sections above). Using the ArtNet™ protocol and external Ethernet to DMX device the CFSound monitors
the received ArtNet data packets for DMX channel values.
The CFSound-IV monitors a group of three channels, starting at the channel selected by the
SlaveBaseChannel
parameter of the CFSOUND.INI file for changes in value. Sounds may be stopped,
started and queued by setting the DMX Sound Number channel value to the desired sound number and
toggling the DMX Command channel value between 0 (no operation) and one of the other command values:
DMX Channel Number
Register
Description
SlaveBaseC 0
Command
0 = No operation
1 = Play Sound Number
2 = Stop playing Sound Number
3 = Queue Sound Number
4 = Clear queue
5 = Stop playing and clear queue
6 = Mute amplifier
7 = Un-mute amplifier
SlaveBaseC 1
Sound Number
0 to 254
When stopping 0 = all sounds
SlaveBaseC 2
Volume
0 to 255
Up to 128 sounds may be queued. Sounds that are queued are played in succession in the order that they
were queued only when no other sound is playing until the queue is exhausted or cleared. Note that this can
occur at the end of the current background sound file before it repeats. A background or other sound that is
playing may be stopped by issuing a ‘stop playing all sounds’ command sequence to allow queued sounds to
be heard. The background sound will be resumed when the queue has emptied.
Sound volume may also be controlled by changing the value of the DMX Volume channel. The 256
channel values are mapped to the 64 volume values by dividing the channel value by 4. The resulting volume
is essentially decibel linear in sixty-four, 1db increments from -66db (value of 0) → 0db (value of 63). The
current volume setting is not ‘remembered’ by the CFSound between power-up, reset, or SD card insertions.
Note that the volume push buttons on the front of the unit will appear to not work since their ‘settings’ are
constantly being over-ridden by received DMX frames containing a received volume setting.
Here’s an example - CFSOUND.INI file contains:
[DMX]
SlaveBaseChannel=50
Initially DMX channels SlaveBase0 through SlaveBase2 should be set to zero. This is
the no operation command, with the volume set to minimum:
DMX Channel
Value
Description
50
0
No Operation Command
51
0
Sound Number
52
0
Volume
To start a sound playing, set the SlaveBase1 to the sound number, set the SlaveBase2
to the desired volume, then set the SlaveBase0 to 1. To play sound number 10 at full volume:
DMX Channel
Value
Description
50
0
No Operation Command
51
10
Sound Number
52
255
Volume
