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MAX L™ User Manual - Rev. A
© 2020 Blizzard Lighting, LLC
Cable Connectors
Cables must have a male XLR connector on one end and a female XLR connec-
tor on the other end. (Duh!)
To build your own DMX Terminator:
Obtain a 120-ohm, 1/4-watt resistor, and wire it between pins 2 & 3 of the last fixture. They are also
readily available from specialty retailers.
Take It To The Next Level: Setting Up DMX Control
Step 1:
Connect the male connector of the DMX cable to the female connector
(output) on the controller.
Step 2:
Connect the female connector of the
DMX cable to the first fixture’s male connector
(input).
Note:
It doesn’t matter which fixture address is the first one
connected. We recommend connecting the fixtures in terms
of their proximity to the controller, rather than connecting the
lowest fixture number first, and so on.
Step 3:
Connect other fixtures in the chain
from output to input as above. Place a DMX
terminator on the output of the final fixture to
ensure best communication.
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??? 5-Pin??? Huh?!?
If you use a controller with a 5-pin DMX output connector, you will need to use a 5-pin to 3-pin adapter. If
you’d like to build your own, the chart below details a proper cable conversion:
Conductor
3-Pin Female (Output)
5-Pin Male (Input)
Ground/Shield
Pin 1
Pin 1
Data 1- (Primary Data Link)
Pin 2
Pin 2
Data 1+ (Primary Data Link)
Pin 3
Pin 3
Data 2- (Optional Secondary Data Link)
--
Pin 4 - Do Not Use
Data 2+ (Optional Secondary Data Link)
--
Pin 5 - Do Not Use
1
2
3
3
INPUT
OUTPUT
Common
DMX +
DMX -
DMX OUT
DMX IN
First
Fixture
in Chain
Next
Fixture
in Chain
DMX OUT
DMX IN
A Word on Termination:
DMX is a resilient communication protocol, however
errors still occasionally occur. Termination reduces signal
errors, and therefore best practices include use of a
terminator in all circumstances. If you are experiencing
problems with erratic fixture behavior, especially over
long signal cable runs, a terminator may help improve
performance.
