Latin America. ARRI is expanding the versatility of the SkyPanel family with a new remote control unit for manual use and a firmware update that brings new features.
Inspired by user requirements, the SkyPanel remote control brings more flexibility and ease of use to the popular SkyPanel line of luminaires. This manual-used remote control connects to any SkyPanel via a USB cable and allows full control of the device remotely. This is particularly useful if the SkyPanel is located high up on a tripod or in a position that makes it difficult to access the built-in focus board.
Along with the release of the SkyPanel remote comes a firmware update that brings new features to the SkyPanel, improves the experience of using the remote control and adds several more improvements. The SkyPanel Firmware 2.5 introduces five new key features: master/slave mode, expanded gel library and DMX control, DMX protocol with xy coordinate, low battery voltage warning and control panel lock.
The new master/slave mode allows a SkyPanel to control multiple SkyPanels via DMX. When this mode is activated, any SkyPanel connected to the master device via the DMX cable will mimic the settings made to the master control panel. This is an ideal choice for smaller applications for which a large DMX network and a lighting console are not practical. When coupled to the SkyPanel remote control, the master/slave mode becomes a powerful solution for controlling a small network of interconnected devices.
Firmware 2.5 further extends the popular gel mode introduced in Firmware 2.0. Now, the SkyPanel implements Lee 700 Series filters, adding 41 new colors to the SkyPanel gel library for an expanded total of 318 colors. This extensive and well-known color palette also features an updated DMX protocol that allows users to blur between two different gel colors and also select how the transition between colors takes place.
The DMX protocol with xy coordinate offers a new way to select a color with the SkyPanel. Through the use of the well-known CIE 1931 color space chromaticity diagram, this protocol allows users to select the x and y coordinates to produce a particular color within the color space. This new mode is useful for advanced applications where the selection of a specific point in the CIE 1931 color space is critical.
If it is a battery that is powering the SkyPanel, Firmware 2.5 now has a warning whenever the battery voltage is below a certain pre-defined value by the user, which eliminates uncertainties regarding battery changes. A lock function has also been implemented in the SkyPanel's control panel, which can be turned on or off by simply holding down the encoder for five seconds.
Another improvement at the Firmware 2.5 interface includes large letters during CCT or saturation settings, better menu presentation and voltage reading on the main screen when using battery.
