DMX Universes and addressing

[Corbettlight]

Alright, so I just got an Element - it came in a week!
All of my dimmers are MPX, and I have an NSI I/F 501 to convert between DMX and MPX. It works great. However, I also have some DMX devices. If I connect my conventionals to DMX 1 and my DMX devices to DMX 2, do I have to address the ones in the second universe differently? Or can I just use it like they are all in the same universe?

[shiben]

Ok, so I have limited experience patching into a 2nd universe, but what you need to do is to add 512 to whatever the address is. That gives you the absolute address. Thus, things plugged into Universe 2 will begin at 513. However, I believe that the patching section for devices *might* have a little box for universe in it. I know the Congo does, and I can not remember off the top of my head if the Ion does as well, but I feel like there is a way to do it. Just adding 512 to the address is easier in my opinion.

[Corbettlight]

I though I might have to do something like that. The only question I had was this: My Element has 250 channels, but does it have 512 addresses for each universe? And when I'm telling my fixtures what their starting address is, what if they only go up to 512? Does the fixture see as number 1 what the console sees as number 513 (number 1 of the second universe)?

Let's say I want my MiNSpot to be addressed starting at 10 in the second universe; I can set it as address 522 in the console, and 10 on the light, and it should work, yes?

[derekleffew]

[Apparently Element represents a change from the configurable DMX ports of the Express(ion).]

Correct, Corbettlight! Your console supports 1024 outputs (2 universes of 512 each) which need to be patched into 250 channels.

From http://www.etcconnect.com/docs/docs_...anual_RevA.pdf, (page 14):

Element has two DMX ports. To output, connect one 5 pin XLR cable per port. The first port will
output the first universe of DMX, addresses 1-512, and the second port is the second universe,
outputting addresses 513-1024.

So devices connected to port 2 will always be addresses 513-1024 in "Address View", and 2/1-2/512 in "Port/Offset View." (page 32.) You can set the address of your first device to 010, plug it in to port 2, and patch it as 522 or 2/10. (Although unless you have other devices that use 001-009, why wouldn't you want to address the first fixture as 001?) Using "Port/Offset View" frees you from having to add or subtract 512 as applicable.

[jmabray]

Be sure that you realize that even though on the console it might be address 522, on the actual devices themselves, you will never set an address higher than 512. It doesn't matter what universe the items are in, (They really don't know anything about universes) they will never be higher than 512. This is why I really like port/offset view rather than address view. It makes the ability to see this much much easier.

[epimetheus]

DMX devices shouldn't allow you to address them as anything higher than 512, whether it uses dipswitches or a menu system. With dipswitches you have 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256 right to left generally. With all switches down (down generally = 0), the sum of the dipswitches is 0, or DMX address 1. With all switches up (generally 1), the sum equals 511, or DMX address 512. The tenth switch is not part of the DMX address assignment.

OP, it sounds like you already understand this, I just thought it might be a useful tidbit.

[Corbettlight]

Yep, I've got it now. Thanks!

[artisanrhodes]

I always like to put any moving lighys on a second universe-gotta keep-em separted.I also have been know to put differant types of fixturs separat

[shiben]

In our arena, I like to keep the house lights on universe 1, the theatrical lights on universe 1, and devices in universe 2. That way, I never loose track of what im bringing up, and I never have to wonder if my devices are going to conflict with the rest of the lights.

[mstaylor]

I have an Express and an Expression but I Have never used the second universe on either. I work with one company that has a Leprecan that we use an opto-splitter with on a regular basis. I have not actually used this board, just set everything in place and wired everything. The company's LD comes in and runs it. This the long way to ask, if you use two or more universes how does that effect the splitter. Can you only split one universe or the other?