Chauvet DJ Equipment user manual DMX Primer, Fixture Linking Daisy Chain

DMX Primer

The USITT DMX512-A data transmission protocol (DMX, from now on) is based on the EIA-485 standard and it has 512 channels (001 to 512). This system requires a controller (DMX controller), one or more DMX compatible fixtures, and a DMX circuit (also known as “DMX universe”) to link the fixtures to the controller.

Depending on their complexity and features, DMX compatible fixtures may require from one to more than 30 DMX channels to operate. Some DMX fixtures have multiple operation modes (also known as “personalities”), each with its own number of channels and controllable parameters.

Starting Address

In the DMX system, the controller sends DMX data to each fixture based on the fixture’s starting address. The starting address is the number of the DMX channel (001 to 512) assigned to the fixture’s first control channel (Channel 1). When assigning starting addresses to multiple fixtures, it is critical to ensure that no starting address is already in use by another fixture to prevent channels from overlapping. Otherwise, the affected fixtures may operate erratically.

For instance, a user has two DMX compatible fixtures. Fixture “A” has four channels and fixture “B” has six channels. If the user configures the starting address of fixture “A” to “001”, channels 001 through 004 on the DMX controller will control fixture “A”. This means that the user should assign the starting address of fixture “B” to “005” or higher. For a starting address of “005”, the DMX controller would use channels 005 to 010 to control fixture “B”.

It is possible to control multiple fixtures of the same type by assigning each one of them the same starting address. In this case, all the fixtures would respond in unison (synchronized) to the signals from the DMX controller.

Fixture Linking (Daisy Chain)

DMX compatible fixtures receive the control signals from the DMX controller through the DMX cables. Each fixture has a DMX In and a DMX Out connector. The figure to the right illustrates how the fixtures link to each other using multiple segments of DMX cable in a sequential format called “daisy chain”.

The order in which the fixtures connect to the DMX controller is irrelevant because all fixtures receive the same DMX signals and they only respond to them based on their individual starting addresses. However, it is important to notice that the connections between fixtures should always be as short and direct as possible.

To ensure the integrity of the DMX signal, follow the recommendations of the EIA-485 standard:

DMX Controller

1st DMX Fixture

2nd DMX Fixture

To other fixtures

∙The maximum recommended cable length is 500 m (1,640 feet).

∙The maximum recommended number of fixtures on the same daisy chain is 32.

Connecting more than 32 fixtures on one daisy chain without the use of a DMX optically-isolated splitter may result in deterioration of the digital DMX signal.

Page 14 of 16 Arena™ Hazer 3 User Manual (Rev. 02)