Stage lighting control console including assignable macro functions

摘要

A control console for controlling stage lighting includes a panel on which there are mounted a multiplicity of control elements in the form of switches, slider potentiometers and others which can be used by an operator to input control data to the console and directly control remote lamp units connected to the console. The console includes a main cpu which forms part of an electronic control system which includes function allocation means enabling the operator to determine which one of the control elements exercises control over a particular independently controllable function of one or more of the lamps. The console also includes a data distribution unit which includes a plurality of separate serial communication controllers for communicating with respective ones of the lamps. An SCSI bus is used for transferring data between the main cpu and the distribution unit, which includes its own processor unit for distributing the data to the serial communication controllers.