What's New > ESTA announces published standards and public reviews
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ANNOUNCEMENT #1
ESTA’s Technical Standards Program announces two new standards—one from the Event Safety Working Group, and another from the Control Protocols Working Group—now published and available for download!
These standards are now available for download from the TSP’s Published Documents page, found at https://tsp.esta.org/freestandards. They can also be downloaded from ANSI’s Web Store and from the Accuris Standards Store.
ANSI ES1.6 – 2025, Event Safety—Communications
This standard describes requirements for communication of internal and public information for live events and related activities. It provides guidelines and recommended practices for effective communication within the production and operation of a live event. It describes communication messaging and technology for internal operations and external groups, such as the audience or general public, with guidelines for assessment with all involved entities. Its goal is to help the user determine logistics of, and provide channels for general, operational, management, security, health and safety information to affected parties in a timely manner.
ANSI E1.20 – 2025, Entertainment Technology - Remote Device Management over DMX512 Networks (RDM)
This standard describes a method of bi-directional communications over a DMX512 data link between an entertainment lighting controller and one or more remotely controlled lighting devices. It allows discovery of devices on a DMX512/ANSI E1.11 network and the remote setting of DMX starting addresses, and also allows status and fault reporting back to the control console.
ANNOUNCEMENT #2
ESTA’s Technical Standards Program announces six documents now in public review.
Six documents, comprised of four reaffirmations, one revision, and one new draft standard, are now available for public review. The documents, their respective public review forms, and review instructions are all available from the TSP’s Public Review Documents download page, found at https://tsp.esta.org/publicreview. Return the public review forms, with any comments you may have, before the deadlines shown.
One reaffirmation from the Rigging Working Group
ANSI E1.4-3 – 2020, Manually Operated Hoist Rigging Systems
This standard establishes requirements for the design, manufacture, installation, inspection, and maintenance of manually operated hoist systems for lifting and suspension of loads for performance, presentation, and theatrical production. This public review is to consider it for reaffirmation: are its requirements still reasonable, or does it need revision? Submit comments before 12 May 2025.
One reaffirmation from the Floors Working Group
ANSI E1.62 - 2021, Minimum specifications for mass-produced portable platforms, ramps, stairs, and choral risers for live performance events
This is a product specification covering serially manufactured portable platforms, stair units ramps, and choral risers. It also covers railings provided as fall protection accessories for these units. It gives minimum payload and sideways force handling values. This public review is to consider it for reaffirmation: are its requirements still reasonable, or does it need revision? Submit comments before 12 May 2025.
One reaffirmation from the Followspot Positions Working Group
ANSI E1.66 - 2020, Safety Standard for Followspot Positions Erected for Short-term Use in Entertainment Venues
ANSI E1.66 – 2020 covers the safety requirements for followspot positions in or on structures erected for short‐term use, and positions not already covered by ANSI E1.28. Applicable to followspot positions indoors and outdoors, it addresses structural, electrical, and personnel safety requirements associated with non‐permanent followspot positions, and is being considered for reaffirmation in this public review. Are its requirements still reasonable, or are changes necessary? Submit comments before 12 May 2025.
Three from the Control Protocols Working Group – one new, one revision, and one reaffirmation
BSR E1.31, Lightweight streaming protocol for transport of DMX512 using ACN
This standard describes a mechanism to transfer DMX512A packets over a TCP/IP network using a subset of the ACN protocol suite. It covers data format, data protocol, data addressing, and network management. It also outlines a synchronization method to help ensure that multiple sinks can process this data concurrently when supervised by the same controller, and includes support for both IPv4 and IPv6. Submit comments before 12 May 2025.
E1.37-4, Remote Device Management over DMX512 Networks - File Transfer Control with Firmware Upload capabilities
BSR E1.37-4 is a new addition to the E1.37 project. It provides developers of RDM responder hardware with a standard means of implementing firmware upload using the basic communication structure provided by the ANSI E1.20 RDM standard. The design approach is intended to facilitate data transfers to responders that may be built using processors with very limited memory resources as well as devices that can support the largest possible [RDM] packet. Submit comments before 12 May 2025.
ANSI E1.59 - 2021, Object Transform Protocol
This standard describes a mechanism to transfer object transform information such as position, orientation and velocity over an IP network using a subset of the [ACN] protocol suite. It covers data format, data protocol, data addressing, and network management. Data transmitted is intended to coordinate visual and audio elements of a production and should not be used for safety critical applications. This is a reaffirmation of the current published standard. Are its requirements still reasonable, or are changes necessary? Submit comments before 12 May 2025.