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DALI and DMX


                               
DMX wall switches for Church projects

proven solutions
        


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.  Front-wImage11

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

Device
Link
price
DMX to DALI
Convert DMX signal to DALI
$129
DALI wall switch options - single
                                    - multi button
https://atxled.com/pdf/AL-WS-010v.pdf
https://atxled.com/pdf/AL-WS-DALI-8B.pdf
$65 each
DALI bus power supply
https://atxled.com/pdf/AL-PWS-8D.pdf $35
Alexa / Google remote management  ( optional )
https://atxled.com/pdf/AL-DALI-Pi.pdf $445
DALI to DMX
https://atxled.com/pdf/AL-DALI-DMX.pdf $129



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

Device
Link
price
DMX wall switch options - single, with injector
https://atxled.com/pdf/AL-WS-DMX.pdf
$65 each
DMX Merger
https://goknight.com/johnson-systems-dmx-2pm-dmx-2-port-merger/
$525





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:





DMX -> DALI Converter


AL-DMX-DALI

IMG_5645





$250




XLR connector to DMX input


Rj45 connector to Al-PWS-8D
for power and DALI data



Set DIP switches to OFF

Use DMX addresses 1 thru 63 to control the lights








Wall Switches

DALI, with Dimmer




AL-WS-010v
Front








$65

Use CAT-5 with  RJ45 to AL-PWS-8D
Only use 568B  pinout
the orange / orange-white
connect to DA pair 
( daisy chain multiple)









To test - set all DIP switches ON ( broadcast )

later - change to the destination address of the Lights






Power Unit 
- power for switches
- power for the DMX box


With 18v or 48v
Supply
Black-Front






$40
8 socket RJ45 for power and data

RJ45 to AL-PWS-8D

the orange / orange-white

are the DALI bus wires














Do NOT use the Blue wire ( 4&5 )

The Blue wires have +48v for our DC Lights

with AL-WS-DR2 30 watts per output













DALI Driver for 120vac bulbs

SR2303AC

SR-2303AC for 120vac
SRP-2505-75 for 48v DC lights




$85
Provide 120vac input

Wire to 120vac load

( 1.2 amps Max per output )



By default - they will respond to broadcast commands

after Broadcast is working - change to a fixed address

two addresses per device ( sequential )

This will be the DMX bus address ( 1 thru 63 )






Advanced Controls

Schedule, Remote Control
Alexa Google

Diagnostics

Groups


IMG_4702



$750






-Example-DMX




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