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3-pin DMX declared 'ILLEGAL...'!


Ynot

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Just been pointed at this month's L & S I, where on page 100, a rather bold statement has appeared, causing a couple of people I now to have a bit of a flat panic!!

 

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j40/Ynot_01/IMG_2248_zpseqcohvrp.jpg

 

 

Now, without starting into the whole 3 pin vs 5 pin discussion/argument again, what I do find is that this is a rather inflammatory statement for the industry mag to be making...

And of course, whilst there may be some who'd LIKE it to be illegal, it most certainly is NOT!!!

 

I've dropped the LSI editor a quick mail suggesting an addendum to clarify might be worthwhile.

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This wasn't the April issue was it?

 

Just been pointed at this month's L & S I, where on page 100, a rather bold statement has appeared, causing a couple of people I now to have a bit of a flat panic!!

 

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j40/Ynot_01/IMG_2248_zpseqcohvrp.jpg

 

 

Now, without starting into the whole 3 pin vs 5 pin discussion/argument again, what I do find is that this is a rather inflammatory statement for the industry mag to be making...

And of course, whilst there may be some who'd LIKE it to be illegal, it most certainly is NOT!!!

 

I've dropped the LSI editor a quick mail suggesting an addendum to clarify might be worthwhile.

 

 

 

 

 

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The word illegal is often used in computing, such as illegal command / illegal operation - it just means against the rules of the current context.

 

Even chess uses the term for moves which are not allowed - but I don't think you'll end up in jail for being bad at chess.

 

Would RJ45s also be 'illegal' too? The only connector that used to be in the spec was the 5 pin.

The spec says 5 pin must be used, unless the physical size of the XLR connector prohibits its use. As 3 pin connectors are identical in size, that means it's not acceptable. RJ45 however is allowed as it's smaller (not sure where you'd stand with EtherCON, but I think that's just delibritely picking holes in the spec!

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Even chess uses the term for moves which are not allowed - but I don't think you'll end up in jail for being bad at chess.

 

Garry Kasparov might take a different view!

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Yesterday being dated 5/12 across the pond led to my Facebook being filled with various DMX related posts, including some pretty militant views about the use of 3 pin. The posters were not just some random lampies, but actually pretty influential people in the US production tech scene. I'd not be at all surprised if some states didn't make using 3 pin for DMX a capital offence, so strong was the sentiment.

 

Don't even mention Cat 5 cable or RJ45.

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Yesterday being dated 5/12 across the pond led to my Facebook being filled with various DMX related posts, including some pretty militant views about the use of 3 pin. The posters were not just some random lampies, but actually pretty influential people in the US production tech scene. I'd not be at all surprised if some states didn't make using 3 pin for DMX a capital offence, so strong was the sentiment.

 

Don't even mention Cat 5 cable or RJ45.

 

CAT5 /5e/6 is much better than audio XLR for DMX transmission!

 

Edward

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I find this quite surprising, in my experience 3 pin DMX is widely used in the UK events industry. I don't do all that much theatre stuff, or any global touring productions or anything like that so that might be different. Maybe it is just the medium budget range events I tend to work in, but a lot of fixtures provide both connection as standard.
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