Got most of my ducks in a row to do the etherdream install in the projector. This will be done will the assistance of a qualified electrician. Wondering about the ethercon placement on a OPT PR6000a projector? Not sure what the best course of action is. Can you repurpose one of the interlocks and just run e-stop parallel ? Do you bore another spot on the back? Not a lot of room left. If someone has advice or even a photo of a completed with open housing , I’d be eternally grateful.
I own the PR5500 versions and asked the manufacturer if Etherdreams can be placed inside.
Answer was:
Not enough room to keep proper cooling - not recommended to include them inside the projectors.
I build a 3D printed case for the estherdreams with PoE included attached to the side of the projector and a 50cm ILDA cable to connect to Laser.
Note that there are some upcoming developments that should make this whole process easier, but I can’t talk about it yet. Watch this space.
In the meantime… if you can figure this out it will make your set up way better than using external controllers.
I’ve just got a couple of PR-8000s and although it’s not gonna be easy, it is definitely possible. @stevewallet Honestly I think that OPT are playing it safe, and also the quality of technical advice that you can get from them can vary drastically!
So you have three connections to organise :
RGB/ XY
This is probably the easiest thing to solve, especially if you get a model that is designed to house FḄ4 as the ED3/4 has the same connectors for RBG and XY.
(That said, the units that OPT just sent me didn’t have these connectors! They’re sending me replacements, we’ll see. This is all part of the sometimes chaotic experience dealing with Chinese factories, even when you have a friend that speaks Mandarin - thanks @abbycodestudio!)
I notice that the model that @Eyes2theSkies obtained has got a DMX module inside it - avoid these! The DMX systems are rubbish and they take up a ton of space. Make sure to get the version for FḄ4.
Power
Power is a little trickier, as the ED needs 5v and lasers usually have 12v or 24v power source. But it’s nothing that a “buck convertor” can’t easily solve. Widely and cheaply available.
Network connector
Recent OPTs have a network switch inside which is great! You can daisy chain your lasers network connections. But you will need to convert the tiny JST style connectors into a standard RJ45 connector for your ED.
Other issues :
Space
Ether Dreams are a very different shape to FḄ4s so they usually don’t fit and you’ll have to get creative. I’ve often mounted them to the top of the laser module (there are often some threaded holes dotted around and you can add some more).
In the latest models there are already some boards on top of the laser module, I haven’t quite figured this out yet but I think I can stack the ED on top of the existing boards. I’ll let you know.
(Bizarrely, the previous much smaller units were easier to fit the ED inside.)
External ILDA connector
OPT (and many others) are notorious for not properly adding electronics that switch between the external ILDA connector and the internal controller. I’ve asked them about this many, MANY times, and have given up now.
What this means is that the signals from the internal ED and the external ILDA connection will be combined which produces unpredictable results, usually restricted output range.
There should be switching electronics that uses the internal ED by default, and completely switches to the external ILDA connection when it is plugged in.
@Stanwax has a number of solutions to this problem, including an ED mounted board that will provide this switching functionality.
So yeah unfortunately right now it is fiddly, but possible for anyone with basic electronic skills. But it really is worth it for the convenience, and it will get easier in future I promise.
Hope this helps.
Seb
Thank you all for the information. Definitely will explore both internal and external options. I’ll talk to my tech about removing DMX from the projector if it allows for an ethercon installation. I have no intention of using DMX. Will update as I mess things up 