4-pin DMX?

[brinkkl2000]

Hi all, I am kind of a novice in the lighting field and am just trying to increase my knowledge of pretty much everything lighting related. I don't have many people to go to, so forums have been an immense help so far. I am the lead lighting tech at my church and am trying to "freshen" up the rig. My question pertains to some old lights I found. We aren't necessarily budgeting a lot of money into lighting right now, so I am trying to bring some of the old fixtures back to life.

Anyway, I found some old Nexxera Wybron Wash lights upstairs. I was going to hook one up to see how it works and found that the scroller requires a 4 pin input/ output. I have only been familiar with 3 and 5 pin to this point. How do I hook this up. We are running an etc ion board.

 

[techieman33]

That's not DMX cable. You should have a power supply somewhere for the scrollers. The DMX cable goes into that. And then the 4 pin cable comes out of that and carries power and data to the scrollers.

 

[RideTheSquirrel]

The 4 pin cables carry power, and also are used in a com application with a microphone/headset.

 

[brinkkl2000]

That's not DMX cable. You should have a power supply somewhere for the scrollers. The DMX cable goes into that. And then the 4 pin cable comes out of that and carries power and data to the scrollers.

So, are you saying there is a separate "box" for lack of a better term that the dmx cable goes into, and then a different scroller wire comes out of the box to the fixture?

 

[microstar]

Here is the instruction manual:
http://www.wybron.com/stage-lightin...user-manuals/discontinued/NexeraLX_manual.pdf

 

[Amiers]

So, are you saying there is a separate "box" for lack of a better term that the dmx cable goes into, and then a different scroller wire comes out of the box to the fixture?

Yes


Manual, In case you haven't found that as well.

http://www.wybron.com/stage-lightin...user-manuals/discontinued/OldNexeraManual.pdf

 

[derekleffew]

That's correct. The "box" is properly called a Wybron RAM power supply.

From Nexera User Manual-Wybron.pdf :

The 4-pin "scroller" or "RAM" cable carries data (DMX or proprietary) on pins 2&3, and 24vdc power on pins 1&4. See the thread https://www.controlbooth.com/threads/4-pin-scroller-cable-rules.20437/ for more.

 

[porkchop]

And now you know why I always buy 4 or 6 pin XLR connectors for custom cable assemblies.

 

[Lightguy5]

Now I'm curious, why would it not be compatible with the Forerunner power supply?

 

[derekleffew]

See post https://www.controlbooth.com/threads/coloram-power-supply-with-rosco-i-cue.19343/#post-176306 .

And/or:

...
The pin-out for Wybron PS power supplies, for use with "the NexeraLX and the Forerunner, as well as all new InfoTrace products: Coloram IT, CXI IT, Eclipse IT, and Eclipse II IT" is as follows:
XLR Pin # Wire Color Function Size
1 White Ground 14 AWG
2 Green Data - 22 AWG
3 Red Data + 22 AWG
4 Black 24VDC 14 AWG

The pin-out for the older RamII power supplies, for use with "the entire family of Coloram II Color Changers, CXI Color Mixers, Eclipse I and II Mechanical Dowsers and Goboram II Gobo Rotators" is:
XLR Pin # Wire Color Function Size
1 White 24 Volts DC14 AWG
2 Green Data - 22 AWG
3 Red Data + 22 AWG
4 Black Ground 14 AWG

...

Notice pins 1&4--although wire colors are the same, polarity is reversed.

 

[RonHebbard]

That's not DMX cable. You should have a power supply somewhere for the scrollers. The DMX cable goes into that. And then the 4 pin cable comes out of that and carries power and data to the scrollers.

Also realize that the scroller power supply needs to have it's line cord sourced from a constant source of 120 volt 60 Hertz power and definitely not from the output of a dimmer regardless of if the dimmer is set at full / 100%.
Repeating and rephrasing: The scrolller power supply's input power MUST be sourced directly from a normal (undimmed) receptacle or a dedicated "non-dim" source providing unblemished pure sine wave power at full or zero with no possible variations in between. Yes, I realize that's a wordy oversimplification but it's the best this blind guy's taking the time to type for you at 1:37 a.m. my time.
All the best.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard.