Create Vivid Dynamic Lighting Effects with DMX Controller

Apr 20
14:26

2016

Weird Jerry

Weird Jerry

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DMX controller is now one of the most popular and mature control protocol for lighting thanks to decades of technology development. It is suitable for large projects and common residential illumination as well.

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DMX is a standard for communication between lighting equipment and controllers. DMX 512 is digital (it sends 1 and 0),Create Vivid Dynamic Lighting Effects with DMX Controller Articles unidirectional (one way only, from control to decoder, like moving head), serial (it sends 1 bit (1 or 0) at the time) protocol that was based on RS 485 (now EIA-485) specifications.

 

A DMX control system contains 1 controller (console) and at least 1 decoder. The controller is first device and has DMX OUT only connector (some consoles have DMX IN too, but for controlling illumination you need only DMX OUT).You should connect OUT (console) to IN (decoder) connector. In the same fashion (Out -> IN) you can connect up to 32 decoders in one DMX line, and control them with one console. And the output end of the decoder should be connected to LED lighting. The console sends the signal out and the decoder receives and decodes the signal and converts to PWM signal to dim connected lights.

 

Using DMX for RGB LED lamps enables brightness adjustment of each R, G, B channel to achieve total up to 16.7 million colors. Various dynamic color changing patterns are available for users to create vivid effects that meet different areas. Moreover, synchronous or separate operation of multiple decoders by one console can be achieved without any confusions.

 

The consoles are available in different styles. Traditional ones are keyboard style which has complicated control interface and abundant functions that are suitable for professional lighting control such as stage illumination, night club illumination etc. For residential illumination, we do not need those complicated ones. Fashionable new full touch consoles with easy-to-use interface and smooth touch functions are the great solutions for more convenient and flexible control. The full touch ones are designed with brightness dimming, RGB color tone adjustment, and built-in color changing patterns functions. The decoders are designed with standard DMX512 control interface and available in both constant current and constant voltage output which can be compatible with different styles of LED lamps. DMX address can be manually assigned via buttons and showed on the numeric digital display.

 

The new style touch control DMX consoles are more compact and suitable for not only professional lighting use but also general illumination control. DMX controllers enables smart control for residential illumination. Various areas such as sitting room, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom can be controlled with one console synchronously or separately, which means you can installed the console in your bedroom with different decoders in the four areas. While control monochrome LEDs, the decoder should have at least one channel output, and for dual color LEDs, at lease two channels output are required, and RGB requires at least three channels output.

 

In addition, you have to choose the right decoder for your lamps, for instance, input and output type, maximum load and so on.