User manual

Getting Started 8

The connectors themselves should be five-pin XLRs. Nevertheless, only three pins of the five are

used. Many manufacturers use three-pin XLR connectors, in violation of the Standard. Additionally,

with the approval of the DMX512-A standard Cat5-cabling is also an acceptable wiring topology if

used in a permanent installation.

Only cables designed for utilization with DMX512 should be used. Testing by ESTA has shown that

CAT5 cables may be used without any compromise of signal quality. However, due to the common

usage of three-pin XLR connectors, microphone cables are often used for DMX512 purposes and

this is certainly not a recommended practice.

Data Plus (pin 3) and Data Minus (pin 2) are reversed in comparison to sound cables. Hence, the

signal travels in the opposite direction to the pins (female is out, male is in). The pin layout of a

female connector is the following:

Pin Layout

#1 Shield/Ground

#2 Data -

#3 Data +

#4 Spare (or Data2 Minus)

#5 Spare (or Data2 Plus)