SLX StagePilot: a custom embedded app for DMX control
From device to lighting desk A lighting control panel connects the operator’s intentions to the behaviour of the fixtures: select a group, prepare a colour, position a moving head, recall a scene and run a show. The application becomes part of the device, with its own display, inputs, connections and operating requirements. SLX StagePilot is a Linux touch console for programming and running DMX…
SLX StagePilot is a Linux touch console designed for creating and running DMX shows. Developed by Silicon LogiX, this embedded application runs on Compute Module 4 and communicates with a PC application via Ethernet. The application features fixture selection, programming, scenes, cues, chasers, palettes, and a Timeline editor.
The controller employs a Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 with 1 GB RAM and 8 GB eMMC storage, connected via HDMI display and touch input over USB. The carrier utilizes Ethernet to connect to the PC. The system filesystem is read-only, while writable data, including shows, reside in a separate persistent area.
The StagePilot interface keeps control elements such as banks, Grand Master, and playback recognisable while navigating. Operator labels are in Italian. The control panel presents fixture banks by category, with controls such as intensity, colour, position, and beam organized by function and fixture profile. Navigation preserves the current task, allowing the operator to return to the same editor after preparing a clip.
DMX512 organizes control into universes with up to 512 data slots, each carrying an 8-bit value from 0 to 255. The serial transport typically uses a differential EIA-485 line at 250 kbit/s, with a packet containing a Break, Mark After Break, START Code, and data. The START Code identifies the type of content, while ordinary lighting levels use the null start code. At 250 kbit/s, each character takes 44 microseconds, and a full universe can approach 44 updates per second.
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