What is the difference between SPI & DMX?
Quite often people ask us – “What is the difference between DMX and SPI?”. The simple technical answer is – both are communication protocols used to control LED strips. Simple analog RGB LED strips are typically controlled by DMXDMX or DMX512 is a standard for digital communication commonly used to control lights. DMX works with 512 channels. 170 RGB pixels can be controlled with one DMX universe. Most lighting devices communicate using the DMX protocol. More protocol, while SPIThe Serial Peripheral Interface – SPI is a protocol to control LED ICs, which enables easy communication between controller and LED lights. SPI ICs produced by different manufacturers support different protocols. More is used to control pixelPixel can represent single LED or a group of LEDs. With digital pixels, you have control over each individual pixel. With Analog strip, one segment is usually your pixel. Pixel is the single smallest unit that you can control. One pixel may require multiple channels to control different diodes, usually Red, Green, Blue and White. More LED strips (also called addressable or digital LED strips).
What is the DMX protocol?
DMXDMX or DMX512 is a standard for digital communication commonly used to control lights. DMX works with 512 channels. 170 RGB pixels can be controlled with one DMX universe. Most lighting devices communicate using the DMX protocol. More protocol is often called also DMX512. It stands for Digital Multiplex with 512 pieces of information.
DMXDMX or DMX512 is a standard for digital communication commonly used to control lights. DMX works with 512 channels. 170 RGB pixels can be controlled with one DMX universe. Most lighting devices communicate using the DMX protocol. More protocol is used to control lights used on stages, in bars or clubs. It’s simple protocol which transfers total of 512 values around 40-times per second. Every value is called channel and every channel contains value from 0 to 255. Every channel can be assigned to different function of the intelligent lighting – e.g. you can control Pan and Tilt using channels 1 and 2.
One DMXDMX or DMX512 is a standard for digital communication commonly used to control lights. DMX works with 512 channels. 170 RGB pixels can be controlled with one DMX universe. Most lighting devices communicate using the DMX protocol. More line transferring 512 channels is often also called DMX UniverseDMX Universe consists of devices or pixels controlled by maximum of 512 channels communicating on DMX512 protocol in one group. Nowadays there are installations usually combined from more DMX universes. More. And quite often LED installations are using multiple DMXDMX or DMX512 is a standard for digital communication commonly used to control lights. DMX works with 512 channels. 170 RGB pixels can be controlled with one DMX universe. Most lighting devices communicate using the DMX protocol. More universes.
Simple analog RGB strips are typically controlled by DMXDMX or DMX512 is a standard for digital communication commonly used to control lights. DMX works with 512 channels. 170 RGB pixels can be controlled with one DMX universe. Most lighting devices communicate using the DMX protocol. More. You can control intensity of red, green, and blue color separately for whole RGB strip. That’s why one RGB strip requires 3 DMXDMX or DMX512 is a standard for digital communication commonly used to control lights. DMX works with 512 channels. 170 RGB pixels can be controlled with one DMX universe. Most lighting devices communicate using the DMX protocol. More channels (Red, Green and Blue) to be controlled.
Since DMXDMX or DMX512 is a standard for digital communication commonly used to control lights. DMX works with 512 channels. 170 RGB pixels can be controlled with one DMX universe. Most lighting devices communicate using the DMX protocol. More protocol transfers 512 channels, you can control up to 512/3 = 170 RGB LED strips using one DMXDMX or DMX512 is a standard for digital communication commonly used to control lights. DMX works with 512 channels. 170 RGB pixels can be controlled with one DMX universe. Most lighting devices communicate using the DMX protocol. More line.
512 channels of DMX – is that enough?
Well as you can probably figure out, the 512 channels is not enough. At least for most pixelPixel can represent single LED or a group of LEDs. With digital pixels, you have control over each individual pixel. With Analog strip, one segment is usually your pixel. Pixel is the single smallest unit that you can control. One pixel may require multiple channels to control different diodes, usually Red, Green, Blue and White. More LED installations. Yes, you can use several DMXDMX or DMX512 is a standard for digital communication commonly used to control lights. DMX works with 512 channels. 170 RGB pixels can be controlled with one DMX universe. Most lighting devices communicate using the DMX protocol. More universes. But every DMX universeDMX Universe consists of devices or pixels controlled by maximum of 512 channels communicating on DMX512 protocol in one group. Nowadays there are installations usually combined from more DMX universes. More is typically transferred over separate data cable. That requires a lot of cables if you want to use many RGB LED pixels.
What is the SPI protocol?
SPIThe Serial Peripheral Interface – SPI is a protocol to control LED ICs, which enables easy communication between controller and LED lights. SPI ICs produced by different manufacturers support different protocols. More stands for Serial Peripheral Interface and basically it allows you to transfer any kind of data. The SPIThe Serial Peripheral Interface – SPI is a protocol to control LED ICs, which enables easy communication between controller and LED lights. SPI ICs produced by different manufacturers support different protocols. More protocol is typically used to control addressable (or pixelPixel can represent single LED or a group of LEDs. With digital pixels, you have control over each individual pixel. With Analog strip, one segment is usually your pixel. Pixel is the single smallest unit that you can control. One pixel may require multiple channels to control different diodes, usually Red, Green, Blue and White. More) LED strips, because it allows transfer of more than 512 values. Typical SPIThe Serial Peripheral Interface – SPI is a protocol to control LED ICs, which enables easy communication between controller and LED lights. SPI ICs produced by different manufacturers support different protocols. More protocol used for addressable LED strips can control even 1000 individual RGB LED pixels.
Sometimes, the DMXDMX or DMX512 is a standard for digital communication commonly used to control lights. DMX works with 512 channels. 170 RGB pixels can be controlled with one DMX universe. Most lighting devices communicate using the DMX protocol. More is used instead of SPIThe Serial Peripheral Interface – SPI is a protocol to control LED ICs, which enables easy communication between controller and LED lights. SPI ICs produced by different manufacturers support different protocols. More to control pixelPixel can represent single LED or a group of LEDs. With digital pixels, you have control over each individual pixel. With Analog strip, one segment is usually your pixel. Pixel is the single smallest unit that you can control. One pixel may require multiple channels to control different diodes, usually Red, Green, Blue and White. More LEDs. If you would want to use DMXDMX or DMX512 is a standard for digital communication commonly used to control lights. DMX works with 512 channels. 170 RGB pixels can be controlled with one DMX universe. Most lighting devices communicate using the DMX protocol. More instead of SPIThe Serial Peripheral Interface – SPI is a protocol to control LED ICs, which enables easy communication between controller and LED lights. SPI ICs produced by different manufacturers support different protocols. More, you would need at least 6 DMXDMX or DMX512 is a standard for digital communication commonly used to control lights. DMX works with 512 channels. 170 RGB pixels can be controlled with one DMX universe. Most lighting devices communicate using the DMX protocol. More universes. Why 6? If you want to control 1000 RGB LED pixels, that’s total of 1000*3=3000 channels.
One DMX universeDMX Universe consists of devices or pixels controlled by maximum of 512 channels communicating on DMX512 protocol in one group. Nowadays there are installations usually combined from more DMX universes. More can control up to 512 channels, thus you need 3000/512=5.85 (round to 6) DMXDMX or DMX512 is a standard for digital communication commonly used to control lights. DMX works with 512 channels. 170 RGB pixels can be controlled with one DMX universe. Most lighting devices communicate using the DMX protocol. More universes.
Problems with SPI "standard"
As you can see, SPIThe Serial Peripheral Interface – SPI is a protocol to control LED ICs, which enables easy communication between controller and LED lights. SPI ICs produced by different manufacturers support different protocols. More protocol is more suitable to control RGB LED pixels used in addressable LED strips. There is an issue though with SPIThe Serial Peripheral Interface – SPI is a protocol to control LED ICs, which enables easy communication between controller and LED lights. SPI ICs produced by different manufacturers support different protocols. More – there is no standard protocol to control pixelPixel can represent single LED or a group of LEDs. With digital pixels, you have control over each individual pixel. With Analog strip, one segment is usually your pixel. Pixel is the single smallest unit that you can control. One pixel may require multiple channels to control different diodes, usually Red, Green, Blue and White. More LEDs. You probably heard already about WS2811 or TM1914 LED strips. These are different SPIThe Serial Peripheral Interface – SPI is a protocol to control LED ICs, which enables easy communication between controller and LED lights. SPI ICs produced by different manufacturers support different protocols. More protocols used to control pixelPixel can represent single LED or a group of LEDs. With digital pixels, you have control over each individual pixel. With Analog strip, one segment is usually your pixel. Pixel is the single smallest unit that you can control. One pixel may require multiple channels to control different diodes, usually Red, Green, Blue and White. More LEDs. That’s why you must set correct SPIThe Serial Peripheral Interface – SPI is a protocol to control LED ICs, which enables easy communication between controller and LED lights. SPI ICs produced by different manufacturers support different protocols. More protocol for your pixelPixel can represent single LED or a group of LEDs. With digital pixels, you have control over each individual pixel. With Analog strip, one segment is usually your pixel. Pixel is the single smallest unit that you can control. One pixel may require multiple channels to control different diodes, usually Red, Green, Blue and White. More LED strip you’ve purchased for your installation.
There is also more confusion for the SPIThe Serial Peripheral Interface – SPI is a protocol to control LED ICs, which enables easy communication between controller and LED lights. SPI ICs produced by different manufacturers support different protocols. More communication – same protocol may have different names. For example WS2811 is the same as TM1809 or even APA102. But e.g. APA102 Super LED is not compatible with WS2811. It is a mess indeed…
What are the differences between SPI & DMX?
| DMX | SPI | |
|---|---|---|
|
CABLE DISTANCE |
300m long cable |
Recommended <1M * |
|
CABLE STRUCTURE |
3 wires (DMX+, DMX-, GND) |
2 wires (Data, GND) |
|
DATA SPEED |
250kbps (slow) |
>800kbps (much faster) |
|
DATA LIMITATION |
512channels |
Unlimited ** |
|
MAX. NO. OF RGB PIXELS |
170 |
>1000 |
|
COMMUNICATION STANDARD |
Standard |
Different protocols
|
|
* Can be improved with additional hardware e.g. The Symmetrizer |
||
|
** Depends on your SPI line speed |
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