Pin 1 > 1:
Pin 2 > 2:
Pin 3 > 3:
Pin 4 > no connect:
Pin 5 > no connect:
In case you wanted to make your own. Also, mixing cable types is a bad thing. You can buy pre-made 3 pin DMX cables pretty cheap. Simply sub the 5 pin connector on one of them. The trend right now seems to be 3 pin connectors, but at some point in the future 5 pin will be the norm.
The problem with this is the standard is, and always has been, 5 pin cables. 3 pin cables and connectors are cheap alternatives to the standard. Is it done? yes. Should it be? not really. at least if you want to hold to the actual standard.
Chewing gum works too.
Does it make all that much different in reality?
I remember when bare ends and screw down terminals were the standard for speaker connections. Then TRS, then 3pin XLR, now Speakon. Most amps still come out with the screw terminals on them. From what I see in the industry, this is so that people can easily make up adaptors to suit their systems. I refitted all my amps and boxes with Speakon connectors some time back.
Driving on the Left-hand side of the road was also standard (yes, even in the US) until political reasons saw changes in the US and most of Europe. Should this be changed back?
My point is that things progress and just because someone sets "system A" as the standard that "system A" is always going to be the optimal system to use in the future. Besides, the manufacturers obviously do not follow so called standards.
Food for thought.
Chewing gum works too.
I have a question, actually, with a probably-obvious answer. You shouldn't use mic cable for DMX applications, but what about using DMX cable for mic applications? If you had enough money, and there was no difference, couldn't you just buy loads of 3-pin DMX and avoid the confusion?
Besides, the manufacturers obviously do not follow so called standards.
Most amps still come out with the screw terminals on them.
In reality, no it doesn't make all that much difference. But then why spend the time and money to write the standard in the first place?
The standard was written with 5 pin connectors for a reason [ A) to allow for a second universe down the second pair or B) to allow for device feedback down the second pair - depending upon who you talk to on a given day].
Some moving light manufacturers chose to put 3 pin connectors in simply because they were cheaper than 5 pin. A side benefit was that most clubs and dj's had 3 pin mic cable that could be used in a pinch to get by on. Does that make it right?
The standard is by no means "so-called." It was not something that people just arbitrarily decided to do. Unlike your Speakon connectors, this particular standard was well written, thoroughly researched and agreed upon documents written by a standard issuing agency - in this case, The United States Institute for Theatre Technology - USITT. The standard was written to allow for devices from different manufacturers devices to talk to one another. Before DMX, if you had a strand dimmer rack, you had to have a strand console to run them - an ETC console wouldn't necessarily talk to them without some sort of "Black Box" converter unit. The standard was written in 1990 originally and it was updated in 2004. It has been adopted by ANSI - The American National Standards Institute. This is a real deal thing here.
You can actually download and read the standard if you want by going to www.esta.org and looking under the Technical Standards program.
The only thing I terminate is Martin Color400s, because unless you give them all the love they need they'll give you endless hassles, and even if you do, they'll still give you endless hassles...
I have no problems not terminating, and I'm running wireless and opti-splitters all over the place, into 40-odd fixtures somtimes... guess going wireless and isolating does help with noise...
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