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Open Lighting Architecture

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Revision as of 14:28, 8 August 2009 by 66.92.11.32 (talk)
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Link: http://code.google.com/p/linux-lighting/
{{ #if: yes | Free! }}{{ #if: | Windows Support }}{{ #if: yes | Linux Support }}{{ #if: yes | Mac OS X Support }}{{ #if: yes | Sends DMX }}{{ #if: yes | Receives DMX }}{{ #if: | RDM Support }}{{ #if: | MIDI Support }}{{ #if: yes | HTTP Support }}

Llad home.png


OLA (Open Lighting Architecture) is a framework that allows applications to send and receive DMX, using various hardware devices and 'DMX over IP' protocols. It can make software controllers talk to DMX hardware. It was formerly known as LLA.

OLA allows DMX sent using various DMX over IP protocols to be converted from one format to another. This enables devices from different manufacturers to talk to each another (for example a Strand Console can send DMX to an Enttec EtherGate).


OLA Live is a stand-alone bootable CD containing software from the Open Lighting Architecture project.

When combined with a physical DMX interface such as the DMX USB Pro, OLA Live can send and receive data from traditional wired DMX networks.

OLA can run on Linux with all its plugins, and on Mac OS X (but at the moment not all the plugins have been ported. A port to Windows is feasible, if someone wants to add the necessary code.

Bugs: Check the bug tracker at http://code.google.com/p/linux-lighting/issues/list

Questions: See the news group at http://groups.google.com/group/open-lighting


Supported Devices/Protocols:

Driver Linux Mac OS X
ArtNet Yes Yes
ShowNet Yes Yes
ESP Net Yes Yes
Sandnet Yes  ??
E1.31 / ACN underway  ??
DMX USB Pro Yes Yes
Open DMX USB Yes  ??
StageProfi Yes  ??
Pathport in testing  ??
DMX 4 Linux Yes -


Getting Started

Start here if you've never used OLA before and read these in order.

Developer Documentation:

Tutorials, these refer to the previous release but parts of them are still relevant.


OLA can also run on a wireless access point. [1]

There is a project underway to build packages for OpenWrt. See http://lists.culturebase.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/lla-openwrt for more details.