Noob question on DMX dip switch settings on Leviton gear

[lovegoodperformingarts]

I am very comfortable with technology generally, but am brand new to theater lighting. We purchased and were donated a load of Leviton gear (mostly DDS 6000s) that have all had the DMX conversion applied (I am assuming by the appearance of a 5 pin connector on both in/out sides of the units). I am learning all I can about DMX and how channel assignment works. One question that feels like it should be obvious, but is not, is about the dip switch settings on the Leviton gear for channel selection. I find a lot of DMX switch setting calculators online, but the settings do not align with what I find in the manual for the DDS. Is it safe to assume the DDS doesn't use standard DMX dip switch settings for channel assignment? In which case I should be ok to just use the manual to set the channels on the DDS units, which in theory should work like any other gear that uses the more standard DMX dip switch settings? I spent a while trying to find someone referencing this online somewhere, but came up empty handed. The DDS unit has 7 dip switches while many of the online calculators I see show 10.

Thanks for helping a noob out!

 

[aeh20s]

From looking at this page from the DDS manual, this is how you should set your dip switches in accordance to the order of channel controls.

 

[lovegoodperformingarts]

Yes that is what I was referring to from the manual. I just wanted confirmation that the addressing listed there applies both to MPX and DMX as the units were converted to DMX, but the manual doesn't really clarify if that means dip switch settings change or if they stay the same on both protocols. It was further confusing to me as online there are so many references to standard DMX dip switch settings that are not anything like what is listed in that table. Just a bit confusing to someone who has never done this before

 

[aeh20s]

It stays the same. DMX is Digital Mulitplex.

 

[JakeRhodesTech]

Yep, its the same. You basicaly want to addess each box to have its own channel range so you can have independant fixture control. The reason there are only 7 instead of 10 like you see on online calculators is becaue this distro box only needs to go to a max of 509, which would be all 1-7 on. Just make sure you know which way is "ON" and you should be ready to roll.

 

[lovegoodperformingarts]

Thank you both this is super helpful!

 

[DrewE]

Yep, its the same. You basicaly want to addess each box to have its own channel range so you can have independant fixture control. The reason there are only 7 instead of 10 like you see on online calculators is becaue this distro box only needs to go to a max of 509, which would be all 1-7 on. Just make sure you know which way is "ON" and you should be ready to roll.

More to the point, there are only seven switches needed instead of nine (or ten) because the (base) address can only be set in increments of four rather than arbitrarily by one. 509 in binary requires nine bits, just as is required for 512 distinct states (0 through 511 expressed in binary). The DDS's address codes just have the two least significant bits unalterably assigned to be zeros.

I assume they had only seven switches originally because MPX supports a maximum of 128 channels, for which seven bits suffices. Much DMX512 gear presumably uses ten DIP switches (rather than the nine theoretically required) merely because nine position DIP switches are fairly rare parts compared to ten position ones.

As a general rule, unless proven otherwise, it's usually best to assume the manual for the specific gear is more nearly correct than a generic online calculator or table, especially one not specific to your gear.

 

[lovegoodperformingarts]

Awesome that is super helpful, thank you!!

 

[RichG]

I was recently looking at how these are addressed when someone asked me why they can't use a DMX calculator for these dimmers... I learned that, as @DrewE pointed out, that these are addressed in groups of 4 DMX channels. You are basically setting the "Pack number" using the dip switches, with binary 0 being the first pack (assuming you are starting at DMX channel 1), 1 being the 2nd pack etc... One other thing to note on these. Switch 8 controls the behavior when it looses signal. When off the dimmers will fade to full in the case of lost DMX signal (like when you turn off your board...) So I always have mine set On.

 

[lovegoodperformingarts]

That is very helpful about switch 8. I didn't realize that is how that works. Thanks!