paulanator Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 Hey Mark and you DMX folks,do I need a terminator with one device?I have a REVO 4 DMX light, and I have the Enttec USB Pro on order to use with LOR 3. I am going to run 100' of 3 conductor cable to the DMX device with a 3-5 pin adapter.I am only going to run the one device, should that still be terminated?I have done quite a bit of research, but most people seem to be talking about multiple devices on the DMX network.Thanks for any help on this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beeiilll Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 This any help?A “DMX Terminator” is used when you are using alot of DMX fixtures on one single DMX line (Universe). It removes a lot of noise and flickering on the DMX Tx line which improves the reliability of your fixtures. When a DMX signal has travelled to the end of your DMX line if it is not terminated you get something which is refered to as a “shadow” signal bouncing back along the line which can cause all sorts of problems with you DMX fixtures. The longer the DMX cable run the greater the risk of getting this bounce back. Rule of thumb DMX lines should always be terminated. It is often claimed that DMX devices work without termination, however this is generally due to luck rather than good design. If the addition of a terminator causes problems in your chain, it is likely down to poor quality DMX Cable. Due to the nature of the DMX protocol, the devices are very sensitive to the quality of the cable and connectors, and misuse of this equipment can cause problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulanator Posted October 2, 2011 Author Share Posted October 2, 2011 Thank you. That is pretty much what I found, I was hoping to hear from if anyone had experience with needing it or not.When I get the stuff, I am just going to try it without, and add one if needed. But it sounds like I probably won't need one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beeiilll Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 I had a DJ250 moving yoke spot that I was playing with (just never have gotten around to making an enclosure for it) and it needed a terminator. Otherwise it would get random noise spikes that would act funny.A friend who works in the lighting business once told me that he uses a terminator even if it is only 1 device on the line since you can get noisy cables or "cheap" cables that can pickup noise.It never hurts to terminate the line and is good for piece of mind (as well as not seeing that "once every 3.2 days" random flash!Sorry, should have explained that before. I was dong some downloads and updates earlier.Hope it all helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cenote Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 Yes, a terminator is HIGHLY advised, and mostly is needed with running a stable show in the DMX world. I have tried with out, and have gotten BAD results :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulanator Posted October 2, 2011 Author Share Posted October 2, 2011 That is exactly what I was looking for!Thanks Cenote!Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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