Specification
VLC+

A. General
i.	The Controller shall be a microprocessor-based system specifically designed for control of lighting in an architectural or entertainment application. A personal computer running emulation software shall not be acceptable.
ii.	The Controller shall store operating software and show data in non-volatile solid-state memory with capacity at least 512GB.
iii.	The Controller shall have one dedicated Ethernet port for remote management and two dedicated Ethernet ports for outputting control data.
iv.	Show data may be downloaded from a remote personal computer over an Ethernet connection to the management port.
v.	It shall be possible to update the Operating Software by download from a remote personal computer over an Ethernet connection to the management port.
vi.	The Controller shall commence show playback automatically on receiving power without additional external inputs.
vii.	The Controller shall have an internal real-time clock that continues to operate when external power is absent. It shall be capable of adjusting for Daylight Savings Time automatically and can be updated using the Network Time Protocol (NTP) over an Internet connection to the management port.
viii.	The Controller shall be able to calculate sunrise, sunset, dawn and dusk times based on longitude and latitude information, and use these as triggers for events.
ix.	The Controller shall be able to calculate phases of the moon and use these as triggers or conditionals for events.
x.	The capacity of the controller shall be defined in terms of number of control channels being used, and the maximum capacity of each unit shall be factory-configured to user requirements.
xi.	The Controller shall be able to output control data as Art-Net II, Art-Net III, Art-Net 4, KiNET, sACN and Pathport protocols simultaneously via Ethernet on the data port.
xii.	Art-Net and KiNET output protocols can have “sync” enabled so that device output is refreshed at the same time rather than independently as new eDMX data arrives allowing for large pixel arrays to operate without “tearing”.
xiii.	The Controller shall mirror its eDMX output as digital video via DVI for local monitoring of output.
xiv.	There shall be visual indicators on the Controller showing status of the controller and its interfaces.
xv.	The Controller shall operate a web server on its management Ethernet interface. This shall allow status information, control and configuration options to be accessed remotely.
xvi.	The appearance and content of the web interface may be customized by the user.
xvii.	The Controller shall allow lighting to be programmed as a single array of pixels supporting playback of live video input and up to 2 streams of locally stored video media.
xviii.	The Controller shall allow text and low-resolution video to be overlaid on the pixel array.
xix.	It shall be possible to rotate and scale the live video and stored video media to the pixel array by adjusting a flexible content target area with “rotate”, “flip” and “mirror” controls.
xx.	The Controller shall be capable of receiving live video input via a DVI-D capture port at resolutions up to 1920x1080 at 60hz.  Specific formats of HDMI video input are supported via an appropriate adapter cable (not supplied).
xxi.	The Controller shall support multiple timelines, crossfades and effects running concurrently in a priority based framework outputting to the single array. 
xxii.	The Controller shall be able to apply a configurable blur effect to all video content.
xxiii.	The Controller shall be able to mask content areas and make colour and intensity adjustments within the masked area.
xxiv.	The Controller shall support a full-duplex RS232 Serial Port for interfacing to show control devices with port settings and syntax freely configurable.
xxv.	The Controller shall be capable of receiving Art-Net II, sACN or arbitrary TCP/UDP data over Ethernet to its management port for triggering.
xxvi.	The Controller shall support multiple remote devices connected via Ethernet to its management port for support of additional show control interfaces, such as contact closures, analogue inputs, relay outputs, serial, audio input, linear timecode, MIDI and DALI.
xxvii.	The Controller shall support multiple streams of timecode and audio data within a single networked system.
xxviii.	The Controller shall have a recessed switch for resetting the unit without removal of power.
xxix.	The Controller shall have an internal watchdog feature that will restart the unit in the event of program failure.
xxx.	The Controllers can be linked to other Controllers via Ethernet to its management port when programmed as part of a single show and shall automatically synchronise and share triggers during playback.
xxxi.	The Controller shall support conditional logic and execute user-defined Lua scripts to support advanced show control operations.
xxxii.	The Controller shall be provided with a 5 year manufacturer warranty.

B. Physical
i.	Enclosure and mounting shall comply with IEC 60297
ii.	The unit shall be a 2U 19” rack mount enclosure (19” x 3.5” x 16”)
iii.	The unit shall have solid-state electronics and storage.
iv.	The unit shall operate in a temperature range from 0°C to 50°C (32°F to 122°F)
v.	The unit shall be CE/ROHS/WEEE compliant.
vi.	The unit shall be ETL/cETL listed.

C. Electrical
i.	The Controller shall be designed to support the following standard connectors:
a.	(2) Neutrik etherCON socket (RJ45 compatible) for 10/100/1000 Base-TX Ethernet for control data
b.	Neutrik etherCON socket (RJ45 compatible) for 10/100/1000 Base-TX Ethernet for system management
c.	(2) USB-A Socket for USB 2.0 
d.	DVI-I socket for DVI-D video capture
e.	9-pin D plug for RS232 serial input/output
f.	DVI-I socket for DVI output monitoring
g.	IEC socket for 100-240VAC/50-60Hz/0.4-0.2A mains input with switch and power cables for North America, Europe and UK shall be provided.
h.	Stereo analog & digital audio outputs (for future development) 

D. Software
i.	The Controller shall be supported by programming software running on either a PC or Mac platform.  Programming features shall include:
a.	Comprehensive LED fixture library 
b.	Graphical placement of fixtures on a 2D plan
c.	Drag and drop patching of fixtures to output addresses
d.	Import of any media for mapping to the pixel array (video and static imagery)
e.	Timeline playback system with 5 levels of playback priority
f.	Extensive range of editable media effects
g.	Graphical placement of effect media on timelines
h.	Variety of triggering options for firing system-wide events
i.	Each trigger event may be configured to initiate one or more lighting or show control actions
j.	Each trigger event may be configured to test one or more conditions before executing its actions
k.	Simulation of individual timelines, and entire project with triggers (requires an OpenCL 1.2 or higher compatible graphics card)
l.	Live output from software for programming verification purposes
m.	Controller and network management tools 
n.	Printable and exportable reports for all aspects of programming
o.	Tools for remote management of content and show programming
p.	Import and Export tool for manipulating large layouts and patch in external programs

E. Protection
i.	The Controller is protected under licence by the following patents:  
U.S. Patents: 6,016,038; 6,150,774; 6,166,496; 6,211,626; 6,292,901; 6,340,868; 6,459,919; 6,528,954; 6,548,967; 6,577,080; 6,608,453; 6,624,597; 6,636,003; 6,717,376; 6,720,745; 6,774,584; 6,777,891; 6,781,329; 6,788,011; 6,801,003; 6,806,659; 6,869,204; 6,883,929; 6,888,322; 6,897,624; 6,936,978; 6,965,205; 6,967,448; 6,969,954; 6,975,079; 7,014,336; 7,031,920; 7,038,398; 7,038,399; 7,042,172; 7,064,498; 7,113,541; 7,132,635; 7,132,785; 7,132,804; 7,135,824; 7,139,617; 7,288,190; 7,231,060; Canadian Patent: CA 2,302,227; Hong Kong Patent: HK 1025416; Australian Patent: AU 757000; AU 2003203584; European Patents: EP 1 016 062 B1; EP 1 224 845 B1; EP 1 234 140 B1; DE 698 07 092 C0; DE 600 21 911 C0; DE 600 23 730 C0