Artistic License Data-Lynx O/P User manual

Data-Lynx O/P User Guide
Artistic Licence
Version 1-8
Data-Lynx O/P
User Guide

Page 2Data-Lynx O/P User Guide
Please read these instructions before using the product.
This product has been designed & manufactured for professional use only.
It should only be installed by a suitably qualified technician and in accordance with
electrical regulations in the country of use.
Unless directed in the instructions there are no user serviceable parts inside the
outer case of this product.
Always disconnect from the power supply when not in use.
Any specific IP rating, where appropriate, is given in the instructions. Unless
otherwise stated this product is designed for indoor use only. If used outdoors it
MUST be installed in an appropriate IP rated cabinet. Do not allow this product to be
exposed to rain or moisture. Do not allow liquid to penetrate the product.
Please recycle all packaging.
Copyright © Artistic Licence Engineering Ltd. All rights reserved.
Download the user guide by scanning the following QR code:

Page 3Data-Lynx O/P User Guide
Connections
Mounting Diagram
Ref. Type Description
1LED Indicators for Ethernet
2-7 LED Indicators for DMX
8Configuration Sub-Net Select
9Data Connection Ethernet
10 -11 Data Connection DMX O/P 1-2
12-13 Data Connection DMX O/P 3-4
14-15 Data Connection DMX O/P 5-6
16-17 Data Connection DMX O/P 7-8
18-19 Data Connection DMX O/P 9-10
20-21 Data Connection DMX O/P 11-12
22 Data Connection Ethernet
23 Replaceable Fuse Mains I/P Fuse
24 Power
Connection
Universal Mains I/P
Connection

Page 4Data-Lynx O/P User Guide
Product Overview
Data-Lynx O/P is a rack-mounted Ethernet-to-
DMX512 converter. It is capable of converting
12 Art-Net Universes to DMX512 & RDM, or
12 sACN Universes to DMX512.
All ports can be set to a common Sub-Net
using the wheel selector on the front panel.
Individual port configuration is achieved over
the network using the internal web-server
or DMX-Workshop (free-of-charge software
available from Artistic Licence). When used
with Art-Net 3, DHCP is supported for
automatic IP address allocation.
Data-Lynx O/P can be mounted in a 19” 1U
Rack Enclosure using the supplied Rack Ears.
It is supplied with a standard IEC connector.
Summary of Key Features
yInternal Ethernet switch and two RJ45
ports (Ethercon) enable multiple units to
be connected in series.
y12 DMX512 ports, compatible with all
variants of DMX, including DMX512-A.
Support for RDM (Remote Device
Management) V1.0 (E1.20 - 2006 ESTA
Standard)
yUniversal mains input
yEthernet status indicators
yDMX port status Indicators
ySub-Net wheel
yDefault IP address 2.x.y.z
yInternal web-server for configuration of
DMX and IP settings (including support
for DHCP when used with Art-Net 3).
yDetachable rack ears
Data-Lynx O/P has two RJ45 (Ethercon)
connections (one front, one back). The
product accepts Art-Net (the public domain
protocol invented by Artistic Licence) and
sACN (the standard managed under ESTA/
PLASA E1.31). Data-Lynx O/P requires Cat
5 cable or better and supports 10BaseT and
100BaseT.
Power Supply & Earthing
The internal power supply requires an input
in the range 90-250 VAC with an Earth
connection. The mains fuse should only be
replaced with a 3.15A slow blow fuse.
The table below summarises the internal
Earth interconnection and isolation.
(Please note that we use the term Earth-
Ground to avoid international confusions. In
Europe Earth-Ground is called Earth; in the
USA Earth-Ground is called Ground).
Circuit Description
Chassis Bonded to Earth-Ground
DMX512
Ports
Type Ground referenced
Pin 1 Connects to Internal Logic
Ground
Shell The connector shell is
connected to chassis
Ethernet
Type Transformer isolated
Screen
Connects to Earth-Ground
via 75 Ohm resistance &
100 pF capacitance, as
specified in IEEE standard
Internal
Logic
Ground
Connects to Earth-Ground via 10
Ohm resistance
Ethernet Connection
Ethernet Indicators
The front panel ethernet connection has LED
data indicators (pictured on the next page),
which have the following meanings:
PWR: Power LED
LINK: ON if there is a valid link between this
connection and another valid Ethernet device.
ACT: Flashes when there is data activity.
SPD: ON if this connection is running at
100BaseT, OFF if running at 10BaseT.

Page 5Data-Lynx O/P User Guide
Ethernet Indication
DMX Outputs
Data-Lynx O/P can convert a maximum of 12 Universes of data. Each port has a 5-pin XLR
female output connector.
DMX512 Wiring
XLR Pin
(Convention)
Function Colour RJ45
Pin
Cable Colour
1Ground Black 7 & 8 White/Brown &
Brown
2Data - Blue 2Orange
3Data + Red 1White/Orange
The DMX512-A standard specifies that Cat5 cable can be used to carry DMX data. The table
above shows which cores should be used. It is recommended that Cat5E cable is used.
RDM data uses the same connections as the DMX data.
DMX Indicators
The LED data indicators (pictured opposite)
have the following meanings:
STAT: ON when unit is powered, flashing if
hardware fault (see ‘Error Messages’).
NET: ON when network data is active.
DMX 1/2: ON when data is transmitted,
flashing if merging two universes (see ‘DMX-
Workshop’).
Power-up: During power-up, the LEDs will
step sequentially.
Boot-loader: When in boot-loader mode (see
page 8), all the LEDs will flash continuously.
If all the indicators flash 3 times, this means
that changes to the Sub-Net wheel setting are
not honoured because the value has been set
remotely (see ‘Universe, Sub-Net and Net’
opposite).
DMX Indication
Universe, Sub-Net and Net
Each universe being transmitted over ethernet
needs to be distinguishable from other
universes on the same network. For universe
numbers up to 256 (the maximum limit of

Page 6Data-Lynx O/P User Guide
Art-Net II), this is achieved by setting the
(4-bit) Universe and Sub-Net numbers (see
‘Configuration’ below).
In contrast, Art-Net 3 and sACN can carry up
to 32768 and 65536 universes respectively.
To handle these large values, the concept
of a 16-bit port address including a ‘Net’
field is introduced. The port address of each
DMX512 universe is a number composed of
the (Net)+(Sub-Net)+(Universe).
Note that settings made remotely override the
wheel selector on the front panel.
Configuration
By default, each port of the Data-Lynx O/P
has a sequential universe number starting
from zero. There are two ways of remotely
configuring the product: 1) using DMX-
Workshop or 2) using the product’s internal
web-server.
DMX-Workshop
DMX-Workshop™ is a software application
that runs on the Windows XP & Windows 7
platforms. It is free of charge and available via
download from the Artistic Licence website.
DMX-Workshop is a fully featured network
management, analysis, configuration and
diagnostics tool for Art-Net networks.
When Data-Lynx O/P is connected to a
computer running DMX-Workshop, it should
be detected and displayed as an Art-Net node
(click the ‘Node List’ tab to verify this).
The node can be expanded to show the
configuration and DMX output information, as
shown in the screen-shot opposite.
Right-clicking on any entry brings up a menu
that offers various functionality:
yThe ‘Configure Node’ option enables
configuration of the Universe, Sub-Net
and Net values. It also allows the user to
give the device a short and long name.
y‘Copy to clipboard’ enables all the node
information to be pasted into a support
request email.
y‘Merge Controls’ (selectable only on
individual DMX outputs) enables the
choice of LTP (latest takes preference)
or HTP (highest takes preference) merge
modes.
y‘Indicators’ enables selection of normal,
locate or mute for the front panel
LED indicators. Normal is the default
behaviour, locate causes the selected
port ‘Stat’ LED to flash, and mute turns
off all the LEDs.
y‘RDM Devices’ offers options for device
discovery on RDM networks.
y‘Advanced’ leads to ‘Programme Upload’
and ‘Configure IP Address’. These are
described in more detail below.
Firmware Upgrades
The ‘Programme Upload’ option enables
the user to upgrade the product’s firmware.
DMX-Workshop stores the firmware files in
C:\Program Files (x86)\Artistic Licence\DMX-
Workshop\Firmware\*.alf.
Selection of the desired file is made via a
pop-up window that shows the available files.
Ensure that the firmware upgrade is applied
to all ports (check the ‘Tick All’ box in the
next window). Cycle the power following a
successful firmware upload.
Note port address structure:
(Net)-(Sub-Net)-(Universe)
DMX-Workshop Node List

Page 7Data-Lynx O/P User Guide
IP Settings
The configuration menu for the IP settings
allows the user to set a custom IP address,
Subnet Mask and Gateway IP. There is
also an option to enable/disable DHCP for
automatic IP addressing (see ‘IP Address
Configuration’).
IP Settings Detail
Choosing the ‘Configure IP Address’ in the
‘Advanced’ menu brings up a window that
shows the IP address and Subnet Mask.
The IP address uniquely identifies any
nodes or controllers on a network, while
the Subnet Mask defines which part of
the IP represents the network address and
which part represents the node address. For
example, a Subnet Mask of 255.0.0.0 means
that the first byte defines the network address
and the remaining three bytes define the node
address.
By default, the product has a static IP address
in the range 2.x.x.x. There are situations in
which the user may wish to change this - for
example, a 192.168.x.x address is generally
used in office environments.
A very useful additional feature of Data-
Lynx O/P is the ability to enable automatic
IP address allocation on networks controlled
by a DHCP server (check the ‘Enable DHCP’
box to activate this feature).
Note that the default IP and static addressing
(all ports) can be forced manually by the
following procedure:
1. Set the Sub-Net wheel to 9
2. Power cycle (turn off then on again)
3. Power off
4. Set the Sub-Net wheel to F
5. Power on
IP Address Configuration
Web-Server
To configure Data-Lynx O/P via the internal
web-server, either type in the IP address of
the product or, if your web-browser supports
NetBios, then enter the name: datalynxop. To
find the IP address, use DMX-Workshop or
type “ping 2.255.255.255” in a command line
window. The home screen is shown below:
Web Browser Homepage
DMX Settings Detail
Output Profiles
DMX Settings
The DMX Settings tab leads to detailed
configuration options:
ySet Net, Sub-Net & Universe values
ySet profile (see ‘Output Profiles’ table
below).
yEnable/disable RDM messages
ySet transmission style:
- Delta: DMX Output packets are
synchronised with incoming Art-Net
packets.
- Continuous: DMX output packets are
continuously transmitted independently
of the Art-Net inputs.
ySet the max refresh rate of the DMX port
Profile RDM Transmit Max
refresh
rate (fps)
Best On Delta 43.57
Compatibility Off Delta 43.06
Fix Off Continuous 39.95
Custom On/Off Delta/
Continuous
16.76 -
43.57

Page 8Data-Lynx O/P User Guide
Jumpers - Advanced Configuration
There are several advanced settings, beyond the scope of normal operation, that can be
accessed by fitting the supplied jumpers over the configuration pins. When viewing the product
configuration screen in a web browser, the detailed jumper settings can be viewed in the lower
part of the page.
The pins can be found on the bottom left of the PCB. To fit a jumper follow the instructions below:
1. Disconnect the Power from the unit
2. Ensure you have adequate Anti-Static protection
3. Remove the top row of screws from the front panel
4. Remove the bottom row of screws from the rear panel
5. Carefully pull the two halves apart, about 10cm
Jumper Option
JP0 For future use
JP1 For future use
JP2 For future use
JP3 HTTP server disabled
(e.g. no web page
functionality)
JP4 10.x.x.x IP addressing
active (ignored when
DHCP is active)
JP5 RDM disabled on all
outputs
JP6 Inverts the low byte of the
IP address
JP7 For future use
ROM
Boot
Switch to boot-loader
mode on power cycle
ROM Boot Jumper
Data-Lynx O/P has boot-loader firmware programmed into its ROM. This forces the product into
a factory ROM mode ready for firmware upload. The boot-loader firmware allows the operating
firmware (which is stored in the flash memory) to be upgraded over the network. It is not usually
necessary to use this procedure as firmware uploads can be initiated directly using DMX-
Workshop.
To force Data-Lynx to start in boot-loader mode, link the ROM boot jumper and power-up the
unit. Note that all the indicators will flash when in boot-loader mode. The firmware upgrade can
then be made using DMX-Workshop.
If for any reason the upgrade needs to be aborted, or if the ROM boot jumper was connected in
error, removing the jumper and powering up the unit will cause it to revert to the current installed
firmware.

Page 9Data-Lynx O/P User Guide
Error Messages
On power-up, Data-Lynx O/P goes through a number of self-checks to ensure that it is functioning
correctly. If an internal fault occurs the DMX indicator LEDs are used to display an error code.
LED State Description
Stat & All alternately flashing SRAM Fault*
Net & All alternately flashing E2Prom Fault*
Port 1 & All alternately flashing System ROM Fault*
*Contact Artistic Licence for advice.
Application Diagram
PSU/DMX-RDM
interface (e.g.
Multichrome D1)
Art-Net Controller
e.g. Colour-Tramp
RGB Pixels
Data-Lynx O/P
Art-Net
DMX/RDM DMX/RDM
In this example, Data-Lynx O/P converts Art-Net from a Colour-Tramp controller into DMX/
RDM data. This is fed into intelligent power supplies (Multichrome D1) for use with an LED pixel
product such as Multichrome Flex.

Page 10Data-Lynx O/P User Guide
Troubleshooting
The fixtures are flashing
randomly when connected to
the Data-Lynx O/P.
1. The common cause of this is that they are responding
to RDM data being transmitted by the Data-Lynx. If
they are DMX512 compliant they should ignore this
data. To overcome this, refer to the ‘Jumper - Advanced
Configuration’ section and link the jumper to disable
RDM. Alternatively this can be done via the web-
server.
When using a Data-Lynx
O/P the fixture seems to lose
DMX when set to high start
addresses.
1. Some older equipment cannot handle full rate DMX
refresh rates. This results in it working on lower start
addresses, but seeming ‘steppy’ on higher start
addresses. To overcome this, use the web-server DMX
settings page to slow down the refresh rate.
Data-Lynx O/P powers up
but all the LED indicators are
flashing continuously.
1. This means that the unit has gone into boot loader
mode. Uploading the latest firmware will allow the unit
to function normally.
I changed my IP address and
have lost all communication
with the Data-Lynx O/P.
1. If the IP address of a device is changed such that it is
out of the range the PC is on, you must then change
the PC IP address to match. If you still cannot discover
the device, you will need to reset all custom settings to
put it back into the default IP range (2.x.x.x).
All the LED indicators flash
three times when I change
the Sub-Net wheel selector.
1. If the Sub-Net value has been set remotely the front
panel wheel is ignored. The LEDs flash to indicate this.
I have connected a Data-
Lynx O/P directly to a
computer and there is no
communication.
1. Computer has incorrect IP address (IP address should
be in the range 2.x.x.x).
2. Incorrect network cable (should be a ‘cross-over’).
3. A firewall is blocking transmitted/received data packets
I have a Data-Lynx O/P but I
want some to be inputs. Can
I use some gender changers
to make it an input?
1. No, port configuration is a factory process.
An output port DMX LED is
flashing continuously.
1. When the port LED is flashing it means that the output
is merging two universes.
I have connected 3 or more
Data-Lynx units in series and
the data seems to be delayed
from the first to the last.
1. If several Data-Lynx units are connected in series
then the data from the control source has to be re-
transmitted to each one. The more in series, the longer
the delay. To overcome the delay use an ethernet
switch and connect all Data-Lynx units and control
sources to it.

Page 11Data-Lynx O/P User Guide
Data-Lynx O/P Specification
CE Compliance
Data-Lynx O/P is CE compliant
Mechanical
yHousing: 19” 1U rack enclosure
yMaterial: metal
yOverall dimensions: 1U (H) x 19” (W) x
257 mm (D)
yWeight: 2.8 kg
yMounting: desktop or 19” rack (using
supplied rack ears)
yCountry of manufacture: UK
Environmental
yOperating temperature: 0°C to 40°C
yStorage temperature: -10°C to +50°C
yOperating relative humidity (max): 80%
non-condensing
yIP rating: IP20 indoor use only
yCertification: CE, FCC, WEEE, RoHS
yWarranty: 2-year (return to base)
Power & Electrical
yInput voltage: 90-250 VAC
yInput connector: IEC C13 male
yInput power (max): 30 W
yDuty cycle: 80% @ 25°C
yInput fuse: 3.15A slow blow
yDC fuse: internal resettable fuse for
control electronics
Ethernet
yType: 10/100BaseT
yIsolation: 1 kV
yPoE: n/a
DMX512 Outputs
yOutput mode: ground referenced
yOutput isolation: n/a
yOutput ESD protection: 12 kV
yOutput voltage protection: +/- 80 V
yOutput conditioning: slew-rate limited
Control
yInput Protocols: Art-Net, sACN
yOutput Protocols: DMX512, DMX512
(1990), DMX512-A, RDM V1.0 (E1.20 -
2006 ESTA Standard)
Data Connections
yRJ45 Ethercon (2 no.)
y5-pin female XLR DMX outputs (12 no.)
LED Indication
yPower / Ethernet Link / Data Activity /
Speed
Configuration
yRemote: Web-browser, DMX Workshop
yManual: Wheels / Jumpers
yConfigurable settings include:
- Net, Sub-Net, Universe
- IP Address (DHCP), DMX profile
- ROM boot, RDM disable
Package Contents
yData-Lynx O/P
yUser guide
yIEC mains lead
yRack-ears
yJumpers (for configuration pins)
Ordering Info
yProduct code: Data-Lynx O/P

Warranty
All products are covered from date of purchase
by a two-year return to base warranty.
By return to base, we mean that the customer
is responsible for all costs of transport to and
from Artistic Licence.
Returns will not be accepted without prior
authorisation. In order to discuss a request to
return goods, please email:
[e-mail]
Compliance
All Products manufactured or sold by Artistic
Licence Engineering Ltd are fully compliant
with the appropriate CE, FCC, and RoHS
regulations. Product specific information is
available on request.
Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment
(WEEE)
Artistic Licence is a member of a WEEE
compliance scheme and will happily recycle
any of our products that you, at your expense,
return to us.
Due to our policy of continuing product improvement
specifications are subject to change without notice
Artistic Licence
Studio 1, Spectrum House
32-34 Gordon House Road
London
NW5 1LP
United Kingdom
Telephone [phone]
Fax [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Web: www.ArtisticLicence.com
Customer support and knowledge base:
www.ArtisticLicence.com/support.html