16-Bit DMX: How Coarse and Fine Channels Work
Why 256 steps is not enough for pan. How coarse and fine channels combine, the maths behind 65,536 steps, and the cost in channel budget.
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What Is Art-Net? Carrying DMX Over a Network
Art-Net carries DMX over Ethernet, addressing up to 32,768 universes. How it works, what a node does, how it compares with plain DMX, and when to use it.
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What Is DMX512? The Universal Language of Stage Lighting
DMX512 is the one-way, 512-channel protocol behind almost every lighting rig. Channels, addresses, universes, cabling rules and where RDM fits in.
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DMX Consoles and Software: How to Choose
A console’s value is in how it organises the show, not channel count. Palettes, console types, offline editors and six questions for choosing.
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DMX Addressing Guide: DIP Switches and Digital Displays
Addressing is arithmetic, not electronics. How start addresses work, setting them on DIP switches and displays, the usual mistakes and how to plan addresses properly.
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What Is sACN (E1.31)? How It Differs From Art-Net
sACN carries DMX over a network using multicast and offers in-protocol redundancy through its priority field. A comparison with Art-Net and how to choose.
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DMX Topology: Daisy Chain, Star Wiring and the Y-Splitter Trap
Why can’t you split DMX with a Y-cable? Bus behaviour, stub reflections, active splitters, and the one-terminator-per-branch rule.
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What Is a DMX Terminator? The Cheapest Fix for Flicker
A 120 Ω resistor at the end of the line stops signal reflections, the usual cause of DMX flicker. Where it goes, when you need it, and how to build one.
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3-Pin or 5-Pin XLR? DMX Connectors and Correct Wiring
DMX512 specifies a 5-pin XLR, yet the market is full of 3-pin. Pinout, connector gender, adapter rules and the phantom power hazard.
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DMX Splitters and Opto-Isolators: Protecting Your System
A splitter regenerates the DMX signal and gives each branch its own independent line. With opto-isolation it also stops electrical faults spreading through the rig.
