I-Cue goof up

[derekleffew]

Using an adapter is not recommended. A "scroller cable" consists of two 14AWG wires and a 24AWG twisted pair, like so:

Apollo SmartColor cable details

Using an adapter to move the pins around "could" put the power on the 24AWG and the DMX/"data" on the 14AWGs. Depending on where one placed the adapter and how the cable was wired. It would likely work for one or maybe two devices, but wouldn't be enough to power a string of units.

See also the thread http://www.controlbooth.com/threads/4-pin-scroller-cable-rules.20437/ .

 

[dramatech]

The Wybron supply for Coloram scrollers not only has the 24 volt power reversed, but it does not send DMX on the data pins 2 and 3. It sends a two way communication to the scrollers that not only sends data, but also receives data from the scrollers. You can reverse the pins in an adapter for power and prevent damage to the receiving item, but if that item requires DMX data, it will just sit there. The data in Colorams uses RS485 the same as DMX data, so again no damage but also no usable data.
I have 61 scrollers of various manufactures, with 24 of them being Coloram. I reversed the power pins in the Coloram scrollers and supply so that they are the same as my other scrollers and supplies. (Pin 1 gnd to data and negative side of the supply voltage with pin 4 being 24 volts DC.) In this way, I prevent any damage when someone plugs scrollers into the wrong supply. The down side of this is if we rent Coloram scrollers to supllement our system, they would be incompatible and damage may occur. Over the 6 years that I have had our system reversed power, that has not been a problem as we have more than enough scrollers to fill our needs. It does require me to run two separate scroller lines throughout the theater.