Hardware advice for multi-room setup

Hi,

I'm a software guy that's very new to DMX on the hardware side and this is the first real project I'm doing that involves a multi room setup. I've got quite specific requirements and a pretty good idea of the way the system will work in the end but I'm looking for advice on what hardware to use for my application.

dmx.png
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SERVER ROOM
I'm gonna have a linux based server running my custom DMX software. I wonder if there are ways I can send DMX commands over Ethernet to the DMX controller or do I have to use USB?
What DMX controller device would you guys recommend here?

CABLES
Between the server room and the DMX fixtures I've already got CAT6. There seem to be DMX controllers that support CAT5 so I imagine CAT6 is fine if not better? Or is 5pin XLR preferable? The fixtures would be somewhere around 60 - 70 feet from my server room.

FIXTURES
I have 2 fixtures in 2 room, so 4 DMX fixtures in total.

In each of the rooms I've got incandescent lights which runs on 120 AC. I need a way to dim/fade these all together (~450 Watt). I've done a bunch of searching without really finding any fixture that does AC dimming. Maybe this is not possible with readily available DMX hardware?

I've also got an RGB LED strip in each room, these I'm not too worried about since they seem to be standard component and easy to source. I'm thinking of using a few of these:
ENTTEC - ALEPH1SERIES

Altho, I'm curious to know what DMX decoders you can recommended to put in each room with the fixtures? I've found these which seem to have RJ45 connections:
DMX-3CH-4A LED DMX Decoder Specifications

SUMMARY
Sorry for the long post, here a quick summary:
  • What DMX controller should I use if I want ethernet?
  • Is CAT6 ok between controller and decoder?
  • Where can I find a DMX controlled AC Dimmer?
  • What's a good DMX decoder for my application?

Thanks in advance and I'm thankful for any advice I can get on this setup.
 
Re: Hardware advice for multi room setup

Are these incandescent lights a permanent part of the building, such as can lights, or are they stage fixtures?

Basically, you need to put the incandescent lights on some sort of dimmer pack. This could be as easily as a single LEX slim dim, or you may need a more centralized rack.

While I'm no custom programmer, where this my project, I'd have a DMX node in each room (ala ArtNet, ETCNet3, and other protocols). These nodes would receive their control signals over the Cat 6 coming directly from the Server unit, which you have custom programmed with your own software.
 
Re: Hardware advice for multi room setup

Are these incandescent lights a permanent part of the building, such as can lights, or are they stage fixtures?

Basically, you need to put the incandescent lights on some sort of dimmer pack. This could be as easily as a single LEX slim dim, or you may need a more centralized rack.

While I'm no custom programmer, where this my project, I'd have a DMX node in each room (ala ArtNet, ETCNet3, and other protocols). These nodes would receive their control signals over the Cat 6 coming directly from the Server unit, which you have custom programmed with your own software.

The lights are permanent but I can quite easily hook up something like the LEX slim dimmer plus which seems to support DMX (thanks for the tip!). But I can't find any retailer selling it?
Dimming & Control: Slim Dimmer Plus | Lex Products

I like the idea of ArtNet and ETCNet3. Does those devices just hook up to my existing IP network and listen on specific IP addresses? Would this be the DMX nodes to get for each room?
ENTTEC - OPEN DMX ETHERNET
How does these nodes connect to my fixtures, do I still need a dmx controller along with the ethernet decoder in each room?
 
1. You can go one of two ways with your DMX controller. Either it's capable of sending DMX-over-Ethernet protocols itself (whether that's Art-Net, streaming ACN, or others) or it generates DMX. If it generates DMX, then you can go into an input node, which will convert the signal to a DMX-over-Ethernet protocol. There are so many DMX controllers out there already, I'd recommend you just hunt around for one that you like.

2. Cat6 wire is entirely fine for DMX, as long as it's in conduit. If you want to go through Ethernet, you need a switch. You're probably better off just generating DMX through a USB dongle, given that you only have two rooms and four fixtures. Just run the DMX output through an opto-splitter and send the same signal to each room. You'll get more distance than over Ethernet, too, at a lower cost for gear.

3. Again, there are all kinds of small portable dimmer packs, so happy hunting.

4. As I said above, if you stick with DMX alone, you don't need any kind of decoder but you will want an opto-splitter. If you want to go via Ethernet, there are a number of choice for nodes to get your signal onto the Ethernet backbone and then off again. Enttec is one choice, we're another, or you can go ETC, Strand, or even Artistic Licence. It depends where you stand in the cost/ease/reliability triangle. You'll be generating so little traffic, it doesn't matter what protocol you decide to use. For large scale installations, streaming ACN is the technically superior way to go.

As a side note, be careful about mixing RJ45 connectors on equipment, such as lights, with Ethernet distribution. Many Ethernet switches these days will also provide 48VDC power (PoE) over wires 4 and 5. If your lights are connected directly to the switch by accident, their electronics may not survive the encounter.

Robert Armstrong
Technical Sales
Pathway Connectivity
 
Last edited by a moderator:
1. You can go one of two ways with your DMX controller. Either it's capable of sending DMX-over-Ethernet protocols itself (whether that's Art-Net, streaming ACN, or others) or it generates DMX. If it generates DMX, then you can go into an input node, which will convert the signal to a DMX-over-Ethernet protocol. There are so many DMX controllers out there already, I'd recommend you just hunt around for one that you like.

2. Cat6 wire is entirely fine for DMX, as long as it's in conduit. If you want to go through Ethernet, you need a switch. You're probably better off just generating DMX through a USB dongle, given that you only have two rooms and four fixtures. Just run the DMX output through an opto-splitter and send the same signal to each room. You'll get more distance than over Ethernet, too, at a lower cost for gear.

3. Again, there are all kinds of small portable dimmer packs, so happy hunting.

4. As I said above, if you stick with DMX alone, you don't need any kind of decoder but you will want an opto-splitter. If you want to go via Ethernet, there are a number of choice for nodes to get your signal onto the Ethernet backbone and then off again. Enttec is one choice, we're another, or you can go ETC, Strand, or even Artistic Licence. It depends where you stand in the cost/ease/reliability triangle. You'll be generating so little traffic, it doesn't matter what protocol you decide to use. For large scale installations, streaming ACN is the technically superior way to go.

As a side note, be careful about mixing RJ45 connectors on equipment, such as lights, with Ethernet distribution. Many Ethernet switches these days will also provide 48VDC power (PoE) over wires 4 and 5. If your lights are connected directly to the switch by accident, their electronics may not survive the encounter.

Robert Armstrong
Technical Sales
Pathway Connectivity

Here I was typing basically the exact same thing at the same time... (between phone calls).

I will add that if you are the coding programmer of your custom lighting software and are interested in adding Streaming ACN functionality, ETC has made source code examples available that you can use in your coding. They are a free download here.
 
I'll offer a different alternative than my above esteemed colleagues.

Provided the CAT6 is a direct run (not through hubs or switches) from the Server Room to Rooms 1 & 2:
1. Place a two-output DMX opto-splitter in the server room, cost $100-$1000.
2. Put the appropriate one of these at each end of the CAT6, cost 4x $13.25.

I'm pretty sure none of the DMX over Ethernet/Art-Net/Net3/ACN options can be accomplished for as little as $153.
 
I'll offer a different alternative than my above esteemed colleagues.

Provided the CAT6 is a direct run (not through hubs or switches) from the Server Room to Rooms 1 & 2:
1. Place a two-output DMX opto-splitter in the server room, cost $100-$1000.
2. Put the appropriate one of these at each end of the CAT6, cost 4x $13.25.

I'm pretty sure none of the DMX over Ethernet/Art-Net/Net3/ACN options can be accomplished for as little as $153.

This, to me, seems like a good solution. Better than going between different protocols. Just using Cat6 as a regular DMX cable.
 
This is great advice, thanks guys. Altho I'm intrigued about DMX over IP, I'm starting to think it might be a little overkill for my very basic installation.

@derekleffew yes it's direct run so those adapters would work great.

This is where I'm at at the moment:

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Thanks everyone for your input - now all I'm missing is some nice slim 17 foot RGB strips for indoor use.
 

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