PRG Controlling VARI-LITE Equipment Using DMX 512 - Manual (Page 26)

DMX512 R EFERENCE G UIDE
1 8 02.3004.0300.54
Equipment Power Requirements
Overview
The first consideration when hooking up a lighting system is power. Power is provided by large
transformers in most permanent venues. Portable generators may be provided for other applications.
Consoles, luminaires, and repeaters operate off of a single phase of power, however, the system is
commonly connected to AC services that provide three phases of power. When connecting to a house
service with three-phase power, the power should be distributed evenly across the breakers on the ACS
rack, mini-ACS rack, and Six-pack chassis (refer to
"Phase Balancing" on page 21 ).
The following section provides guidelines for connecting VARI ❋LITE® Series 200/300 equipment to
an AC service.
Three-Phase Power Source
Delta/Wye Configuration
The system is commonly connected to a three-phase AC power source. Three-phase AC power is
produced by alternators which contain three separate windings designed so that the voltages induced in
them are equal in amplitude and out of phase with each other by exactly 120 degrees. The outputs can
be connected in one of two methods to produce a three-wire, three-phase circuit: wye-connected
source and the delta-connected source.
Figure 1-5: Delta/Wye Configuration
In almost all cases the power source (house service) will be wye connected, but Series 200/300
equipment may be connected either as delta or wye loads as required. The most obvious difference
between delta and wye loads is that a wye load uses a neutral and a delta load does not.
Note: The Series 200 powered outputs on the modular rack utilize the service neutral, and therefore
must not be used with a delta service, and requires the presence of a neutral, even when connected as a
delta load.
Y
X
Z
DELTA SERVICE
(NO NEUTRAL USED)
WYE SERVICE
(FIVE WIRE)
Y
X Z
NEUTRAL
EARTH
GROUND
EARTH
GROUND