Precision DMX Manual

Transcription

1 Precision DMX Manual Updated: December 4, 2012 The Precision DMX is a compact, low voltage, controllable LED fixture that can be connected to any DMX console or be programmed to run standalone without DMX signal. The Precision DMX offers high intensity RGB output in a tiny form factor allowing it to be used in space constrained applications or easily hidden away from the audience. Due of the compact nature of the device, traditional XLR and power connectors are not used. Instead, signal is connected using a 1/8 th inch (3.5mm) TRS jack (same form factor as common stereo audio plugs) and power is connected using 2.1mm standard DC jack (commonly found in security camera installations). Each of these jacks is fitted with a screw terminal adapter which allows the user to connect fixtures together using bare wire. The use of such power and signal connectors and adapters allows the user to install the device in 2 ways, depending if the application is temporary or permanent. The following sections describe these methods in detail. 1

2 Power Requirements The Precision DMX is rated for 12V DC input with a tolerance of ±25%. Care must be taken to make sure the power provided falls within this range to ensure proper operation. 1. Attention must be paid to the wire size of power cable especially if the cable is long and/or many fixtures are connected to the same cable. Voltage drop over long distance can occur, which may cause insufficient power to reach the device. 2. Each device can draw up to 350mA at 12V DC (full power); the current capacity of the selected power cable should be able to handle the sum of the total current draw from all devices to be attached. For most applications, 2 conductor 18 AWG wire is sufficient. 3. Because the Precision DMX is a low voltage unit, a Class 2 Regulated Power Supply is needed to step down line voltage (100V AC-240V AC) to 12V DC. One must make sure the output current rating of the power supply is sufficient to power all the devices to be connected. For example, 10 Precision DMX fixtures can draw up to 3.5A (10 x 350mA), therefore the power supply must be a have an output rating equal or greater than 3.5A at 12V DC. 4. It is very important that the power supply is regulated meaning that the output voltage is close to 12V DC with or without load. Unregulated power supplies may output no-load voltages significantly higher than 12V DC which can cause damage to the Precision DMX. It is recommended that the installer uses a multimeter to measure the power supply output prior to installation to make sure that the no-load output is no greater than 15V DC. For most applications, we recommend using the PowerPak 5000 (sold separately), which can handle up to 14 Precision DMX fixtures at full power. 2

3 5. Portable installations: The Precision DMX can be battery operated for hours from a single 12V battery pack (PowerPak Portable, sold separately). Depending on the battery and output intensity of the Precision DMX, 6 to 15 hours is achievable. This is useful for mobile applications or event lighting where access to a wall outlet isn t convenient. 3

4 6. Temporary installations: One can purchase third party low voltage 2.1mm DC extension cables, splitters, and accessories (typically used for security camera systems) to easily connect power to a single or multiple Precision DMX fixtures. The power screw terminal adapter, included with each fixture, is not used in this configuration. 7. Permanent installations: The screw terminal adapter allows power distribution to each Precision DMX using bare wires. Please pay attention to the polarity label on each screw terminal adapter to ensure proper installation, the middle screw terminal is left unconnected as shown below. 4

5 Signal Requirements The Precision DMX is compatible with all industry standard DMX output controllers; however the connectors used are not XLR as found in most (larger) fixtures. Special attention must be paid to the setup of the signal cables in order to ensure proper operation. 1. Temporary Installations: Each DMX device uses a 1/8 th inch (3.5mm) TRS connector for signal. A single adapter from the XLR connector (male) of a typical DMX console to the TRS connector (male) is needed. a. The XLR to TRS pin assignment is shown below 1) XLR pin 1 to Sleeve (COM) 2) XLR pin 2 to Ring (DMX-) 3) XLR pin 3 to Tip (DMX+) 4) XLR pin 4, no connect 5) XLR pin 5, no connect b. 3 rd party 1/8 th inch (3.5mm) TRS Y splitters can be connected to each Precision DMX fixture to allow for a signal in and signal out connection. Male to male TRS cable can be used to daisy chain multiple DMX devices together as shown below. The TRS to screw terminal adapter, included with each fixture, is not used in this configuration. c. It is recommended to use high quality cabling to ensure proper signal connection. 5

6 2. Permanent Installations: The use of shielded cable (such as Category 5 cable used for Ethernet) is recommended. The installer would need to use the bare wire ends of the cable and insert it into the corresponding screw terminals. In order to daisy chain multiple DMX devices together, the input and output wires for each signal (DMX+, DMX-, and COM) needs to be twisted together and inserted into the same screw terminal as shown below 3. For long distance runs of signal cable, a DMX signal terminator may be required to prevent signal reflections down the cable which may cause erratic behavior in the DMX devices. A signal terminator is made by connecting a 120Ω resistor to the DMX+ and DMX- screw terminals on the last device (fixture that is furthest away from the DMX output console) in the daisy chain. 4. To ensure a proper signal connection, make sure all TRS plugs are fully inserted into their jacks. A partially inserted TRS connection may cross the DMX+ and DMX- lines causing signal disruption to the entire DMX system. Once a connection is secured, the user may choose to wrap electrical tape around the connector to prevent unintentional disconnection. 5. It is recommended to install one fixture at a time with an active signal generated from the console, this way if signal disruption happens it is easy to determine that the current fixture being installed is the cause. 6

7 Address Configuration Due to the compact size of the Precision DMX, there is no user interface on the unit to configure the DMX address. Instead, the DarkBox Programmer (sold separately) is used to configure the device address prior to installation. Without the DarkBox Programmer, each Precision DMX fixture is factory set to DMX address 1. The address of the Precision DMX is shown by a pulsing color sequence when power is first applied to the device. Red, green, and blue pulses correspond to the hundreds, tens, and ones digit of the DMX start address, respectively. For example, a start address of 512 will be seen as 5 pulses in red, 1 pulse in green, and 2 pulses in blue (R, R, R, R, R, G, B, B); a start address of 1 will simply be pulsed 1 time in blue. To configure the start address using the DarkBox Programmer, follow the steps below: 1. Connect 12V DC power to the bottom side power input port of DarkBox Programmer. 2. Connect the power and signal cables from the DarkBox Programmer to the Precision DMX 3. Holding down the O button, press the + or - buttons to cycle the DarkBox Programmer to P-1 and then release the O button. A 3 digit number should appear. 4. Press the + or - buttons to the desired DMX start address (1-512) and press the X button to configure the Precision DMX. The Precision DMX should reset and pulse the red, green, blue sequence according to its configured DMX address. 5. If satisfied with the configured address, unplug the Precision DMX and repeat steps 2-4 to configure more devices. Otherwise, repeat step 4 to reconfigure the same device. 7

8 DMX Control The Precision DMX occupies 7 DMX channels, beginning from its start address. For example, if the start address is 1, the Precision DMX will respond to DMX signals on channels 1 through 7; a start address of 8 will correspond to channels 8 through 14. Each of the 7 channels control a unique aspect of the Precision DMX, the table below indicates the channel assignments for the device. Channel Name Level Description Ch 1-3 RGB Level Controls RGB levels Ch 4 Color Macro Overrides Ch 1-3 with preset color Ch 5 Speed If Ch 6 is 0, Ch 5 controls strobe speed of selected color If Ch6 is non-zero, Ch 5 controls speed of sequence Ch 6 Built-In Functions Fade in (at least one of Ch 1-3 must be non-zero) Fade out (at least one of Ch 1-3 must be non-zero) Pulsing (at least one of Ch 1-3 must be non-zero) Red, Green, Blue color change color change Smooth color fade Flicker (color based on Ch 1-3 or Ch 4) Ch 7 Master Dimmer Bright (0) to dim (255) If signal is lost while the Precision DMX is on, the device will simply maintain the state of the last signal received. One key feature of the Precision DMX is the built-in flicker. This mode allows the user to create custom flicker patterns without the need of complex DMX signals. The flicker output of the Precision DMX (achieved by setting Channel 6 to 255) can be controlled to any color (Channels 1-4), speed (Channel 5), or brightness (Channel 7) level by tuning the corresponding channel values. 8

9 Standalone Operation The Precision DMX is capable of a default output so that it can operate without an active DMX signal. Once the desired output is configured using the DarkBox Programmer, only power needs to be applied to the Precision DMX and the fixture will output according to its configuration upon startup. Any built-in effect (such as constant color, chase, flicker, blink, fading, etc.) is achievable as a default output. This is a useful feature when one wants to use the Precision DMX simply as a standalone tunable light fixture and doesn t have access to a DMX console; this may be used for displays, events, centerpieces, and mobile applications. For portability, the Precision DMX can be connected to a battery pack (PowerPak Portable) and become a mobile tunable light fixture. In order to set the Precision DMX for standalone operation, the DarkBox Programmer must be used. Follow the steps below to program the fixture to the desired default output: 1. Connect 12V DC power to the bottom side power input port of DarkBox Programmer. 2. Connect the power and signal cables of the DarkBox Programmer to the Precision DMX. Please observe the start address of the Precision DMX by counting its red, green, and blue pulses when power is first applied (please read the Address Configuration section above to understand how to read the start address from the pulses). 3. Holding down the O button, press the + or - buttons to cycle the DarkBox Programmer to P-3 and then release the O button. A sequence of Ch and 3 digits should flash alternately. 4. Press + or - buttons to select the desired DMX channel to tune and press the X button to select that channel, a solid 3 digit number should appear. Please note that the DMX fixture will only respond to the 7 channels that it occupies beginning from its start address. 5. Press the + or - buttons to selected the desired output level of the selected channel (0-255). Once satisfied, press the X button to set the channel level. The Precision DMX gives a quick flash confirming the current channel level is stored into memory and the DarkBox Programmer should momentarily display the word Set. If no confirmation flash is seen, check that the channel being selected is within the 7 channel scope of the Precision DMX fixture and repeat steps Repeat steps 4-5 for all the applicable channels on the Precision DMX fixture. Once completed, the user can remove the DarkBox Programmer and reconnect the Precision DMX directly to power. The fixture should output its default configuration after its start address pulsing sequence. 7. The Precision DMX fixture s default output can be reset by connecting both power and signal to an unpowered DarkBox Programmer first and holding down both + and - buttons of the DarkBox Programmer while applying 12V DC power to the bottom side power input port. Release the + and - buttons 5 seconds after power is applied and both the Precision DMX and DarkBox Programmer will be reset to factory default values. While operating in standalone mode, the fixture is still actively listening to its DMX input port so that any incoming signal will override the default output. 9

10 Outdoor and Wet Locations While the Precision DMX fixture is designed to handle outdoor and wet applications, care should be taken with the connectors to ensure they do not corrode over time. Electrical tape or shrink tube can be used on the connectors to protect it from moisture. For submersible applications, the Precision DMX can be custom made with special sealing for IP68 rating up to 3ft underwater. Custom cable lengths and headers can also be manufactured. Please inquire with Darklight for manufacturing details. 10

11 Troubleshooting One of the most common causes for signal problems is a loosely connected TRS plug. Be sure to check that all devices have the plug fully inserted into its jack. Problem: The system seems to shut down when fixtures are being brought to full power. Solution: Either the power supply is not rated for the total current draw of all the fixtures or the wiring for the power may be too thin and causing a significant voltage drop. The Precision DMX should still be able to operate on voltage as low as 9V DC, lower voltage will cause the fixture to stop responding. Ensure wires are thick enough to carry the necessary voltage to each device. Problem: There is no response from any fixture to the DMX signal Solution: It is possible that the DMX+ and DMX- and COM signals are spliced incorrectly from the XLR plug to the TRS plug. Check the wiring and make sure the pin assignments are correct. Problem: The Precision DMX is not responding to commands from the DarkBox Programmer in P-3. Solution: Check to make sure that the channels being controlled in P-3 fall within the Precision DMX s address range (start address to start address + 6). Problem: The Precision DMX is no longer responsive to commands after its DMX standalone values have been set. Solution: Disconnect and reconnect the power to reboot the unit and try again. Problem: There is sporadic behavior from the fixtures when they are all plugged into the system. Solution: This is likely due to a faulty connection somewhere within the signal cabling system. Check to ensure each TRS jack is fully inserted. If faulty connection still cannot be found, remove signal from all Precision DMX fixtures and reconnect each Precision DMX one at a time. If reconnecting a particular fixture causes disruption to the entire system and removing it fixes the problem, check cabling at that node. 11

12 Specifications Input Power Rating LED Lamp Life Available Colors Dimming 12V 3.793W 316mA) Edison Edixeon RGB 3W 50,000 hours RGB Lens Angle 25 Beam Edge Dimensions Lead Wire Length Connector Type Exterior Finish IP Rating Certification Launch Date DMX512 Soft 35mm Ø x 52mm 500mm Power: 2.1mm ID / 5.5mm OD DC jack with screw terminal adapter, Signal: 3.5mm TRS jack with screw terminal adapter Black anodized aluminum IP65 UL 1-Mar-11 All LEDs On Total Power: W Center Distance Beam fc Beam Width 2 ft 71.0 fc 0.9 ft 4 ft 17.8 fc 1.9 ft 6 ft 7.9 fc 2.8 ft 8 ft 4.4 fc 3.7 ft 10 ft 2.8 fc 4.6 ft Red LED Only Total Power: W Center Distance Beam fc Beam Width 2 ft 22.2 fc 0.9 ft 4 ft 5.6 fc 1.9 ft 6 ft 2.5 fc 2.9 ft 8 ft 1.4 fc 3.9 ft 10 ft 0.9 fc 4.8 ft Green LED Only Total Power: W Center Distance Beam fc Beam Width 2 ft 50.9 fc 0.9 ft 4 ft 12.7 fc 1.7 ft 6 ft 5.7 fc 2.6 ft 8 ft 3.2 fc 3.5 ft 10 ft 2.0 fc 4.4 ft Blue LED Only Total Power: W Center Distance Beam fc Beam Width 2 ft 7.20 fc 0.9 ft 4 ft 1.80 fc 1.8 ft 6 ft 0.80 fc 2.7 ft 8 ft 0.45 fc 3.6 ft 10 ft 0.29 fc 4.5 ft 12