Created in 2001 by Artistic Licence, Art-Net is designed especially for larger, more complex lighting systems. Art-Net aims to overcome the limitations of DMX; for example, DMX typically can only carry 512 channels (a “universe”) over a single cable, but Art-Net can carry multiple universes over the same Ethernet cable.

One of the most notable advantages of Art-Net is its network-based structure. This allows you to transport lighting data using existing Ethernet infrastructure, enabling you to carry more data over longer distances. With Art-Net, you can also transport many different universes over the same cable, reducing complexity and cable clutter.

Art-Net is supported by many software and hardware control devices, making it effective for large productions and intricate lighting designs.

In summary, Art-Net is highly suitable for modern, large-scale, intricate lighting applications and offers numerous benefits for such projects.

Art-Net Version 1

The ArtNET protocol, in its initial version created in 1998 as “ArtNET 1”, is a lighting control protocol. In this first version, DMX512 data packets were sent to all IP addresses on the network using a method called “Broadcast”. Thus, data could be sent to many lighting fixtures over an Ethernet network. However, this initial version was designed only for 10BaseT type Ethernet networks and, in practice, worked with approximately 10 different ‘universes’ (lighting groups). As the number of RGB fixtures used in facade lighting increased over time, this broadcast method became insufficient and began to cause problems.

Art-Net Version 2

In 2006, the next version of the ArtNET protocol, ArtNET 2, was released. This version continued to send DMX512 packets using the “broadcast” method when devices were first powered up, as in ArtNET 1. However, the significant innovation of ArtNET 2 was that after initially determining the IP addresses on the network by broadcasting, it then sent DMX512 packets only to the relevant IP addresses using the “unicast” method. With ArtNET 2, 256 different “universes” (channel groups) could be more efficiently controlled.

Art-Net Version 3

Significant improvements were made to the protocol in 2011 with the ArtNET 3 revision. With two primary changes, the protocol became capable of managing broader and more complex lighting systems easily.

1. First, universe addressing was upgraded from 8-Bit to 15-Bit. This change meant that the protocol could now address a total of 32,768 different universes (channel groups), necessary for managing more RGB fixtures and complex lighting systems.
2. Secondly, the “Binding” concept was added. This feature allowed ArtNET DMX512 converter devices to control up to 4 ports over a single IP address, ensuring more efficient system management.

Art-Net Version 4

With the 2016 revision, ArtNET 4 was enhanced to be a broader and more effective protocol. In the previous version, ArtNET 3, only up to 4 ports could be controlled with a single IP address. With ArtNET 4, this number theoretically increased to 1000 ports. However, such high port numbers are rarely used in practice. Most ArtNET DMX512 control devices typically have the capacity to control up to 16 ports.

This revision provided a series of new features and capacity increases to the ArtNET protocol, enabling it to manage more complex lighting systems. However, high port numbers are typically only needed for large-scale projects or very intricate lighting arrays. Comprehensive documentation for the ArtNET 4 protocol can generally be downloaded online.