Control/Dimming Multi-port DMX switching unit

Chris15, I think you win the prize... :grin: So if I decided to use one of the devices mentioned above (because for the most part they're cheap) and 18 relays (I think I though of this in an earlier post) then I could build the interface I want... Correct?!?

I'm just surprised that no one has had this situation before and / or has come up with a single board solution... Oh well...

Alan...

The Blue Point board and the MA Demux already have the relays you need on them, you wouldn't have to build anything. Just connect the normally open relay contact in place of your current switches.
 
epimetheus, yes, you are correct... sorry bout that. That will be put on the list of solutions. However I also said I was trying to do it on a mimimul budget, $600US to accomplish this is a bit high (IMO).

I have no problem if it's a DIY solution I'm just trying to cover all possibilities. If I looked at a cheaper board and had to drive 18 small relays (overcomplicated, I know), I could get away with doing it for under half the price... just a thouhgt.

I guess it comes down to the same old thing, time & money.

Alan...
 
I don't know if they will ship to the US, but it looks like the same board Blue Point sells is available for under $100 from the UK....
http://www.farnell.com/datasheets/48397.pdf
Note you would have to provide 12 VDC to power the board, but as others have said, it will provide the "dry contact" output you need.
(Actually, you could get 2x 8-output boards, and 1x 2-output boards, to cut costs a bit.)
-Fred
 
epimetheus, yes, you are correct... sorry bout that. That will be put on the list of solutions. However I also said I was trying to do it on a mimimul budget, $600US to accomplish this is a bit high (IMO).

I have no problem if it's a DIY solution I'm just trying to cover all possibilities. If I looked at a cheaper board and had to drive 18 small relays (overcomplicated, I know), I could get away with doing it for under half the price... just a thouhgt.

I guess it comes down to the same old thing, time & money.

Alan...

I've never used any of the Blue Point stuff for exactly that reason, it always seemed too expensive. That Milford board thru Farnell UK looks promising though. Don't know what shipping would be.
 
Man i have exactly what you are looking for in my random weird stuff stash under my bed. Its a 20 channel dmx relay pack. It has normally open and closed contacts on a terminal strip in the back. Mine is made by colortran, but I have seen 8-24 ch relay boards on line for not too bad of a price.


'on line for not too bad of a price' ... If you had links I'd be grateful. So far the units mentioned above and any others I've found (after pinning down what exactly to search for) have been little overprices for the number of channels I require...

Alan...
 
Hopefully this doesn't break etiquette. You could look at a couple of our cards, although the price may be higher than what you want to spend.

Dry contact closure: Pathway Connectivity Inc. - #1003 eDIN Contact Closure Interface
12 outputs. NO or NC. It sounds like there is already a transformer power supply in that switch box, providing 12/24V according to the relay. Contact closure is just a switch, so it doesn't care what the voltage is. The common for each output is separate, so different voltages could be switched by adjacent outputs. The module will likely be run off one of those transformer supplies as well. DMX is daisy-chainable through multiple cards.

Or, if the relays require less than 10mA of current, this demux might be a solution: Pathway Connectivity Inc. - #1004 eDIN 16 Channel Demultiplexer
16 outputs, but the top voltage output is 16v, so you might be looking at pilot relays.

From the picture, it looks of the box you're replacing, I bet you really only need a dry contact closure. The relays and the power are already in place.

Robert Armstrong
Technical Support
Pathway Connectivity
 
Hopefully this doesn't break etiquette. You could look at a couple of our cards, although the price may be higher than what you want to spend.

Dry contact closure: Pathway Connectivity Inc. - #1003 eDIN Contact Closure Interface
12 outputs. NO or NC. It sounds like there is already a transformer power supply in that switch box, providing 12/24V according to the relay. Contact closure is just a switch, so it doesn't care what the voltage is. The common for each output is separate, so different voltages could be switched by adjacent outputs. The module will likely be run off one of those transformer supplies as well. DMX is daisy-chainable through multiple cards.

Or, if the relays require less than 10mA of current, this demux might be a solution: Pathway Connectivity Inc. - #1004 eDIN 16 Channel Demultiplexer
16 outputs, but the top voltage output is 16v, so you might be looking at pilot relays.

From the picture, it looks of the box you're replacing, I bet you really only need a dry contact closure. The relays and the power are already in place.

Robert Armstrong
Technical Support
Pathway Connectivity

You are correct, I just need dry contact closure... The transformers are actually remote at the relay panels themselves (one in the booth and one at the other end of the building). The board only has power on-board to light up the switches when they are on...

Alan...
 
Last edited:

Users who are viewing this thread

Back