DMX512 is the protocol that runs most of the lighting and control systems used in theaters, concerts, and other large-scale events, as well as more advanced architectural lighting. It's been around since the early 1980s, and it's still relevant today.
In this guide, we’ll explore the basics of DMX512 and how you can use it to control lights and effects from typical DMX controllers as well as from a microcontroller with a DMX board.
Light Fixtures
There are plenty of inexpensive DMX controlled light fixture options to get started with, such as LED PARs, washes, light bars, spots, and even moving head lights.
You can also run foggers, strobes, and other effects via DMX control.
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XLR Cable
You'll use either 5-pin or 3-pin XLR cables to send data through the system. The DMX512 spec calls for 5-pin, but 3-pin is very common, especially in less expensive systems.
Each cable will have one plug end and one socket end, sometimes known as XLR3M to XLR3F cable.Â
Proper DMX512 cable has 110Ω impedance, but you can often get away with using regular old (cheaper) XLR microphone cable, especially for shorter runs.
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DMX Shield for Arduino
You can use most Arduino-compatible boards along with a MAX485-based DMX shield to send and receive messages to and from your DMX fixtures and controllers.
There are a few different designs out there, we'll be using this one from Conceptinetics.
or from Amazon:
Arduino Uno or Metro 328
The library we'll use for the DMX shield only works on AVR-based microcontrollers, so an Arduino Uno R3 or a Metro 328 will be a good choice.
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Optional
You won't need a controller like the one shown below if you're only sending DMX from your microcontroller to your fixtures, but they are pretty cool to play around with!
Also, one can be used to send DMX to your microcontroller, which we'll cover in an update to this guide coming soon.
DMX512 Controller
A compact, DJ-style controller is enough to get started with hands-on lighting control as well as basic chase and scene programming.
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Page last edited December 11, 2024
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