DMX address and values translation device?

[timsabre]

It would be simple software for an Arduino but would need suitable hardware with dip switches for address setting etc. As he needs it tomorrow this would not be practical.

Raspberry pi is less good for solid DMX as the operating system makes the timing a bit unpredictable.

[dbuckley]

The propellor chip is perfect for this, with eight cogs, dedicate a cog or two to bit bang out the data.

 

A raspberry pi would be a handful, but a beaglebone black would be an easy target, what withits two real time processors in addition to the main CPU.

 

But not if one needs this by tomorrow, the issue of hardware comes to the fore.

[dosxuk]

For just shifting a few bytes around, even an Arduino is overpowered. You need nothing more than a couple of MAX485 (or equiv), a cheap PIC with two UARTs, a 10 way DIP switch and a power supply. You could build on stripboard and have a prototype built from scratch in much less than a day, and even with custom PCBs you're probably talking less than £5/board.

 

However, for 80+ of them, needed in a couple of days - no chance for homebrew.

[Geetrt]

I think http://www.sandevices.com/index.html can help you.

 

It will be lots and lots cheaper then the DMX-route.

 

 

 

[dashroom66]

If we are going down the longer than 4 days list then I sell differential line transceivers for most pixel types (easily good for 25m depending on cable)

Unfortunately I make them to order...

[boatman]

For just shifting a few bytes around, even an Arduino is overpowered. You need nothing more than a couple of MAX485 (or equiv), a cheap PIC with two UARTs, a 10 way DIP switch and a power supply. You could build on stripboard and have a prototype built from scratch in much less than a day, and even with custom PCBs you're probably talking less than £5/board.

 

However, for 80+ of them, needed in a couple of days - no chance for homebrew.

 

Not quite as simple as that as you need a minimum of 1k of SRAM in whatever device you choose. You can get away with a single USART but two would make it much easier to code. In PIC that's a PIC16F1526/7 or in AVR its a minimum of an ATmega324 (the ATmega1284 is actually cheaper).

 

I feel there may be another BR project here.

[david.elsbury]

I'd be interested. .. a hotel I sometimes work in has house lights on DMX 96-101 and a device that wull bring them down to say 16 would be useful, save having to drag around usb to DMX adaptors and run software just for house lx

[Tomo]

ETC's Net3/ACN DMX Gateways do this off-the-shelf using Advanced Output Patch.

Set the start output-address to whatever it needs to be and their DMX output starts there.

 

The configuration syntax is "UNIVERSE/START:LENGTH"

eg 1/20:200 would make the DMX output of that port start with sACN Universe 1, DMX address 20 and continue for 200 addresses (the remainder of the DMX packet will be all zeros)

 

Most modern lighting consoles support Streaming ACN, or you can use DMX Gateways in the other direction.

[Apspete1]

I thought I would report back what we eventually did to get this working.

 

Firstly thank you for the solutions offered on here and the people that have PM'd me as well with ideas.

 

What we actually did was try what the manufacturer said would never work and removed the custom 4pin plug and socket ether side of the custom x connector that the led string and 12v connects to and replaced them with 5 pin xlr in and out for the DMX.

 

Using good quality DMX cable we managed 15m between the 6m drops, and it was still working. Shame I didn't ignore their advice earlier!

 

All worked rather nicely on saturday night and produced a spectacular end result.

 

Pete.

[Bryson]

http://response-box.com/gear/2014/03/the-DMX-offset-machine/

 

It's custom, but exactly what you describe. (For the exact same purpose!)

[fliggygeek]

Hi blueroomers,

I'm looking to find a DMX translation device that is readily available and can be bought in qty (80) in the next 1-4 days

Ideally could be powered from 12v dc

The device must have DMX in and loop thru (ideally on 3 pin xlr), must be able to set a start DMX address on the unit and Have a separate DMX output that outputs the incoming start address DMX data values but translate to start at address 1 onwards with the live data.

So say DMX 100 is the listening address and I have 96 channels with 32 rgb led pixels at the location, it would be translated like this.

100->1101->2....195->95196->96

If anyone knows of a complete device or indeed an off the shelf pcb that could do this, I would love to know.

Ps I'm based in the uk.

Thanks in advance

Pete

 

Alternate option, grab an Enttec Storm http://www.enttec.com/?main_menu=Products&pn=70050 and run everything as artnet. Cheap and also a useful piece of kit to have around.