Elation Professional DMX 101 manual Connectors, Wire, Signal

4.1 Connectors

The DMX standard specifies 5-pin XLR connectors (Figure 5). The name comes from the original manufacturer (Cannon X connector, with a Latch and Rubber guard). Only three of these pins have standardized use however, leading many companies to make use of inexpensive and readily available 3-pin XLR connectors (Figure 6). The remaining two pins are in place for future use, such as allowing connected devices to communicate information back to the controller (lamp hours, operating temperatures, etc.).

5	1	1	5
4	2	2	4
	3		3
FEMALE		MALE

Figure 5

2 1 1 2

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FEMALEMALE

Figure 6

	Table 1: DMX 512 Connector Pinout
Pin	Wire	Signal
1	Shield Drain	Ground / 0V
2	Inner Conductor (Black)	Data -
3	Inner Conductor (White)	Data +
4	Inner Conductor (Green)	Data - (Spare)
5	Inner Conductor (Red)	Data + (Spare)

NOTE: Many manufacturers use pins 4 and 5 for non-standard applications, often using voltages that are potentially dangerous to DMX compliant devices. Such applications are meant only for use with approved devices (usually from the same manufacturer). Use with standard DMX devices can cause serious damage to equipment.

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