DIY DMX: Demux, Protocol Converters, etc.

Even though in 1986 a small band of USITTians got together to establish a protocol whereby any console could talk to and control any device, to this day we are still plagued with this "language barrier". At least today it's primarily how to get a device to listen to or speak DMX, as opposed to translating K96 into CD80, or whatever.

For off the shelf solutions, Doug Fleenor Designers, Pathway Connectivity (formerly Gray Interfaces), and others make excellent products, but these are often priced beyond the reach of most non-professionals.

Other companies serving the needs of those less fortunate are:
Northlight Systems, Tempe, AZ
Apogee Kits, Texas, USA
Milford Instruments, UK-based.
All Spectrum Electronics, relay kit for $37.

One can also find used converters, such as the excellent ETC Response-Series, on sites like Gearsource, UsedLighting, Solaris Network, and PRG Lighting.

Originally Posted by n1ist

Here are a few sites that have useful information:

usbdmx.com : The bus powered usb dmx interface : Home Page
DMX dimmer pack (he has an apps note for tx as well)
[ a n y m a ] - uDMX - tiny bus powered USB-DMX interface (USB and DMX all on an ATMEGA8)
http://www.enttec.com/docs/dmx_usb_pro_api_spec.pdf (an example of the commands that are sent from a PC to one of these converters)
Projects - Netgear WGT634U - About (an ARTNET node built from a router and simple usb-rs485 converter
Arduino playground - DMX

/mike

A simple to build DMX tester, almost as good as the ones DFD charges $25 for: http://www.bigclive.com/dmxtest.htm.

See http://response-box.com/ for Protocol Bridges: DMX->MIDI, DMX->Serial, DMX->IR, etc.