4
CABLE CONNECTIONS
•
Cabling must have a male XLR connector on one end and a female XLR
connector on the other end.
•
Caution: Do not allow contact between the common and the fixture’s chassis
ground. Grounding the common can cause a ground loop, and your fixture may
perform erratically. Test cables with an ohm meter to verify correct polarity and to
make sure the pins are not grounded or shorted to the shield or each other.
3-PIN TO 5-PIN CONVERSION CHART
•
Note: If you use a controller with a 5pin DMX output connector, you will need to
use a 5-pin to 3-pin adapter.
Conductor
3-pin female (output)
5-pin male (input)
Ground/Shield
Pin 1
Pin 1
Data (-) signal
Pin 2
Pin 2
Data (+) signal
Pin 3
Pin 3
Termination reduces signal errors. To
avoid signal transmission problems and
interference, it is always advisable to
connect a DMX signal terminator to the
output of the final fixture in the chain.
DMX Data Cable
•
Use a Belden 9841 or equivalent cable that meets the specifications for EIA RS-
485 applications. The cable will have the following characteristics:
- 2-conductor trwitsed pair plus a shield
- Maximum capacitance between conductors - 30pF/ft
- Maximum capacitance between conductor and shield - 55pF/ft
- Maximum resistance of 20Ω / 1000ft
- Nominal impedance 100-140Ω.
•
Standard microphone cable cannot transmit DMX data reliably over long
distances.
SETUP
