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DMX refresh rate
Posted: Sat Feb 08, 2025 7:12 pm
by deejaykris
Question to developers
Can you tell what is the refresh rate od the dmx signal on W1?
Is there any chance that you put in to the settings option to change it manually???
Re: DMX refresh rate
Posted: Sat Feb 08, 2025 9:18 pm
by axell
Wolfmix sends DMX @ 25Hz (40ms) ....
Re: DMX refresh rate
Posted: Sun Feb 09, 2025 12:36 pm
by deejaykris
Is there any option to change the refresh rate?
Re: DMX refresh rate
Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2025 8:07 am
by axell
Short answer: No.
Wolfmix is not in the same league as Avolites or Hog, so variable DMX Refresh rates (often) is of no benfit for (mostly) non professional use to justify the complexity and additional cost of such feature.
25Hz is the best compromise for compatibility of most fixtures (45.000+) available, whether its consumer or professional products. Many lighting devices claim to accept DMX512 signals, but are unable to support the wide variety of timing parameters allowed by the DMX512 standard. The result is flickering, flashing, or erratic operation. With a "lower" (and fixed) Refresh Rate you achieve the most compatibility. (Like you need sometimes to slow the DMX down with some china-LEDs...)
In addition the Refresh Rate (timing) also affect internal timing component, as the DMX-framerate of 25Hz is 100% synchronized over the complete internal (buttons, faders, LEDS, DMX I/O, remotes etc., playbacks) communication. The whole process of internal data processing (mainly the DMX priority handling of the various DMX functions against each other) is synched to 25Hz.
That's why it can not be changed to other values easily.
Re: DMX refresh rate
Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2025 5:37 pm
by deejaykris
axell wrote: ↑Mon Feb 10, 2025 8:07 am
Short answer: No.
Wolfmix is not in the same league as Avolites or Hog, so variable DMX Refresh rates (often) is of no benfit for (mostly) non professional use to justify the complexity and additional cost of such feature.
25Hz is the best compromise for compatibility of most fixtures (45.000+) available, whether its consumer or professional products. Many lighting devices claim to accept DMX512 signals, but are unable to support the wide variety of timing parameters allowed by the DMX512 standard. The result is flickering, flashing, or erratic operation. With a "lower" (and fixed) Refresh Rate you achieve the most compatibility. (Like you need sometimes to slow the DMX down with some china-LEDs...)
In addition the Refresh Rate (timing) also affect internal timing component, as the DMX-framerate of 25Hz is 100% synchronized over the complete internal (buttons, faders, LEDS, DMX I/O, remotes etc., playbacks) communication. The whole process of internal data processing (mainly the DMX priority handling of the various DMX functions against each other) is synched to 25Hz.
That's why it can not be changed to other values easily.
You rock
.
But im trying figure it out why another piece of dmx equipment is little buggy. That’s why I write about those things. China LED is not the point
But you explained everything perfectly. I’m just wondering why other brands makes refresh rate for example at 40 Hz
Re: DMX refresh rate
Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2025 8:05 am
by axell
"Other" brands with variable DMX refresh rates usually are professional consoles (Avolites, grandMA, ChamSysy, etc), which are $$.$$$ price point away from Wolfmix. And even here, grandMA - as ONE example - only has a rate between 1 Hz up to max(!) 30 Hz - not 40, other (professional brands) don't even offer variable speeds at all. So it is not unusual not having a variable DMX refresh rate.
Its because of the same reason I described earlier: a) not all fixtures can follow 40Hz (even some pricy professional devices can have problems) and b) the complexity inside the console to provide that speed increases with syncing internal speeds and other issues).
One of the reason you want to "change" the DMX refresh rate can be in Video recording, where the refresh rate of DMX can give strange effects, if you have the same frequency as "frame-per-second" video recording speed - THEN the result on Video will look very "flickery" when Frame/DMX refresh rate are the same. Then you want to change the DMX refresh rate to get a "smooth(er)" video result. THAT is then where you need a more professional console as a Wolfmix.
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