Raspberry Pi DMX Bridge Tutorial

[EmmienLightFan]

I just finished editing a video of how to use a Pi as a DMX bridge.

Quite useful. I will probably be using a couple of these next year.
http://alpharoadchristmas.thruhere.net:8089/how-the-display-works/22-how-it-works/other/50-raspberry-pi-dmx-bridge

The dongle I used is linked there, but it is available on Ebay and Amazon. This software works on the Pi Zero, which costs just $5. You will need a small adapter for the Zero, as well as a way to connect it to your network.

 

[AAH]

I'd never heard of that model Pi before. At that price I definitely need to investigate its capabilities further.
I was originally thinking that you were re-inventing the wheel as FPP will run an open dmx usb dongle on it and you can run FPP in bridge mode if required. I actually have open dmx dongles with ESTA RJ45 connections rather than Cannon connectors on my site.

 

[EmmienLightFan]

I know that FPP can be used but I already had this set up controlling pixels from the Pi so I didn't have to install anything.


I will try out FPP though, just to see what it is like.

 

[gerry]

I'd never heard of that model Pi before. At that price I definitely need to investigate its capabilities further.
I was originally thinking that you were re-inventing the wheel as FPP will run an open dmx usb dongle on it and you can run FPP in bridge mode if required. I actually have open dmx dongles with ESTA RJ45 connections rather than Cannon connectors on my site.

Its only just out in NA with limited availability and the FC folks are working at getting FP working on it..

 

[Strike]

Pi Zero is the newest toy in the Pi range. Was looking into it, although only on pre order here in AU atm.

Will keep an eye on the FC and see if they get FP running on zero. Would be a great bit of kit to have in the Arsenal.

 

[CaptainMurdoch]

We have FPP working on the Pi Zero, there are a couple ways to get it on there, but the Zero won't be supported by an official released FPP version until we create a new SD image for FPP v2.0 later this year.

For now, it is possible to get FPP v1.7 running on the zero using either our FPP_Install.sh script or by first installing FPP on an older model Pi and then running an upgrade script to install a newer kernel and firmware on the SD to support the Pi Zero.

 

[EmmienLightFan]

I made a new YouTube channel.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BR9gvpTyPY0&feature=youtu.be

 

[smeighan]

If u go beyond a dmx bridge u should look at the fpp software. Free, open sourced. Active development since 2013. Runs on raspberry pi models B, B+, 2, zero, beagle bone black, beagle bone green . It can output up to 512,000 channels per rpi, web interface, control show from phone, built in test functions, outputs e1.31, artnet, udb lor, dmx, opendmx,d-lights, renard,pixelnet

Can drive p10 panels up to 64 panels of 16x32.

U can drive 1080p video. U can have 1 master and 1000 slaves. Each can drive a projector and 512k channels. So 1000 projectors and 512 million channels all kept in sync to +/- 1 frame. Go to www.falconchristmas.com. There have been 20,000 posts just on fpp over the last three years, lots of info

 

[EmmienLightFan]

Smeighan, you have almost convinced me to go FPP.

 

[smeighan]

U wont be sorry. Most amazing thing i have seen in our hobby

 

[EmmienLightFan]

I received some comments on the YouTube videos. What do you guys think of what he is saying? I don't think that it is too much to go wrong.

 

[EmmienLightFan]

I actually have open dmx dongles with ESTA RJ45 connections rather than Cannon connectors on my site.

I just realised what you meant by "Cannon Connectors". I have never heard of XLR referred to as this.
I probably am reinventing the wheel, but I couldn't find a YouTube video explaining it, and it seems that most of the world can no longer do anything unless there is a YouTube tutorial showing them how.

 

[AAH]

I used to use Cannon connectors by the hundreds (probably thousands) back when I worked at a TV station in the late 80s and early 90s and have always known them as Cannon connectors as they were developed by Cannon, branded as Cannon and I used to buy them direct from Cannon. I've barely used them since my TV days and I've obviously fallen behind the times as it now looks like XLR is the term of choice these days.
A bit of history on them is at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XLR_connector

 

[EmmienLightFan]

I never knew that. Very interesting.

 

[damona]

https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/compute-module/ I assume not yet support by the FP Team. Pity it does not have more storage.