PC Based DMX Protocol Analyzer/Sniffer (reader)

[tcahall]

Has anyone heard of or seen a simple dmx protocol analyzer that is PC based? I am thinking of using an Enttec dongle with some software that will allow me to see what is coming down the DMX channel.

If no one has heard of one, does anyone think this would be of value? I realize that there are some very, very good analyzers out there, but pulling out a dongle for a PC and seeing if the data is getting there could be very useful. Of course, this would not be a full fledged protocol analyzer, but would be a basic decoder and verification tool.

Thoughts?

Tim.

 

[DaveySimps]

I don't know of any such device. Personally, I think it would be of limited use. There are already reasonably priced DMX testers that tell you if you have a signal at the device/ end of a cable / run. There are also DMX testers that generate DMX signals at the beginning of the chain so that you know absolutely what you are sending for troubleshooting purposes. Other than that, you are really just talking about basic cable troubleshooting. If you know that you are sending good data, and that the signal is being received down the chain, you should have all the info you need to work your way down the chain.
~Dave

 

[TheDonkey]

I believe I saw a feature in MagicQ that could display what values are being recieved over DMX, I'm not sure about actually analyzing the code down to at what quality it's coming in.(I guess if your're recieveing what you sent, it doesn;t matter how good the quality is)

 

[icewolf08]

As a potential end-user, I can't think of a time that I would want to have a DMX test device that was attached to a computer. Most of the time that I need to do any DMX testing or analysis I am in a lift or on a ladder, a handheld device is much more practical.

 

[epimetheus]

I recently got an Enttec ODE (Open DMX Ethernet) adapter with the POE option. The device can be configured to receive DMX and convert it to Artnet. You can then use the DMX Workshop from Artistic License to monitor that Artnet signal.

Tim, it sounds like this is what you are trying to accomplish.

I've tried it a couple of times with limited success. The last time I used this setup I was trying to sense a questionable DMX signal from my church's singing Christmas tree computer program. The setup worked, but was slow to update the DMX on the netbook I was using to monitor. I'm not sure what the problem was.

As far as I know, Lightfactory can read DMX received via a Enttec Pro dongle as well.

 

[TheDonkey]

Correction: Not MagicQ, I meant LightJockey, and it DOES have a DMX-In feature that shows what intensity's coming down what line.
It also allows you to assign internal features to what the incoming DMX shows.