Two draft standards are available for public review on the ESTA website: BSR E1.20, Entertainment Technology — Remote Device Management Over USITT DMX512, and BSR E1.24, Entertainment Technology — Dimensional Requirements For Stage Pin Connectors.
RDM is available for review through October 11, while Requirements for Stage Pin Connectors is available for review through October 18. On the ending dates, the links to the review documents will be removed from the website.
BSR E1.20 describes a method of bi-directional communications over a USITT DMX512/1990 data link between an entertainment lighting controller and one or more remotely controlled lighting device. The protocol also is intended to work with the ANSI E1.11-2004 control protocol. It allows discovery of devices on a DMX512/E1.11 network and the remote setting of DMX starting addresses, as well as status and fault reporting back to the control console.
BSR E1.24 is a draft American National Standard that builds on USITT's S3 — 1997 — Standard for Stage Pin Connectors. Right now, there is no configuration standard used by Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories to ensure the connectors from different manufacturers will mate with each other. Current practice is to test the mating of a male connector only with a female connector from the same manufacturer. Most 20A connectors on the market will fit together fairly well with connectors from other manufacturers, but this is not the case with other sizes of pin connectors, and there is no assurance that 20A connectors will continue to fit together as new products are introduced to the market. It is hoped that an American National Standard for the physical configuration of pin connectors will encourage NRTLs to test for proper mating between brands. Failing that, it will give buyers a standard they can reference when specifying connectors, so they can be assured of compatibility.
Both draft standards have been offered for public review before. The comments received resulted in changes to the documents, so they are being offered for public review again. The previous review comments and the resolutions to them are posted on the ESTA website along with the revised draft documents.
Reviewers are asked to look for protected intellectual property in the draft standards. ESTA and Accredited Standards Committee E1 do not warrant that the standards contain no protected intellectual property, but they do not intend to adopt any standard that requires the use of protected intellectual property, unless that property is necessary for technical reasons and can be licensed and used by anyone without prejudice or preference for a reasonable fee. To review these standards, visit ESTA's website at www.esta.org/tsp/documents/public_review_docs.php.