Dmx Cable Connectors; 3-Pin To 5-Pin Conversion Chart; Dmx Connection - Chauvet COLORado 3p Tour User Manual

Appendix
DMX Connectivity (Cont.)
DMX Cable
Connectors
3-Pin to 5-Pin
Conversion Chart

DMX Connection

COLORado™ 3p Tour User Manual Rev. 02c
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.
DMX Connector Configuration
To DMX Input
(Female)
1
3
2
To avoid signal transmission problems and interference, it is always advisable to
connect a DMX signal terminator, as seen below.
1
3
2
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.
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)
Ground/Shield Pin 1
Negative (-) signal Pin 2
Positive (+) signal Pin 3
Not Used
Not Used
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.
The figure below is only an example of a possible DMX serial connection.
-26-
To DMX Output
(Male)
Common
DMX +
DMX -
120 ohm, ¼ W
resistor between
pin 2 (DMX -) and
pin 3 (DMX +) on
the output of the
last fixture.
5-Pin Male (Input)
Pin 1
Pin 2
Pin 3
Pin 4
Pin 5
1
3
2
February 16, 2010