030 INTERVIEW
The Marina Bay Sands Grand Opening in Singapore ran DMX signal for 14 universes using W-DMX transmitters and outdoor 21 parabolic aerial antennae, from four locations, de- livering signal to an arsenal of DTS XR3000, Syncrolite 5K and 7K, and A&O Falcon 7K fixtures. Showtec Group of Singapore, worked closely with Laservision of Australia,to supply all the W-DMX, about 50% of the lighting fixtures, all the lighting consoles, project management, logistic support and crew. After the Grand Opening, Laservision actually installed more than 40 units of W-DMX, which will be used for the permanent laser show at Marina Bay Sands.
Image © Laservision
“There’s quite a big difference in character between the 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz bands and we wanted something that can be manually selected between the two bands.”
Wireless DMX’s success with the Singapore Flyer (the current largest). “We will provide a wireless transmitter and receiver, but as the transmitter is very close to the wall the antenna has to open up very big. We will work with our distributor [ACT Lighting] to choose the right antennas and accessories, but most importantly work with the technical specifier to do proper planning, because although the distance isn’t large it’s a moving object and you can have up to 50% less signal strength.” Today, Arvidsson enjoys a high profile on the international circuit - but how is he regarded by his peers? Describing his company as a “trend setter”, some may regard his attitude as cavalier, particularly with the statement on his website that the Wireless DMX system is, ‘today the unofficial standard for those that require the most dependable product available for transmitting lighting control data wirelessly, no matter the distance or location’. But his claim is tough to challenge. “Most of the people in the industry I get on with. When you have spent 20 years in the business you have to - especially when you are talking OEM business. As for that statement it is based on the fact that we were the first company on the market to take a different approach to making a product that was easy to use, cost effective and using advanced technology to ensure safe transmission. We are also the company with the most OEM partners.” Another web statement he was eager to clarify was, ‘we don’t have any competition, except signal cable’. “What I meant by that was that our biggest competition is cable and it’s aimed at people who are afraid to use wireless lighting control. Of course there are some brands on the market that provide competition but as the market grows, year on year, this is not the biggest problem. There is room for several providers in what is a growing market.” Of Wireless Solution’s various associations, the most important by far is with the global technology group Norautron, the locally-based production house based in
www.mondodr.com
nearby Vänersborg, which has been prototyping and manufacturing its products exclusively since the G3. “Norautron offers us scalability and they are prepared to be flexible, which is an important part of the partnership; two people working full time produce the full line of radio and the complete units.” They do this with the support of a 3,000 sq metres production plant, with modern test equipment and surface mount assembly lines. Some 4,000 - 5,000 radio cards are produced every month, helping to account for Wireless Solution’s 35% hike in turnover on the previous year. In fact in 2011 it also produced around 50,000 units of W-DMX - a new record. “From three PCB’s we can make ten different products,” Arvidsson said. “The idea is to have a flexible production with similar components so we can change batches at no notice. Although standard rating for weather-resistance is IP65 with small modifications, such as coating the PCB and cable glands with lacquer, and using metal instead of plastic we can uprate this to IP67.” This has enabled Wireless Solution to restrict its own personnel to a maximum of 14 sales, admin, R&D engineers and support staff, based at the 500 sq metre, two-storey facility in Uddevalla, which it moved to in 2006. According to Marcus Ek, the W-DMX Account Manager at Norautron, a significant turning point was when the G4 switched to the dual band (2.4GHz and 5.8GHz). This has been achieved by taking the 2.4 radio chip and using a transverter (upconverter / downcoverter) to upgrade to the licence free 5.8GHz. The G4 also provides the ability to repair corrupted data and create maximum security and a backup duplicate of the signal. Changing frequency provides a lot more flexibility due to the heavy traffic on the 2.4GHz band. “There’s quite a big difference in character between the 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz bands and we wanted something that can be manually selected between the two bands,”
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