Appendix
COLORado™ 1 Tour User Manual Rev. 01f
-26-
February 16, 2010
DMX Connectivity (Cont.)
DMX Cable
Connectors
Each DMX cable must have a male, 3-pin XLR connector on one end and a female, 3-
pin XLR connector on the other end.
To avoid signal transmission problems and interference, it is always advisable to
connect a DMX signal terminator, as seen below.
Test all DMX cables with an ohmmeter to verify their correct polarity and to make
sure that there are no short-circuits between any of the pins, or between any pin
and ground.
If the Common wire (shield) touched the chassis ground, a ground loop could
form, which may cause the fixture to perform erratically.
3-Pin to 5-Pin
Conversion Chart
If you use a DMX controller or fixture with a 5-pin DMX connector, you will need to use
a 5-pin to 3-pin adapter. The chart below details a proper cable conversion.
3-Pin to 5-Pin Conversion Chart
Conductor
3-Pin Female (Output)
5-Pin Male (Input)
Ground/Shield
Pin 1
Pin 1
Negative (-) signal
Pin 2
Pin 2
Positive (+) signal
Pin 3
Pin 3
Not Used
Pin 4
Not Used
Pin 5
DMX Connection
Make sure that the fixtures with which you are working can operate in DMX mode, not
in a proprietary connection mode. Refer to the fixtures’ manual to learn how to enable
their respective DMX modes.
The procedure below illustrates a possible DMX connection method.
1) Connect the 3-pin, male connector of the first DMX cable to the DMX Output
connector (3-pin, female) of the DMX controller.
2) Connect the 3-pin, female connector of the first DMX cable coming from the
controller to the DMX Input connector (3-pin, male) of the first DMX fixture.
3) Connect the 3-pin, male connector of the second DMX cable to the DMX Output
connector (3-pin, female) of the first DMX fixture.
4) Connect the 3-pin, female connector of the second DMX cable coming from the first
DMX fixture to the DMX Input connector of the second DMX compatible fixture.
5) Continue linking the other DMX fixtures in the same way.
To DMX Input
(Female)
DMX Connector Configuration
Common
DMX +
DMX -
1
3
2
1
3
2
To DMX Output
(Male)
120 ohm, ¼ W
resistor between
pin 2 (DMX -) and
pin 3 (DMX +) on
the output of the
last fixture.
1
3
2
