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DMX (also known as DMX512 or DMX -512/1990) is a digital control protocol which is used in stage and event technology for the control of dimmers, “intelligent” headlights and effect equipment. The abbreviation DMX stands for digital multiplex.
DMX was first standardized by the USITT (“USITT DMX512”, “USITT DMX 512/1990”). 2000 followed the DIN 56930-2 and in November 2004 the ANSI E 1.11 (confessed as DMX512A).
The initial use for what DMX was conceived was the control of light circles via dimmers. For this reason the number of 512 channels and the resolution of 8 bits of (256 steps) appeared as sufficient. However, now, several equipments of the stages and effect lighting are controlled via DMX. Examples are dimmers, color change machines, stroboscopes, scanner and moving heads. Especially the last-named need several channels for the control of its various functions. Furthermore, the solution of a channel is too low to make smooth journeys of a mirror or headlight possible. Therefore, for the two movement axes pan and tilt are usually used two channels. This results for a lot of devices in large channel numbers (example of a scanner: 2 channels pan, 2 channels tilt, brightness, shutter, 1 gobo wheel, 2 gobo wheel, gobo rotation, 1 color wheel, 2 color wheel, effect wheel, focus, zoom lens, device control = 15 channels for a device).
Normally, the DMX signals are produced by a light sound mixer. However, there is also light control software which can distribute DMX about special operating terminal interfaces (DMX installation card or USB-DMX devices).
