Lighting
Fixture Patching
Definition
Fixture patching is the assignment, in the lighting console, of each fixture's DMX start address and profile (personality), so that the control channels drive the right functions. Addresses must not overlap: a fixture using 16 channels from address 1 occupies channels 1 to 16, and the next fixture starts at 17. With a wrong profile or overlapping addresses, fixtures respond to the wrong parameters, for example pan reacting to a colour fader.
In the field
Fixtures are addressed without gaps or overlaps, and the profile loaded in the console matches the mode set on the unit. A fixture set to 16-channel mode but patched as an 8-channel fixture behaves erratically from the first cue.
Sources
- ANSI E1.11-2024 : adressage des slots DMX512 · tsp.esta.org
- Wikipédia (pointeur secondaire), DMX512 : adresse de départ et empreinte des projecteurs · en.wikipedia.org