Lighting
DMX Universe
Definition
A DMX universe is one complete DMX512 data stream, made up of 512 channels. A rig that needs more than 512 channels uses several universes, each with its own physical output or its own mapping on a node or in Art-Net. Modern moving heads often use 30 to 40 channels each in extended mode, so a single universe may hold only about a dozen fixtures. Planning the universes as part of the patch avoids running out of channels during the build.
In the field
Channel counts are taken from the mode that will be used on the show, not from the compact mode. Sixteen moving heads in 32-channel mode use all 512 channels of one universe, so a seventeenth fixture needs another universe. The split between universes is therefore planned before addressing.
Related lessons
Sources
- ANSI E1.11-2024 (remplace 2008 R2018) : 512 slots de données par univers · tsp.esta.org
- Wikipédia (pointeur secondaire), DMX512 : univers, adressage et nodes · en.wikipedia.org
- Robe, MegaPointe : exemple de lyre dont le mode DMX standard compte 39 canaux · robe.cz