N4-G4 MP3 Director-DMX hardware? Dongle use?

[Beaver State Rich]

Happy Friday!  I've successfully been using LOR over 10 years for Halloween to run DMX dumb RGBs, servos, foggers etc. off of my laptop using an USB Acti-dongle and/or Enttec dongle.  110 controllers are off of the USB485 to a CAT 5 cable and plugged into the controller.  FYI:  I'm running S6 Pro for my software. 

For our Tiki Bar I want a simpler (laptop free) set up that can be triggered instantly by a number of buttons/PIR sensors. (The laptop is a hassle in this area and exposed to drunken idiocy.)  I purchased the N4-G4 MP3 Director to run lights, audio, DMX dumb RGBs and foggers. 

After reading the instructions, LOR help and searching this forum all week I still can't get a clear answer how to set up the hardware for DMX out of this controller. 

It appears the first network output is where I run the CAT 5 to my 110 16 channel LOR show controller.  

1. Can I use a dongle out of the G4 to control non LOR DMX devices? If so how do we get a USB out?

2. Do I even need an Enttec or Acti dongle to run DMX non LOR devices (fog machines, motion head lights) out of the G4? 

I also have a Holiday Coro dumb RGB controller I want to use for floods/RGB ribbons.  I know LOR and other systems have a different wire order on the network CAT 5 cable ends. Is is as simple as making a cable with LOR specs out of the G4 controller and standard DMX into the Holiday Coro controller at the other end? 

[Steven]

On 1/26/2024 at 1:58 PM, Beaver State Rich said:

It appears the first network output is where I run the CAT 5 to my 110 16 channel LOR show controller. 

Yes, that's one way to do it.

On 1/26/2024 at 1:58 PM, Beaver State Rich said:

1. Can I use a dongle out of the G4 to control non LOR DMX devices? If so how do we get a USB out?

2. Do I even need an Enttec or Acti dongle to run DMX non LOR devices (fog machines, motion head lights) out of the G4?

No, you don't use a dongle. You get DMX directly out of the network port. Each of the 4 network ports can be either LOR/ELOR (I don't know how to specify if enhanced), or DMX.

On 1/26/2024 at 1:58 PM, Beaver State Rich said:

I also have a Holiday Coro dumb RGB controller I want to use for floods/RGB ribbons.  I know LOR and other systems have a different wire order on the network CAT 5 cable ends. Is is as simple as making a cable with LOR specs out of the G4 controller and standard DMX into the Holiday Coro controller at the other end? 

Yes, that's basically it. LOR and DMX both use RS-485, so they are the same electrically. The difference is how the lighting commands are encoded, and the possible network speeds. The MP3 directors (like all LOR equipment, with the exception of the discontinued IDMX1000), send data on pins 4&5, and ground on pin 6. DMX on 8-pin (RJ-45) connectors send data on pins 1&2 and ground on pin 7. So it's easy to make a cable to convert from LOR pinout to DMX pinout by simply wiring those 3 pins (and leave the others, especially pin 3, which is aux power, unconnected). In fact, you could wire 6 pins as (1 - 4, 2 - 5, 4 - 1, 5 - 2, 6 - 7, 7 - 6) and then your cable would work even if you reversed it.

To wire from a director to a DMX XLR connector, you wire 4 - 2, 5 - 3, and 6 - 1.

Another option, since you aren't running a large amount of channels, is to run everything on a single DMX network. This would let you use the miniDirector as it can also output DMX and it also has 3 trigger inputs. To do this, all the props in your sequence must be DMX. A LOR controller will automatically operate in DMX mode when connected to a DMX network. Its starting DMX address is its LOR unit number, minus 1, times 16, plus 1 (((unit - 1) * 16) + 1)).

[Beaver State Rich]

Steven! Thank you very much!!!