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DMX compared with other protocols

   

  DMX GENERAL
  About DMX512
  DMX devices
  Potential DMX problems
  DMX compared to other protocols
     
  DMX AND LASERSHOW DESIGNER
  DMX in LD2000
  Using DMX512 within Showtime
  Troubleshooting DMX
  
  DMX CONTROLLER BOARDS
  DMX price list

  LASERSHOW DESIGNER
  Using multimedia in Showtime 2000
  Combining two shows into one
  Running two projectors from one board
  Pinouts and info for Pangolin boards:
       • QM2000 (new, PCI bus)
 
  GENERAL INFO
 
Scan angle tables
  About the ILDA Test Pattern
  About DMX512 (lighting control)
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  TROUBLESHOOTING
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  Troubleshooting DMX
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When considering possible projector control schemes, these things should be weighed:

  • Cost of implementation and use

  • Availability of devices (consoles, PC add-in boards, devices, software, etc.)

  • Ease of installation and use

  • Relative ease of creating in-house devices, i.e. designing boards yourself

  • Recordability

  • Safety

  • Robustness (fault tolerance and recovery)

  • Usable communication distance

DMX compared with MIDI

When considering MIDI, the strongest arguments are the availability of devices, and reasonable cost. There are several MIDI lighting consoles and MIDI-to-analog converters available. PC-add in boards and software are also available. The cost for these units is quite reasonable.
        On the downside is distance of communication and system robustness. Since MIDI uses a current loop for communication, distance is limited to around 10 meters. As far as robustness, MIDI is a "burst" protocol, which only transmits data when something changes. It is conceivable that a beam actuator could be left "on" if a communication problem caused the "off" command to be missed. Clearly this is unacceptable for laser projectors.
        For DMX512, there are many devices available. These include lighting consoles, dimmers, DMX-to-Analog converters, PC add-in boards and software, etc. Since there is a lot of competition in this field, these are all available at a reasonable cost. The DMX512 protocol is simple, so proprietary designs are possible using standard microprocessors and components. Usable distance of communication is up to 4000 feet. And since DMX512 is a "continuous" protocol, there is no chance of a "stuck beam" condition as with MIDI. When you consider all of the desirable traits of a laser projector control scheme, DMX seems superior.

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  This page last updated: Wednesday, Januari 29, 2020

 
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     Using multimedia in Showtime 2000
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