Introduction to Show Control explains the practice of interconnecting and synchronizing entertainment technology systems such as lighting, lasers, audio, video, stage machinery, animatronics, special effects, and pyrotechnic systems for live shows such as concerts, theater productions, theme park attractions, themed retail installations, cruise ship shows, immersive art experiences, museum exhibits, and traditional performing arts. Designed to be read along with Huntington’s companion volume Introduction to Show Networking, this book covers topics including cue concepts, triggers and synchronization, cueing systems, show types, and system architectures before moving on to methods of connecting entertainment control systems together. An easy-to-understand set of system design principles is introduced next, and then a cohesive show control design approach is explained and examined through practical example systems drawn from the world of live show production. This new book–along with the companion Introduction to Show Networking volume–are the successors to Huntington’s now-retired Show Networks and Control Systems (previously Control Systems for Live Entertainment), the industry standard since 1994.

Introduction to Show Networking covers the basics of how Ethernet networks provide a platform for entertainment control and audio/video media distribution for concerts, theatre productions, corporate and special events, cruise ship revues, wrestling shows, houses of worship, museum presentations, fountain spectaculars—any kind of show presented live for an audience. The book’s bottom-up approach was designed with show technicians in mind, starting with the basics and then moving up through cables, network switches, and layering, and on through Ethernet, and network components like TCP, UDP, IP and subnet masks, all with a practical focus. More advanced concepts are introduced, including broadcast storms and VLANs, along with show networking best practices. Closing out the book is a network design process demonstrated through practical, real-world examples for lighting, sound, video, scenic automation, and show control networks. An appendix covering binary and hexadecimal numbers is also included. This easy-reading book draws from Huntington’s Show Networks and Control Systems, the industry standard since 1994, but is completely re-focused, reorganized, and updated.

The respected industry standard for technicians working in live entertainment.

James J. Chriss carefully guides readers through the debates about social control. The book provides a comprehensive guide to historical debates and more recent controversies, examining in detail the criminal justice system, medicine, everyday life and national security.

Introduction to Linear Control Systems is designed as a standard introduction to linear control systems for all those who one way or another deal with control systems. It can be used as a comprehensive up-to-date textbook for a one-semester 3-credit undergraduate course on linear control systems as the first course on this topic at university. This includes the faculties of electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, chemical and petroleum engineering, industrial engineering, civil engineering, bio-engineering, economics, mathematics, physics, management and social sciences, etc. The book covers foundations of linear control systems, their raison detre, different types, modelling, representations, computations, stability concepts, tools for time-domain and frequency-domain analysis and synthesis, and fundamental limitations, with an emphasis on frequency-domain methods. Every chapter includes a part on further readings where more advanced topics and pertinent references are introduced for further studies. The presentation is theoretically firm, contemporary, and self-contained. Appendices cover Laplace transform and differential equations, dynamics, MATLAB and SIMULINK, treatise on stability concepts and tools, treatise on Routh-Hurwitz method, random optimization techniques as well as convex and non-convex problems, and sample midterm and endterm exams. The book is divided to the sequel 3 parts plus appendices. PART I: In this part of the book, chapters 1-5, we present foundations of linear control systems. This includes: the introduction to control systems, their raison detre, their different types, modelling of control systems, different methods for their representation and fundamental computations, basic stability concepts and tools for both analysis and design, basic time domain analysis and design details, and the root locus as a stability analysis and synthesis tool. PART II: In this part of the book, Chapters 6-9, we present what is generally referred to as the frequency domain methods. This refers to the experiment of applying a sinusoidal input to the system and studying its output. There are basically three different methods for representation and studying of the data of the aforementioned frequency response experiment: these are the Nyquist plot, the Bode diagram, and the Krohn-Manger-Nichols chart. We study these methods in details. We learn that the output is also a sinusoid with the same frequency but generally with different phase and magnitude. By dividing the output by the input we obtain the so-called sinusoidal or frequency transfer function of the system which is the same as the transfer function when the Laplace variable s is substituted with . Finally we use the Bode diagram for the design process. PART III: In this part, Chapter 10, we introduce some miscellaneous advanced topics under the theme fundamental limitations which should be included in this undergraduate course at least in an introductory level. We make bridges between some seemingly disparate aspects of a control system and theoretically complement the previously studied subjects. Appendices: The book contains seven appendices. Appendix A is on the Laplace transform and differential equations. Appendix B is an introduction to dynamics. Appendix C is an introduction to MATLAB, including SIMULINK. Appendix D is a survey on stability concepts and tools. A glossary and road map of the available stability concepts and tests is provided which is missing even in the research literature. Appendix E is a survey on the Routh-Hurwitz method, also missing in the literature. Appendix F is an introduction to random optimization techniques and convex and non-convex problems. Finally, appendix G presents sample midterm and endterm exams, which are class-tested several times.

Show Networks and Control Systems, the industry standard since 1994, is both a learning guide for beginners and a reference for experienced technicians. With its unique combined focus on computers, networks, and control systems, the book covers the art and practice of using these tools for live shows such as concerts, theatre productions, theme park attractions, themed-retail installations, cruise ship shows, museum exhibits, interactive media projects, and traditional performing arts. The book offers an in-depth examination of the technology used behind the scenes in lighting, lasers, audio, video, stage machinery, animatronics, special effects, and pyrotechnics and show control, the technique used to interconnect and synchronize two or more show systems. In this extensively revised and updated second edition (after three editions with the previous title, Control Systems for Live Entertainment), Huntington draws on more than three decades of experience in the field and classroom to clearly explain what goes on behind the scenes and inside the machines that bring bold performances to life in real-world settings. This 2.1 edition contains only minor changes and typo corrections from the 2.0 version.

An integrated presentation of dynamics, vibrations, and control theory, emphasizing the fundamentals of dynamics. The text's flexible structure makes it useful for integrated courses covering all three areas, individual courses in dynamics, and as a quick refresher for professionals. Includes examples, problems and applications.