right angle dmx adapter to cat5

To many ads? Support ODJT and see no ads!
G

gotaquestion

DJ
May 20, 2017
4
6
46
My installation requires right angle dmx adapters on the fixtures and flat cables.. So I got right angle xlr adapters and used cat 6 wire. Soldered brown/white wire to dmx pin 1. Orange/white wire to dmx pin 3. Orange wire to dmx pin 2. Then got cat6 rj45 connectors and connected the wires. brown/white to cat 7 pin. orange to cat 2 pin. orange/white to cat 1 pin. here's a pic. 14953319082701333113989
They work with my led strip (joyland 4 channel). But do not work with my PAR lights. (Coidak CO804 60W 54LEDS) I have an obey40 controlling stuff.
Once you plug the wire into the rj45 the par starts to flickers and can not control. Doubled check connection integrity and all good.
I thought for moment that it was my cable. I'm using flat cat6 cables and I cut one open and saw that the wiring was soooo thin that maybe that was the issue.so I got cat cat5e wire and soldered directly to the xlr's bypassing the rj45 cat6 adapter and still got the flicker and no control . Any other ideas?
 
gotaquestion said:
My installation requires right angle dmx adapters on the fixtures and flat cables.. So I got right angle xlr adapters and used cat 6 wire. Soldered brown/white wire to dmx pin 1. Orange/white wire to dmx pin 3. Orange wire to dmx pin 2. Then got cat6 rj45 connectors and connected the wires. brown/white to cat 7 pin. orange to cat 2 pin. orange/white to cat 1 pin. here's a pic. 14953319082701333113989
They work with my led strip (joyland 4 channel). But do not work with my PAR lights. (Coidak CO804 60W 54LEDS) I have an obey40 controlling stuff.
Once you plug the wire into the rj45 the par starts to flickers and can not control. Doubled check connection integrity and all good.
I thought for moment that it was my cable. I'm using flat cat6 cables and I cut one open and saw that the wiring was soooo thin that maybe that was the issue.so I got cat cat5e wire and soldered directly to the xlr's bypassing the rj45 cat6 adapter and still got the flicker and no control . Any other ideas?
Click to expand...

Interesting project, and while I applaud the DIY approach, maybe buying some inexpensive products that can be easily procured might be less fragile than your home made connector.

Perhaps this...

Telefunken SGMC-5R Stage Series Microphone Cable - 5 Meter

... paired with this...

Elation Pro Lighting ACRJ455PSET 5 Pin XLR DMX to RJ45 Adapter Set | Full Compass

I use several similar products, and they work great, but the wires in an XLR cable are significantly thicker than those in a cat5/6 cable. I suspect, but don't know it for certain, that these DMX to cat5 devices are using multiple wires for each of the positive, negative, and ground wires of the DMX connector. Maybe doubling or tripling up on the positive and negative connectors would solve your problem, but I'd just buy the ready-made ones if it was me.[emoji4]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: ittigger
Because DMX is a digital signal, cable specifics are more important, including capacitance. There are some standard Ethernet pinouts for DMX ( see DMX Over Cat5 ) . I would make sure your cable has no shorting and if you used an audio right angle, I would check to see if the shield (shell) is the same as Pin 1 (ground) as many audio lines are set that way and DMX is not normally jumpered that way. Also .. make sure you have a terminator resistor, as that will affect timing as well.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ittigger and DJ Bobcat
steve149 said:
Because DMX is a digital signal, cable specifics are more important, including capacitance. There are some standard Ethernet pinouts for DMX ( see DMX Over Cat5 ) . I would make sure your cable has no shorting and if you used an audio right angle, I would check to see if the shield (shell) is the same as Pin 1 (ground) as many audio lines are set that way and DMX is not normally jumpered that way. Also .. make sure you have a terminator resistor, as that will affect timing as well.
Click to expand...

Yep... I was just guessing, but from the link you posted, each of the three posts of the DMX connector (positive, negative, and ground) are each using a pair of wires, and one pair is unassigned. I guess if the OP is making both ends, it really doesn't matter much which pairs are used, but it's good to know what the standards are in case you want to follow them. Still, I'd just buy the parts. Not worth the time it takes to make it, and the store-bought products look better.[emoji4]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
  • Like
Reactions: steve149 and ittigger
DJ Bobcat said:
Yep... I was just guessing, but from the link you posted, each of the three posts of the DMX connector (positive, negative, and ground) are each using a pair of wires, and one pair is unassigned. I guess if the OP is making both ends, it really doesn't matter much which pairs are used, but it's good to know what the standards are in case you want to follow them. Still, I'd just buy the parts. Not worth the time it takes to make it, and the store-bought products look better.[emoji4]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
The pairs don't matter (unless you want to be compliant), but I think making sure the signals are in the appropriate pairing does, mainly to avoid whatever the digital version of crosstalk is.

After the wiring, I would check the ground to shell connection. On many mic cables, pin 1 it also jumpered to the shell at one end of the cable. In DMX, you don't want that and it's tough to know how the right angle is wired. Some fixtures might have the pin ground and the chassis ground separate.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ittigger and DJ Bobcat
steve149 said:
Because DMX is a digital signal, cable specifics are more important, including capacitance. There are some standard Ethernet pinouts for DMX ( see DMX Over Cat5 ) . I would make sure your cable has no shorting and if you used an audio right angle, I would check to see if the shield (shell) is the same as Pin 1 (ground) as many audio lines are set that way and DMX is not normally jumpered that way. Also .. make sure you have a terminator resistor, as that will affect timing as well.
Click to expand...
That's a bingo! There is a screw that holds the shell to the barrel of the female connector which is providing ground from pin 1. The male connectors dont have the screw and those connectors work. (my male connector is the only connector used for the led strip which works) some more evidence I found: these are true xlr DMX female right angles. DMX 3 Pin Right Angle Female Solder Connector and notice they don't have the screw on the shell. I should have known. anytime I've had weird problems with electronics it's always a grounding issue. thank you!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Andy A, ittigger and DJ Bobcat
gotaquestion said:
That's a bingo! There is a screw that holds the shell to the barrel of the female connector which is providing ground from pin 1. The male connectors dont have the screw and those connectors work. (my male connector is the only connector used for the led strip which works) some more evidence I found: these are true xlr DMX female right angles. DMX 3 Pin Right Angle Female Solder Connector and notice they don't have the screw on the shell. I should have known. anytime I've had weird problems with electronics it's always a grounding issue. thank you!
Click to expand...
That's what we live for ... :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: ittigger and DJ Bobcat
well, I got a real 3pin dmx to cat5 Ethernet adapter and the PAR can be controlled but it flickers. And the terminator must be on for it to even work. that was with my flat cat6 cable. I tried a cat5 cable and it didn't flicker as much. put on a normal dmx cable and it works perfect. could it be that his dmx module inside the PAR is very picky about the impedance? people run dmx over cat5 all time. or is it maybe my obey40 doesn't like doing dmx over cat5?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back