DMX is an industry-standard protocol used for controlling stage lighting (and other things). This project is a rudimentary four-channel DMX controller.

When working at an LED lighting company, I got some lamps from scrap and made some of them work enough to be useful. Those lamps are primarily controlled with DMX.

This project was my first time designing a PCB, and my first time doing 3D printing!!!

• Arduino Nano (not Micro, not Mini)
  • DMXSerial library by Matthias Hertel
• Four slide potentiometers
• TTL-to-RS485 transceiver from AliExpress
• A switch to disconnect the Arduino's RX & TX pins from the RS485 transceiver so the Arduino can be programmed over USB

The PCB was designed using KiCad version 6 and fabricated by JLCPCB.

I used Fusion 360 to design an enclosure to be 3D-printed.

The enclosure is not very good for multiple reasons. It was mostly a test to see if I can make something which fits the board and 3D-prints okay. Happily, my first attempt was successful.

The enclosure was printed on a Creality CR-6 SE using FilaCube PLA 2 filament.

In 2018, I made a prototype DMX controller without a PCB. It was pretty bad but it succeeded as a proof-of-concept.

The main parts used for the prototype were:

• Arduino Uno
  • DMXSerial library by Matthias Hertel
  • Prototype shield
• ST1480AC RS-485 transceiver
• 3-gang electrical outlet box
• Wago lever-nuts
• Three-pin Molex KK 254 connector