Pixel Control: LED Strip, SPI and DMX Explained
Why a DMX strip and a pixel strip are not the same thing: SPI chips, DMX-to-SPI decoders, 170 pixels per universe, power injection and the refresh-rate ceiling.
Core concepts of the DMX512 protocol: channels, addresses, universes and signal.
Why a DMX strip and a pixel strip are not the same thing: SPI chips, DMX-to-SPI decoders, 170 pixels per universe, power injection and the refresh-rate ceiling.
Moving head types and channel structure, the control-channel trap, rigging and safety, fog versus haze, and a maintenance plan.
Mic cable seems to work over short runs, but DMX is a 250 kbit/s data link. Why 120 Ω impedance matters and what to look for in the right cable.
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.
DMX512 is the one-way, 512-channel protocol behind almost every lighting rig. Channels, addresses, universes, cabling rules and where RDM fits in.
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.
DMX512 specifies a 5-pin XLR, yet the market is full of 3-pin. Pinout, connector gender, adapter rules and the phantom power hazard.
Why do some LED pars use 4 channels and others 12? Colour structures, what white and amber add, mode selection and channel budget.
One controller talks, every fixture listens. What master/slave really means in DMX, why addressing is what actually matters, and the fixture menu mode that causes confusion.
DMX512 is for performance, DALI is for facilities. Differences in speed, feedback, wiring and cost, plus a table of which to choose per project.