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Author Topic: dmx connection between 5-pin to 3 pin  (Read 11955 times)

josh79

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dmx connection between 5-pin to 3 pin
« on: December 26, 2007, 05:28:06 AM »

Hi there.
We use our lighting console at the lighting room. And sometimes, we've got encountered situations need to move our lighting conlse. I think if it is possible, to connectiong XLR 5-pin connector to XLR 3-pin connector, it will do. Is it possible or not? If they do, any cautions?
Let me know, guys.
Thanks.

Joshua.  ???
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Administrator

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Re: dmx connection between 5-pin to 3 pin
« Reply #1 on: December 30, 2007, 08:42:13 PM »

Although it is direct violation of the current DMX512-A standard, and frowned upon in earlier versions, it is quite common to see DMX512 data being carried using 3 pin XLRs.  Until fairly recently, just about everything Martin made used exclusively 3 pin XLRs.

I think what you are actually asking is "we have some 3 pin microphone cables (or possibly, we have an audio multicore) and can we send the DMX512 data down that?"  Although the theoretical answer is "you shouldn't", many people do and it works fine for them.  It may well work fine for you.  Use of terminators is advisable, due to differeing cable impedences.

The pinout can be anything you like, as it's just your own cable extender, but most folks seem to to pin 1 to pin 1, pin 2 to pin 2 etc, with pins 4 and 5 unconnected.

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