High End Systems DL.3 Determining a DMX Start Channel

CHAPTER 4
DMX Programming Basics and Quick Start
38 DL.3 Digital Light User Manual
Determining a DMX Start Channel
The DMX Start Channel is the first channel of a device’s channel range on a DMX link. There are
512 available channels on each DMX universe divided among all the devices in a particular
universe. A device must have a unique DMX Start Channel number in order to respond
independently to controller commands.
To determine each device’s DMX Start Channel, identify the footprint of every device on the
universe. The device’s footprint is the number of consecutive DMX channels a device requires
and is determined by the channels in the fixture’s protocol. The fixture’s DMX channel range
must not overlap any other device’s channel range on the link. When two devices on the same
DMX universe have overlapping channel ranges, one or both devices will be disabled or behave
erratically.
DL.3, DL.2 and Axon media servers all provide individual and composite graphical control for up
to three 3-D Objects. You can control the “footprint” of the fixture on a DMX link by choosing to
implement only the number of 3-D objects your application requires.
Select the protocol level in the fixture’s onboard menu system for DL.3 and DL.2 fixtures or
through the CMA for either Digital Light fixture and Axon media servers (see “Viewing Server
Configuration” on page 16-206).
The tables on the following pages list the parameters included in each level of protocol for DL.3
or DL.2 Digital Lights and Axon media servers.
Protocol Selection DMX Channel Range Last Valid Start Channel
Axon DL.3/DL.2 Axon DL.3/DL.2
Standard Protocol 149 170 364 343
Dual Protocol 111 132 402 381
Single Protocol 73 94 440 419