essential for equipment safety, and proper luminaire maintenance starts with a regular inspection procedure and schedule. BSR E1.32 is designed to help people establish a regular procedure for inspecting the equipment for which they are responsible. The information in the draft document is intended to supplement and not to replace the information contained in a manufacturer's maintenance instructions.
BSR E1.34 - 200x, Entertainment Technology - Measuring and Specifying the Slipperiness of Floors Used in Live Performance Venues, describes a way of measuring and specifying the slipperiness of floor surfaces used by performers in live entertainment venues. Right now, discussions of whether a performance floor is too slippery or not slippery enough are entirely subjective. It is difficult for portable flooring manufacturers to tell prospective customers how slippery or not a floor surface might be. This draft standard describes a simple way of testing a floor to arrive at a specification for the floor when tested with standardized stainless steel test feet and when tested with show-specific performers' footwear.
In addition to being asked to review the documents to see if they offer adequate advice, reviewers are asked to notify ESTA of any protected intellectual property in the draft standards. ESTA does not warrant that its standards contain no protected intellectual property, but it also does not intend to adopt any standard that requires the use of protected intellectual property, unless that property is necessary for technical reasons and can be licensed by anyone without prejudice or preference for a reasonable fee. Any protected intellectual property should be noted on the public review response form.
For more information, please contact: Karl G. Ruling, Technical Standards Manager, ESTA, 875 Sixth Avenue, Suite 1005, New York, NY 10001 USA Phone 1-212-244-1505 Fax 1-212-244-1502 standards@esta.org.
Ten EPIs to Facilitate ACN in Public Review
Ten documents that are part of BSR E1.30-200x, Application level equipment interoperability for control of commonly encountered entertainment technology devices using ANSI E1.17, have been posted on the ESTA website at http://www.esta.org/tsp/documents/public_review_docs.php for review through 25 August 2008. The ten new draft documents add to the functionality of ANSI E1.17, ACN, by specifying how to do common tasks in ACN. The ten draft documents are:
BSR E1.30-1-200x, EPI 23, Device Identification Subdevice
EPI 23 specifies a templated device for device identification as typically used for remote hardware and software devices.
BSR E1.30-2-200x, EPI 24, Internet Protocol Properties Subdevice
EPI 24 specifies two template devices, each describing a block of properties used for supplying information on and configuring the Internet Protocol (IP) configuration of a device, using DMP. These devices may typically be used for remote hardware or software devices to allow configuration over the network.
BSR E1.30-3-200x, EPI 25, Time Reference in ACN Systems Using SNTP and NTP
EPI 25 specifies restrictions and guidelines for establishment of a common time reference across components within an ACN system using SNTP (Simple Network Time Protocol) and optionally NTP (Network Time Protocol). This EPI does not define a control synchronization model.
BSR E1.30-4-200x, EPI 26, Device Description Language (DDL) Extensions for DMX512 and E1.31 Devices
EPI 26 defines protocol specific extensions to Device Description Language for describing DMX512-type devices.
BSR E1.30-5-200x, EPI 27, Operation of SDT on Wireless Networks
EPI 27 outlines issues with SDT usage over wireless networks, specifically 802.11g. It proposes changes to EPI 18 constants and speculates on 802.11n.
BSR E1.30-6-200x, EPI 28, Independent Device Location Properties
EPI 28 specifies a non-templated device for Independent Device Location properties as typically used for remote hardware and software devices.
BSR E1.30-7-200x, EPI 29, Allocation of Internet Protocol Version 4 Addresses to ACN Hosts
EPI 29 obsoletes ACN EPI 13 (Allocation of Internet Protocol Version 4 Addresses to ACN Hosts). The principle reason for this revision is to allow assignment of static IP addresses and provide guidance for how to manage systems using these methods.
BSR E1.30-8-200x, EPI 30, Time Code Properties
EPI 30 specifies a non-templated device for Time Code properties as typically used for remote hardware and software devices.
BSR E1.30-9-200x, EPI 31, MIDI System Exclusive Properties
EPI 31 specifies a non-templated device for MIDI System Exclusive properties as typically used for remote hardware and software devices.
BSR E1.30-10-200x, EPI 32, Identification of Draft Device Description Language Modules
EPI 32 specifies how draft DDL modules that may be changed frequently during development shall be marked as experimental.
In addition to being asked to review the documents to see if they offer adequate advice, reviewers are asked to notify ESTA of any protected intellectual property in the draft standards. ESTA does not warrant that its standards contain no protected intellectual property, but it also does not intend to adopt any standard that requires the use of protected intellectual property, unless that property is necessary for technical reasons and can be licensed by anyone without prejudice or preference for a reasonable fee.
For more information, please contact: Karl G. Ruling, Technical Standards Manager, ESTA, 875 Sixth Avenue, Suite 1005, New York, NY 10001, USA 1-212-244-1505 Fax 1-212-244-1502
High End Systems Debuts On-Line Training Center
A new on-line Training Center recently debuted on the High End Systems website. This special section is dedicated to training resources, including new videos and tutorials with specific information about Wholehog consoles, digital lighting products and new automated luminaires. Users can quickly navigate through the information or view short training videos for in-depth tutorials on many topics. Training sessions have also been expanded with added dates to meet the demand.
"We're excited to debut the new online Training Center," says Cat West, HES console training specialist. "Our goal was to have a place where our users could not only find information about our training classes, but also learn more about the products through videos and online tutorials. The best part is that these new resources are available free of charge, at any time, to anyone with an Internet connection. We'll continually add more videos and tutorials to our Training Center in the weeks and months to come."
The Training Center is available through links on the HES website.
Revised DMX512-A in Public Review
A revised version of ANSI E1.11 - 2004, Entertainment Technology--USITT DMX512-A, Asynchronous Serial Digital Data Transmission Standard for Controlling Lighting Equipment and Accessories, is available for public review on the ESTA website at http://www.esta.org/tsp/documents/public_review_docs.php. through July 7, 2008. The review ends when July 8 starts.
ANSI E1.11, and this revised draft version, BSR E1.11, describes a protocol for transmitting digital data used to control entertainment lighting equipment and accessories. Entertainment lighting equipment and accessories includes, but is not limited to, dimmers, robotic luminaires, colour changers, robotic mirrors, dousers, colour wheels, motion effects wheels, and pattern rotators. The revision is being
done to correct errors and to clarify text, and to add an Alternate START Code for UTF-8 transmission so that languages other English can be used for sending diagnostic text messages.
In addition to being asked to review the BSR E1.11 document to see if it is technically correct and clearly written, reviewers are asked to look for protected intellectual property in the draft standard. ESTA does not warrant that its standards contain no protected intellectual property, but it also does not intend to adopt any standard that requires the use of protected intellectual property, unless that property is necessary for technical reasons and can be licensed and used by anyone without prejudice or preference for a reasonable fee. Any protected intellectual property in the document should be pointed out in the comments.
For more information, please contact: Karl G. Ruling, Technical Standards Manager, ESTA, 875 Sixth Avenue, Suite 1005, New York, NY 10001 telephone 1-212-244-1505 fax 1-212-244-1502.
Four Draft Standards to Review in Rigging, Power Distribution, and Floors
Four draft standards are available for public review on the ESTA website through 26 May 2008. All can be downloaded for free at http://www.esta.org/tsp/documents/public_review_docs.php. The draft standards address specific problems found in powered rigging, electrical power distribution, and floors used in live performances and special events.
BSR E1.6-2 - 200x, Entertainment Technology - Purpose Designed Serially Manufactured Electric Chain Hoists for the Entertainment Industry, is part of the BSR E1.6 powered theatrical rigging systems project. This document, BSR E1.6-2, covers the design, inspection, and maintenance of serially manufactured electric chain hoists having capacities of two tons or less and used in the entertainment industry as part of a performance or preparation for a performance. Most standards for powered hoists are for hoists in factories, shipyards, and warehouses, and do not give advice appropriate the safe use of hoists in theatrical productions and special events. This standard is a first step in addressing this lack of appropriate guidance.
BSR E1.18-1 - 200x, Standard for the Selection, Installation, and Use of Single-Conductor Portable Power Feeder Cable Systems for Use at Less than 601 Volts Nominal for the Distribution of Electrical Energy in the Entertainment and Live-Event Industries, is part of a larger E1.18 project to offer guidance on portable power feeder cable systems. There is very little published at this time on how to set up power feeder cable systems, such as are used to power the lighting and sound systems at concerts in sporting arenas. The E1.18 project is to address that lack of guidance to help people set up and use safe systems. This part, E1.18-1, contains the majority of the recommendations, suitable for most common portable power distribution installations.
BSR E1.19 - 200x, Recommended Practice for the use of Class A Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) intended for personnel protection in the Entertainment Industry, recommends practices for the safe use of 100 amp or lower, 120-240 VAC, single or three-phase, 60 Hz Class A Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) for personnel protection in film and video productions, theatrical productions, carnivals, circuses, fairs and similar events in North America. GFCIs are useful for protecting performers and technicians from shock when electrical equipment is used near or in water, but using them successfully is difficult in entertainment industry applications due to the nature of the loads that are driven, the prevalence of dimmed circuits, and the long load-circuit runs. BSR E1.19 gives advice to help people use GFCIs successfully to protect performers and technicians from shock in wet and damp locations.
BSR E1.34 - 200x, Entertainment Technology - Measuring and Specifying the Slipperiness of Floors Used in Live Performance Venues, describes a means of measuring and specifying the slipperiness of floor surfaces used by performers in live entertainment venues. The slipperiness of a stage floor or dance floor is a concern to performers, directors, choreographers, designers, stage managers--almost the whole production team--but there is at this time no good way to objectively describe the slipperiness of a performance floor. BSR E1.34 is a standard to solve this problem. It has two test procedures in it: one to give a generic measurement that can be used in marketing and specifying floor materials, and another to measure a floor's slipperiness in real-world conditions with particular footwear. The test equipment and method are intended to be simple and inexpensive. The standard is not for normal
walking surfaces (for which appropriate standards already exist), but only to those floor surfaces used by actors, dancers, and other similar artists, when performing before an audience.
For more information, please contact: Karl G. Ruling, Technical Standards Manager
ESTA, 875 Sixth Avenue, Suite 1005, New York, NY 10001 telephone 1-212-244-1505 fax 1-212-244-1502.
