Having trouble assigning DMX address

koimystic

Member
I have a KLS scanner. The DMX dipswitches go by 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, (Also a pan invert, tilt invert, and 10% lamp saver). They have a gobo wheel, color wheel, pan, tilt, and lamp intensity. So that would be a 5 channel scanner? I assumed if 128, you just flip 128 up only. If you want 133, you would flip 128, 4, and 1? Basically I am trying to figure out how to connect these to an Ion ETC light board and have had no luck. I was dimming/turning on/off every channel on the light board to see if the lights would respond and nothing happened. I also got a volt meter and the DMX signal was changing with the channel intensities changing. Is it ABSOLUTELY necesary to have a terminator? Even if termination was needed, wouldn't the first light work, and only the last light not? These are KLS SE204 scanners. I can't find any documentation. Thanks abunch for the time! Marshall
 
some equipment has a weird "off-set by 1" programming, but if you were in the ballpark of DMX control you would get some things working but something like a channel off. However, with no lamp output it's hard to see that the mirror was moving. Also, check and re-check your patch. Boards that offer several outputs (universe) you can change each output's settings. If your using universe 1 to go to the dimmers, and universe 2 to your scanner, but your patch might have a defult as a 1 to 1. And to answer your question, a teminator is not "necessary" but useful. Your lights should still work with out one at the end of the line.
1. check your patch at the board / universe settings
2. check those pesky little dip switches, it's easy to have one wrong. There is some great software out there that will show the swiches, saving you on the math
3. check cables and all cable paths, if you can: shorten the path. Bring the scanner in the light booth so you can see if the mirror is moving but the lamps not lit.
4. most DJ type stuff will have a dip switch #10 that turns on the DMX mode. With it off, it will be in auto or audio mode. Make sure it's set to DMX mode.
 
I'll guess with mnballet. The "weird offset by 1" is based on the fact that the first binary number that can be represented with 8 bits is 0, not 1. As some find this a little challenging, a few have tried to "help out" by adding 1 to the count. I would suggest flipping 1,2,4,8,16,32 & 64 and try again at 128. I would also try the inverse and flip "on" everything but 128.

Tim.

P.S. it's 5 channels IF each channel is only 8 bit. If you have 16 bit pan and tilt, you would have 7. It doesn't sound like that level of fixture, but...
 
First off, putting a volt meter on a DMX line won't tell you if it is working or not. DMX is a digital data signal, sure, it uses voltage differential to send 1s and 0s, but it is negligible. The only way to test a DMX line is with a DMX tester like these from Doug Fleenor.

Despite the addressing of a fixture sometimes being dipswitches +1 or -1 or just the number you should be able to get something out of the fixture provided that the fixture is actually working. Unfortunately you probably don't really have a way to test if the fixture is working.

The big question, is when you say that you were turning channels on and off, what do you mean? Did you patch the fixture to channels or did you just turn on the 5 channels around the numbers where you addressed the fixture? You need to patch the addresses of the fixture to a channel or channel on the light board. I don't know how much you know about patching, but just because the board has a channel 133 doesn't mean that it will have any effect on address 133 which is what your light is set to when you set the dip switches to 133 and plug it into universe 1.

As has also been mentioned, where are you getting your DMX line from? You need to know what universe of DMX you are connected to. If you are connected to a node, node outputs can be configured to output any universe. The outputs on the console can as well, but usually they are set to correspond to the same universe as the output number.
 
...So that would be a 5 channel scanner?
It's very likely there's another channel, often called Control, to handle things like lamp ON and off, strobe, reset and other functions.

...I also got a volt meter and the DMX signal was changing with the channel intensities changing. ...
One cannot verify proper DMX signal with a voltmeter. One needs either an oscilloscope or a DMX analyzer.

Is it ABSOLUTELY necessary to have a terminator? Even if termination was needed, wouldn't the first light work, and only the last light not?
The lack of proper termination can rear its ugly head anywhere in the signal chain, but is usually identified by twitches or erratic operation, not by no function at all.

These are KLS SE204 scanners. I can't find any documentation.
For best use of the Ion, you MUST find documentation, or determine via trial and error, what each channel does in order to write a fixture personality (or provide the information to ETC so they can create the personality for you). See below.

(I'm sorry to have to state that the availability of clear and complete documentation is but one way to distinguish a quality manufacturer from a sub-standard one.)

...2. check those pesky little dip switches, it's easy to have one wrong. There is some great software out there that will show the swiches, saving you on the math ...
Dipswitch calculators are great, and even available for the iPhone, but I still prefer a chart: http://www.derekleffew.com/atomic3K_dipsw.pdf.

I suggest bringing the fixture(s) to the console, set the dipswitches at what I think is DMX address #1, and with the console patched 1-to-1, bring up channels, singly and in combination, to see if you can get all parameters to function. You'll want/need to create a chart that looks something like the attached when finished.
 

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OK. Maybe I need to patch it. When I get to the patch menu, what do I do? just tell it 128 to 128? The thing is, when you patch, it normally gives you all these options, like RGB LED pars, manufactures for moving lights, strobes, anything. Would I just choice Generic Dimmer? :neutral:
Also, I am connected via a ETC2Net node. It is on universe one though because I assigned the IP to it and set it to Universe one and what channels to support. Will that change how I patch?
 
The easiest way to test if the fixture is working is to set it to some address, preferably something simple like 100 and then patch as "generic dimmer" address 95-110 each to it's own channel on the board. Then bring up each channel by itself and see if the fixture responds.
 
Ok, so I have the ETC/EOS software on my computer to play with. I was looking at the patch menu. I easily was able to patch 128 to 128, but do I just set it as a generic dimmer? also what interface would I do? It has ACN Only, EDMX Only (I think that's what it says), or ALL. Thanks alot! Marshall.

Edit: Thanks for the response Icewolf, looks like we overlapped our typing. Thanks.
 
You need to patch all the channels for the fixture. If you have a 5 channel fixture and you have it set for 128 then you would need to patch 128, 129, 130, 131, 132. Each channel should be patched on to its own fader. So you would be unsing 5 faders to control this one fixture. And it should be patched to DMX most likely as I doubt you are using ACN.
 
To test if the fixture is working: (Note- this won't tell you if there are problems, just that it turns on and kinda works or not.)

First save the show!!! Then, Try plugging the fixture dmx directly into the console dmx with a short piece of dmx cable that you know is good. Set the fixture dmx to something easy like 1 then set dimmers 1-5 to channels 1-5 (or something else). Now you can play with the 5 channels and something should happen. The lamp may not turn on automatically or with the values you send, but you should see the mirror moving or hear the motors (if you're really close or have a buddy who's next to the fixture).
 
Could be I missed this being posted, but did you check for reverse polarity? (pins 2 & 3 flipped.)
 
Assuming your SE204 is similar to this SE205 I found, yes, you have 5 control channels.

Actually, looking further, though I couldn't find a manual, I did find mention in a manual for some no-name DMX controller what your control channels are:

Ch | Function
---|-------
1 | Color
2 | Gobo
3 | Pan
4 | Tilt
5 |Dimmer
 

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