microstar
Well-Known Member
I agree fully TuckerD. I have used stranded Cat5e successfully for light-duty (read "very seldom moved") circumstances where it is soldered to XLR's. I fully understand that this is not condoned by the DMX standard but it consistently works for me.
Regarding the use of Cat5 for installation use, here is a quote from the ETC knowledge base: (KnowledgeBase: DMX Over CAT 5 - Electronic Theatre Controls
"From the ESTA report:
Conclusion
Data obtained from all three of these test sessions confirms that, in most respects, UTP and STP Category 5 cable can be expected to perform at least as well as EIA-485 rated data cable for DMX512 applications."
The ETC statement “This is why we offer an alternative IDC header to support CAT5 wire on most of our DMX products” seems to lend some credibility to the use of DMX over Cat5, not just in an Ethernet setting. They also mention the use of STP Cat cable.
Regarding the use of Cat5 for installation use, here is a quote from the ETC knowledge base: (KnowledgeBase: DMX Over CAT 5 - Electronic Theatre Controls
"From the ESTA report:
Conclusion
Data obtained from all three of these test sessions confirms that, in most respects, UTP and STP Category 5 cable can be expected to perform at least as well as EIA-485 rated data cable for DMX512 applications."
The ETC statement “This is why we offer an alternative IDC header to support CAT5 wire on most of our DMX products” seems to lend some credibility to the use of DMX over Cat5, not just in an Ethernet setting. They also mention the use of STP Cat cable.