ILDA Organization Official Logo
The history of the ILDA laser
Explaining the ILDA laser connection.
An ILDA laser is a type of laser projector that uses a DB-25 connection to carry it's signal for control. The “ILDA port” is defined as a “DB-25 Connector”, which is a 25-pin analog connector that is usually found on the back of the laser.
It works by sending an analog signal from your ilda laser control hardware (such as Pangolin's FB3QS), into the male DB-25, or also known as the ILDA IN port, on the back of the laser.
How the name "ILDA" came to be
ILDA, or the International Laser Display Association, is an organization that has been around for quite some time, and has had the duty to set the industry standards for laser shows, all while promoting everything from the advancement of laser artistry, to increasing public awareness and safety, and more.
Though the technical term for the ILDA laser connection is DB-25, though it's become of common to define the connection as ILDA, which to this day is the primarily used term.
Backside of a Unity RAW 1.7 ILDA Laser Projector
ILDA Laser Limitations
Though ILDA has been standard across the laser light show industry for quite some time, it comes with a few core limitations.
- ILDA cables can be troublesome to run, due to its size, weight, and the overall “thickness” of the cable itself.
- Performing multi-projector laser shows can be troublesome, not only due to the issues with ILDA cable itself, but because the ILDA interface can only indecently control a single laser system at time. Which means you will need several different pieces of ilda laser hardware to run a truly multi-projector show.
- The recommended maximum run of an ILDA cable is 150ft. After 150ft, you may start to lose signal, thus resulting in a lower quality output resolution.
Another one of the main limitations of using an ILDA laser is that the cable can be hard to find and replace at a moments notice.
Back in the day, DB-25 connectors and cables were sold at a wide variety of stores, which is one of many reasons why ILDA chose it as the golden standard.
But with the evolution of technology in the entertainment industry, it's become very difficult to find in general public stores, unlike 5-pin DMX or ethernet cable, which is a large burden on the users.
The benefits of ILDA laser projectors
If there are all these limitations, why are still a large portion of ILDA laser systems still on the market today?
ILDA lasers are generally more affordable than lasers with custom laser control hardware. This is good for those who are looking to purchase a single, or maybe just a few laser systems, or for those with no intention to interface into a multimedia setup.
Purchasing “The Best ILDA Laser System”
There isn't really a "best" when it comes to purchasing an ILDA laser projector, as it's based on your needs and requirements, which will vary between person to person.
Though there are a few basic specifications that are good to know across all types laser projectors, such as the lasers output power, modulation, scan speeds, and more.
Check out our laser light show projector purchasing guide to understand the basics of buying a laser projector: https://lasershowprojector.com/blogs/education/laser-projector-purchasing-guide
Pangolin Lasers offers a wide variety of incredible ILDA laser light show projectors, click the button below to see more.
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