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DMX Questions, and hopefully answers


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Posted

There is an abundant level of information on how to sequence christmas lights in the sequencer. However there seems to be a serious tech black hole when it comes to DMX. Lots of terms, like lynx, and dongles, dip switches etc. Yet no definitive information about setting up the DMX system in ones Christmas display.

My hope in this post is that knowledgeable ppl with chime in, and help decode this bit of information.

I personally have gone this into this train of thought due to making the setup on the roof a lot easier. One RGB LED rope light can represent, up to four individual light string strands. This helps in simplifying the setup of lights on the house.

I know the 512 controllers have the Ethernet through point connections making them chain-able, whereas the little white 3 channel controllers that can be found for 3 bucks don't. So they would have to be on the end of said chain as the last element.

The white controllers have been argued as not being addressable. Well I have found this making the claim it can make them addressable.
http://www.holidaycoro.com/docs/DMXProgrammer.pdf

This of course does not make the white controllers chain-able. However, this could make them like I had mentioned the last item in your daisy chain of DMX controllers, like a flood lamp, or last RGB LED string.

How does the DMX system get setup? I know the sequencer has to know what items is what to properly issue commands to them. Im sure there are things that must be taken into consideration when using DMX and LOR boards.

Here is a video on setting up a simple RGB flood lamp that helped me a lot. Perhaps it might help others too.



What are the dip switches for? How are they configured? What do they do?

It would be nice if the LOR boards were able to communicate natively to the DMX system, and you didn't need a dongle (whatever that is) to control them.
This way we could just continue the daisy chain from the controller boards, directly into the DMX stuff. It would make life a lot easier.

What does the DMX control look like in the sequencer?
How do you sequence the RGB effects in it?
How do you address the controller?
What is a DMX universe, and how does that work in the sequencer?

My personal hope is to be able to use DMX, and RGB LED light strips to outline my roof on the house and detached garage, as well as outline the 7 windows across the front of my home. While still using normal controller boards to control all the rest of the 80 to 96 channels in my yard.

Here is a picture I have of the daisy chain on the 512 controllers. Again these are only for the RGB LED strips, not the 24 million color ones with a thousand effects.

Attached files 295397=16314-DMX 512 common anode contro
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Posted

It all depends on what you will be using to program all of this first. I am runng LOR S3 and using a doggle switch right after the computer Enttec Pro, it seems you need to have something like this if you are not using the LOR add for this.

Posted

Is there a reasonably priced Dongle? To me 300 isn't reasonable to me.

Im thinking of going light show pro V2 for the sequencer, as its not proprietary, and allows me more freedom of controller boards, while still retaining the same effect capabilities.

Posted

Check my website out for a couple of good presentations I did for Chicagoland Mini and Christmas Expo on DMX. These give a good background, Chicago covers LOR a bit more.

Outside of RGB what would you like to do with DMX? You should get a foundation in DMX before launching into RGB control.

Sequenceing is the same with DMX as with LOR. You just have to have your network set up to output DMX with the specific type of dongle.

A dongle is needed to output the DMX signal, just like you need a USB dongle to have LOR talk to its boxes.

Most LOR boxes with newer firmware will listen for both LOR and DMX.

There are many ways to address the controllers. Some are dip switches, some is done with a programming interface. This is required to tell the light where it exists in the network.

Send me a PM with your email.

Posted

Im giving myself a crash course in DMX as fast as I can get the info.

Ive pretty much got down the Ethernet portion of it, the addressing of the controllers Ive never done, but it sounds simple enough.

Now It comes down to finding a cheap way of getting/making a dongle, then buying all the RGB strips. These dongles are VERY expensive. Is there a cheaper way to get one of these made/ bought? Plus what is needed? Would I need to use it via USB to Ethernet since Ill be running controller boxes as well with only one Ethernet port on the computer?

I wont be doing anything more next year than just using DMX to control the RGB strips (this is to conserve the amount of light strings I will have to run, while gaining more control over the display). I will have plenty of other stuff to sequence and build.
Perhaps , in the future Ill get more into the DMX control. But for now I just want the RGB control.

PM sent

Posted

These things are about as cheap as they come to having DMX. They are really easy to program and they are small.

http://www.aliexpress.com/fm-store/701799/209915969-307297826/DMX-512-Module-decoder.html

There really isn't an ethernet portion to DMX. It is just using Cat5 if you go that route for interconnecting your devices. I went a different route to hooking up these devices. I used the waterproof connector to hook mine up. I took off the cables that came with it and put 1 4 core waterproof connector for my DMX input and power and then used the connectors on the board for my DMX output and have a switch that i can turn on and off the power for the next DMX module depending on my power load. Yea, it takes some up front leg work, but to me, it is a lot better than using cat5. Just my opinion.

The Enttec Open DMX is a cheaper option to get DMX from your computer. You can also just use the LOR USB 485 adapter which is half the cost of the Entec Open and it will do the same thing. You just have a different pin configuration.

http://www.enttec.com/index.php?main_menu=Products&pn=70303&show=description

http://store.lightorama.com/uscoad.html

http://www.enttec.com/index.php?main_menu=Products&pn=70303&show=description

Again, everyone does it different. It is just how you want to do it.

Posted

geronc wrote:

These things are about as cheap as they come to having DMX. They are really easy to program and they are small.

http://www.aliexpress.com/fm-store/701799/209915969-307297826/DMX-512-Module-decoder.html

There really isn't an ethernet portion to DMX. It is just using Cat5 if you go that route for interconnecting your devices. I went a different route to hooking up these devices. I used the waterproof connector to hook mine up. I took off the cables that came with it and put 1 4 core waterproof connector for my DMX input and power and then used the connectors on the board for my DMX output and have a switch that i can turn on and off the power for the next DMX module depending on my power load. Yea, it takes some up front leg work, but to me, it is a lot better than using cat5. Just my opinion.

The Enttec Open DMX is a cheaper option to get DMX from your computer. You can also just use the LOR USB 485 adapter which is half the cost of the Entec Open and it will do the same thing. You just have a different pin configuration.

http://www.enttec.com/index.php?main_menu=Products&pn=70303&show=description

http://store.lightorama.com/uscoad.html

http://www.enttec.com/index.php?main_menu=Products&pn=70303&show=description

Again, everyone does it different. It is just how you want to do it.

Holiday coro sells the same DMX Module. Ray Wu is very highly recommended when it comes to buying from China. Holiday Coro also has a sample package that you can get to practise on. Just follow the directions for hooking up the USB to Cat5E cable. He has a small software program to use, but if you go to use it on LOR you have to make a change over so that it can be used .
Posted

I forgot to mention the Enttec pro is now supported by LOR S3

Posted

ydeardorff wrote:

Possible, but Im going to be using Light show pro.


OK, Inever noticed if it was there. Is it easier than LOR for programming? I have never seen it in use.
Posted

bdeditch wrote:

ydeardorff wrote:
Possible, but Im going to be using Light show pro.


OK, Inever noticed if it was there. Is it easier than LOR for programming? I have never seen it in use.



To me it looks damn near the same.
Posted

ydeardorff wrote:

There is an abundant level of information on how to sequence christmas lights in the sequencer. However there seems to be a serious tech black hole when it comes to DMX. Lots of terms, like lynx, and dongles, dip switches etc. Yet no definitive information about setting up the DMX system in ones Christmas display.

My hope in this post is that knowledgeable ppl with chime in, and help decode this bit of information.

I personally have gone this into this train of thought due to making the setup on the roof a lot easier. One RGB LED rope light can represent, up to four individual light string strands. This helps in simplifying the setup of lights on the house.

I know the 512 controllers have the Ethernet through point connections making them chain-able, whereas the little white 3 channel controllers that can be found for 3 bucks don't. So they would have to be on the end of said chain as the last element.

The white controllers have been argued as not being addressable. Well I have found this making the claim it can make them addressable.
http://www.holidaycoro.com/docs/DMXProgrammer.pdf

This of course does not make the white controllers chain-able. However, this could make them like I had mentioned the last item in your daisy chain of DMX controllers, like a flood lamp, or last RGB LED string.

How does the DMX system get setup? I know the sequencer has to know what items is what to properly issue commands to them. Im sure there are things that must be taken into consideration when using DMX and LOR boards.

Here is a video on setting up a simple RGB flood lamp that helped me a lot. Perhaps it might help others too.


What are the dip switches for? How are they configured? What do they do?

It would be nice if the LOR boards were able to communicate natively to the DMX system, and you didn't need a dongle (whatever that is) to control them.
This way we could just continue the daisy chain from the controller boards, directly into the DMX stuff. It would make life a lot easier.

What does the DMX control look like in the sequencer?
How do you sequence the RGB effects in it?
How do you address the controller?
What is a DMX universe, and how does that work in the sequencer?

My personal hope is to be able to use DMX, and RGB LED light strips to outline my roof on the house and detached garage, as well as outline the 7 windows across the front of my home. While still using normal controller boards to control all the rest of the 80 to 96 channels in my yard.

Here is a picture I have of the daisy chain on the 512 controllers. Again these are only for the RGB LED strips, not the 24 million color ones with a thousand effects.

Are you going to use a separate power source on each one?
Posted

Yes that the plan
i was looking at the possibility of making a large enclosure for the 16 channel controller boards. And then make an individual controller enclosure for each of the power supplies and 3 channel enclosures to keep the weather off, and out of them. Just an external cat 5 connector, and a power plug in with the pig tail coming out for the RGB LED's

LSP v2 is another sequencer like light o rama's. It appears to handle all the same things roughly the same way. But in the of season its less than 45 dollars. And the demo allows you to play with the first 16 channels I think.

Posted

Just a question, since this is a LOR equipment and software forum, sponsored by LOR, yet you say you will use another vendors software and hardware from somewhere else, none of it LOR, why are you posting here?

Seems to me, that you would want to ask questions on the forums of the hardware vendors and software vendors that you will be purchasing from.

If you get LOR software and LOR hardware, many of us will be glad to answer all your DMX with LOR questions.

EDIT: I have Lynx controllers also as well as the 3 channel DMX modules as well as 30 LOR controllers and I use LOR S3 software.

Posted

Easy, I havent purchase anything yet, Im still testing the waters on both sides of the pond. Either way I need to know this info.

So if it comes down to I have to buy a LOR system to talk to people here, and ask questions well then, yes I suppose I am in the wrong place.

I would have thought this was about the displays, and making people happy.

Guest wbottomley
Posted

ydeardorff wrote:

Easy, I havent purchase anything yet, Im still testing the waters on both sides of the pond. Either way I need to know this info.

So if it comes down to I have to buy a LOR system to talk to people here, and ask questions well then, yes I suppose I am in the wrong place.

I would have thought this was about the displays, and making people happy.


I thought it was a Light-O-Rama Support Forums. I guess I've been fooled for 7 years now.
Posted

wbottomley wrote:

ydeardorff wrote:
Easy, I havent purchase anything yet, Im still testing the waters on both sides of the pond. Either way I need to know this info.

So if it comes down to I have to buy a LOR system to talk to people here, and ask questions well then, yes I suppose I am in the wrong place.

I would have thought this was about the displays, and making people happy.


I thought it was a Light-O-Rama Support Forums. I guess I've been fooled for 7 years now.


Lmao. Spit beer on monitor. Thats going to leave a mark.
Guest
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