Pixels Meet the Lighting Desk.
LEC3, SPI Matrix and SPI LED Controller have a separate DMX input and output. Trigger stored effects from a lighting desk, control pixels directly over DMX, chain controllers in sync and drive analog strips through a DMX decoder.
SD Card Mode
Trigger stored effects from a DMX desk
SD Card Mode is the most used setup for installations that don't need a PC. You create the effects beforehand, store them on the controller's SD card and trigger them with 7 DMX channels: the desk sends a cue, the controller renders the effect.
The settings are in the DMX tab of the web configuration, where the DMX In table shows the channels in use in red. Details in SD Card Mode.
- 7 fixed DMX channels to select and play animations
- Animation step size for desks where exact values are hard to set
- Repeat an animation indefinitely or play it once
- DMX IN delay so the controller doesn't play every animation while the desk scrolls
- Hold DMX keeps the last animation playing if the signal is lost
Pixel Mode
Control pixels directly over DMX
In DMX Pixel Mode the incoming DMX signal sets the colour of individual pixels or pixel groups directly, 3 channels per RGB pixel and 4 per RGBW pixel. The digital SPI outputs then behave like an analog DMX fixture, which is useful for rental: one device covers several kinds of jobs.
From firmware 3.55, DMX and Art-Net modes are set independently, so DMX can use one mode while Art-Net uses another.
- Number of pixels controlled over DMX
- LEDs per pixel groups many LEDs into one controllable unit
- 3 channels per RGB pixel, 4 per RGBW pixel
- Analog-like control on all 4 digital outputs
Chains & Analog
Sync controllers and drive analog strips
DMX Synchronization runs several controllers from a single DMX cue, daisy-chained through their DMX ports. From firmware 3.55 one device is the Master and takes the DMX input; every other device is a Slave and follows, as explained in how DMX-triggered effects and Master/Slave roles work.
The DMX output can also drive analog RGB or RGBW fixtures through an external DMX decoder, the same way a lighting desk drives any DMX dimmer. See how a DMX decoder for LED strips works.
- Master receives the DMX trigger, Slaves follow
- DMX OUT on the last Slave can play the effect to analog strips
- LEC3 and SPI Matrix: 3-pin XLR, 5-pin optional
- SPI LED Controller: RJ-45 on both DMX ports
FAQ
DMX questions
LEC3 and SPI Matrix use standard 3-pin XLR for DMX in and out, with 5-pin as an option. SPI LED Controller uses RJ-45 on both ports. The DMX signal follows the same DMX512 standard either way. More in SPI to DMX Adapter Cable Wiring.
Yes. Since firmware 3.55 each protocol has its own mode, so DMX can trigger stored effects in SD Card Mode while Art-Net sends live pixel data. More in Standalone Playback and Sync from SD.
Yes. With DMX Synchronization the Master takes the DMX input and every Slave in the chain follows. The Congress Hall in Bad Ischl runs 38,000 pixels on 20 SPI Matrix controllers over DMX, see how it was built. More in DMX Synchronization — SPI LED Controller.
With Hold DMX switched on in Advanced settings, the controller keeps playing the last animation instead of stopping. More in Standalone Playback and Sync from SD.
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