Enttec DMX USB PRO User manual

DMX USB PRO
User Manual
www.enttec.com
Firmware V1.43 February 2007

Package Contents
Your DMX USB PRO package should contain these items:
•DMX USB PRO (Part No. 70304)
•Driver for Windows™ software on the Enttec CD-ROM
(Part No. 79106)
•USB Cable (Part No. 79110)
•This user manual (Part No. 79107)
If any item is missing or damaged, please contact your supplier
immediately.
To be sure that you are using the latest revision of the
Driver software with your DMX USB PRO, please visit
the Downloads section of the Enttec website at
www.enttec.com to get the current version.
2

DMX USB PRO
User Manual
Firmware V1.43
Table of Contents
Warranty..........................................................................................4
Contacting ENTTEC.......................................................................4
Getting Support................................................................................4
Typographic conventions used in this manual.................................5
Getting to know your DMX USB PRO ..........................................5
Features........................................................................................5
Layout..........................................................................................6
Fast track guide to the DMX USB PRO .........................................7
Installing DMX USB PRO..............................................................8
Installing Driver...........................................................................8
Connecting the DMX USB PRO...............................................10
USB.......................................................................................10
Power supply.........................................................................10
DMX Out...............................................................................11
DMX In..................................................................................11
Powering up the DMX USB PRO.............................................12
Setting up DMX USB PRO.......................................................12
Selecting a COM port............................................................12
Updating the Firmware in the
DMX USB PRO ...........................................................................15
Using the DMX USB PRO ...........................................................16
Troubleshooting the DMX USB PRO ..........................................17
Appendix 1 - Connector Pinouts................................................20
DMX OUT.................................................................................20
DMX IN.....................................................................................20
Appendix 2 - FCC Declaration....................................................21
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Declaration
of Conformity..................................................................21
Appendix 3 - EEC Declaration....................................................23
3

Warranty
ENTTEC warrants that the product that it manufactures will be
free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one
year from the date of shipment from an authorised ENTTEC
wholesaler. If the device proves defective within the warranty
period, ENTTEC will repair or replace at its sole discretion, the
defective hardware. If the failure is due to an operator error, the
user accepts the responsibility to pay any costs incurred in the
diagnosis of the hardware, parts or shipping from our service
facility.
ENTTEC makes no warranty of any kind, express or implied,
including without limitation the implied warranties of
merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. In no
event shall ENTTEC be liable for indirect, special or
consequential damages.
Opening the case of the unit voids the warranty as described
above.
Contacting ENTTEC
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: [phone] GMT+10
Facsimile: [phone]
Postal Address: ENTTEC Pty Ltd
PO Box 282
Kew
Vic 3101 Australia
Getting Support
If you require support for the DMX USB PRO or the Driver
software, please visit the Support area of our website at
www.enttec.com. There you can fill out a support request ticket for
prompt assistance with your enquiry.
4

Typographic conventions used in this
manual
Buttons: Software button names and menu command options
appear in a special typeface. Eg. The name of the Windows™
"Start" button is printed as Start.
Data boxes: The names of the boxes where data is entered
appear in a different typeface. Eg. The name of the "Delay" entry
box is printed as Delay.
Getting to know your DMX USB PRO
Thank you for purchasing the DMX USB PRO. At Enttec we are
proud of our products and we hope you will enjoy using them as
much as we enjoy designing and building them.
The DMX USB PRO is a hardware interface which can convert
between a computer, by plugging it into a Universal Serial Bus
(USB) and various types of lighting equipment, via the industry
standard DMX512 protocol.
The accompanying Driver software allows the computer to control
and configure the DMX USB PRO..
Features
The DMX USB PRO provides:
•Full 512 channel universe of input or output
•Adjustable Frame Rates and empty frames to accommodate
non-starndard equipment
5

Layout
The DMX USB PRO case is 1.8” (46mm) in height, 1.6” (40mm)
wide and 2.5” (80mm) deep. It is easily stored on a tabletop next to
the computer to which it is attached, and can slip conveniently into
a laptop carrying case if desired.
DMX USB PRO front panel
1LED status display
Indicates operational status
2USB receptacle
Universal Serial Bus data connector for connection to
computer.
DMX USB PRO back panel
3XLR 5pin Female
DMX512 Output. Connects to your DMX512 network of
fixtures, dimmers, etc.
4XLR 5pin Male
DMX512 Input. Connects to a DMX512 lighting controller.
6

Fast track guide to the DMX USB PRO
Install and configure the Driver software on your
Windows™, Linux™or Mac™ computer.
(see Installing Driver on page 9)
Connect the DMX USB PRO to your computer and the
DMX512 control network.
(see Connecting the DMX USB PRO on page 11)
Load the control software of your choice onto the
computer. (see Using the DMX USB PRO on page 17)
Run the software and create your show.
7

information on this topic..
By this point you have probably plugged the USB cable in to the
computer and the DMX USB PRO, so if you have, leave it that
way. If not, now is a good time to do so.
DMX Out
The DMX Out socket is connected to the network of DMX512
devices that are to be controlled by the DMX USB PRO.
It is not necessary to have any connection to the DMX Out socket
while programming the DMX USB PRO.
DMX In
The DMX In socket is connected to the DMX512 controller whose
output is to be captured by the DMX USB PRO.
11

This will bring up a box where you
can change communications settings
for the port.
If you click on
Advanced, this takes
you to a window where
you can choose a
different COM Port
number. Select a
different port number
and click OK.
Then close all the windows that got you to that point, with OK or
Apply, and try using the device again.
14

Updating the Firmware in the
DMX USB PRO
From time to time new versions of the firmware (internal operating
software) for the DMX USB PRO may become available, to add
features or fix an operational problem that has been discovered.
Updates are made available from the Downloads section of the
Enttec website at www.enttec.com.
After checking that the firmware available from the Enttec website
has a higher version number than that currently installed in the
DMX USB PRO (see Firmware version footnote below), download the
file dmx_usb_pro_update.exe. Download it to your desktop, and
run it, with your DMX USB PRO plugged in to the USB port
while you do so. The screen which results will look like the
following illustration.
1
That’s all there is to upgrading the firmware.
1 Firmware Version: Use whatever program you normally access the DMX
USB PRO with (such as LightFactory, Arkaos, Freestyler, Capture, etc.)and look
in it for a notice about the firmware version.
15

Using the DMX USB PRO
Many software packages are available which use the DMX USB
PRO as a means to communicate with devices that control or emit
light.
•In output mode you can employ it to interface between a
lighting control program and the devices that it affects.
Those devices can be dimmers, stepper motors, another
computer program, intelligent lighting instruments, or any
DMX controlled devices., And the program doing the
controlling can emulate the look and feel of a light board or
have a more unconventional interface.
•It can also be used (thought not at the same time) in input
mode to listen to the DMX signal being put out by another
computer or light board. The DMX USB PRO will then
give access to that information to some program which
needs it to perform a useful task. That may be to control
video streams according to the DMX values coming in, to
emulate the appearance of a lighting rig for 3D
visualization, to listen to an external console’s output and
make adjustments to lighting levels accordingly, or other
features someone has yet to invent.
All of these options are available to you with the DMX USB PRO
and software you can download or purchase from a variety of
sources. See the list at the Enttec website, by clicking on Products,
then the DMXUSBPRO, then links. You can also type in the
following URL.
http://www.enttec.com/index.php?main_menu=Products&prod=70304&show=links
16

Troubleshooting the DMX USB PRO
This section will help you troubleshoot any problems with the
DMX USB Pro. Disconnect the DMX USB Pro and reboot your
computer. Do not start any programs, and go to step 1
1-Plug in the DMX USB Pro. If the green light stays on, this
usually means that the DMX USB Pro is waiting for new firmware.
To confirm, please try unplugging and plugging back into the
computer. If that fails to correct your problem, you will need to re
flash the firmware. See the section in this manual on Upgrading
the Firmware, or to read the latest on this topic at our website,
point your browser to http://www.enttec.com/support-
center/index.php?x=&mod_id=2&root=5&id=33
2-The green light is
off but no programs
find it:
Please open the
windows device
manager and check
that you have items
1 & 2 as shown in
the image to the
right.
3-If items 1 & 2 are
not identical (your
device might appear
on a different COM
port eg: COM8) on
your system please
install the VCOM
driver. This can be
found on the
17

ENTTEC website:
http://www.enttec.com/dmx_usb/vcom_setup.exe
4-If item 1 & 2 have a yellow exclamation mark after installing the
driver, you will need to force a driver install. Install the driver files
by downloading the driver ZIP
http://www.enttec.com/dmx_usb/CDM_2.00.00.zip then unpack
its contents into the directory c:\VCOM.
Left-click item 1 and select "Update Driver" and follow the
screen shots below, the important settings have been circled in
RED.
5-If your device
manager now looks like
the one above for
section 1 & 2, the DMX
USB Pro is now
connected and
configured correctly. If
you still have problems,
please check the
software you are using.
6-If you still have the yellow exclamation marks or the items 1 & 2
do not appear in your device
manager,
please change/swap the USB cable
and/or the USB Port. You can also
try installing your DMX USB PRO
on another computer, to eliminate all
possible causes of the problem.
18

7-After trying item 6 if
the device still does not
appear, please open a
support ticket.
19

Appendix 1 - Connector Pinouts
DMX OUT
Pin 1 Ground
Pin 2 Data -
Pin 3 Data +
Pin 4 NC
Pin 5 NC
DMX IN
Pin 1 Ground
Pin 2 Data -
Pin 3 Data +
Pin 4 NC
Pin 5 NC
20