Chauvet Q-Spot 360-LED User Manual download pdf (Page 26)

Appendix

Q-Spot 260-LED User Manual Rev. 01d -22- April 7, 2010

6. Appendix

DMX Primer

The DMX protocol (USITT DMX512-A) is a networking protocol that enables a universal

DMX controller device to control the features of multiple DMX compatible fixtures,

whether par cans, wash lights, moving heads, followspots, foggers, proprietary fixture

controllers, etc.

As any other networking protocol, the USITT DMX512-

A describes the physical

medium, the signals and the functions they control.

The Physical

Medium

The DMX controller connects to it associated DMX compatible fixtures using a DMX

connection. This connection consists of a series of jumps between the DMX controller

and the various DMX compatible fixtures, also known as a daisy chain connection. In

this type of connection, the DATA OUT of one fixture or the DMX controller connects to

the DATA IN of the next fixture, and so on.

Each DMX fixture links to the previous and next DMX fixture or controller using a DMX

cable. This type of cable consists of a section of shielded, two-conductor twisted pair

cable with one 3-pin XLR male connector on one end and a 3-

pin XLR female

connector on the other end. The XLR connectors pin-out is as follows: pin 1 is the

Common (shield), pin 2 is Signal Negative (S-) and pin 3 is Signal Positive (S+).

The Signals

The DMX signal stream is unidirectional, from the DMX controller to the DMX

compatible fixtures. These signals conform to the EIA-485 standard.

The stream of DMX signals consists of 512 individual, sequential channels that form a

frame. The DMX controller constantly sends frames of DMX signals to the DMX

connection, even if not all of the 512 channels are in use. Because of this constant

transmission method, there can be only one DMX controller in a DMX connection.

Otherwise, the DMX signals sent by one controller would interfere with the signals sent

by the other controller(s).

The Functions

Each DMX channel can have any unitary value in the 000~255 range. Each DMX

compatible fixture uses as many consecutive DMX channels as features the user can

control. The sequential numbers assigned to each DMX channel (1~512) are also

known as DMX addresses.

The function each DMX channel has and the results of assigning a value to each

depend on each controlled fixture. Some fixtures only use a single DMX channel, while

others may require 15 or more DMX channels to control all their functions.

DMX

Configuration

The DMX fixture configuration consists in determining how many channels each fixture

will need as well as assigning the corresponding DMX channels to each fixture in order

to size correctly the DMX controller.

Personalities

Most DMX fixtures use multiple personalities, each of them requiring a different number

of channels, depending on the number of features it enables. The number of DMX

channels used by a fixture may vary from only one (usually the general dimmer control)

to 15 or more, as mentioned above.

When the job does not require using all the fixture’s capabilities, the user can select a

more basic personality (less channels), thus allowing

the DMX controller to

accommodate more DMX fixtures.

Starting

Address

For the DMX controller to control each DMX fixture, the user must first configure each

fixture’s personality. This will determine the number of required channels to control the

fixture. Each channel will have a DMX address assigned to it. However, since assigning

a particular DMX address to each channel is impractical, the user will only need to

configure on each fixture the DMX address that corresponds to the fixture’s Channel 1.

This is the fixture’s starting address. The fixture will automatically assign the other

channels to the subsequent DMX addresses.

Once this assignment is complete, and based on the number of channels it uses, the

fixture will respond to the DMX signals sent to the range of DMX channels that begins

with the starting address.

For example, a fixture that uses six DMX channels and whose starting address is 100,

will accept DMX data sent by the DMX controller to channels 100, 101, 102, 103, 104,

and 105.

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Chauvet Q-Spot 360-LED User Manual Page 26

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