Superhero Splitters from Artistic Licence

	Artistic Licence's Rail-Split extreme

Lighting controls specialist, Artistic Licence, has upgraded its premium DMX splitters to superhero status, by endowing them with special powers to withstand mains electrocution.

DMX splitters are a common component in lighting installations, allowing cable distances and fixture counts to be increased without signal degradation. However, with the increasing popularity of DMX as a means to control fixtures in a variety of commercial sectors, installation damage is becoming more frequent. This is largely as a result of accidental connection to mains voltages, caused by contractors unfamiliar with entertainment lighting industry protocols.

Having witnessed the sort of damage accidental mains connection can cause to products, Artistic Licence decided it was time to fight back. The company's Rail-Split RDM and Rail-Split extreme products are now fitted with electrical protection on the input, loop, and output connections. This enables the products to survive electrocution by all international mains voltages, including UK three-phase (that is, up to 415 VAC continuous connection). The connections are designed to be self-healing, so the product lives on to fight another day.

True to its name, Rail-Split extreme has an additional weapon in its armory. Designed for harsh environments such as bridges or towers, the product has surge protection. This feature is aimed at protecting the product and connected equipment against voltage surges of the type generated by lightning. The protection is sacrificial which means that after a certain number of protection events, the protection circuitry will be destroyed. The Rail-Split extreme datasheet details the levels of hits it can take.

Superpower endower, Wayne Howell of Artistic Licence comments, "These splitters are among the toughest on the market, and also feature our unique 'data fix' solution that straightens out dodgy DMX -- and we haven't even increased the price! The range has a great reputation for quality and already sells well, but with the latest upgrades, Rail-Split should become the default choice for specifiers worldwide."

Rail-Split RDM II features include:
* Mains electrocution protection (input, loop, and outputs)
* Fix mode (discards RDM/specialist data packets and adjusts DMX timing to suit most fixtures)
* Optically isolated DMX512 input
* Front panel power and data indication
* Six buffered outputs
* Bidirectional data ports
* Jabber detection
* DIN rail mounting
* DMX512, DMX512 (1990), DMX512-A
* RDM standard V1.0 (E1.20 - 2006 ESTA TSP)

Rail-Split extreme features include:
* Surge protection (input, loop, and outputs)
* Mains electrocution protection (input, loop, and outputs)
* Fix mode (discards RDM/specialist data packets and adjusts DMX timing to suit most fixtures)
* Optically isolated DMX512 input
* Front panel power and data indication
* Six buffered outputs
* Bidirectional data ports
* Jabber detection
* DIN rail mounting
* DMX512, DMX512 (1990), DMX512-A
* RDM Standard V1.0 (E1.20 - 2006 ESTA TSP)

See Artistic Licence at PLASA Focus Leeds May 9 - 10, in stand N-B31.