0-10v dimming conversion to 10-0v?

SLWCcamper

New Member
Hello, first time poster here but have run into a dimming situation I can't find a solution to.

We have a PC running an Enttec ode mk II. It sends DMX to, among other things, a 0-10V (sink) controller. This is tied to the house lights. Note, that the building is a gymnasium with a stage on the side. Everythings works fine... Until, for whatever reason (the PC reboots, power drops, etc.) the Enttec device (DMX source) resets to 0 on all channels. Then, someone walks in to the gym and the lights are dim. To fix the dim lights we simply open the lighting software and, by default, sets the dimming channels to 100%. It's an easy fix but someone has to go do it.

There is a DMX capture device in line, so if the DMX signal drops, it will hold it where it was. The problem is that there is DMX signal, it's just reset to 0.

My ideas of how to fix this:
1. find a product that will take 0-10v and flip it to 10-0v.
2. build some sort of arduino board to always invert the DMX for the problematic channels

Has anyone ever run into anything like this? Any suggestions?

Thanks for everything.
 
It feels like a much more managable long term solution would be replacing the controller with something purposed designed to be a controller without these issues, and much easier to troubleshoot in the future.
 
Thank you for the replies. @danTt do you have a suggestion on a piece of equipment?

We have a UPS on the system but sometimes the PC will reboot for... who knows what reason. It only happens intermittently every month or two.

The fader idea is interesting. It makes me think that I might be able to put a switch in line to physically disconnect the 0-10v signal, aka make the lights fully bright. Then, if the need arises to dim the lights, flip the switch to enable dimming. It seems like a work around and doesn't solve the problem but I love the ideas.

Thank you.
 
A Windows 10/11 PC will always reboot on patch Tuesday, which is the second Tuesday of every month. Auto updates can be defeated, but then it needs to be updated manually to prevent it from being a gaping security vulnerability for the network. The system would be better off with an architectural control for daily functions. That's not a good application for a PC.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back