Best method for DMX to Art-Net

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spinefan03
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Feb 07, 2020 2:50 am
Real Name: Ryan Kelley

Hello, I will start out by saying thank you for this wonderful software. I have found QLC+ to be the solution to many projects/installs over the years. I was elated to find that there was a Raspberry version available right when I needed it for a haunted house experiment last October.

That being said, I have a few zeros running as Art-Net nodes with some custom python for theater effects. I would like to be able to walk into a venue, plug something in-line to the house dmx signal, and simply output that signal to Art-Net.

My hope is that I could use the BitWizard DMX interface with usb (FT245RL) as a DMX input to QLC+ and pass-through the data to Art-Net.

This seems like a simple question with what looks like the answer in the documentation and here on the forum, but I am on a time crunch this time and won't have the ability try more than one solution if it is not possible with this hardware. (It looks like the DMXking ethernet box will do what I need without any additional hardware, but I would rather keep the budget lower so I could have a complete backup available)
Thanks again for everything this software is capable of, as it has been the best solution for many of my projects.
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GGGss
Posts: 2732
Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2016 7:15 pm
Location: Belgium
Real Name: Fredje Gallon

spinefan03 wrote: Wed Feb 26, 2020 5:59 pm
My hope is that I could use the BitWizard DMX interface with usb (FT245RL) as a DMX input to QLC+ and pass-through the data to Art-Net.
No, you can not use it as INPUT (!)
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spinefan03
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Feb 07, 2020 2:50 am
Real Name: Ryan Kelley

Thank you for your response, but I am still confused about something.

"use your raspberry pi as an "embedded microcontroller", that handles the DMX traffic (RX and TX) and presents an interface towards the host on the other side of the USB cable."
"There is also a version "with FT245". That version adds the option to use your raspberry pi with our board as an Enttec USB Pro compatible device from another computer (raspberry pi or PC, Windows or Linux)"

That is a quote from the bitwizard website and wiki, and from what I understand is that QLC+ can receive DMX data in from the Entec Pro USB. Do you happen to know what would be the breaking point in this process not working with QLC+? I would normally just order and test, but the time issue... My plan is to install this board onto a pi with the available software to use in "emulation mode", connect that usb to the usb on another pi or my pc running QLC+ with the "Entec Pro" selected as my input, and set that universe as a pass-through to DMX.

Sorry if I am asking the same question again but I am trying to find the actual flaw in this plan. I understand that I cannot use UART as the input method, but will the USB method not give me what I want?
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GGGss
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Location: Belgium
Real Name: Fredje Gallon

Searched the forum for the proof: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=13770&p=57959&hilit ... DMX#p57973
See the screen capture from Bitwizzard's site stating that the input mode is theoretically possible but the software isn't written yet...
All electric machines work on smoke... when the smoke escapes... they don't work anymore
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floEdelmann
Posts: 45
Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2016 4:47 pm
Real Name: Flo Edelmann

I may link to my own Bachelor's Thesis for reference ;)

There I documented how I implemented DMX input using OLA on a Raspberry Pi 1, but it uses some additional hardware (mostly DMX transceiver chips).

University page: http://www.mnm-team.org/pub/Fopras/edel17/
GitHub page with the sources: https://github.com/FloEdelmann/bachelor
Have a look at the Open Fixture Library! It's a project to collect fixture definitions in a unified format and make them downloadable for different lighting programs, including QLC+ 4 and QLC+ 5.
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GGGss
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Location: Belgium
Real Name: Fredje Gallon

WTG (Way To Go) and congrats with your thesis ...
May I read it?
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floEdelmann
Posts: 45
Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2016 4:47 pm
Real Name: Flo Edelmann

GGGss wrote: Sat Mar 21, 2020 11:11 am WTG (Way To Go) and congrats with your thesis ...
May I read it?
Sorry for my late response... Thanks :)
Of course you may read it! It is available as a PDF linked from both the GitHub page and the university page.
Have a look at the Open Fixture Library! It's a project to collect fixture definitions in a unified format and make them downloadable for different lighting programs, including QLC+ 4 and QLC+ 5.
Chorum
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Jul 23, 2015 5:50 pm
Real Name: Ralf Stresow

https://www.ulrichradig.de/home/index.php/dmx/alias-2

Hi, have a look at this module, it can be configured as DMX input via a jumper.
The module is available as a kit in the webshop of the supplier.

Best regards from Germany
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