Converting Dmx to d54

[Ynot]

I didn't know then what I do now <snipped>After this whole issue came up in September, I spent a lot of time looking through the Strand Archive site researching what equipment the school has so I was in a better frame of mind. <snipped> Now I have more free time I am keen to get the problem resolved asap and will contact Iain within the next few days.

Which actually seems to me to be a sensible approach to take.

One suggestion, though - make sure you communicate everything that MAY be valid whereyou're unsure - it does help us to help you.

<_<

[Paul Roberts]

One suggestion, though - make sure you communicate everything that MAY be valid where you're unsure - it does help us to help you.

 

Of course, it's just that there were so many issues to include in the original post that some things just naturally slipped my mind.

[Wuddy]

25 pin D CONNECTORS

 

A 25pin D connector SOCKET pins out 1 to 13 RIGHT to LEFT top row and 14 to 25 RIGHT to LEFT bottom row

 

A 25 pin D connector PLUG pins out 1 to 13 LEFT to RIGHT top row and 14 to 25 LEFT to RIGHT bottom row

 

So that pin 1 plug mates with 'pin' 1 socket.

 

The 25 Pin SOCKETS on the rear of the Showtec Demux are pin out as 25 pin D plug (1 top left 25 bottom right)

 

So if you connect pin number 25 on your plug to common (number to function) because on theShowtec it says 25 common, when it mates with the showtec in will actually connect to chanel 2 output.

 

 

I've called em all pins or its gets confusing.

[bruce]

....or just read the little numbers (1,14,15,25) which are embossed on the plastic beside the pins....

[Paul Roberts]

Ah thanks for that. I'm sort of understanding the problem more now. However been in contact with Iain Dennis who will hopefully rectify the problem soon.

 

Only wish I'd got into contact once I knew what type of dimming equipment my school was using, this coulda been sorted months ago <_< . Ah well, I've learnt from my mistakes.

[paulears]

I always find it amazing how schools sometime waste money by buying totally the wrong things, then hiding them away. I know one who 'condemn' equipment as faulty, hide it away and buy new simply because nobidy knows how to pop in a new fuse. The magical mysteries of DMX and D54 may as well be black magic to these people.

 

The fact that getting the problem sorted out is given to one of the students to do is quite amazing!

[Wuddy]

Blooming heck Bruce you must have very good eye sight!

 

But seriously, there you are with all those tinny pins and a bloody great sodering iron and in BIG letters on the back of the showtec it says 25 COMMON, you just stick the common onto 25 -it's logical Captain-

[Paul Roberts]

The fact that getting the problem sorted out is given to one of the students to do is quite amazing!

I was trusted to do it because it is my specialist interest and part of my Theatre Studies course. The school has sought information from Clwyd Theatr Cymru in September 2005 and also from Lancelyn Lighting in February 2006. However due to a major inspection the lighting conversion problem was put on the backburner. I have only recently come to the end of my exams and turned my attention back to the lighting.

 

In general, I am quite disappointed with some negative responses from some here. I have stated that my knowledge is weak and I do not know much about stage lighting currently. But I came to this forum as a young, keen, amateur looking for help and advice not condemnation and criticism.

 

I thank those who have tried to give me constructive criticism and guidance on helping rectify this problem.

[gareth]

The school has sought information from Clwyd Theatr Cymru in September 2005

"Sought information", yes - but I'd just like to point out very briefly that to the best of my knowledge (although I'm not 100% sure - Paul, perhaps you could confirm this?) no-one from CTC has actually been to visit the school to look at what the current set-up involves, and that all advice given has been based solely on the information provided by those seeking that advice. Just in case anyone starts thinking (incorrectly!) that CTC was the source of some sort of duff advice in the run-up to this scenario! <_<

 

As mentioned above, though - if you want me to come and have a look-see, Paul, you only have to ask.

[Wuddy]

Hey Paul,

 

Don't be disheartend by the comments you read on here.

 

Learn to sift the chaff from the wheat.

 

Resopndents vary from others such as yourself, with little or no experience, to fully fledged enginers, technicians etc.

 

I am a qualified electrical engineer and have designed and built control interfaces for several major UK projects, my colleague is a qualified electronics enginner, equipment designed and built by him protects methane gas installations nation wide. ( have a look in your school kitchen, chances are there'll be a gas monitoring system supplied by TCW)

 

Between us we have over sixty years experience in amateur theatre.

 

We got it wrong first time we palyed with a Showtec Demux, it's not a conventional connection stratergy.

 

The theatre and entertainments industry has adopted several multi-pin connectors which are used in unconventional ways.

 

And remember, never be afraid to ask, it's the only way to learn and a day with nothing learned, is a day wasted.

 

Good luck, I hope it all works out ok and that you are successful in your exams.

[ampcats]

BIG letters on the back of the showtec it says 25 COMMON,

 

I do not have a showtec here, but is my manual wrong ... I only see '24' close to, but not in line with 'earth'

 

- Incidentally, the showtec appears to be identical to the strand S72, but a lot cheaper... the manual indicates identical connections, menu system, features and dip switch settings

 

having said that, one thing has occurred to me - I saw the doodle on the back with dots and despite the word 'socket' in the description, assumed the dots were pins, not holes... this means that I think the pin numbering I gave you is wrong...

 

if you see pins on the back of the box (which I doubt...) the channels are wired in sequential order to 1, 14, 2, 15... with 13 being common as per my earlier post...

 

if you see little holes which Is more likely, the channels run sequentially on pins 13, 25, 12, 24.... with pin 1 being common......

It is so long since I saw a d54 demux that I cannot be sure which gender the output is on, but whatever the numbering, if you hold the plug as if you are connecting it, with the solder / wiring side towards you, top left is channel 1, top right is common.

 

A.

[Paul Roberts]

The school has sought information from Clwyd Theatr Cymru in September 2005

"Sought information", yes - but I'd just like to point out very briefly that to the best of my knowledge (although I'm not 100% sure - Paul, perhaps you could confirm this?) no-one from CTC has actually been to visit the school to look at what the current set-up involves

The only information I got from them was getting a converter in place to solve the problem. That was back in late September when I went there to see if they could shed light on why the Behringer desk wasn't working when inputted into the D54 demux. If I had known then what I do now (ie what the dimmers were, the fact they run -10v analogue, and the difference between the D54 and DMX512 protocol) then this situation would most likely have been rectified a lot sooner.

[Wuddy]

No it's not wrong if you wire your plug up to match the pin out in the diagram.

 

In your diagram the little 'fyring pan' logo labeled 1 indicates the top left hand 'pin'

 

The next little 'frying pan' logo although not numbered indicates the bottom left hand 'pin'

 

And so on, so the top row goes 1,3,5,7,9 - 13 and the bottom row goes 2,4,6,8- 24 but these are channel number not pin numbers.

 

That leaves you with one 'pin' left over, the top row right hand 'pin', which is Earth or Common. the 25th 'pin'

but its not 'pin' number 25.

 

Its easy in the heat of the moment to confuse 25th 'pin' with 'pin' 25 which in this case are two different things

 

But the conventional 'pin' out for a 25 D socket is 'pin' 1 top right 13 top left 14 bottom right 25 bottom left.

 

If your dimmers have got a conventioally wired 25pin socket (pin1 chanel 1, pin 2 chanel 2 etc) and you use a 25pin to 25pin off the shelf lead then the pin out gets transposed

[Ellis]

Assuming you have a Strand D54 demux with 25 Way D-type connectors (e.g. Action or F&D units), the simplest solution would be to build your own adaptors (with the help of a technician or teacher who knows about soldering).

 

Use a box like this one from Maplin :

http://www.maplin.co.uk/images/300/1671i0.jpg

 

With on male and one female 25 way D-type and individual wires converting from the Strand wiring to the show-tec wiring. Make them up as neatly as you can and test for correct wiring, continuity and short-circuits with a multimeter before putting in circuit. If you have suitable sleeving available, put a piece ofver each joint after you have made it (very fiddly but more robust).

 

You may be better off to get enough DB25 connectors to make more than you need - to allow you to mess one up. This will be a very good exercise in soldering which is a very useful skill for a theatre technician.

 

When you are sure the wiring is correct, place the adaptor(s) between the existing wiring and the show-tec demultiplexer.

 

Someone may correct me, but the wiring list is:

 

Dimmer Demux

Female Male

 

1 13

2 25

3 12

4 24

5 11

6 23

7 10

8 22

9 9

10 21

11 8

12 20

13 7

14 19

15 6

16 18

17 5

18 17

19 4

20 16

21 3

22 15

23 2

24 14

25 1

 

HTH

 

Ellis

[Wuddy]

No you're not wrong but what a #### and barmy system, you would find it very hard to be more Ilogical

 

I mean, Ch.1 connected to pin 13, Ch.2 to pin 25, etc as per your list.

 

You have 25 pins numbered 1 to 25, why ever not have pins 1 to 24 corespond to Chs. 1 to 24 and use the odd pin 25 for common.

 

Thats where I went wrong when I made up leads, I looked at, but did not study the pin out diagram.

I saw 1 to 24 depicted as Chs. and saw the remaining pin as earth, so being a conventional sort of guy and having made up many other 25 way leads, I wrongly thought pin 25 earth pins 1 to 24 Chs.

 

It always pays to read the instructions carefully

 

anyway this is me out of here.

 

I've never come across a more petty minded set of moderators.

 

censuring postings for using too many quotes.

 

I had one posting completely removed for using a double entendre

 

And now a perfectly normal everyday saying has been edited