gfs@drutx.UUCP (SkinnerGF) (10/04/85)
I am working on a project controlling light. I was wondering if the eye perceives light in a linear way? i.e. if you double the lumens put out by a bulb, do you see twice as much light. The ear of course hears in a logrithmic way, I'm wondering if the eye does similar things? The relationship to lumens put out by a bulb to voltage across the bulb is approximately lum = volts**3.6 (3.6 is typical). Any information is appreciated... Gary Skinner AT&T
bcbell@inmet.UUCP (10/10/85)
** Eat this line ** This is sketchy info at best, but it may point you in the right direction. I had a job once in a place that made stage lighting controllers. The dimmers followed a decidedly non-linear curve which was some sort of standard for theatre lighting. I can't remember the name of the satandards organization nor can I remeber if the curve followed human perception of "brightness" or just offerred lighting directors more control in the low end. Sorry to be so vague, but it was a long time ago. R.M. Mottola Cyborg Corp. Newton, MA. This reply was posted for me by a friend.
larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman) (10/26/85)
> This is sketchy info at best, but it may point you in the right direction. > I had a job once in a place that made stage lighting controllers. The > dimmers followed a decidedly non-linear curve which was some sort of standard > for theatre lighting. I can't remember the name of the standards organization > nor can I remeber if the curve followed human perception of "brightness" or > just offerred lighting directors more control in the low end. Sorry to be so > vague, but it was a long time ago. That's because lamp input voltage versus output lumens is a distinctly non-linear function. A linear scale autotransformer or thyristor dimmer control would not be useful due to lack of resolution at the high end of the scale and too much deadband at the low end of the scale. I don't believe there is a standard for stage lighting control curves; this was pretty much an arbitrary decision on the part of stage lighting manufacturers. The large variety of lamps used in stage lighting applications (from PAR-38 to bipin to quartz halogen, etc) have such different curves of voltage versus lumens, that a meaningful standard would be impossible to set. === Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, New York === === UUCP {decvax,dual,rocksanne,rocksvax,watmath}!sunybcs!kitty!larry === === VOICE 716/741-9185 {rice,shell}!baylor!/ === === FAX 716/741-9635 {AT&T 3510D} syr!buf!/ === === TELEX 69-71461 ansbak: ELGECOMCLR {via WUI} ihnp4!/ === === === === "Have you hugged your cat today?" ===