High-end communication between products
DMX512, also known as DMX, is a universal digital protocol for controlling, among other things, lighting equipment and special effects. In simpler terms, it is a “language” with which you can manage these things using a controller.
It is a highly robust and safe RGBW light control system, simple to use, and with speedy signalling. When you choose a colour, the lighting system responds immediately. These are also the reasons why EVA Optic has chosen DMX.
DMX
At EVA optic, we continually strive to achieve the best results. We are committed to providing products with a long lifespan that function as smoothly as possible. DMX helps us¬ achieve this goal. Aside from being a robust, safe, intuitive, and fast system, DMX has no synchronization issues when in operation, making system resets a thing of the past.
The Basics
With DMX, the basics make use of a DMX cable and a DMX system.
The DMX-cable:
- A DMX cable has 3 connections: +, -, and GND.
- The DMX cable should be used with a 2-wire 110-ohm shielded cable (for instance, EVA-AA-96).
- Keep the cables short and surround the shielding with heat-shrink tubing or tape to prevent it from becoming an antenna.
The system
You use a DMX controller, which is also known as a master, to control your lighting with DMX. A DMX system always has 1 master (never more, never less). The DMX master transmits signals from its programmed channels to the DMX slaves. Multiple slaves may be used.
The DMX-system:
- Connect a DMX controller to a DMX-controlled unit. You can then daisy-chain the DMX units to one or more other units.
- Do you need to split a DMX cable? Then use a DMX splitter (EVA-AA-69).
Separate or built-in DMX-controller?
To control the lighting, you can use the built-in DMX controller integrated within our lamps, or a separate DMS controller.
Built-in DMX controller
You can use the built-in DMX controller in our lamps by turning the rotary switches on one circuit board to Master mode. You can then select one of a series of colours by sending a short pulse (a brief connection) to an incoming potential-free contact. You can choose from 7 colours and 2 scenes. The pulse can be triggered with a push button, Piezo (a piezoelectric switchboard), home automation, or the EVA RGBW remote control. In this scenario, the other lamps are connected using a DMX cable and are set to 001 (slave DMX address 1). This is the cheapest, easiest, and most adopted solution for swimming pools.
External DMX controller
An external DMX master transmits the DMX signal to the lamps. There are various transmission possibilities: EVAStream, EVA web interface (ECA), a DMX controller, or home automation with at least 4 DMX channels. In this way the lamps are connected to the DMX master via a DMX cable. The lamps are usually set at 001 (slave DMX address 1). With this solution the lamps can be dimmed.
