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    v70
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"DMX In" and "DMX Out"

Hi All:

Retirement community guy here again.  I've come into this environment way after the initial installation, and the people who were involved in the setup have moved on.  Where my CS40 plugs into the DMX chain is marked "DMX IN".  There are two "DMX OUT" connection sockets up on the stage, and another "DMX IN" connection in an area I call the auxiliary control room.  Note that the "DMX IN" connector does NOT have a terminator plug.

The thing is that the Aux room is in a location where I want to put in a couple of DMX-controlled fixtures.

My question is this:  What's the difference between the sockets marked "DMX IN" and "DMX OUT"?  Is there a central switch somewhere in the chain that controls whether a connection is input or output?  I'd really like to use that "DMX IN" socket to connect to fixtures.  Can I do that?

Thanks, Mike

  • 0

    The obvious configuration from your description is that there is one DMX cable to the stage from each of your control rooms. Electronically it would be possible to make up a lead with two male XLR connectors to link the two stage DMX OUTs and send DMX back up to your Aux room, assuming there are no active DMX boosters/splitters in the venue.

    Using standard male to female leads to link the fixtures the ‘wrong way’ would probably work electronically too, but you may find you need to make up a female XLR termination (120 ohm between Pins 2 & 3) to plug into DMX IN of the final fixture.

    You would need to document this unorthodox wiring carefully. 

  • 0 in reply to Stuart Sampson

    Hi Stuart:

    The more I consider this, and the more I research into DMX physical setups, I have to believe that somewhere in our house is a repeater/booster device (or devices).

    From the two control rooms, we control 3 types of house light fixtures, 3 rows of PARs on stage, and two columns of PARs on the walls of the house, and a row of fixtures at the front of the house.  I know of two "DMX IN" sockets (in the control rooms), and two "DMX OUT" sockets (stage left and stage right).  The "DMX Out" sockets both have terminators.

    So I think these cannot all be on a single cable that winds its way around the house.  Now I just need to find the switch.  <Sigh> Oh for some documentation!

    Cheers, Mike

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