ESTA (Booth #1615) announced that three draft standards are available for public review through December 7, 2004 and can be accessed by visiting http://www.esta.org/tsp/. The three draft standards are:
• BSR E1.20, Entertainment Technology–Remote Device Management over USITT DMX512
• BSR E1.23, Entertainment Technology–Design and Execution of Theatrical Fog Effects
• BSR E1.27-1, Entertainment Technology–Standard for Portable Control Cables for Use with USITT DMX512/1990 and E1.11 (DMX512-A) Products
The BSR E1.20 draft standard has been significantly restructured as a result of the votes and comments from the last public review. BSR E1.20, commonly known as RDM, is a scheme that allows bidirectional communication between moving lights, dimmers, et cetera and a control console on a DMX512 network. This makes error reporting possible, and, more importantly, makes it possible for a control console to automatically find out what is on a network and assign control channels appropriately.
BSR E1.23 is a standard for planning and executing fog effects. It is modeled after the well-respected NFPA standards for indoor pyrotechnics and flame effects. Those NFPA standards (NFPA 1126 and NFPA 160) help protect workers and audience members, and also help simplify working with the local authority having jurisdiction for the effects designers and technician; E1.23, when it is finished, is expected to do the same for fog effects.
BSR E1.27-1 is a draft standard for a very common thing: a piece of portable DMX512 or E1.11 cable. Pick up a piece of DMX cable now and you have no idea how it is wired inside. BSR E1.27-1 would standardize the wiring of a DMX cable and require labeling so it can be distinguished from other cables with XLR connectors that might be at hand.
All interested parties are invited to review these draft standards and comment on them through the December 7th deadline. ESTA asks that comments are submitted earlier than later, because late comments cannot be processed in this cycle of public review.
For more information contact:
Karl G. Ruling, standards@esta.org
Technical Standards Manager
1-212-244-1505