DMX DIP Switch Calculator

The most common way to address a DMX fixture is to set the DIP switches on its body to the right combination. Type the address you want into the tool below and it will show you which switches must be up (ON). You can also click the switches directly to see which address a given combination produces.

How the maths works

DIP switches work in binary. Each switch carries a fixed value, and the address is the sum of the values of every switch that is ON:

Switch	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
Value	1	2	4	8	16	32	64	128	256

For example, address 100 is 64 + 32 + 4, so switches 3, 6 and 7 go ON. For address 1, switch 1 alone is enough.

Things to watch out for

• A nine-switch fixture can only reach address 511. Address 512 needs a tenth switch, and on most fixtures that tenth switch is reserved for a special mode (test, master/slave, sound control) rather than addressing.
• Some fixtures number their switches in reverse. If the address is not what you expect, check the switch value table in the fixture manual.
• With every switch off (address 0) most fixtures ignore the DMX signal entirely or fall into a special mode.
• Account for how many channels a fixture occupies. If an 8-channel fixture starts at address 100, the next device can start no earlier than 108 — otherwise the channels overlap.

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Batch address table

Enter the fixture type, how many you have and the start address; get a table with every fixture’s address and DIP switch positions.