DMX-512 and Lite-Puter EDX-610
lomeraniel
Posts: 20
I'm trying to control four Lite-Puter EDX-610 (lighting dimmer) using the DMX-512 interface. After some mails and calls to Taiwan I discovered the pins to connect (in the Light-controller there's no information about which pin is each one, and not even in the manual).
Anyway the system doesn't work. If I set the DMX bypass off I don't see in the display the DMX letters that should appear. Lite-Puter Taiwan says that maybe I don't have the correct wiring.
The point is that yesterday I had some strange effects with the lights, but only 10% of times I wanted to control them.
Any experience with Lite-Puter??
Anyway the system doesn't work. If I set the DMX bypass off I don't see in the display the DMX letters that should appear. Lite-Puter Taiwan says that maybe I don't have the correct wiring.
The point is that yesterday I had some strange effects with the lights, but only 10% of times I wanted to control them.
Any experience with Lite-Puter??
0
Comments
AXB Out
>>>>EDX In
Gnd >>>>> Pin4 Gnd
Data1- >>>>> Pin3 Data-
Data1+ >>>>> Pin2 Data+
Try Page 9 of the manual, its over the 1mb limit but you can download it here... That gives the pinouts for the DMX input connector
http://www.liteputer.com.tw/shuomingshu/EDX610-EUM-B.rar
You'll need to setup the Zone Number and DMX Channel Start, to be able to control the dimmer.
You may need to terminate the end of the DMX line at the last dimmer using a 120ohm 1/4w resistor across Data+/Data-, as without this you will get some wierd lighting effects!
Checkout Technote 416 for help with the AXB-DMX512.
Your code should test:
SEND_COMMAND DMX,'DR1-100L100T0' //Ch1-100 all to 100%
SEND_COMMAND DMX,'DR1-100L0T0' //Ch1-100 all to 0%
And you should see the tx LED light up...
Thanks for the fast reply
I though I should use the phoenix conector that's inside the dimmer... that's why I said there's no information about pins. But if it works with the RJ-11 then it's better. I thought this connecto was only for connecting the keypads. Then does it mean that the only difference between RS-485 and DMX protocols is the 12 V pin??
Thanks again
Elena, AMX programmer in Belgium
In simple terms DMX uses the RS485 electrical standard but the protocol is different - you can't connect the RS485 outputs on the NIxxxx to a DMX device and expect it to work!!
You can use the internal 4pin Phoenix connector - but you'll need to buzz out the pins to match the external connector - with the power off obviously. I'm afraid I don't have that info
HTH
If we have then 4 Lite-Puter, so we connect them in daisy chain using the RJ-11?
Thanks a lot Jimweir192. I sent a mail to Taiwan to ask is the value of 120 ohms for the resistor was right. Finally they suggested 20 ohms. I built my cable 5RJ-11 as you said) with the terminating resistor.
I went on site an when I connected the cable I already could see "DMX=001 on the display". I tested them and I have the working perfetly. Thank you very much for your great information
Jimweir192, we have a new problem
The LitePuter is working perfectly with our DMX-512 but the client wants also the LitePuter keypads. The problem is that the DMX-512 has priority above the own LitePuter keypads, so their system doesn't work if ours is connected. Do you know if there's a solution for that?
Thanks
You have three options:
1) Sell them the idea of AMX keypads to replicate the Liteputer keypad functions
2) Get a DMX Merge unit such as http://artisticlicence.com/item63.htm and deal with the consequences of a highest value takes precedence architecture.
3) Try the Liteputer keypads connected to the AXB-DMX Inputs and switch the AXB to bypass mode in code. This allows you to use both a lighting desk (liteputer keypad) and the AMX as controllers.
HTH
With bypass you mean using the PZ command that disconnects all outputs from all inputs?
I have to connect the 12 V for the keypads, I guess.
And do I need a terminating resitor for the keypads?
Yes you'd need to get 12v to the keypad, but it could be from any source, or use the 4th terminal on the Dimmers DMX In.
You shouldn't need to terminate the keypads as they are transmitting onto the DMX line...
I've never used the keypads from Liteputer, so I don't know if you can daisy-chain them or how they get feedback to the buttons.
Do keep me posted! Cheers J
Hi again,
This is taking to long. I'm sorry...
I've tried today connecting the LitePuter keypads to the input of the DMX-512. First I got the 12 V from the AMX. But it seemed to be only 6 volts between the GROUND of the DMX input and the 15 V of the AMX, so there wasn't enough voltage to feed the keypads...
I tried later getting the 12 V and the ground from another dimmer (there are 8 dimmers there but I use only 4). I had power for the keypads but it didn't work.
What I'm doing now in the prog is sending PA before each command to the DMX and PZ after it to disconnect inputs from outputs. But I'm not even sure about this command... The problem is I didn't find anything better in the manual...
Any inspiration??
Thanks
Start with the basics:
1 Keypad DMX Out connected to the AMX DMX In - AMX DMX Out connected to Dimmer Input
Don't run any compiled code on the AMX.
Send_Command DMX, "'MZ'" // This clears out all the buffers inc presets
Send_Command DMX, "'PA'" // This links inputs to outputs 1-1, 2-2..512-512
Does your keypad operate the Dimmers?
I'm not familiar with the keypads - how do you configure them to recall DMX channels or do they recall scenes somehow?
Extract from EDX manual:
EDX mainframe has standard DMX-512 input interface. If external DMX-512 signal is input, it will auto switch to DMX control and be controlled by the external DMX-512 signal.
In otherwords you cannot use both forms of control together
As soon as you connect the AXB DMX output to the Dimmers this will overide the Liteputer Keypads... you will need to connect a double pole relay on the AXB-DMX Data+ and Data- lines and switch this relay in and out of circuit in code!!
How do the keypads connect to the EDX if you only use the keypads?
The keypads can be connected to the RJ-11 connector or to the phoenix (one of the green ones inside). At the moment the electricians used the phoenix connector because I was using the RJ-11 for the DMX-512, and then it's when we had the surprise... Off course when I connect the DMX-512 they're blocked.
I thought that it could be possible to have both at the same time because I read this on the manual of the DMX:
"A DMX lighting board can operate in tandem with the AXB-DMX512, generate levels for
storing presets, or pass through the AXB-DMX512 for direct control of channels".
That's why I tried to connect the keypads to the input of the DMX-512. But I didnt' find more explanations on the manual...
Sooo, I'm a bit stuck. And I called yeterday to AMXuk and nobody could give me a reply. My wise friend Darren Scrowtson was not there yesterday...
You will need to simulate the removal of the DMX input at the dimmers, you can do this easily with a double pole relay switching out the Data+ & Data- lines. I can't think of any other solution other than not using the Litputer Keypads and using AMX ones instead.