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| Art-Net | |
|---|---|
| Name | Art-Net |
| Type | Network protocol |
| Developer | Artistic Licence |
| First release | 2000s |
| Website | Artistic Licence |
Art-Net is a lighting control protocol designed for transmitting DMX512 and related lighting control data over Internet Protocol networks, enabling interoperability among manufacturers and systems used in live events, theatrical productions, touring, and architectural installations. The protocol facilitates distribution of real-time channel data between consoles, media servers, routers, and fixtures, integrating with equipment from companies such as MA Lighting, Electronic Theatre Controls, Avolites, Chauvet, and Robe Lighting. Art-Net is widely used alongside protocols like sACN, MIDI, OSC (Open Sound Control), and technologies such as Gigabit Ethernet and Multicast.
Art-Net serves as a bridge between legacy serial standards like DMX512 and modern Ethernet infrastructures, converting lighting control universes into UDP/IP packets suitable for local area networks and wider production environments. The architecture supports multiple universes per node, unicast and broadcast delivery, and coexistence with routing equipment from vendors including Cisco Systems, Netgear, and Juniper Networks. Art-Net ecosystems commonly involve devices from manufacturers such as Harman International Industries, Barco, LeMaitre VFX, and Philips Lighting.
Art-Net was developed by Artistic Licence Engineering Ltd. in the early 2000s to meet demands from touring productions, broadcasters, and venues that required higher channel counts and flexible distribution. Its evolution parallels developments at institutions and events like Royal Albert Hall, Wembley Stadium, Eurovision Song Contest, and touring operations for artists represented by companies such as Live Nation and AEG Presents. Key milestones include formal specification updates and industry adoption alongside standards work by organizations like PLASA and interoperability testing at trade shows such as Prolight + Sound and ISE (Integrated Systems Europe).
Art-Net operates primarily over User Datagram Protocol (UDP) on IPv4 networks, encoding DMX512 frame data into Art-Net packet structures and supporting protocol versions including Art-Net I through IV. It defines opcodes, headers, universe addressing, and node discovery mechanisms that interact with network infrastructure from vendors like HP Enterprise, Arista Networks, and NETGEAR. The protocol specifies timing, packetization limits, and event handling interoperable with control surfaces from ETC Eos, MA 3, Hog consoles, and software from CAST, GrandMA 2, and LightJockey. Art-Net's addressing model coexists with CIDR subnetting and can be routed through switches that implement VLAN and IGMP features used in deployments at venues such as Madison Square Garden and Sydney Opera House.
Multiple commercial and open-source implementations provide Art-Net input/output for consoles, media servers, and playback systems. Notable software that supports Art-Net includes Resolume Arena, MadMapper, QLab, Watchout, D3 Technologies, and VJ applications. Open-source projects and libraries on platforms maintained by communities around GitHub, SourceForge, and groups affiliated with Open Lighting Project and ShowNet offer SDKs and tools for developers. Interoperability testing and certification are often performed at industry events hosted by PLASA Show and LDI (Live Design International).
Hardware supporting Art-Net spans interfaces, nodes, gateways, and fixtures. Typical vendors include ENTTEC, Pathway Connectivity, LumenRadio, DJ Lighting, and Showtec. Devices include Ethernet-to-DMX gateways, wireless DMX bridges, pixel controllers for LED matrices from ZIGBEE Alliance-adjacent ecosystems, and RDM-capable nodes used by manufacturers such as Chamsys, Jands, and ADJ. Rack-mount nodes, wall-plate extenders, and integrated fixtures incorporate components from supply chains involving Foxconn and TE Connectivity for connectors and interfaces used in touring racks and permanent installs at arenas like Barclays Center.
Art-Net is applied across live events, television studios, film production stages, theme parks, architectural façades, and cruise ship entertainment. Production workflows integrate controllers from Zero 88, ChamSys, Avolites Titan with media servers from Green Hippo and Avolites Ai to synchronize lighting with video and audio from systems by Harman brands like JBL and AKG. Large-scale deployments occur in concert tours for performers managed by firms such as WME, corporate events by Informa Markets, and permanent installations at institutions like The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Guggenheim Museum.
Art-Net, built on UDP/IP, inherits limitations such as lack of inherent encryption and authentication, exposing control traffic to interception and spoofing if networks lack segmentation or access controls. Best practices include isolating lighting networks using managed switches from Cisco Systems or Dell EMC, implementing VLAN segregation, and employing network monitoring tools from vendors like SolarWinds and Wireshark. For sensitive applications, integrators combine Art-Net with secure transport methods, network access control systems from Cisco Identity Services Engine, and physical security measures used at venues managed by SMG and ASM Global to mitigate risks. Known technical constraints include packet size limits affecting high-density pixel mapping and timing jitter under congested Ethernet conditions, which engineers address using hardware buffers and priority queuing in switches supplied by Brocade Communications Systems.
Category:Network protocols