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Product Version 1.0 | Revision A | Released 2023-01-10
NETWORK SETUP
The VPL fixtures can work properly in a wide array of network setups. Depending on the size of your network and
installation, there may be further considerations to effectively manage the data traffic of large scale RGB pixel style
control.
If possible, SGM advises keeping VPL networks separated from general building networks or using VLAN’s to avoid
excess network traffic. Networked data traffic for pixel control is not suitable for typical TCP/IP network settings and
often is not able to be managed effectively with general IT personnel.
VPLs address themselves automatically in the 2.x.x.x /8 range on start-up. This method has been designed to make
setup easier and to optimize the reliability of the system. It is possible to change the IP address if necessary.
The VPL product line receives and transmits information via sACN or Art-Net ethernet protocols. Both are Universal
Datagram Packet (UDP) type protocols. UDP protocol can be networked in the same topology as TCP, but there are
some important considerations for effectively routing and managing UDP in a large full-duplex network.
Art-Net, sACN, and Broadcasting Considerations
sACN and Art-Net are communication protocols developed to transport DMX512 data over an Ethernet network.
Both sACN and Art-Net can utilize Broadcast, Unicast, or Multicast, but there are some important differences in how
they can use these casting types.
Art-Net
By default an Art-Net product will factory start using a Class A IP address scheme in the 2.x.x.x range, since this
allows Art-Net products to communicate directly and without the need for a DHCP server to be connected to the
network. This is also the case of VPLs.
In large installations, especially ones utilizing ACN (Architecture for Control Networks), it is important to note that
Art-Net cannot offset DMX512 universes and cannot be put into different ACN ranges.
sACN
sACN (or ANSI E1.31 – 2016) is primarily intended to use multicast. Network switches have differing levels of support
for multicasting. To handle multicast data correctly, a switch needs to know which multicast subscribers are at-
tached to which of its physical ports. It obtains this information by monitoring IGMP packets. If the switch does not
see these packets, it will either treat the packets as unwanted and block them, or convert the packets to broadcast.
This is important because the maximum number of sACN DMX512 universes is 63,999. An unintended broadcast of
that much data can take down everything connected to the network, large or small.
The VPLs are by default in the 2.x.x.x range but that range can be changed. The network still needs to be configured
to the same range the VPLs are in.
IGMP
Multicast requires some additional network management on the part of the controller and receiver. VPL uses
Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) version 3 for this management. In a VPL network, controllers and
connected equipment must support IGMP v3 to manage the subscription of multicast addresses in network routers.
For more information on:
Art-Net, please see https://art-net.org.uk/
• sACN (ANSI E1.31 – 2016) or,
• RDM (ANSI E1.20 – 2010) or,
• DMX512 (ANSI E1.11 - 2008 (R2018)) please see TSP (esta.org)
