Pathway Connectivity
5
OCTO Manual
November 2018
Protocols Supported
DMX512
The most widely used digital multiplex protocol for controlling entertainment
lighting and effects equipment. The DMX signal consists of 512 8-bit control
packets sent asynchronously over a two-pair shielded cable at 250K Baud. The
standard connector type is 5 pin XLR. The standard has been revised several
times over the years, with the latest being ANSI E1.11 DMX512-A (2005). The
Pathport OCTO is designed to work seamlessly with all variants of the protocol.
DMX is a last mile protocol, daisy-chained between end fixtures.
Ethernet Protocols
Ethernet protocols are used to multiplex DMX data over Ethernet networks, largely
to circumvent control channel limitations inherent in the DMX standard. The
Pathport OCTO supports the most widely accepted.
Pathport Protocol: A broadcast protocol developed by Pathway Connectivity and
implemented by a variety of console manufacturers.
ArtNet: A broadcast protocol developed by Artistic Licence. Its free distribution has
made in popular with media server manufacturers. Because this is not a standard,
some implementations may not work with others.
Strand Shownet: A proprietary broadcast protocol developed by Strand Lighting
and used exclusively in Strand lighting consoles.
ANSI E1.31 streaming ACN (sACN): A multicast industry standard developed and
maintained by the Technical Standards Program of the Entertainment Services
and Technology Association (ESTA). The standard is available for a nominal cost
from ESTA. This standard provides the DMX512 data transport for the separate
ANSI E1.17 ACN (Architecture for Control Networks) industry standard.
sACN is the DMX transport used by ETC Net3. The OCTO is fully compliant with
Net3, and will seamlessly receive either Final Draft 20, or the ANSI approved
versions of sACN.