Things You Should Know

...about DMX, Art-Net, Streaming ACN, and RDM!

DID YOU KNOW?! Plug Receptacle 64 DMX Universe
XLR stands for “Cannon X Connector, with Latch
XLR-5 XLR-5 Quick Reference
and Rubber Guard” UNIVERSE START # END #
1 1 512
2 513 1024
Art-Net and Streaming ACN... 3 1025 1536
is just DMX over Ethernet! 4 1537 2048
DMX logic still applies, Universes are still 512 bytes each. 5 2049 2560
6 2561 3072
7 3073 3584
Each “byte” of the 512 available control slots in
XLR5 Pinout for DMX512-A 8 3585 4096
a universe can have a value from 0 to 255 or (256 9 4097 4608
PIN WIRE SIGNAL 10 4609 5120
potential values)
1 Shield Drain Ground, 0V 11 5121 5632
12 5633 6144
2 Inner Conductor (Black) Data 1 -
A Very Brief Background of DMX 13 6145 6656
3 Inner Conductor (White) Data 1 + 14 6657 7168
USITT developed the DMX512 protocol back in 1986, 15 7169 7680
made significant edits in 1990. 4 Inner Conductor (Green) Data 2 - (Spare) 16 7681 8192
ESTA worked DMX512 into an ANSI standard in 2004. 5 Inner Conductor (Red) Data 2 + (Spare) 17 8193 8704
Colors of internal conductors may vary by manufacturer
18 8705 9216
Art-Net 1 was created by Artistic License Holdings, Ltd 19 9217 9278
in 1998 (40 Univ), Art-Net 2 in 2004 (256 Univ), RJ-45 20 9279 10240
21 10241 10752
and Art-Net 3 in 2011 (32,768 Univ). Connector 22 10753 11264
ACN (ANSI E1.17-2010) or Architecture for Control 23 11265 11776
8
Networks, is a protocol for unidirectional lighting 7
24 11777 12288
communication. This standard is managed by ESTA. 25 12289 12800
6
26 12801 13312
The DMX version, Streaming ACN (ANSI 1.31), allows 5 27 13313 13824
DMX to be sent over UDP/IP networks by wrapping a 4 28 13825 14336
DMX frame in an ACN header. Streaming ACN supports 3 29 14337 14848
63999 potential universes! 2 30 14849 15360
1 31 15361 15872
When addressing Art-Net devices with an IP 32 15873 16384
Viewed from gold contct side 33 16385 16896
address, always use a 2.X.Y.Z or a 10.X.Y.Z
34 16897 17408
IP address. This is how Art-Net is most happy! RJ45 Pinout for DMX512-A 35 17409 17920
For example, 2.0.0.1 is a great place to start 36 17921 18432
with your lighting console! PIN WIRE SIGNAL
37 18433 18944
8 Brown 0V Data 2 Common*
Art-Net uses 2.X.Y.Z as its primary IP address 38 18945 19456
scheme, and 10.X.Y.Z addresses as a secondary. 7 Brown/White 0V Data 1 Common* 39 19457 19968
4 Blue Not Used, PoE, typ.
40 19969 20480
41 20481 20992
In Art-Net, there are 32,768 possible places to send a 5 Blue/White Not Used, PoE, typ. 42 20993 21504
DMX frame, called a Port-Address - a 15-digit number 6 Green DMX 2 Data - 43 21505 22016
made up of the Net + Sub-Net + Universe. 3 Green/White DMX 2 Data +
44 22017 22528
45 22529 23040
There are 128 total Nets: 2 Orange DMX 1 Data - 46 23041 23552
128 Nets * 256 Sub-Nets = 32,768 potential places 1 Orange/White DMX 1 Data + 47 23553 24064
Net: 256 consecutive Universes (or 16 Sub-Nets) Pin numbering and color in accordance with ANSI/TIA/EIA-568
48 24065 24576
49 24577 25088
Sub-Net: 16 consecutive Universes (8,192 channels) scheme T568B - Double check with your manufacturer.
*Pins 7 & 8 are often connected together; 50 25089 25600
Universe: 512 consecutive channels especially when adapting to the 5 pin XLR 51 25601 26112
52 26113 26624
RDM, or Remote Device Management, sits on top of DMX 53 26625 27136
data, and allows for 2-way communication of devices and Need a DMX 54 27137 27648
controllers. RDM allows controllers to send GET and SET Terminator? 55 27649 28160
messages to devices it sees, like: 56 28161 28672
57 28673 29184
Get|Set DEVICE_LABEL (gets/sets the device’s name) 58 29185 29696
Get|Set DMX_START_ADDRESS (gets/sets DMX address) 59 29697 30208
Get|Set DMX_PERSONALITY (gets/sets personality) 60 30209 30720
61 30721 31232
Get LAMP_HOURS (asks for lamp hours) 62 31233 31744
63 31745 32256
All devices have unique RDM IDs Solder a 0.5W or larger 120Ω resistor
NOTE: across pins 2 & 3 in a plug XLR5!
64 32257 32769
 Unicast, Broadcast, and Multicast
The 3 Ways of Sending DMX Over Ethernet




  

  
  

 

UNICAST  



  


 
Unicast messages are sent over the 


 
 


network from the controller to exactly  


 
  




one device, individually. Multiple  

  


 
devices require multiple messages. 



 

 
 

 

  
  

BROADCAST  


 





Broadcast messages are sent over

 


the network from the controller to all  


 
devices on the network. Every device  
 
processes the message, even if it’s  


 
not for that device.
 

 
 

 %


!%!

!
MULTICAST 


Multicast messages are like Broadcast 


%

%

 
!

messages in a way, except a single
#&!

message is sent over the network #

%

%


!
from the controller to logical groups of #!!
devices on the network. Devices can 
 %

%


!
be addressed to listen to these group "
"""






messages. "#

  %

'
'#$!
 
!

DMX DO: DON’T:

Always have DMX terminators on hand, and use them. Don’t use a DMX “two-fer” or Y-cable. It can distort the signal.
DO’s & Any time you have multiple DMX lines, use a repeater. Don’t use mic cable for DMX. Wrong impedance & conductor.
Always optically isolate outdoor fixtures from console. Don’t solder DMX cables together.
DON’Ts Always use approved digital signal cable for DMX! Don’t go over 1500’ when using DMX and proper cabling (suggested)
to save your Always use 5 Pin XLRs for DMX portable cable Don’t talk DMX to dangerous devices like pyro, cryo, rigging.
Devices using 3 pin XLRs may work but are NOT COMPLIANT
load-in day!
Don’t add more than 32 fixtures on a single DMX run out repeater!

ATLANTA DALLAS PHOENIX

3980 Dekalb Technology Parkway 2225 E. Beltline Rd. Suite 309 480-237-0470
Suite 770 Carrollton, TX 75006 [email protected]
Atlanta, GA 30340 972-416-9930
404-681-5124 [email protected] WASHINGTON, D.C.
[email protected] 6437G General Green Way
DENVER Alexandria, VA 22312
BOSTON 8269 East 23rd Avenue, Suite 111 703-750-3900
31 Draper Street Denver, CO 80238 [email protected]
Woburn, MA 01801 303-394-9875
781-935-3920 [email protected]
[email protected]
NEW YORK LONDON, U.K.
CHARLOTTE 643 11th Avenue The Saracen Industrial Estate Unit 12
1016 McClelland Court New York, NY 10036 Mark Road, Hemel Hempstead
Charlotte, NC 28206 212-586-1620 United Kingdom HP2 7BJ
704-372-2122 [email protected] +44 1442 260600
[email protected] [email protected]
ORLANDO
CHICAGO 4203 SW 34th Street
2525 N. Elston Ave. Suite D220 Orlando, FL 32811
Chicago, IL 60647 407-999-2647
773-276-8500 [email protected]
[email protected]