Lighting Protocol Issue - I'm stuck! Please Help!

[voztimbrada]

That sounds like a good start. You could toss together a small board that takes in DMX at any starting address and outputs it on 4,5,6.
/mike

That sounds like a reasonable work around, Mike. It may be a little beyond my expertise, but if I can figure out how to do that, I'd be satisfied with that approach. Any suggestions for a starting point, or resource where I might learn how to do that? Thanks in advance.

 

[n1ist]

I'm an Atmel guy, so I would start with an ATXmega8E5; it has two UARTS, and enough GPIO pins to read a DIP switch or rotary switches for setting the starting address. I just wrote DMX transmitting code for one for a project at work. I am sure there are equivalent PIC or MSP430 parts. ISL83490IBZ-T looks like it would be good for a driver. I would probably go with a simple switcher to drop the 24V supply down to 3.3V.
/mike

That sounds like a reasonable work around, Mike. It may be a little beyond my expertise, but if I can figure out how to do that, I'd be satisfied with that approach. Any suggestions for a starting point, or resource where I might learn how to do that? Thanks in advance.

 

[voztimbrada]

I'm an Atmel guy, so I would start with an ATXmega8E5; it has two UARTS, and enough GPIO pins to read a DIP switch or rotary switches for setting the starting address. I just wrote DMX transmitting code for one for a project at work. I am sure there are equivalent PIC or MSP430 parts. ISL83490IBZ-T looks like it would be good for a driver. I would probably go with a simple switcher to drop the 24V supply down to 3.3V.
/mike

Thanks a bunch for the info. We'll dig into the problem with the information you've all provided and see what we can come up with.

 

[voztimbrada]

The software drivers will have to come from the manufacture if there is one. If not you will have to make your own to control it with your show control program. Hopefully there might be some generic 24Ch RGB profiles.

Ive been looking on and off for the name of that 4pin led end to 3pin XLR and ahve yet to find anything. When I get in the booth tomorrow ill get a name and snap a pic for ya.

http://www.shop.electronicsalesandp...ker-DMX-T-Cable-LW-BT-15-3XLR-15-4F-15-2M.htm

Found it.

Thanks! The theater owner is going to email the company that makes these cables to see if they might solve our problem. Thanks again for your help!

 

[Amiers]

It is probably a 6ch fixture then. Have you hooked 2 up together and see if they automatically address themselves? If not you will need something like this, kind of what nist is saying.

http://www.ledwalker.com/en/Product_show.php?id=73&fid=8

The other thing you can do, is get software that will address them for you(Madrix). But would require a dmx usb box.

 

[RickR]

If 4-6 are colors, then 1-3 are probably function controls.

Strobe, dimming, sound activated, preprogrammed effects, fixed colors are all common functions these days. The manufacturer must be able to provide a DMX function chart. There may be several options or personalities available. Some fixtures will even change functions based on a DMX level.

 

[voztimbrada]

If 4-6 are colors, then 1-3 are probably function controls.

Strobe, dimming, sound activated, preprogrammed effects, fixed colors are all common functions these days. The manufacturer must be able to provide a DMX function chart. There may be several options or personalities available. Some fixtures will even change functions based on a DMX level.

Thanks for your help everyone. RickR, that was my first thought as well. But channels 1 through 3 seem to be non responsive. They don't appear to have any function at all. Which is why I'm wondering if we're missing something with that fourth wire. Perhaps the fourth wire is necessary to activate those functions? Or, maybe, like you said, the DMX levels aren't correct. And yes, I would have hoped the manufacturer would have been more helpful, but after many attempts, they really haven't. I would have highly advised against ordering from this particular company, but I wasn't in on that part of the decision making, so now just trying to do damage control. Thanks again for the info, RickR. With the help we've gotten from each of you, we're slowly piecing together a fix for this, I hope.

 

[voztimbrada]

It is probably a 6ch fixture then. Have you hooked 2 up together and see if they automatically address themselves? If not you will need something like this, kind of what nist is saying.

http://www.ledwalker.com/en/Product_show.php?id=73&fid=8

The other thing you can do, is get software that will address them for you(Madrix). But would require a dmx usb box.

We haven't tried that yet, but will definitely do so. Also, we've already been looking at that DMX address writer in your link, so that may be the next step for us. Thanks again for helping us get this on track. I really appreciate everyone's advice on this...

 

[RickR]

From the link above "Note：Ledwalker address writer is just suitable for Ledwalker DMX512 products"

Similarly Madrix will only address some kinds of fixtures. Since their products don't have the 4th wire it is unlikely it would work.