Setup
COLORado™ 3P User Manual 12 3/17/2009 9:54 AM
cable please use data-grade cables that can carry a high quality signal and are less prone to
electromagnetic interference.
DMX Data Cable
Use a Belden© 9841 or equivalent cable which meets the specifications for EIA RS-485 applications.
Standard microphone cables cannot transmit DMX data reliably over long distances. The cable will
have the following characteristics:
2-conductor twisted pair plus a shield
Maximum capacitance between conductors – 30 pF/ft.
Maximum capacitance between conductor and shield – 55 pF/ft.
Maximum resistance of 20Ω / 1000 ft.
Nominal impedance 100 - 140Ω
Cable Connectors
Cabling must have a male XLR connector on one end and a female XLR connector on the other end.
CAUTION Do not allow contact between the common and the fixture’s chassis ground.
Grounding the common can cause a ground loop and your fixture to perform
erratically. Test cables with OHM meter to verify correct polarity and to make
sure the pins are not grounded or shorted to the shield or each other.
3-Pin to 5-Pin Conversion Chart
Note! If you use a controller with a 5 pin DMX output connector, you will need to use
a 5 pin to 3 pin adapter. CHAUVET Model No: DMX5M.
The chart below details a proper cable conversion:
3 PIN TO 5 PIN CONVERSION CHART
Resistance 120
ohm 1/4w between
pin 2 (DMX -) and
pin 3 (DMX +) of
the last fixture.
Termination reduces signal errors and
to avoid signal transmission problems
and interference, it is always
advisable to connect a DMX signal
terminator.
DMX connector configuration
