#LDI2010 – Enttec Datagate Mk2

Datagate Mk2 is a pretty sweet bit of hardware. It allows you take ANYTHING in and spit ANYTHING out.

On the front of the box is a pretty simple panel for making adjustments to the unit like setting an IP address or choosing a profile. The screen can display the status of the unit. The back has 1 DMX in, 8 DMX outs, a gigabit ethernet connection, 2 USB ports and a RS-232 jack.

You make your advanced changes by logging into each units built in web server. From there you set changes to it and your system through a pretty easy to use drag and drop GUI. You virtually patch different elements together to build your show, adjusting settings as you go along.

The built in features are basic DMX splitting, shifting, and generation. Optional upgrades allow you more flexibility like HTP or LTP merges, RDM gateway, and using multiple units as a hot backup so if one unit goes down, your show doesn’t.

The base model starts at  $1750 and upgrade licenses range from $150 to $1150.

You can check out more on the Enttec website.

Rumor Mill: Enttec ODE New Firmware in the Works.

Our tip line is getting filled up with rumors running around the industry these days. The latest rumor that has been sent to us is that Enttec, the makers of lighting control products such as the Open DMX Ethernet (ODE) device pictured left have been developing a firmware upgrade for the ODE.

The current model of the ODE supports 1 universe of DMX over Art-Net and ESP.  The firmware upgrade would merge up to 8 art-net streams coming from different IP addresses of any origin to make the ODE a 8:1 merger of Art-Net data.

The firmware upgrade is still in beta testing and not available just yet. The firmware upgrade i for the first 2 universes is a free firmware upgrade.  The additional 6 universes would be available though a paid for firmware upgrade through Enttec.  This would give a total of 8 HTP Art-net inputs for an ODE.

to learn more about the Enttec Open DMX Ethernet (ODE) device, or to purchase your open, visit Enttec’s website at www.enttec.com.