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www.advateklights.com PixLite A4-S Mk3 User Manual V211013
Figure 12: Network Layout Without a Switch/Router
The controller can alternatively be connected directly to the host machine, as shown
in Figure 12. A crossover cable is not required in this case, but it may be used if
desired.
The controller(s) can be integrated straight into any pre-existing LAN such as your
media, home or office network, the above diagrams are only provided as examples.
6.2 - IGMPSnooping
Traditionally when multicasting a large number of universes, IGMPSnooping is
required to ensure that the pixel controller is not overwhelmed with irrelevant data.
However, the PixLite A4-S Mk3 is equipped with a Universe Data Hardware Firewall,
which filters out irrelevant incoming data, removing the need for IGMPSnooping.
6.3 - Dual Gigabit Ports
The two Ethernet ports are industry standard gigabit switching ports, so any network
device can be connected to either port. A common purpose for the two is to daisy-
chain PixLite Mk3 devices from the one network source, simplifying cable runs. The
combination of the speed of these ports and the included Universe Data Hardware
Firewall means that latency caused by daisy-chaining is practically negligible. For
any practical installation, an unlimited number of PixLite Mk3 devices can be daisy-
chained together.
A redundant network cable can be connected between the final Ethernet port in a
chain of PixLite Mk3 devices and a network switch. Since this will create a network
loop, it is important that the network switches being used support Spanning Tree
Protocol (STP), or one of its variants such as RSTP. STP will then allow this redundant
loop to be automatically managed by the network switch. Most high-quality network
switches have a version of STP built in and the configuration required is either none or