Unifying Equipment: A Proposal for an All-Encompassing Signal Converter Box Applicable to the Entertainment Industry

Theatrical lighting design currently struggles to keep pace with the cutting edge of technology. Theatre equipment needs to be durable, repairable, and intuitive far more than it needs to concern itself with high data throughput or formal network connections. Because of this, current signal protocols, of which DMX512 is the most common, use physical interfaces and signal protocols differing from a standard ethernet connection. Very few lighting fixtures have an RJ-45 port to accept an ethernet connection, requiring signal conversion at some point within the signal flow for compatibility. The natural solution to this scenario is simple and already implemented: electronic boxes which accept a cable input, convert the signal and offer an output in a new protocol. Contributing to this system flow solution, I propose a design of a converter box with modular ports and configurations. Using a central embedded computer running driving firmware, the user can adapt the box to the networking needs of a given production.