Architecture for Control Networks
Encyclopedia
Architecture for Control Networks (ACN) is a suite of network protocols for theatrical control being developed by Entertainment Services and Technology Association
(ESTA). The first official release is formally referred to as ANSI E1.17 - 2006 - Entertainment Technology - Architecture for Control Networks.
It may replace DMX as the control protocol for lighting systems and will be used for controlling more complex devices like video playback servers (media servers) and audio mixers and has been proposed as the sole or primary transport for HD-MIDI. The protocol is designed to be layered on top of UDP/IP
and therefore will run over standard, inexpensive Ethernet
and 802.11 (Wi-Fi) network links.
ACN relies on UDP
in order to pass its messages. Where reliability is required, the Session Data Transport sub protocol allows semi-reliability of only the latest value for a particular "channel".
Ethernet, so in larger networks, a switch that is IGMP
snooping compatible will greatly improve performance.
style Protocol Data Units (PDU). These can be nested in predefined hierarchy.
The Protocols defined in ANSI E1.17 are:
There is also an XML description language which defines properties of the devices which is called the Device Description Language.
(ARM
; i386
, x86-64
), and Macintosh
(PowerPC
; i386, x86-64) by the Open Lighting Architecture.
There is currently an OpenACN implementation project in progress which is hosted by SourceForge. This will provide open source library implementation which is intended to be portable to a variety of platforms from small embedded devices, to Windows and POSIX
conformant operating systems.
There is yet another open source ACN project on Codeplex which is implemented in C# and aims to provide a full managed code implementation of the standard and many of the sub protocols associated with ACN.
Entertainment Services and Technology Association
The Entertainment Services and Technology Association is a live entertainment industry organization. From their website:"ESTA is a non-profit trade association representing the entertainment technology industry dedicated to a core mission of Building the Business of Show Business...
(ESTA). The first official release is formally referred to as ANSI E1.17 - 2006 - Entertainment Technology - Architecture for Control Networks.
It may replace DMX as the control protocol for lighting systems and will be used for controlling more complex devices like video playback servers (media servers) and audio mixers and has been proposed as the sole or primary transport for HD-MIDI. The protocol is designed to be layered on top of UDP/IP
User Datagram Protocol
The User Datagram Protocol is one of the core members of the Internet Protocol Suite, the set of network protocols used for the Internet. With UDP, computer applications can send messages, in this case referred to as datagrams, to other hosts on an Internet Protocol network without requiring...
and therefore will run over standard, inexpensive Ethernet
Ethernet
Ethernet is a family of computer networking technologies for local area networks commercially introduced in 1980. Standardized in IEEE 802.3, Ethernet has largely replaced competing wired LAN technologies....
and 802.11 (Wi-Fi) network links.
ACN relies on UDP
User Datagram Protocol
The User Datagram Protocol is one of the core members of the Internet Protocol Suite, the set of network protocols used for the Internet. With UDP, computer applications can send messages, in this case referred to as datagrams, to other hosts on an Internet Protocol network without requiring...
in order to pass its messages. Where reliability is required, the Session Data Transport sub protocol allows semi-reliability of only the latest value for a particular "channel".
In practice
ACN will require a number of new technologies in order to implement it compared to the DMX512 standard. ACN requires the use of multicastMulticast
In computer networking, multicast is the delivery of a message or information to a group of destination computers simultaneously in a single transmission from the source creating copies automatically in other network elements, such as routers, only when the topology of the network requires...
Ethernet, so in larger networks, a switch that is IGMP
Internet Group Management Protocol
The Internet Group Management Protocol is a communications protocol used by hosts and adjacent routers on IP networks to establish multicast group memberships....
snooping compatible will greatly improve performance.
Protocol architecture
ACN defines a number of sub protocols. These protocols all follow the TLVType-length-value
Within data communication protocols, optional information may be encoded as a type-length-value or TLV element inside of the protocol. TLV is also known as tag-length value....
style Protocol Data Units (PDU). These can be nested in predefined hierarchy.
The Protocols defined in ANSI E1.17 are:
- Root Layer Protocol for UDP
- Session Data Transport Protocol (SDT)
- Device Management Protocol (DMP)
There is also an XML description language which defines properties of the devices which is called the Device Description Language.
Interoperability profiles
ACN is not closed in application. The protocol may be further defined via interoperability profiles which will extend various layers of the ACN stack, or define how elements of the ACN architecture must be used in a particular situation to achieve interoperability. For example, by providing specific values for timing parameters to be used in a particular network environment.Implementations
E1.31 (Streaming DMX over ACN) is supported on LinuxLinux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
(ARM
ARM architecture
ARM is a 32-bit reduced instruction set computer instruction set architecture developed by ARM Holdings. It was named the Advanced RISC Machine, and before that, the Acorn RISC Machine. The ARM architecture is the most widely used 32-bit ISA in numbers produced...
; i386
Intel 80386
The Intel 80386, also known as the i386, or just 386, was a 32-bit microprocessor introduced by Intel in 1985. The first versions had 275,000 transistors and were used as the central processing unit of many workstations and high-end personal computers of the time...
, x86-64
X86-64
x86-64 is an extension of the x86 instruction set. It supports vastly larger virtual and physical address spaces than are possible on x86, thereby allowing programmers to conveniently work with much larger data sets. x86-64 also provides 64-bit general purpose registers and numerous other...
), and Macintosh
Macintosh
The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
(PowerPC
PowerPC
PowerPC is a RISC architecture created by the 1991 Apple–IBM–Motorola alliance, known as AIM...
; i386, x86-64) by the Open Lighting Architecture.
There is currently an OpenACN implementation project in progress which is hosted by SourceForge. This will provide open source library implementation which is intended to be portable to a variety of platforms from small embedded devices, to Windows and POSIX
POSIX
POSIX , an acronym for "Portable Operating System Interface", is a family of standards specified by the IEEE for maintaining compatibility between operating systems...
conformant operating systems.
There is yet another open source ACN project on Codeplex which is implemented in C# and aims to provide a full managed code implementation of the standard and many of the sub protocols associated with ACN.
See also
- Lighting control systemLighting control systemA lighting control system consists of a device that controls electric lighting and devices, alone or as part of a daylight harvesting system, for a public, commercial, or residential building or property, or the theater...
s for buildings or residences - Lighting control consoleLighting control consoleA lighting control console is an electronic device used in theatrical lighting design to control multiple lights at once...
s for stage lighting and other DMX-512 devices - Art-NetArt-NetArt-Net is a proprietary protocol for transmitting the lighting control protocol DMX512-A over the User Datagram Protocol of the TCP/IP suite. The protocol was developed by Wayne Howell and his company, , and is open for implementation with attribution but without charge, and make available a...
, a proprietary protocol for transmitting DMX-512 over UDP/IP - Protocol for Stage Illumination (PSI), an open protocol for native communication over IP networks