Quefol Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Hello I need a rj45 8 way spitter to split a dmx signal wondering what I can use right now I have multiple 2 way splitters I just want to clean up the cabling I was considering using a 10/100 Ethernet switch not sure if it will work and I would rather not have to use a external power supply Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k6ccc Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 (edited) Don't use an ethernet switch! DMX does NOT use ethernet. Doing so risks having the magic smoke leak out. Edited November 1, 2015 by k6ccc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LOR Staff Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 You also can't split RS485 (what DMX runs with) unless you are using an active splitter. Just physically Y'ing a connection (or 8-waying it) is a recipe for signal reflections, incorrect impedance, and a whole host of other data problems. To split a DMX wire, you need to use something like this:http://store.lightorama.com/rsnere.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plasmadrive Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 There are a host of DMX splitters out there. Just google it. Mike is 100% right when he says you need an active splitter and not just a physical Y. Just remember, LOR protocol and DMX are not the same..... Both are RS485, but the pinout is different and there is an active voltage on the LOR network.. (Is that correct Mike?). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LOR Staff Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 There are a host of DMX splitters out there. Just google it. Mike is 100% right when he says you need an active splitter and not just a physical Y. Just remember, LOR protocol and DMX are not the same..... Both are RS485, but the pinout is different and there is an active voltage on the LOR network.. (Is that correct Mike?). Correct. We use 4&5 for data, 3&6 for power. ESTA DMX on CAT5 uses 1&2 for data, NO power. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quefol Posted October 31, 2015 Author Share Posted October 31, 2015 Now I'm confused I currently have multiple y spliters on my dmx line and all controlers work fine I have a Ethernet cable from my pc running to a router for my 12 ccr tree then from a port from the router to a e1.31 dmx bridge from the bridge to several y splitters that are connected to my controllers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k6ccc Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Now I'm confused I currently have multiple y spliters on my dmx line and all controlers work fine I have a Ethernet cable from my pc running to a router for my 12 ccr tree then from a port from the router to a e1.31 dmx bridge from the bridge to several y splitters that are connected to my controllers You may be getting away with it, but that does not mean it's working right. It just means that it's functional. Next year when you add another 50 feet of cable somewhere it might have problems, or maybe a slightly flaky connection. The RS-485 spec has certain parameters and there is quite a bit of tolerance in it. Especially if your cables are pretty short, you are more likely to get away with it. As an example, the spec calls for terminators at BOTH ends of the line. Most of us don't do that, and most do get away without them, but if other factors compromise the circuit, the terminators might make the difference. Same thing with Y splitters. BTW, I DO have terminators on my three LOR networks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmmienLightFan Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 DMX does now use ethernet. I didn't know that they changed it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k6ccc Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 I didn't know that they changed it. They didn't! That was a phone AutoCorrect that made the statement WRONG. I have edited my previous post that you quoted. Let me make it perfectly clear - DMX rides on RS-485 serial - NOT on ethernet. Now dmx CAN be carried on E1.31 which is dmx over ethernet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quefol Posted November 1, 2015 Author Share Posted November 1, 2015 (edited) Dose anyone know we're I can find a cheap dmx spliter that has rj45 ports I can find a few splitters doing a Google serch but non with rj45 support I know I can get 3 pin to rj45 adapters but by the time I buy them it will be fairly pricey I want to set up my dmx network correctly so I have no issues in the future Edited November 1, 2015 by Quefol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmmienLightFan Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 Dose anyone know we're I can find a cheap dmx spliter that has rj45 ports I can find a few splitters doing a Google serch but non with rj45 support I know I can get 3 pin to rj45 adapters but by the time I buy them it will be fairly pricey I want to set up my dmx network correctly so I have no issues in the futureWhat are you trying to connect to? Is it LOR controllers in DMX mode or native DMX devices using the normal pin configuration for DMX over cat5/cat6? I have never seen an active DMX splitter with RJ45 connections. Most active DMX splitters are for stage lighting and professional use. It is now common to see cat5/cat6 being used, however they often swap out the ends for 3 or 5 pin XLRs still, when using cat5/cat6.If you can solder you can do this to your cat5/6 cables. You can buy 5 or 3 pin male XLRs easily and they are cheap.An active DMX splitter can be expensive. The good ones are over $50. I found this one:http://www.yozop.com/index.php/dmx-splitter-1-in-8-out.htmlI think that it is too cheap.I found this one.http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/181694454380?adgroupid=13585920426&hlpht=true&hlpv=2&rlsatarget=kwd-75951451986&adtype=pla&ff3=1&lpid=122&poi=&ul_noapp=true&limghlpsr=true&ff19=0&device=c&chn=ps&campaignid=207297426&crdt=0&ff12=67&ff11=ICEP3.0.0-L&ff14=122&viphx=1&ops=true&ff13=80It looks good. In that Ebay listing it is branded as QTX but I found it rebranded on other websites. You may save money using an E1.31 to DMX bridge. I don't have any dedicated bridges, so I don't know the best ones and where to get one. If you don't have an E1.31 network already you will need to set them up. E1.31 is DMX512 over ethernet (You could use the network switch mentioned earlier with E1.31). It can carry many, many universes of DMX.They didn't! That was a phone AutoCorrect that made the statement WRONG. I have edited my previous post that you quoted. Let me make it perfectly clear - DMX rides on RS-485 serial - NOT on ethernet. Now dmx CAN be carried on E1.31 which is dmx over ethernet.I know. It was a joke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis Laff Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 If you goggle rj45 DMX splitter you will find what you want but really expensive $400.00 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plasmadrive Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 You can get a DMX splitter for about $50 and RJ45 to XLR adapters pretty cheap as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Posted November 14, 2015 Share Posted November 14, 2015 Seasonal Entertainment's MultiPort Blender is a 4-port active DMX splitter. You can put 2 of them together to make an 8-port splitter. Because it's a kit, you can solder cat5 cables instead of the 4-pin pigtails they supply.I use one to split my DMX network 4 ways. I have cat5 cables on 3 of the ports, and run 12v along with the DMX. (Pins 3,4,5 are +12v, and pins 6,7,8 are ground). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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