DMX – Digital Multiplex
How digital controlling protocol works!
Every retailer is familiar with it, the standardized process to digitally send controlling information to dimmers, „intelligent“ spots or effect devices – DMX: But how exactly does it work and whose idea was it?
Digital data transmission has been around since the 80s. But controlling consolemanufacturers used differing systems, incompatible with each other, so the customer was forced to buy spots and controllers from the same producer. This changed in 1986 when the DMX standard was introduced, based on an initiative of the USITT (United States Institute for Theatre Technology). After some improvements were made and problems were solved, it was realized four years later. The common and still valid name of the standard is DMX-512 (1990). Even though some work has been done on it since then, there’s currently no newer version.