AN INTRODUCTION ABOUT DMX, RDM, ART-NET AND SACN

In the stage lighting equipment, what controller have you used, Stage lighting console DMX recorder or computer? And are you interested in what signal protocol they are applying? Common are DMX, RDM, ART-NET AND sACN.

DMX512 lighting control protocol is the abbreviation of Digital MultipleX, which means multi-channel digital transmission.One DMX interface can control up to 512 channels.Each DMX interface can only control a maximum of 32 unit loads(or moving stage lights ).For example，LIGHTSKY LIGHTING — AURORA: lamp 471W moving beam spot wash 3 in 1, with 4pcs prism and CMY+CTO. The Channel is 33CH. For the limit of 512 channels,only can load 15 pcs per DMX interface, rather than 32pcs.

RDM: RDM is an extended protocol added on top of the DMX protocol for remote management and monitoring of lighting equipment. RDM allows users to support the protocol Configure, identify, and troubleshoot devices without having to directly touch the devices themselves. RDM enables communication by embedding data packets in DMX signals. As in the picture below,LIGHTSKY ‘s SUPER SCOPE PRO , the led profile spot light from one of the best lighting manufacturers in China. In the process of testing and QC ,the information shows there are some errors of the fans by RDM. 

Art-Net Protocol: Based on DMX-512 and RDM protocols,Works well with existing DMX equipment. Standards-based Ethernet. The Art-Net protocol is an extension to the standard Ethernet UDP protocol and runs on UDP port 0x1936.Taking advantage of the high bandwidth of Ethernet, the Art-Net protocol brings a significant improvement in dimming network capacity. Art-Net protocol supports automatic discovery and remote configuration of devices .Supports remote batch upgrade of devices. Now ,Increasing high quality moving head stage lights have been equipped with ARTNET, Such as LIGHTSKY  ’s  MAMBA , SUPER SCOPE series .

sACN is an advanced control network standard designed to provide the next generation of lighting control network data transmission to accomplish more including the DMX protocol. sACN will unify the lighting control network allowing a single network to pollinate many different kinds of dimming and other related data and can connect from Dimming equipment from different manufacturers.

The actual situation is less used, but more and more stage lighting factories is developing.LIGHTSKY also will continue to research and develop sACN .

Do you have any suggestions for our R&D center, please feel free to tell us, let us make more Progress together.