--- title: "Introducing #lighthack: the community-supported OSC project kit for Eos" description: "Indulge your inner maker with the #lighthack OSC starter kit - and use it on your next show." image: https://blog.etcconnect.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/lighthack_box1_partial-750x500.jpg --- - [ETCCONNECT](https://etcconnect.com/) - [ABOUT](https://blog.etcconnect.com/about) - [AUTHORS](https://blog.etcconnect.com/blog-authors) - [CONTACT](https://blog.etcconnect.com/contact) [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/ElectronicTheatreControls) [Follow us on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/ElectronicTheatreControls) [Follow us on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/electronic-theatre-controls) [Follow us on LinkedIn](https://www.youtube.com/user/ETCVideoLibrary) [![EtCetera_319x104](https://blog.etcconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/EtCetera_319x104.png?width=319&height=104&name=EtCetera_319x104.png "EtCetera_319x104")](https://blog.etcconnect.com) [![ETC Blog](https://blog.etcconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/EtCetera_319x104.png?width=319&height=104&name=EtCetera_319x104.png "ETC Blog")](https://blog.etcconnect.com) - [SPOTLIGHT](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/spotlight) - [ETC CULTURE](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/etc-culture) - [GEAR](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/gear) - [LEARN](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/learn) - [ODDS & ENDS](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/odds-ends) - [BRIGHT IDEAS](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/bright-ideas) Search ## [![blog-header](https://blog.etcconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/blog-header.png?width=476&height=155&name=blog-header.png "blog-header")](https://www.etcconnect.com) [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/ElectronicTheatreControls) [Follow us on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/ElectronicTheatreControls) [Follow us on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/electronic-theatre-controls) [Follow us on LinkedIn](https://www.youtube.com/user/ETCVideoLibrary) [✕](https://blog.etcconnect.com/2017/12/lighthack-community-supported-eos-project-kit#gwen-offcanvas-primary) - [SPOTLIGHT](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/spotlight) - [ETC CULTURE](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/etc-culture) - [GEAR](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/gear) - [LEARN](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/learn) - [ODDS & ENDS](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/odds-ends) - [BRIGHT IDEAS](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/bright-ideas) # Introducing #lighthack: the community-supported Eos project kit ![Luke Delwiche](https://blog.etcconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog%20Images/luke.png?width=34&height=34&name=luke.png)By [Luke Delwiche](https://blog.etcconnect.com/author/luke-delwiche) 27 Dec 2017 ![](https://blog.etcconnect.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/lighthack_box1_partial-750x500.jpg)  Today, we’re trying something new…and you can, too. Theatre-makers are truly MAKERS. We are people who find a problem and solve it. Budgets are never high enough, and so we experiment, learn, share — and then experiment more. ETC embraces this maker culture. We get it. ### ETC Labs Concurrent with the implementation of [Open Sound Control (OSC)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Sound_Control) on the Cobalt and Eos consoles, a group of ETC employees and users launched [**ETC Labs**](https://github.com/etclabs), a GitHub site to share and co-develop open-source apps. ![ETC Labs](https://blog.etcconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/ETClabs2.jpg?width=1062&height=702&name=ETClabs2.jpg) Most of these apps use OSC as a route in and out of a console. It’s beautiful – you get the absolute stability of proven hardware and software, but with a way to play freely. You can use [**Sound2Light**](https://github.com/ETCLabs/Sound2Light) to trigger subs from frequency bands, use [**Luminosus**](https://github.com/ETCLabs/LuminosusEosEdition) to convert MIDI to OSC, and use [**OSCRouter**](https://github.com/ETCLabs/OSCRouter) to, well, route OSC. People even share their templates and setups. Got another idea? You’re likely to find like-minded people. ETC Labs flew pretty low under a lot of peoples’ radar, though. Unless you were roaming the [community forums](https://community.etcconnect.com/) or Facebook groups, you probably didn’t even know it exists. ![OSC widgets](https://blog.etcconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/OSCWidgets.png?width=1440&height=900&name=OSCWidgets.png) Screenshot: OSC Widgets available on ETC Labs At the same time, we have people creating OSC-based hardware widgets and gizmos. Scroll through the [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/groups/etceosprogrammers/) [groups](https://www.facebook.com/groups/etccobalt/)and you’ll see a cornucopia of creations to enable ETCnomad, add a handle, or even (I’m looking at you, Andrew Webberley), use a particle sensor to auto-run the DMX hazer. So many great gizmos, and even more great ideas, but where do you start? For some makers, writing a network stack is trivial, but for others (including this author) that is just too much, too soon. Wouldn’t it be nice if I could just get a kit of parts to get me started, to learn from, and to play with? Wouldn’t it be cool if I didn’t have to think about networking, IP addressing, or really anything related to the number 802? And wouldn’t it be great to just follow along with the instructions and – hopefully – not hit roadblock after roadblock? ### Intro to #lighthacking Well, there is a way. The **#lighthack** project is centered around Arduino hardware devices that users assemble from scratch and connect to Eos-family consoles via USB. It’s easy to load and modify Arduino code, and all the communication is still OSC – it’s just via USB. ### Box 1 ![lighthack box 1](https://blog.etcconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/lighthack_box1.png?width=600&height=481&name=lighthack_box1.png) Today, we’re officially launching the **#lighthack box 1** kit on our [US](https://shop.etcconnect.com/) and [EU](https://shop.etcconnect.eu) shops. This “getting-started” kit contains an Arduino Uno, two encoders, three Cherry switches, a 2×20 character display, and most of the other bits that you need to build it. When you are done with the project, you will have a little gizmo to plug in and control a moving light’s pan and tilt along with \[Next\] and \[Last\] buttons. ![#lighthack](https://blog.etcconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/lighthack_box1_assembled.jpg?width=1118&height=836&name=lighthack_box1_assembled.jpg) Ta da! And after that, maybe you will experiment. Could you have four encoders? Could you have an effect rate knob? Could you find a problem I can’t even think of, and solve it with #lighthack? If you don’t want to buy the kit from us, that’s cool. The complete parts list is detailed in the [assembly instructions](https://github.com/ETCLabs/lighthack/blob/master/box_1/box_1_assembly_instructions.pdf). All of the parts can be found online. ![#lighthack](https://blog.etcconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/lighthack_box1_parts.jpg?width=1065&height=706&name=lighthack_box1_parts.jpg) #lighthack box 1 kit of parts ### Need help? Connect with your peers. Here’s the challenge: ETC is absolutely dedicated to supporting every customer, and our support is — dare I say — legendary. But #lighthack complicates things. Can (and should) ETC’s technical support team help you write code? Can they troubleshoot an intermittent problem with double-hit of a switch which may be a (ahem) “manufacturing” problem? The answer is: we can help you prove that the hardware is working as it should and let you work out the other problems with your fellow #lighthackers. **Here is the official line for all ETC Labs projects, including #lighthack:** ETC Labs is a home for clever (but unofficial) ETC software and hardware, developed in conjunction with the greater lighting community. All ETC Labs projects are community-supported. For challenges using, integrating, compiling, or modifying, we encourage posting on the [GitHub issues page](https://github.com/ETCLabs/lighthack/issues) or on the [ETC forums](https://community.etcconnect.com/etclabs/f/lighthack). So go and hack, reader. You will learn so much – how to solder, how to load and modify code, and how to troubleshoot. You will also learn why good, solid hardware costs what it does, and probably gain a new respect for those who design and build good hardware. I know I have. ![#lighthack](https://blog.etcconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/lighthack_box1_solder.jpg?width=1070&height=800&name=lighthack_box1_solder.jpg) *Do you have your own #lighthacking stories to share? Leave a comment, or email us at [blog@etcconnect.com](mailto:blog@etcconnect.com)* - - - 0 [#FEATURED](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/featured) [#DIY](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/diy) [#Eos Family](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/eos-family) [##lighthack](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/lighthack) [#BRIGHT IDEAS](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/bright-ideas) [#GEAR](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/gear) [#LEARN](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/learn) [#OSC](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/osc) [#ETC Labs](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/etc-labs) ### Secrets of Product Listing Part 1: How to be electrically-informed [Previous article](https://blog.etcconnect.com/2018/01/decoding-the-secrets-of-product-listing-how-to-be-electrically-informed) ### Radio City Music Hall sees unexpected benefits from ETC upgrade [Next article](https://blog.etcconnect.com/2017/12/radio-city-music-hall-unexpected-benefits-etc-upgrade) [Luke Delwiche](https://blog.etcconnect.com/author/luke-delwiche) ![Luke Delwiche](https://blog.etcconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog%20Images/luke.png?width=180&height=180&name=luke.png) Luke started working in the Technical Services department at ETC’s U.S. headquarters in 1998. In 2003, he relocated to ETC Ltd. in London, where he worked as a field service engineer and salesperson across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa before returning to the U.S. in 2016. He now serves as ETC’s entertainment market manager. #### You may also like [![](https://blog.etcconnect.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Cafdhdhdpture.jpg)](https://blog.etcconnect.com/2019/03/sending-multiple-postcards) [Eos](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/eos) ### [Sending Multiple Postcards](https://blog.etcconnect.com/2019/03/sending-multiple-postcards) By [Sam Smallman](https://blog.etcconnect.com/author/sam-smallman) 12-Mar-2019 For the advanced users out there wanting to refine their knowledge on OSC, this latest installment of the *Exploring the Network* series is written specifically for you. [Read More](https://blog.etcconnect.com/2019/03/sending-multiple-postcards) [![](https://blog.etcconnect.com/hubfs/GLEAM.tree.ETC3.jpg)](https://blog.etcconnect.com/gleam-2023) [ETC Culture](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/etc-culture) ### [GLEAM 2023: Enchanted Tree Chronicles](https://blog.etcconnect.com/gleam-2023) By [Rachel Frederick](https://blog.etcconnect.com/author/rachel-frederick) 1-Feb-2024 Olbrich Botanical Gardens, located in Madison, Wisconsin, is just a few miles from the ETC headquarters building. For the past six years, in late summer, a team of lighting designers, artists,... [Read More](https://blog.etcconnect.com/gleam-2023) [![](https://blog.etcconnect.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Sammy-explorer-2-700x500-3.png)](https://blog.etcconnect.com/2017/08/exploring-the-network-osc-part-i) [Eos](https://blog.etcconnect.com/tag/eos) ### [Exploring the Network: The Postcard (OSC)](https://blog.etcconnect.com/2017/08/exploring-the-network-osc-part-i) By [Sam Smallman](https://blog.etcconnect.com/author/sam-smallman) 1-Aug-2017 This is the first post in a series of articles on Open Sound Control (OSC) written by field service engineer and programmer Sam Smallman. [Read More](https://blog.etcconnect.com/2017/08/exploring-the-network-osc-part-i) - [ETCCONNECT](https://etcconnect.com/) - [About](https://blog.etcconnect.com/about) - [Authors](https://blog.etcconnect.com/blog-authors) - [Links](https://blog.etcconnect.com/links) - [Contact us](https://blog.etcconnect.com/contact) [Privacy Policy & Legal Notices](https://www.etcconnect.com/Privacy-Policy-Terms-of-Use-and-Acceptable-Use.aspx) [CA Transparency Act & Transparency in Coverage](https://www.etcconnect.com/About/California-Supply-Chain-Transparency-Act.aspx) [Do Not Share My Personal Info](https://www.etcconnect.com/Do-Not-Share-My-Personal-Info/) [CA Privacy Rights](https://www.etcconnect.com/CA-Privacy-Rights/) ![ETC blog](https://blog.etcconnect.com/hubfs/ETC-logo_footer-wh.png)   ![ETC 50 anniversary](https://www.etcconnect.com/uploadedimages/Main_Site/Images/50yr_160x80.png "ETC 50 anniversary") [![ETC social networks](https://www.etcconnect.com/uploadedFiles/Main_Site/Images/social_Footer.png "ETC social networks")](https://www.etcconnect.com/Get-connected.aspx) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Luke Delwiche", "url" : "https://blog.etcconnect.com/author/luke-delwiche" }, "dateModified" : "2022-11-02T18:31:07.986Z", "datePublished" : "2017-12-27T06:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "Introducing #lighthack: the community-supported OSC project kit for Eos", "image" : [ "https://blog.etcconnect.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/lighthack_box1_partial-750x500.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.etcconnect.com/2017/12/lighthack-community-supported-eos-project-kit", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.etcconnect.com/hubfs/Logos%20-%20Icons%20-%20Design%20Elements/ETC_4c.png" }, "name" : "ETC" } } ```