Control/Dimming CMX to DMX512 - any other way?

[DMXpro]

Hi all,

I am working with a Colortran Patchman console, which only outputs CMX. I would like to get it to speak DMX so I can use it with the dimmers we have. I know there are threads already posted about talking to Steve at Lite-trol, but my question was not answered. There have been mentions of changing a crystal and a resistor, but I can't find any specific information on how to do this and what parts can be swapped. Talking to Steve, he just buys the CMX/DMX conversion pcb from Doug Fleenor and mounts it inside the Patchman case. Is there any other way to convert this console to DMX?

Thanks for your help.

(I realize the irony of my username does NOT help at all.... :-/ )

 

[FMEng]

If the bit rate were the only difference, then it might be possible to modify the console by changing the clock frequency. Any difference in data stream would make it not practical to modify. The following reference suggests that the Patchman console has an odd implementation of CMX that makes the data stream different. That means that you will need a converter.
http://www.pathwayconnect.com/content/view/12/26/

 

[DMXpro]

If the bit rate were the only difference, then it might be possible to modify the console by changing the clock frequency. Any difference in data stream would make it not practical to modify. The following reference suggests that the Patchman console has an odd implementation of CMX that makes the data stream different. That means that you will need a converter.
http://www.pathwayconnect.com/content/view/12/26/

Hmm. Is it at all possible that the console is factory-made to output DMX? I heard somewhere that the later models were built that way.

 

[microstar]

I too have tried to convert the Patchman to DMX and here is a reply from Dave Higgins at Pathway on my question as to why a Pathway Ultimate Converter set for CMX to DMX did not work and why an older Pathway LCPC2K Converter did work (although offsetting the channel to dimmer patch by 1):

"I can answer this, having overseen the development of both products way back when.
The Patchman was one of Colortran's odder designs, and its CMX output was unique amongst their control/dimming products. The problem is that it uses parity bits in place of stop bits, which makes it incompatible with the Ultimate's Z80 UART (and some of Colortran's own dimming products). Some of the channels will have the parity bits set correctly to look like stop bits, some of the time, and others won't.

The LCPC on the other hand uses an Intel MPU which can handle the parity bits from that console (other than the problem of reading the start code as channel 1 instead of zero).

So bottom line, I'm glad you have an LCPC on hand and the custom patch as a workaround. Hopefully this will do the job as the Ultimate Converter won't.
Dave Higgins, Pathway Connectivity"

Hope this helps. Do you happen to have a copy of the manual for the Patchman?

 

[SteveB]

Hi all,

I am working with a Colortran Patchman console, which only outputs CMX. I would like to get it to speak DMX so I can use it with the dimmers we have. I know there are threads already posted about talking to Steve at Lite-trol, but my question was not answered. There have been mentions of changing a crystal and a resistor, but I can't find any specific information on how to do this and what parts can be swapped. Talking to Steve, he just buys the CMX/DMX conversion pcb from Doug Fleenor and mounts it inside the Patchman case. Is there any other way to convert this console to DMX?

Thanks for your help.

(I realize the irony of my username does NOT help at all.... :-/ )

You can use an ETC RD2212 Protocal Converter, IF you can find one (possibly Steve at Litetrol would be able to find one). It'll convert CMX to DMX. Also call the rental shops (4Wall, PRG, Vincent, etc...) as they may have one collecting dust on a shelf.

http://www.etcconnect.com/community/wikis/products/response-2212.aspx

Other convertors, like the Fleenor are still made but are probably worth more then the console.

Not for 'nuttin, for what you'd pay to to convert and/or buy a converter, maybe look for a used C-Tran Status or a Leprecon 624. Or buy new a Lighttronics 32 channels 2 scene for $500 with the DMX option

http://www.productionadvantageonline.com/Products/TL4016.aspx

 

[DMXpro]

You can use an ETC RD2212 Protocal Converter, IF you can find one (possibly Steve at Litetrol would be able to find one). It'll convert CMX to DMX. Also call the rental shops (4Wall, PRG, Vincent, etc...) as they may have one collecting dust on a shelf.

http://www.etcconnect.com/community/wikis/products/response-2212.aspx

Other convertors, like the Fleenor are still made but are probably worth more then the console.

Not for 'nuttin, for what you'd pay to to convert and/or buy a converter, maybe look for a used C-Tran Status or a Leprecon 624. Or buy new a Lighttronics 32 channels 2 scene for $500 with the DMX option

http://www.productionadvantageonline.com/Products/TL4016.aspx

Funny enough, I own a Status. The patchman would not be for me, I'd be the one running it and making everything work. I'll try to look for an ETC converter, or think of someway to convert the baud rate/start-stop bits.

 

[DMXpro]

I too have tried to convert the Patchman to DMX and here is a reply from Dave Higgins at Pathway on my question as to why a Pathway Ultimate Converter set for CMX to DMX did not work and why an older Pathway LCPC2K Converter did work (although offsetting the channel to dimmer patch by 1):

"I can answer this, having overseen the development of both products way back when.
The Patchman was one of Colortran's odder designs, and its CMX output was unique amongst their control/dimming products. The problem is that it uses parity bits in place of stop bits, which makes it incompatible with the Ultimate's Z80 UART (and some of Colortran's own dimming products). Some of the channels will have the parity bits set correctly to look like stop bits, some of the time, and others won't.

The LCPC on the other hand uses an Intel MPU which can handle the parity bits from that console (other than the problem of reading the start code as channel 1 instead of zero).

So bottom line, I'm glad you have an LCPC on hand and the custom patch as a workaround. Hopefully this will do the job as the Ultimate Converter won't.
Dave Higgins, Pathway Connectivity"

Hope this helps. Do you happen to have a copy of the manual for the Patchman?

Once it arrives in the mail, I will have the manual.

 

[church]

I used to have a Patchman that had DMX output. If I remember correctly it was possible to modify them to provide DMX. The guy that knows about this stuff is a longtime service guy for Strand, Colortran, ETC, Strong etc. His website is

http://www.cmandassociates.com/

 

[DMXpro]

I know it's been a while....but...

Thank you very much, Chris was very helpful in providing information. I now have (what I believe to be) everything necessary to give the Patchman DMX output. Over a few emails, he said:



You will need to change the crystal to 16 MHZ
and cut the trace from pin 3 of U26, then jump from pin 4 of U26 to
the input (pins 8 and 17) of U13.
This provides the proper clock frequency to the UART and processor.

On U25, lift pins 35 and 36 and tie them to pin 34 (+5V).
This changes the parity and stop bits to the format specified by DMX512.

No letting the magic smoke out!!

He also included a few .pdfs of annotated circuit diagrams. Very helpful. All I need to do now is wait for my 16MHz crystal to get here.....

 

[microstar]

Great work uncovering that info DMXpro! Hopefully you can let us know how the conversion works out. I would be grateful for the pdf diagrams and the crystal's part number if you have success so I can convert my 36-channel Patchman as well. I ended up replacing a couple of slide pots and came up with substitute pots from Mouser. The connecting pins and knob shaft had to be very slightly modified but the result was good. Also replaced a very noisy fan. Patchman users unite!

 

[Codeguy]

I too have tried to convert the Patchman to DMX and here is a reply from Dave Higgins at Pathway on my question as to why a Pathway Ultimate Converter set for CMX to DMX did not work and why an older Pathway LCPC2K Converter did work (although offsetting the channel to dimmer patch by 1):

"I can answer this, having overseen the development of both products way back when.
The Patchman was one of Colortran's odder designs, and its CMX output was unique amongst their control/dimming products. The problem is that it uses parity bits in place of stop bits, which makes it incompatible with the Ultimate's Z80 UART (and some of Colortran's own dimming products). Some of the channels will have the parity bits set correctly to look like stop bits, some of the time, and others won't.

The LCPC on the other hand uses an Intel MPU which can handle the parity bits from that console (other than the problem of reading the start code as channel 1 instead of zero).

So bottom line, I'm glad you have an LCPC on hand and the custom patch as a workaround. Hopefully this will do the job as the Ultimate Converter won't.
Dave Higgins, Pathway Connectivity"

Hope this helps. Do you happen to have a copy of the manual for the Patchman?

Oh my Goodness....echos from the distant past....The OTHER Colortran protocol....
I just want to correct something Dave Higgins stated about the Ultimate Converter's Z80 UART.
Dave gives the impression that the Z80 uart (Zilog ESCC "Enhanced Serial Communications Controller") is somehow unable to receive parity bits.
This is not correct.
The Z80 ESCC was at the time (and possibly still is) the most complex and capable UART being manufactured.
This is certainly true when compared to the " Glorified serial shift register" implemented as a UART in the Intel 8051 processor family.
At the risk of being a bit too much "Inside Baseball" about all this.....

Early in the development of the Ultimate Converter, code for both versions of the Colortran protocol were written and tested..( the 153.6 K bits per second, 2 stop bits precursor to the DMX protocol we all know and love?? today, and the slightly odd ball 156,250 bits per second, Odd parity??? version as used in the Patchman console).
We were never able to get hold of a real Patchman console to test with so we just implemented it from what documentation we were able to source and tested against the older LCPC converter.
The real issue surfaced later....or in fact 2 issues...
The first was that we were never able to decide exactly how to describe this second version of the Colortran protocol in the 2 line LCD menu screen....there were lots of suggestions and I think we may have finally decided to just call it Patchman.

The second issue was hardware related...we found that there was one ( and only one) particular conversion combination that we could not accomplish without adding one single wire jumper...( or re-spinning the PCB).
I can not remember the exact combination but it was something like Patchman in .... to Kliegl K96 out.....it's 15 years ago and memory fails at this point.
We could certainly do Patchman to and from DMX, AMX, AVAB etc .....

As a result we sent the Ultimate out the door initially with only the more commonly used version of the Colortran protocol and internal discussions continued as to what to do about adding the Patchman version.
As there were no inquiries about Patchman conversions (that I can recall) the implementation kept getting bumped down the "to do" list ..... and from the above discussion it seems it's still "on the list" some 13 years later.....

 

[microstar]

Wow Codeguy, fascinating info.... great to be "inside baseball"! Thanks for sharing.