Mini DMX Patcher

2024 Inline DMX universe patcher or extender, customizeable address

The Mini DMX Patcher is a device to patch a DMX-controlled device into an existing universe while changing or simplifying the control interface. It sits inline in a standard XLR5 cable run acting as a normal non-terminated device. All signals on the DMX bus are passed through untouched, as with a normal device.

If the incoming DMX data is within the DIP-switch-configured address space, the device will perform a customizeable action on that data and forward it out its own separate, terminated DMX universe. This is helpful in situations where there is very limited capabilities with the lighting control desk, so the operation and logic of a device with an extended DMX footprint can be offloaded to the patcher.

For example, this controller was integrated to the Blinder Wall control rack due to the limited pre-programming options at a venue. By programming standard patterns with configurable inputs into the firmware of the patcher, the simple lighting control desk could control the twenty-five individual lamp channels of the Blinder Wall in a coordinated way. The main controller only needed to use a five-channel DMX footprint of master dimmer, pattern, pattern speed, blinder override, and pattern lock to display full show content.

It can also be used to extend the size of a single DMX universe. If there 50 RGB PARs in a universe that all behave identically, the patcher can take up only the footprint of a single PAR in the main controller universe, while forwarding the duplicated control packet to all connected PARs on its own separate universe.

The address DIP switch has one extra bit in the highest position to allow for more configuration onsite. For the Blinder Wall, it was used to switch between five-channel pattern mode, and twenty-five-channel direct control mode of each lamp.

The device is powered through USB-C input.