Prospero FAQ

Below you’ll find answers to some commonly asked Prospero questions. If you don’t find what you’re looking for here, reach out to us at support@benpeoples.com and we’ll help you out!

I see that Prospero outputs DMX and sACN. What’s the difference?

DMX-512 is a protocol developed over 30 years ago and has become a mainstay of lighting control. It’s limited in that you can only control 512 addresses with it, and all of the devices with those addresses have to be connected together with DMX cabling.

A single group of 512 addresses is called a universe, and Prospero can output one universe through the DMX port on the back.

sACN uses Ethernet networks to distribute multiple universes of DMX. Everything is just networked together (eliminating multiple cables for multiple universes).

Prospero can output up to 9 different sACN universes, allowing you to control cue lights throughout your lighting network without them all having to be on the same DMX run.

I’m not that familiar with sACN, can you explain what that is?

sACN (streaming ACN) is a protocol designed to simplify the control of lighting fixtures in a way that's more flexible than traditional methods.

How sACN Works:

Digital Communication: sACN replaces the need for physical DMX cables by using digital communication over an Ethernet network.

Simple Configuration: Think of sACN as a language that allows a control device to easily talk to lighting fixtures. It simplifies the setup, eliminating the need for complex wiring. Everything is just on the network.

Controlling Multiple Fixtures: With sACN, you can control many fixtures at once. It's like sending instructions to a group of lights without having to individually connect to each one.

Priorities and LTP/HTP: Each controller can have a priority value set (0-200) for the universes it’s sending. Higher priority controllers will take over from lower priority senders. When two or more controllers are sending at the same priority, the fixture has to be configured as to what to do.

One option is Last Takes Precedence (or LTP) — this means that the last universe to change will take priority.
The other option is Highest Takes Precedence (or HTP) — this means the addresses in the universe with the highest value will take priority.
Prospero Cue Lights always work in HTP.

Can you use a Mini and a v3 in the same system? Do you simply set them to different universes?

Yes, you can put as many Prospero controllers as you want on the same system, in any combination. You can set different universes or start addresses to control different sets of cue lights, or configure two of the same unit identically to provide a backup for your primary unit.

Prospero v3 and Prospero Mini both use sACN for network transport of lighting control. sACN by design allows for multiple transmitters, so it’s simply a matter of configuring your controllers and cue lights to work together. See for more details.

Can multiple people work on configuring PCLs at the same time?

All PCLs ship with the same default IP address, and they can be configured either by connecting the PCL directly to a computer, or by using a computer connected to the same network as the PCL.

Since each unit is configured independently, multiple people can work on this simultaneously by connecting PCL units directly to separate computers.

If you are configuring through the network, the PCLs must be connected to the network and configured one at a time, to eliminate redundant IP addresses. Connecting multiple new PCLs to the network at the same time will result in the configuration website not knowing which unit it is talking to.

Is there a maximum number of PCLs that the v3 or the Mini can control per switch? ( i.e. can PCLs on booms in wings 1-6 SL all be on v3 switch 5?)

A single switch can control up to 100 sACN addresses across up to 9 universes.

If you’ll also need individual control of each PCL, you can give them each their own sACN address and patch any collection of up to 100 of them into a single switch.

If you don’t need individual control of the PCLs, you can simply set all of their sACN addresses to the same value, and then have that single sACN address controlled by the switch.

Is there a timeline for adding the feedback functionality of British-style cue light systems?

We expect to be shipping units with this option by July 2024.

For more Prospero info, head back to the main Prospero Documentation page!