DMX wall switches for Church projects
proven solutions
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We have many requests for a solution to a common problem
- DMX control of house lighting when the sound booth is staffed
- wall switch control of house lighting at all other times
therefore - there needs to be a solution for dual control of the house lights
There are three common situations
a) the project is early, and the lighting controls for the house lights have not be selected
b) the project has already purchased DMX based house lights and now needs control
c) single switch project using a DMX merger
Here are the recommended solutions for these cases, case b first. Either a or b allow upgrading to Alexa and remote control, including time of day scheduling.
DMX based multi switch, House lighting is already installed / selected
In this case, we need to present a DMX512 signal to these lighting controllers from at least 2 sources. Each DMX512 bus requires shielded wire and terminations. Without ATX LED, it gets expensive and complicated quickly. ATX LED offers a simple solution.
Since DMX is not a multi master system, and we want a wall switch at each door to the house, then we need a solution that allows these multiple switches to operate as 3-Way controls to the installed DMX drivers.
While DMX to the wall switches is possible, it requires shielded wire, and power to the switches - so the wiring becomes complicated. DMX is a high speed bus, yet only 4-5 events occur each day. So lets use a slow speed power and data bus that requires no careful topology planning, no shielded wire, no terminations and no issues with multiple switches for the same destinations. This bus is called DALI ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Addressable_Lighting_Interface ).
The switches on the DALI bus are called the AL-WS-010v with On/Off and dimmer slider, or the AL-WS-DA-8B with up to 8 push buttons. 
We simply convert DMX Console data to DALI using the AL--DMX-DALI device - then connect the DALI bus to the DALI wall switches, then we convert back to DMX using the AL-DALI-DMX. These DALI to DMX converters are available from many places, but ours are all tested as a solution.
One important feature - each DALI walls switch can On/Off/Dim many lights at one DMX address, and up to 64 can share the same DALI bus, at 64 different DALI addresses. Each DALI wall switch is aware of the On/Off status from the DMX console - so it is a kind of 3-Way switch between the wall switch and the DMX console. The rule is that the last device that changes state - will be the state of the light.
The parts list
DMX based single switch
For one switch - we simply use a AL-WS-DMX Switch and we merge the data from that with the soundboard DMX console using a DMX-2PM.
The parts list
no DMX House lighting installed / selected so far
This is the same as above - except we save $250 on the DALI-DMX converter. The house lights are controlled by these possible methods
Method
| Comment
| Example controller
| Cost
|
DMX - expensive, with imprecise dimming
| Requires a DMX to 120 volt / 240 volt triac dimmer, and the AL-DALI-DMX
| AR1202 from Lightronics, 2400 kw
| $3000
|
0-10v - lowest cost, with perfect dimming
| Built into many lighting fixtures already, perfect dimming, scalable
| SR-2303(0-10v) - 1000's of watts
| $55
|
DALI with 120 vac fixtures
| Requires a DALI to 120vac driver
| SR-2303AC for 288 watts each
| $55
|
DALI with DC fixtures
| Perfect dimming, all DC saves wiring cost in retrofit projects
| Meanwell ELG-200-24V-DA for 200 watts each
| $60
|
Example setup:
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