Color Scrollers
- Thread starterDCATTechie
- Start date
STEVETERRY and SteveB: you're both my heroes.
On the other side of the coin, today when I asked "Can I get a replacement for this 10' 5pin XLR cable? (almost cut in half by a swing wing arm)" the crew-chief said "You mean a DMX cable?"
To some, 5pin is called "DMX," 4pin is called "RAM," and 3pin is called "XLR." I find the latter two manufacturer-specific and vague.
On the other side of the coin, today when I asked "Can I get a replacement for this 10' 5pin XLR cable? (almost cut in half by a swing wing arm)" the crew-chief said "You mean a DMX cable?"
To some, 5pin is called "DMX," 4pin is called "RAM," and 3pin is called "XLR." I find the latter two manufacturer-specific and vague.
No worries. I too am a stickler for proper terminology most times.
~Dave
~Dave
That's what I call them. I wonder 'bout the 4 pin DMX terminator though. Probably wants to be called a 4 pin Data terminator.
And something that's not clear to me. Is the data that goes from the power supply to the heads actually DMX ?, or do the manufacturers use something proprietary ? (besides power). I ask as in theory on a 4 pin scroller cable, I assume one of the pins is a shield. 2 others should be power positive and negative (If DC, which I assume the power is). I assume then that data plus uses the remaining pin, with data minus sharing the ground with the power pair ?. Or is it power uses the shield as ground/negative, allowing 2 dedicated pins for data ?.
Need to be enlightened.
Steve B.
SB
soundlight
Well-Known Member
I've assembled a enough scroller cables to take a stab, but not enough to remember the numbers of the pins in which each resides...
Data + and Data - on their own pins, power on another, common neutral/ground. That's the way that I understand it. I could be wrong, though. And I never use 4 pin terminators, I always do a return run to the power supply.
More confusion. Wybron's "CMX" is/was not the same as the Colortran's Prestige/Patchman "CMX", upon which USITT DMX-512-1986 was based. (I'm sure that won't matter to anyone.)
I've never terminated any product; never knew such a thing as 4pin terminator existed. Wybron products DO NOT need to be returned to the PSU. In fact, there's no male 4pin to plug into. Wybron is also the only manufacturer that requires calculation of "Head-Feet".
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
Page 39 of the CXI IT User Manual states: "Signal termination: None required".
I don't mean to contradict you, mdudgeon; just seeking clarification. I think we need an official statement from ReddyKilowatt. He's only posted once, and hasn't responded to my PM, so if you know him, give him a kick.
All other manufacturers' products should have a return to the power supply, to counteract voltage drop as well as provide data termination.
The pin-out for the Apollo SmartColor® is:
The correct wiring between male and female connectors is ‘one to one’.
PIN # Function Minimum Cable size
1 GND (-ve) 14 AWG (2.00mm²)
2 Control data minus (-) 22 AWG (0.35mm²)
3 Control data plus (+) 22 AWG (0.35mm²)
4 24 VDC (+ve) 14 AWG (2.00mm²)
Chassis Cable shield/Drain wire 24 AWG (0.25mm²)
ChromaQ (and I'm guessing Rosco) uses the same pin-out.
ReddyKilowatt
Member
While the DMX termination (using a 4 pin terminator) is a very real and valid protective move to guard against data reflection down the line, the use of a return cable will do two things:
1) Terminate the signal with a 120 Ohm resistor when a home-run is used with an Apollo and other PSUs.
And
2) 24VDC is sent through both cables, maintaining line voltage for the entire scroller circuit. This minimizes power 'slugs' (not the critter) to the system that may cause a scroller to fall out and recalibrate. (This scenario can be highly noticable and embarassing...)
Thank you! This explains why I've never seen, or even heard of, an A4M terminator.
DCATTechie
Active Member
Not to get off topic of DMX termination, but, S4's take a 6.25 inch scroller right? Are there any conversion plates that take a 7.25 inch scroller fit a S4?
