LanBox LCXi DMX Controller

The LanBox-LCXi

The new LanBox-LCXi is the extended standalone DMX controller with advanced features. Made from industrial grade components the rackmount-ready LanBox-LCXi will run hundreds of cues and scenes automatically for years without maintenance. You can trigger cues and control variables like speed and intensity using the LanBox Interface control panel, the eight analogue inputs, the MIDI input and using program software like Max/MSP and Isadora. You can also use a conventional light-desk to override or merge DMX data at the same time.

We designed the LanBox-LCXi to be the product that will help you solve your lighting problems. So you can use the LanBox-LCXi as a simple Art-Net to DMX converter using the LanBox-LCXi DMX patcher, or to trigger light-cues using your Dolby cinema server to dim the lights in your movie theatre, or to master all the lights in your restaurant or bar using the LanBox Interface as a control panel. Or all of the above, simultaneously!

LanBox-LCXi connections

Features

Mixer Channels

The LanBox has the possibility to work with 3072 internal mixer channels. This serves three main purposes:

All information that is fed into the LanBox-LCXi (like from Art-Net, analogue inputs and the two DMX inputs) can be mapped to internal mixer channels.

All internal mixer channels can be influenced by the Cue Lists and scenes that are stored in the LanBox-LCXi, and all Cue Lists can be influenced by any mixer channel

All mixer channel information can be mapped to any outputs, like Art-Net, the DMX-output or any other output.

This is one of the strong features of the LanBox-LCXi: it allows you to create a standalone system that will dynamically respond through all its outputs based on the values of all of the many inputs combined with the requirements of the Cue Lists and scenes.

Layers

The LanBox-LCXi provides up to 31 Layers. Layers can be used to set channels or to run Cue Lists in. The layers can be dynamically generated, removed and modified. Properties like layer mode (HTP, LoTP, Transparency, Add or Copy), other parameters like Fade and Chase modes and properties like Solo and (De)activate can be either set via LCEdit, programmed in Cue Lists and altered via TCP commands.

Programming and controlling via 3rd party software

We have provided a very detailed reference manual and many examples for controlling and programming the LanBox-LCXi via third party applications. You will have full control of every feature and function of the LanBox-LCXi. Below are the functions you can control via TCP and UPD:

Mixer channel control: set and read data, set channels to solo, activate en deactive channels.

Layer Control: add and delete layers, set mix mode and control all layer variables.

Cue Lists control: create and detele Cue Lists, insert and delete cuesteps. Edit cuesteps via mixer control.

DMX control: patch channels to DMX output channels, define and set curves, gain and slopes. Set the DMX input source and destination channel and block size.

Common commands: control all global commands like LanBox name, password, IP configuration, internal clock, MIDI mapping etc.

All of the LanBox mixer channels can be fully controlled as well as broadcast using UDP, making use of either the LanBox or Art-Net protocol.

Weight: 2kg

Shipping Weight: 2,2kg

Cue List Editor

Use step based sequencing using the Cue List Editor. This allows for show, go and hold commands per step.

Using the Show step edit panel, you can use fade-in, fade-out and cross-fade between steps with adjustable delay times. You can also show a scene from another Cue List and use the split fade option.

With the Go set edit panel, you can jump and loop between cuesteps, start Cue Lists in other layers as well as program conditional steps, based on the actual values of analogue inputs and mixer channels.

The Hold step edit panel allows for waiting on a cuestep for a adjustable amount of time, or wait until a certain time. This time can be based on the internal clock, an (locked) MTC time or an NTP server. You can adjust this feature per cuestep and you can set the trigger per step to either hold until or hold after this time.

Any Cue List will run in one of the 31 layers of the LanBox-LCXi. Using the Cue List Editor Layer panel you can adjust any layer's settings like chase speed, chase mode and transparancy depth or even create, clear, pause and stop the sequence from within a cuelist.

The most advanced features are in the Cue List Editor Special panel. This allows you to broadcast serial codes to any of the eight digital outputs. That means that you can control up to eight serial devices using a simple lightcue! Also, you can add small comments and trigger cues based on mixer channel values and you can send almost any MIDI / SysEx message you like.

GPIO

The LanBox-LCXi has a full set of GPIO (General Purpose Inputs and Outputs). All GPIO are located at the back of the LanBox via the Phoenix contacts. There are 8 analogue inputs, 8 digital outputs, 8 outlets carrying 6VDC and 8 ground contacts.

The eight analogue inputs are displayed as mixer channels in the LanBox-LCXi so you can directly control channels and Cue Lists (see Cue List Editor). The analogue inputs have a 10bit resolution (1024 steps) over the 0-5VDC input range.

The eight digital outputs can individually be used individually to switch LED lights by connecting an output via the LED light to the +6V (max 6W combined power) of the GPIO. But you can also use the outputs to broadcast serial commands via the Cue List Editor. All outputs can be arbitrary connected to channel values.

Electrical Safety and cables

This product complies to the strict CE regulations for (amongst others) electrical and environmental safety.

For your safety, the LanBox-LCXi must be grounded using the power cord and the LanBox-LCXi should only be opened by a qualified electrician. There are no fuses inside, the power supply unit will shut down when overloaded and will switch on once the overload has been removed.

The inlet accepts: 50-60Hz, 100-240VAC, max 25W.

MIDI

The LanBox-LCXi MIDI input and MIDI output can serve multiple functions.

You can use the to send MIDI notes to the LanBox-LCXi to have direct control over channel values and use MIDI Control Change messages to set any layer properties and play back control options, among which layer chase speed and trancparency depth, MIDI sustain and jump to the next and previous cues.

Using MIDI Show Control (MSC) you will have full control of the LanBox-LCXi.

The MIDI output can be used to send MIDI messages. These messages are programmed within Cue Lists. You can send MIDI notes, Control Change and Program Change messages, After touch, Poly after touch and Pitchbend messages. You can also program SysEx commands to send dedicated information.

DMX

At its front side, the LanBox-LCXi has one 5 pin xlr style DMX output and one DMX input. The output has an extremely precise timing by means of its own hardware clock. Internal mixer channels can be arbitrarily mapped to DMX output channels so you have a full DMX patcher. Every DMX channel is linked to one of the 7 adjustable dimmer curves, a slope rate table and a gain value table. You can change the size of the DMX output block to cope with timing issues some problematic light fixtures have.

The DMX input values can be mapped to the internal mixer channels. This allows you to merge the DMX input with Cue Lists and scene values. But it also allows you to program event based Cue Lists using the go panel of the Cue List Editor.

The LanBox-LCi has a second DMX input and output through the dedicated LanBox Interface outlet. The DMX output of the LanBox Interface outlet is shared with the DMX output at the front and the DMX input of the LanBox Interface outlet is merged using HTP with the DMX input at the front of the LanBox-LCXi.

The DMX inlet and outlet comply to the USITT DMX-512a standard.

The dedicated LanBox Interface outlet complies to ANSI 1.27-2. The table below shows the DMX over RJ45 pin assignment for the LanBox-LCXi. Please note that data set 1 is used for broadcasting DMX (to the LanBox Interface) and data set 2 is used for receiving DMX (from the LanBox Interface).