DMX Input

ONYX allows incredibly advanced DMX input capabilities. Using the DMX input capabilities of the ONYX consoles, you can:

  • Add Submaster faders using a conventional console
  • Merge DMX data from another console
  • Assign fixtures or Cuelists to DMX channels and control them with an external DMX device
  • Precisely control Cuelists assigned to playback buttons, even sending them to specific cue numbers using only DMX values.

Assign a Virtual Input Port

To assign a virtual port, let's first navigate to the Main Menu by pressing ONYX in the upper left hand corner and then press Main Menu. We'll then head down to DMX In under "System".

In Routing from the bottom navigation, you have 32 Virtual Ports available.

You can map a physical DMX Port on the back of a console or on an external USB NX-DMX (or M-DMX) box to a virtual port. You can also map Art-Net or sACN universes for input.

Activate and Configure Your DMX Input Port

On the right pane of this window, we see the settings which are unique for each virtual DMX input port:

Item Explanation
Active/Inactive Activates or deactivates the selected DMX-In virtual port.
Input Source Choose which input source to draw from.
Range By default this is OFF, and only a single DMX universe is set. Turning this ON enables a range of multiple DMX universes.
Universe Set the universe, or range of universes for the input port.
Info This section lists out all the universes set for input in the Universe field(s) and indicates signal presence.

In addition, the Details button allows you to see an input monitor and see the source(s) of the input:

And the Origins tab allows you to see where the input is coming from, in the case of Art-Net or sACN input.

Pressing Filter Source will exclude the selected sACN or Art-Net source from the DMX input.

Pressing Filter IP will exclude the selected IP address from the DMX input.

Filters are adjustable via the EtherDMX settings.

 

Set DMX Input Options

On the bottom navigation bar, we see 3 options - Mergers, Mapping, and Playback control. These are the 3 different ways that we can map a DMX input to ONYX.

Merger

To Merge incoming DMX Data:
  1. Activate the port (see above - "Assign a Virtual Playback Port").
  2. Select the Source Port on the Mergers screen.
  3. Modify the Input channel range.
  4. Select the Merge Universe of the console and the start address
  5. Select Merge Mode LTP or HTP (calculated per channel)
  6. Select the Merge processing type:
    1. Merge: The incoming value and the value on the output are combined
    2. Capture: The incoming value can be captured into the programmer with the LOAD function.
    3. Merge and Capture: The incoming values are both merged to the output and able to be Captured via the LOAD function.

 

Mapping

Mapping allows you to map DMX channels from another console to control specific cuelists or fixture intensity controls.

For example, you have a 24 Channel DMX Desk outputting DMX to Input Port 1 on the console, you can then map fixtures to the 24 channels so the dimmers of the 24 fixtures are available on the external console for control.

To Map DMX Inputs
  1. Navigate to the Mappings tab.
  2. Select the DMX port that you have previously configured via the Routing tab.
  3. On the right we see "Properties". Here you first need to set the port to ON.
  4. Under DMX layout, press the DMX channel number that you wish to map. Then, the window will slide over and you can assign a fixture's intensity to the channel, or a cuelist.

Cuelists will use this mapping to control both level and "Go":

DMX Input Value Cuelist Function
0>200 Fader level 0>200 (0>100%)
201>230 Safety (Buffer - No Function)
231>255 GO

Multiple Fixtures and or Cuelists may be assigned to the same Virtual Input port for control.

Playback Control

The DMX In Playback Control is used to remotely control the on screen playback buttons.

Select the input port and start address, and the playback control is mapped as such:

Channel Value Function
  1   Playback Page
1 Page 1
2 - 100 Page 2 - 100
     
2   Playback Button
1 Page 1
2 - 100 Page 2 - 100
     
3   Cue Number
1 Cue 1
2 - 255 Cue 2 - 255
     
4   Command
0 - 9 Idle
10 - 19 Go
20 - 29 Pause
30 - 39 Release