MIDI-MT - Lighting control module “lighting devices, DMX512 protocol”

Lighting control

The DMX512 protocol is designed to control lighting fixtures. It allows you to control 512 channels simultaneously via one three-wire communication line. Depending on the capabilities of the lighting device, you can change the color, brightness, position of the light beam, switching effects and many other characteristics. As a rule, several channels are used on one lighting fixture. Several devices switched on simultaneously allow using the DMX512 control protocol to create light patterns and design elements of varying complexity.

Control module settings via the “DMX512” protocol

The module allows you to control lighting devices and equipment using the “DMX512” protocol. Supports devices connected via COM port. For example, originals or analogues “ENTEC OpenDMX”, “DMX ENTTEC PRO”, “ENTTEC ULTRA DMX”, “DMX King”, “RS485 port converter”, Arduino-based devices: “AdaLight”, “AdriLight” and compatible with them.

Selecting “Devices” in the list allows you to select a registered DMX interface.

The “Add Interface” button allows you to register a new DMX or “AtmoLight” interface.

The list “Smoothness of channel adjustment” sets the number of processed packets before changes are made. The lower the number, the higher the smoothness. By default, the value 0 is the maximum smoothness of adjustment.

Selecting “COM Port” means selecting the serial port to which the DMX controller is connected. If necessary, the port parameters can be changed in the configuration file by editing, or by selecting the desired option from the “Port Parameters” list.

The “Devices” list allows you to select the type of connected active device from the list of supported ones.

The “Port Settings” list includes typical presets for supported devices. When you select the active device, the settings change automatically.

The choice “Send only Boblight channels” can be used when connecting “AdaLight”, “AdriLight” and similar devices. In this case, only the range of active addresses “BobLight” is transmitted, the first address of this range is considered zero - 0.

The general option “Enable DMX pool” when using real “DMX512” devices is mandatory. If your lighting equipment works without this option, you may not use it.

Configuration file

It is also possible to edit the configuration file in any editor you are familiar with. The main section of lighting control settings using the DMX512 protocol looks like this:

  ...
  "lights": {
    "pool": true,
    "dmx": {
      "enable": true,
      "send_bobonly": false,
      "port": 4,
      "type": "AdaLight compatible (momo)",
      "baudrate": 115200,
      "stopbits": 1,
      "timeout": 3,
      "smoothly": 5,
      "name": "USB Serial Port"
    },
    ... 
  },
  ...

Client firmware based on Arduino