Chinese Bee Eye fixtures

[timsabre]

However, stopping the factories making counterfeits in the first place is a lot easier than many people think, especially for electronics.

1) Custom ASICs can be only sold to authorized factories in quantities required for production (one of the prime reasons they are used so much)

2) ROMs and Micros need code to be flashed - often the designing company will supply a device to flash these devices, that will only flash a set number without another code from the designing company.

 

Unfortunately this is not the case, the chinese manufacturers are very skilled at extracting the firmware code from existing ROMs and microcontrollers even when all the security fuses are set. They will then modify the code to eliminate copyright and manufacturer-specific information. Seen it done several times.

 

Custom ASICs are a bit beyond the means of lighting manufacturers, everything is usually done in software with an FPGA or micro. Apple like them to enforce their hardware protection schemes.

[smalljoshua]

enforce their hardware protection schemes rackets.

It still doesn't work then!

 

The idea of anyone having ownership of a concept or idea is flawed in my opinion. Just look at the Patent system to see it's broken!

 

Josh

[musht]

Getting counterfeits off the market after they have entered (through the courts.etc) is essentially impossible.

 

Think the Sharpy counterfeits were externally identical to the real thing, but as someone memorably put it about knockoffs

"looks the same until you plug it in..."

 

Functionality relatively simple to duplicate its a DMX moving head with fewer wheels than most, as Tim said security fuses seem just to scare the timid away, back when arcade video games were money,Taiwanese used to decap the proms and literally photocopy the contents.

[dashroom66]

Extracting code from read-protected devices is usually a very intensive process, in my experience far beyond the skill levels of Chinese factories (though not to say that it has never happened if you have experience of it). Unless very poor parts are selected then it is usually extremely difficult, but there are a few common methods.

Often either code is rewritten (little bit of protocol analysis.etc), the IC is sent of to a firm that specializes in it (the joys of the Chinese economy...), or most often either they have got hold of early prototypes or models that did not have the fuses set, or they have read it off the programming gear (often they are not protected).

 

I guess the main point is that if you take the effort to think about it, it can be relatively easy.

There is a limit to how much effort they will put in to get your designs, when it becomes cheaper to just design an imitation themselves, then that's what they'll do.

 

 

There is of course the question of how much you can be bothered (or cost analysis if you get more formal :-) )

I generally go a bit OTT when dealing with china, and when it comes down to it, CP probably aren't losing that much money to duplicates (as previously mentioned)

 

One thing that I do find strange is the effort that they will put into copying the electronics vs the mechanical side. The electronics for a mover aren't that complicated when done to the standards China cares about, but any of the mechanical stuff is going to be a bit "fiddly"

 

 

 

It's worth noting that other manufacturers (and also CP since the sharpy) haven't had the same level problems as the sharpy, so clearly they are doing something right in that regard.

 

 

Sorry for bringing this so off topic :-)

 

Some cool IC reverse engineering below

http://www.bunniestudios.com/blog/?page_id=40

[musht]

 

It's worth noting that other manufacturers (and also CP since the sharpy) haven't had the same level problems as the sharpy, so clearly they are doing something right in that regard.

 

 

Sorry for bringing this so off topic :-)

 

Some cool IC reverse engineering below

http://www.bunniestudios.com/blog/?page_id=40

 

The Sharpy anti counterfeit ads were 2012

 

http://www.blue-room.org.uk/index.php?showtopic=53446

 

Thanks for the fascinating link :-)

 

If its like CK`s agressive US LED patent protection in the early part of the century, go after importers and distributors with legal artillery even safely answering a cease and desist nastygram is going to be a few thousand quid.

 

Wonder how the copy B Eye channel mapping matches up to the original, up to 146 channels per unit on K20 with a lot of special macros

 

http://www.claypaky.it/media/documents/A.leda_B-EYE_Series_DmxChannels_PRELIMINARY_%2806.14%29.pdf

[Don Allen]

Off topic, but that is a useful RGBW DMX Lee reference table on page 4 thanks.

[paulears]

I've got 7 more shows to do, then home on Tuesday - but got a call today to say a flightless arrived. Big case, and inside, apparently, are two of the Bee Eye fixtures, that I can pay for if I like them, if not return them - and the price is quite attractive if I keep them. I've bought quite a few of the 36X10W zoom washes and kept 10 and sold quite a few, so I suspect they're hoping I'll do the same with these - which may well be the case if they're actually good. Oddly MagicQ has a hed file for this model, but it's very different from the ones coming - there is a rotate function on the one delivered while the MagicQ version doesn't have this, so I've knocked up one for them, and I will give them a try next week and report back.

[Don Allen]

I bought two BEE KEYE fixtures for New Years Eve and they were amazing to use as backlight. 18 channels, CH14 is 51 Static built in effects show to be used in conjunction with CH6 Lens rotate, CH is lens speed, CH15 is 51 Dynamic built in effects show, CH16 is dynamic effects speed. Ch 17 is Macro function with a selection of auto runs and sound activation which works well for NYE. They are fine as a wash light after you work out you need to use the lens rotate to open out the single square in the centre, to overlapping squares. What made the show was the dynamic programs built in. There are models that give you access to every led's four colours, but it would take you a lot of time to program and I read on the BEE EYE UK show thread that the internal programs are fine. Build quality is ok and they are lightweight.

[paulears]

Post script. I kept the B-eye fixtures and they've been surprisingly useful, until one went pop, the LEDs went out and it smelled. Later, somebody replugged it in and there was a small pop a puff of smoke and now is totally dead. I'll bring it home at some point and see what has died, and see what the manufacturer says, which I bet won't be a lot!