The National Games of the People's Republic of China also known as the All China Games, is the most premier sports event of China of national level. It is usually held once every four years, with some exceptions.

The Opening Ceremony of the 11th National Games at the Jinan Olympic Sports Center recently relied on no further than 2,500 lighting fixtures. This number exceeded the 2004 Athens Olympic Games opening ceremony and is very close to the Beijing Olympic Games. Furthermore the show utilised 246 PIGI projectors for a 20,000 square metres video screen. 8 x grandMA full-size and 40 x MA NSPs (Network Signal Processor) controlled more than 40.000 parameters. Each MA NSP can calculate 2048 channels.

Lighting Designer and Chief Programmer Weng Chun Pu reported: “The grandMA supplied us with an outstanding performance and ran very stable. If we haven’t had the grandMA, we couldn’t have realised the show the way it is”.

Besides the 40 MA NSPs the network was composed of four virtual LANs (VLAN) and three optical routers. In addition HP switches, armoured cable and waterproof cable connectors guaranteed the stability of the network. In an MA-Net, the MA NSP can be used as a decentralised channel expansion for most of the grandMA consoles. For this purpose, not only the DMX signals are distributed among the MA NSPs, but so are all calculations necessary.

By working in the multi-user mode the narrow programming schedule was managed. With the unique multi-user functionality, up to 32 grandMA consoles or PCs with grandMA onPC, grandMA 3D and grandMA video can be linked together to program or control one single show. This means that every single operator can control the complete show or just a sub-section from his console.

Beijing-Color and Shanghai SMG supplied the lighting equipment. ACE - Advanced Communication Equipment Co Ltd. provided technical support. ACE is the exclusive distributor of MA Lighting and in China. Paul Collison, Dong Jiang, Zhang Wei were Associated Lighting Designers. Collison also worked as Programmer besides Wu Lei Ping and Weng Chun Pu. Lighting Project Manager was Chen Hong.

Photos: Copyright – ACE