The Main Lounge sports 45 Pathport DMX units, running eight universes driven by an MA Lighting GrandMA console in a full tracking backup configuration, using a GrandMA Relay unit. The control system outputs Pathport protocol directly, using DMX only at the output stage. The award-winning Pathport DMX management system is more than a tool to route DMX over Ethernet, say the company: with up to 64 universes of control, Pathport can send any control channel input to any DMX output port. HTP merging and control priority can be established for an entire universe or on a per-channel basis.
The system also incorporates six DMX PowerPanels; these special DMX interfaces connect directly to Square D circuit breaker/relay panels, providing extensive non-dim control from the console. All of the DMX distribution in the Disco and Queen's Room uses Pathway's popular DMXRepeater Opto Splitters, supporting the DMX output from the GrandMA consoles used for control.
Illuminations not only runs three planetarium shows in rotation, but is also a multi-use venue for lectures, music, movies, videos and general programs. Morphing from this generic multi-use environment to a full planetarium, the dome system splits the lower section, raising it into the upper half of the dome ceiling. This space is also controlled by a GrandMA, with 23 Pathports and a number of PowerPanel interfaces running all of the contactors.
Nautilus Entertainment Design acted as entertainment facility consultant for the Queen Mary 2. NED project manager Bill Havens comments: "Pathway has a great product. It's a very cost effective solution and provides extremely flexible data routing systems for large installations. A huge benefit of this project was the native Pathport output from Grand MA. We needed less hardware and had far fewer compatibility problems. Also, one of our goals is to 'future-proof' our designs. You know that future protocols are going to use Cat 5 cabling, so it only makes sense to go that way now."
Gary Douglas, Pathport product manager adds: "Thanks to the entire design team, the QM2 is a wildly successful integration of the Pathport DMX management system with Pathport Alliance products like the GrandMA. These products have created a very flexible solution for the ship's unique requirements. Pathport technology was developed with the future in mind, and our experience and ongoing development will further data management technology in complex systems like those aboard QM2."
(Lee Baldock)
