Back at ProLight+Sound 2017 in Frankfurt Germany, Luminex gave a sneak peak to their latest offering in the entertainment network product range, the GigaCore 10.  Why get excited about a networking switch?  In our industry, EVERYTHING is going to be networked. While experienced technicians may have a good handle on computer networking, Luminex has developed their range of products to offer simplicity while vast amounts of control when needed.

The GigaCore 10 is their most versatile switch as it offers plug-in-plug technology while still offering a level of control for more advanced setup.  It is a small package, just under 10″ wide with 8 gigaport etherCon connections, 4 on each side.  Users can choose between either FiberFox or Neutrik opticalCon fibers connections.  Powering the unit is a PowerCon TRUE1 connection.  Users can also specify a version with POE ports.  

Learn more about the Luminex GigaCore 10 here.

More from the Press Release:  

Since Luminex’s soft launch of the super-flexible GigaCore 10 Gigabit switch – at Prolight+Sound in Frankfurt earlier this year – it has fast established itself as the manufacturer’s most versatile plug-and-play Gigabit Ethernet Switch to date.

The GigaCore 10 is specifically designed to address the rigors of the live events and touring industry where effortless set up, flexible use options, compact size and rugged reliability are key. To complement this, Luminex has designed a thoughtful range of accessories to enable easy rigging in all professional environments – including touring trusses, 19 inch rack and wall mountings.

Safeguarding the product’s industry relevance, Luminex has developed and validated the key features of the GigaCore 10 in collaboration with its dealer network, third party manufacturers and end users.

With eight fully pre-configured Ethercon ports (to transport all commonly-used lighting and audio protocols) – four on each side of the unit – plus two (optional) FiberFox or Neutrik opticalCON connectors and a safety-standard compliant PowerCon TRUE1 Connector, the GigaCore 10 enables speedy design and set up of converged, multicast, PoE (Power over Ethernet) capable networks, while avoid the usual pitfalls of bandwidth issues.

One of GigaCore 10’s key features is the ‘easy group’ function, which allows users to modify groups, change port settings or add devices to the network on the road, with speed and ease. Not only that, this modification can be achieved without reprogramming the entire system. Lighting, audio and video protocols can be assigned to different colour groups and sent over the same network with a guarantee that each device will receive the correct protocol signal, whether it be Dante©, RAVENNA/AES67©, Q-LAN, sACN, ArtNet, MANet2, HogNet, RTTrPL (BlackTraX) or IEEE 1588 PTP V2.

Another key feature is the ability to provide PoE+ – in this case a maximum per unit of 130W with PoE+ on each port up to a maximum of 30W. Ports running PoE+ to critical devices can be prioritised so that, in the unlikely event that the overall limit of 130W is reached, GigaCore will cut power to the lowest priority device first.

RGB LED status indicators on each port help users to quickly identify the activity on the port such as: group (VLAN) settings, PoE status, redundancy or if the port is part of an aggregated set of ports delivering a higher total bandwidth for applications such as video.

The quick to navigate (and password-protected) status page, which can be accessed via any browser also allows system users to quickly identify a single device in a multi-device system by ‘poking’ the unit from the user interface; in response, the LED on the ‘poked’ unit will wink! In addition, if a connected device has ‘frozen’, the user interface can facilitate a remote reboot of the afflicted kit.

The option to create up to 10 unique profile presets, one of which can be a preferred default that automatically reloads on reset, can be invaluable in a festival scenario. When faced with a roster of LDs or FOH engineers that may need to connect a different manufacturer’s console to the lighting rig or PA system, this feature can save time on a major re-patch – not to mention the wear and tear caused by repeated re-plugging of cables and connectors.

Should a link fail, Luminex’s RLinkX redundancy protocol, validated around the world with third party manufacturers of lighting, sound and video, is enabled on all Ethercon and fibre ports and indicated by a blue LED when active. Such redundancy offers a stress-free, seamless, 20-40 millisecond switchover speed to a redundant link.

The latest GigaCore 10 version includes the often-requested SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol), enabling users to remotely monitor the status of a GigaCore 10 device. Information on temperature and TX or RX traffic on each port can be accessed via a separate monitoring software such as PRTG or, alternatively, via Luminex’s own, free-to-access application, LumiNet Monitor. Such monitoring access is crucial to engineers working with converged networks, where high data consumption may be a concern.

GigaCore 10 is 100% Luminex designed and manufactured. Created as the ultimate effortless solution for versatile, intuitive and scalable networking, it has been built to suit any application or environment and allows users with little or no IT knowledge to set up a pro AV network with ease.

The GigaCore 10 will ship from the beginning of October 2017 and can be seen at IBC in Amsterdam, PLASA in London, Interbee in Japan and LDI in the USA.