Today we’ve released Luminair v3.4, an update we’re referring to as the Installation edition because it adds support for two additional wired-ethernet products that can also simultaneously power iOS devices. This is going to make it easier than ever to integrate Luminair in more permanent installations such as architectural lighting, as well as a more robust solution for those who are using Luminair as a lighting console replacement.

Luminair already offers advanced scheduling capabilities, and also supports the most common control protocols (Art-Net, sACN, KiNET, etc.), but up until this day there hasn’t been a great way to integrate the app as the main control system for permanent installations due to it’s reliance on Wi-Fi communications when the iOS device is connected to power.

The good news is that there are two new products available for iOS devices which make it possible to both power the device continuously as well as provide a direct ethernet connection. The two new products supported in v3.4 are Redpark’s new L4-NETP accessory, and also USB-ethernet adapters connected through Apple’s new iPad Pro Lightning to USB 3 adapter.

There are some differences in these products and the situations where each one is an appropriate choice.

For simple DHCP-based wired network connections, you can now use USB-ethernet adapters connected to Apple’s new iPad Pro Lightning to USB 3 adapter. The downside to this specific solution is that iOS itself does not provide a way to configure the USB-ethernet interfaces with custom network settings. DHCP is the only choice available, so you’ll need to have your iOS device connected to a network router providing DHCP services.

For more advanced network configurations and direct connections between an ethernet-based DMX interface and the iOS device, you’ll need to use Redpark’s new L4-NETP accessory for iOS devices. The L4-NETP gives you the same advantages as their L2-NET cable, which Luminair already supports, but also provides the ability to power the device.

For more info about how to configure these new products, please see the updated user manual at the following link:
https://synthe-fx.com/downloads/files/luminair/Luminair%20User%20Manual.pdf