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All lighting control consoles can control [[dimmer]]s which control the intensity of the lights. Many modern consoles can control [[Intelligent lighting]] (lights that can move, change colors and [[Gobo (lighting)|gobo patterns]]), [[fog machine]]s and [[Haze machine|hazers]], and other special effects devices. Some consoles can also interface with other electronic performance hardware (i.e. [[Mixing console|sound boards]], [[Video projector|projectors]], [[media server]]s, automated [[Winch|winches]] and motors, etc.) to improve synchronization or unify their control.
Lighting consoles communicate with the dimmers and other devices in the lighting system via an electronic control [[Communications protocol|protocol]]. The most common protocol used in the entertainment industry today is [[DMX512]], although other protocols (e.g. [[0-10 V lighting control|0-10 V analog lighting control]]) may still be found in use, and newer protocols such as [[Architecture for Control Networks|ACN]] and DMX-512-A are evolving to meet the demands of ever increasing device sophistication. Some lighting consoles can communicate over a network via a switch to have more control over more complex systems. A common protocol for this is sACN (pronounced: streaming A.C.N.) or Art-Net.
== Types of control consoles ==
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===Remote focus unit===
Many memory consoles have an optional Remote Focus Unit (RFU) controller that can be attached to the light board and used to control the board's functions (though usually in some limited capacity). They are usually small enough to be handheld. This is ideal in situations where moving the light board is impractical, but control is needed away from where the board is located. That is, if the light board is in a control room that is located far from the fixtures, such as a catwalk, an RFU can be attached and an electrician or the lighting designer can bring it to a ___location which is close to the lights. Some of the newer and more advanced boards have RFUs that can be connected through USB or even wirelessly
Various manufacturers offer software for devices such as [[Android (operating system)|Android]] and [[IPhone|iPhones]] that cause the devices to act as remote controllers for their consoles. Also, independent software developers have released applications that can send [[Art-Net]] packets from an iPhone, thus enabling an iPhone to serve as a fully featured console when used in conjunction with an Art-Net to DMX converter or Art-Net compatible luminaries and dimmers. An example of this is ETC's (electronic theater controls) app called iRFR for Apple devices or aRFR for Android devices.
The ''Controller Interface Transport Protocol'', or ''CITP'', is a [[network protocol]] used between visualizers, lighting control consoles and [[media server]]s to [[Data transmission|transport]] non-show critical information during [[pre-production]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Claiborne|first1=Vickie|title=Media Servers for Lighting Programmers: A Comprehensive Guide to Working with Digital Lighting|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=9781317938224|pages=101–104|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tPrJAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT119&dq=CITP+protocol&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjBxM_z5K_NAhVGImMKHYFmCRQQ6AEIHDAA#v=onepage&q=CITP%20protocol&f=false|accessdate=17 June 2016|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Tannemyr|first1=Peppe|title=Hippotizer Forum Scandinavia - Information|url=http://www.digigobos.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=288|website=www.digigobos.com|publisher=SSR Beacon DigiGobos|accessdate=17 June 2016}}</ref> The protocol is used for a number of purposes including [[DMX512|SDMX]], browsing media and thumbnails, and streaming media among different devices.<ref>{{cite web|title=MADRIX 3 Help and Manual|url=http://help.madrix.com/m3/html/madrix/index.html?hidd_citp.html|website=help.madrix.com|accessdate=17 June 2016}}</ref>
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