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Supported DMX Adapters


bob

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In version 3.1, the following DMX adapters are officially supported for native DMX devices:

With "Raw DMX" protocol
ENTTEC Open DMX USB
LOR USB485
LOR USB485B
LOR USB485-ISO

With "ENTTEC DMX USB Pro" protocol
ENTTEC DMX USB Pro

With "Lynx" protocol
Lynx

It is possible that other types of USB adapters may work, but they may not, and if they do you may have to experiment to find the appropriate protocol to use.

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Is there any "mechanical" difference between the Enttec open and the LOR USB485, other than we are supporting LOR when we buy there's?

For the record, I did buy the LOR's :)

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Yes, there's a very important difference:

ENTTEC Open DMX USB adapters have physical DMX output jacks.

LOR USB485 adapters do not.

The LOR USB485 adapter can be used to send either LOR protocol or DMX protocol to an LOR controller, over the regular physical CAT5 cable that you always use to connect to an LOR controller. It cannot be used to send DMX protocol to a DMX device that takes a DMX input cable.

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I have updated the first post in the thread to explicitly say that the USB485 doesn't have a DMX output jack.

Edit: And now I have, um, unupdated it. It seems like many adapters used as DMX adapters don't, which is different than I had originally imagined.

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Given how LOR 3.0 currently handles DMX output. Is there any reason to purchase an Enttec device if I already have and extra USB485B device for DMX output?

Granted I understand that a special cat5 cable would need to be built that would align the correct output +,-,gnd to the input +,- and gnd on the input devices.

I also understand that changes to the LOR software may change this decision.

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Bob,
Did we ever get clarification to my earlier question?

I couldn't get my Enttec Open DMX USB controller to work within the sequence editor. Someone told me that it would only work within shows and not using the Sequence editor.

Frankly, that is a bit of a show-stopper for me, as I use Sequence Editor a lot to test things out and don't want to use a device that only will respond during Showtime...

If it does only work in the Show environment, are there are plans to rectify that?

Thanks, Randy

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Randy,

I only have a Lynx DMX dongle setup as an Enttec Pro in the network configuration to test and I am able to send commands from the Sequence Editor via the start button with Control Lights enabled. Now don't try this particular DMX adapter as it doesn't work properly and it's not supported but I could at least test this.


I have no idea what the real answer is but thought I would post my test.

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jeffl wrote:

Given how LOR 3.0 currently handles DMX output. Is there any reason to purchase an Enttec device if I already have and extra USB485B device for DMX output?

Granted I understand that a special cat5 cable would need to be built that would align the correct output +,-,gnd to the input +,- and gnd on the input devices.

I also understand that changes to the LOR software may change this decision.

I'm sorry, I don't know the answer to that. The only DMX devices we've tested using the LOR adapter were LOR controllers, not DMX devices with real DMX connectors.
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Randy wrote:

Bob,
Did we ever get clarification to my earlier question?

I couldn't get my Enttec Open DMX USB controller to work within the sequence editor. Someone told me that it would only work within shows and not using the Sequence editor.

Frankly, that is a bit of a show-stopper for me, as I use Sequence Editor a lot to test things out and don't want to use a device that only will respond during Showtime...

If it does only work in the Show environment, are there are plans to rectify that?

Thanks, Randy

No, that's not correct. It will work with the Show Player or the Sequence Editor.

It is required that the LOR Control Panel be running; perhaps this led to some confusion that maybe it only works with the Show Player.

Regarding being unable to get it working, I'm sorry, I have no idea whether I saw your post or not. If you PM me a link, I'll take a look at it.
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jeffl wrote:

I tried a USB485B and I couldn't get it to work. Are the USB485 the same as a USB485B for this purpose?

Sorry, I don't know much about the hardware. Looks like at least some of the things on my desk, including ones that I know I successfully used with DMX, are marked "USB485". I don't see any that are marked "USB485B", although I might have one buried behind a mass of cables or something.

I'll try to get confirmation from Dan one way or the other.
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bob wrote:

jeffl wrote:
I tried a USB485B and I couldn't get it to work. Are the USB485 the same as a USB485B for this purpose?

Sorry, I don't know much about the hardware. Looks like at least some of the things on my desk, including ones that I know I successfully used with DMX, are marked "USB485". I don't see any that are marked "USB485B", although I might have one buried behind a mass of cables or something.

I'll try to get confirmation from Dan one way or the other.

OK, Dan says that a USB485B should work the same as a USB485 (with respect to this), but that it has not been tested. He furthermore says that he will test with one when he gets a chance.
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bob wrote:


OK, Dan says that a USB485B should work the same as a USB485 (with respect to this), but that it has not been tested. He furthermore says that he will test with one when he gets a chance.

I tested one channel and the USB485B does work. The problem as some have stated is a LOR network adapter needs to be setup first for it to work. Once I setup both adapters it worked.

How well I don't know as I only had one channel (channel 1) hooked up.
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bob wrote:

Yes, there's a very important difference:

ENTTEC Open DMX USB adapters have physical DMX output jacks.

LOR USB485 adapters do not.

The LOR USB485 adapter can be used to send either LOR protocol or DMX protocol to an LOR controller, over the regular physical CAT5 cable that you always use to connect to an LOR controller.  It cannot be used to send DMX protocol to a DMX device that takes a DMX input cable.


Bob, can it send dmx protocol to a dmx device with a cat 5 cable like a set of coro megaballs?

Bret
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bretk wrote:

Jeff, did you make up a cat5 to dmx cable to run the usb485b?

Bret

Yes I made my own using the page listed here for the pinouts. I only used the two pins + and - . Cut a cat5 cable and soldered the two wires needed to cross the wires as needed. Added shrink tubing, mark the ends, and it' done. The only words of wisdom is watch the pins as the wire colors are not always the same on cat5 cables.

Hopefully if I did it wrong somebody can correct me but it does work.

http://www.diylightanimation.com/wiki/index.php?title=Light-O-Rama_Controllers

I also forgot to mention that the special cable is to go from a USB485B to a Lynx Express DMX controller. These devices both have different specs for DMX. If you want to connect say a CTB16PC controller up to the USB485B via DMX a standard cat5 will do (no modification necessary).
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