EtherDongle in DMX mode and a Combiner (actually a De-combiner)

[JonB256]

Check me to see if I'm right.

The EtherDongle puts four sets of signals out on the 8 wires of its RJ45 jack.
That normally goes to a Smart String Hub and is split out there.

If I use the DMX firmware on the Etherdongle, it is then putting out 4 universes of DMX at the jack.
Then have a run of CAT5 out to the Combiner.

Wouldn't I get four universes of DMX out?
The combiner becomes an un-combiner?

(while I'm building towards it, I may not get any SS running this year - baby steps!)

[rrowan]

Yes with the EtherDongle and combiner going the opposite way you will have 4 dmx universes

Rick R.

[pk]

If you only need 1 universe, you can just connect the EtherDongle output to a DMX device such as the Express or Wireless TX/RX.  That is how I used mine for the last week of my show last year.

[JonB256]

If you only need 1 universe...

Sadly, I'll need at least 4 universes. I used 3 USB DMX dongles last year and they worked well, but the USB bus would get bogged sometimes. Time to go E1.31. The system load is so much lower.

Rick, thanks for confirming what I probably could have just tested if I unpacked a few things.

[wftxlites]

If using an ED w/pixelnet to a SS Active Hub and the (de-combiner) on the DMX output of a SS Active Hub would you get 4 universes? Seems posible except there is the jumper for selecting a universe on the SS Hub.

Thanks
Greg

[n1ist]

That won't work as the PIC on the active hub only generates one universe of DMX.
/mike

[caretaker]

 

If using an ED w/pixelnet to a SS Active Hub and the (de-combiner) on the DMX output of a SS Active Hub would you get 4 universes? Seems posible except there is the jumper for selecting a universe on the SS Hub.

Thanks
Greg

   He is using the Ether Dongle flashed in DMX mode so the SS hub is a mute point in this discussion.

Now if he WAS using smart strings and a active hub, yes he would only have one universe of DMX per active hub.

[Steve Gase]

With EtD running pixelnet, and 32 smart string hubs, you could have 32 separate dmx universes.  You won't need a De-combiner.

[wftxlites]

I was thinking how you could get multiple DMX universes with a EtD flashed with pixelnet FW. Or is that possible?

Thanks for the replies,
Greg

[Steve Gase]

I was thinking how you could get multiple DMX universes with a EtD flashed with pixelnet FW. Or is that possible?

Thanks for the replies,
Greg

using 32 smart hubs...

dmx univ: smart hub #: pixelnet jumper, dmx jumper
1: 1, 1, 1
2: 2, 1, 2
3: 3, 1, 3
4: 4, 1, 4
5: 5, 1, 5
6: 6, 1, 6
7: 7, 1, 7
8: 8, 1, 8
9: 9, 2, 1
10: 10, 2, 2
11: 11, 2, 3
12: 12, 2, 4
:
:
15: 15, 2, 7
16: 16, 2, 8
17: 17, 3, 1
18: 18, 3, 2
:
:
23: 23, 3, 7
24: 24, 3, 8
25: 25, 4, 1
26: 26, 4, 2
:
:
31: 31, 4, 7
32: 32, 4, 8

[jeffcoast]

seems like if someone wanted to design the circuit you could make a splitter to split out all 32 universes. Not sure myself how many PICs you would need, maybe 4, so may not be all that cost effective. Would just have to duplicate everthing after the jumpers and just split the signal out to all of them?

[wftxlites]

I was afraid that was the answer: 32 SS Hubs.

I suspose you could just get another EtD flashed to DMX and use multile de-combiners.

So next question: Can you decombine more than once using it in that way.  Maybe this is getting silly, but I am trying to understand how to do this in case I need more than 4 universes of DMX one day. I think there was a post about using multiple EtD's on a single PC. That would be one pixelnet and one DMX flashed. Then the DMX could be split into multiple universes.

Where I am going with this is to transmit everything wireless ethernet to the yard for the least amount of hardware and $$$$.

[rm357]

There are lots of possibilities, just not sure if the need/demand is sufficient to support development.

It would be relatively easy to make a board slightly larger than an ssc that will convert a block of 512 pixelnet channels to DMX at a similar cost to an ssc... (a few dollars more for the additional 485 chip and an output pigtail).

RM

[rm357]

The splitter/combiner does nothing to the actual data stream.

It takes the 4 wire pairs from a common connector and connects each pair to pins 1&2 on one of the 4 split connectors.

Can you split it twice - no.

[Steve Gase]

I was afraid that was the answer: 32 SS Hubs.

I suspose you could just get another EtD flashed to DMX and use multile de-combiners.

So next question: Can you decombine more than once using it in that way.  Maybe this is getting silly, but I am trying to understand how to do this in case I need more than 4 universes of DMX one day. I think there was a post about using multiple EtD's on a single PC. That would be one pixelnet and one DMX flashed. Then the DMX could be split into multiple universes.

Where I am going with this is to transmit everything wireless ethernet to the yard for the least amount of hardware and $$$$.

You can't cascade De-combiners.  They do nothing related to protocols.  So that idea won't do it.

I haven't done the math... But using the example of 16384 dmx channels...

Opt A: (1) EtD and (32) smart hubs = $?

Opt B: (8 ) EtD and (8 ) DE-combiners = $?

I suspect Opt B is cheaper and quicker to build... With fewer and simpler assembly.

BUT... RJ has not released firmware for multiple coexisting EtDs with different addresses.  He has shared beta for up to 3 pixelnets.

Unless RJ does custom firmware, you are stuck with Opt A.