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DMX, Art-Net, sACN: The Complete Guide to Lighting Control

At a glance

DMX512 is a standardised communication protocol (ANSI E1.11) used to control lighting fixtures and stage accessories from a console or software. Art-Net and sACN carry that same DMX signal over an Ethernet network, allowing several universes to run over a single network cable.

  • Channels per DMX512 universe: 512
  • DMX512 data rate: 250 kbit/s over an RS-485 link
  • DMX512 cabling: shielded twisted pair, 120 Ω, 3- or 5-pin XLR connector
  • sACN standard: ANSI E1.31, multicast delivery
  • Universes over Art-Net/sACN: several thousand, on a single Ethernet network
  • Chromateq: builds the software (PRO DMX 2, PIXXEM) and the DMX, Art-Net and sACN interfaces used from clubs to architectural LED façades

Table of contents

  1. What is DMX512?
  2. What is a DMX universe?
  3. What is Art-Net?
  4. What is sACN (E1.31)?
  5. DMX, Art-Net or sACN: which one to choose?
  6. How to cable a DMX installation?
  7. Which Chromateq gear for which project?
  8. DMX glossary
  9. Frequently asked questions

What is DMX512?

DMX512 (ANSI E1.11 standard) is a digital communication protocol used to control lighting fixtures and stage accessories from a console, an interface or software. Each device is assigned a DMX address that sets which channel it reads its data from; each channel carries a value between 0 and 255.

The signal runs over an RS-485 serial link at 250 kbit/s, through a 120 Ω shielded twisted-pair cable and 3- or 5-pin XLR connectors depending on the equipment. A DMX512 line is wired in a daisy chain and terminated with a 120 Ω terminator on the last device.

For a full walkthrough (addressing, modes, sequencing), see Chromateq’s All about DMX guide.

What is a DMX universe?

A DMX universe is the set of 512 channels carried on a single data line. It can control up to 512 independent values at once, shared across the connected devices.

How many devices fit on one universe depends on how many channels each device uses: 512 ÷ 3 channels (RGB) ≈ 170 fixtures; 512 ÷ 4 channels (RGBW) = 128 fixtures. Once a project needs more than 512 channels, a second universe is required — which in practice means moving to Art-Net or sACN to carry several universes over one network, or running a second, independent DMX line.

What is Art-Net?

Art-Net is an open protocol that carries DMX512 (and RDM) over a standard Ethernet network, encapsulating the data in UDP packets (port 6454). It lets several DMX universes travel over a single network cable, where a standard DMX512 line only carries one.

Developed by Artistic Licence, Art-Net has gone through several versions: broadcast delivery in its early releases (1998), unicast from version 2 (2006) to reduce network load, and tighter interoperability with sACN and RDM since version 4 (2016). Chromateq supports Art-Net input and output in its PRO DMX 2 software and in several of its interfaces.

For version details and network setup, see Chromateq’s All about Art-Net guide.

What is sACN (E1.31)?

sACN (Streaming ACN, ANSI E1.31 standard) also carries DMX512 over Ethernet via UDP, on port 5568. Its main difference from Art-Net: sACN uses multicast delivery and natively manages priority between several sources controlling the same universe, which makes it well suited to large installations running multiple consoles or backup systems.

Chromateq’s PIXXEM software and several interfaces (NODE PoE, CLUB POE…) support sACN input and output alongside Art-Net.

DMX, Art-Net or sACN: which one to choose?

Criterion DMX512 Art-Net sACN (E1.31)
Standard ANSI E1.11 Open standard (Artistic Licence) ANSI E1.31
Physical layer RS-485 cable, XLR connector Ethernet network, UDP port 6454 Ethernet network, UDP port 5568
Universes per line/network 1 per DMX line Several thousand on one network Several thousand on one network
Delivery — Broadcast or unicast depending on version Multicast
Native priority between sources No No Yes
Typical use Final run to fixtures Studios, events, mid-size installations Large installations, architecture, multi-source backup

How to cable a DMX installation?

A DMX512 line is wired as a daisy chain: the DMX output of the interface or console feeds the input of the first device, whose output then feeds the input of the next one, and so on. Never wire a star or loop topology on a single line.

The cable must be a 120 Ω shielded twisted pair (a dedicated DMX/AES-EBU cable, not a standard audio XLR cable), terminated with a 120 Ω terminator on the last device’s output. Beyond a certain number of devices or a certain line length, a DMX splitter or booster regenerates the signal and isolates segments. Chromateq offers interfaces with a built-in splitter (for example the CQSA-E2 1024) for the most demanding installations.

For wiring diagrams and per-product specifications, see Chromateq’s technical documentation and datasheets; for software walkthroughs, see the manuals and tutorials.

HOW Which Chromateq gear for which project?

Project type Chromateq product / software Key points
Club, nightclub, events CQSA-E2 1024 DMX + Art-Net/sACN Out + RDM + built-in splitter, 2×512 channels
Architectural install in an electrical cabinet DIN-E 512/1024/2048 DIN-rail mounting, up to 2048 DMX channels, standalone operation without a computer
Indoor wall-mounted control TOUCH 1024 Flush-mount touch panel, up to 1024 channels
Art-Net/sACN to DMX conversion NODE PoE PoE powered, Art-Net + sACN + RDM
LED strips and pixels (SPI) CLUB SPI Up to 3072 SPI channels, DMX512/RDM input
DALI lighting alongside DMX CLUB DALI DALI DT6/DT8 commissioning + DMX512/RDM
Large-scale LED façade / pixel mapping PIXXEM (software) Up to 3,072 Art-Net universes, DMX/Art-Net/sACN/DVI outputs
Live and standalone multi-universe programming PRO DMX 2 (free software) Up to 64 DMX/Art-Net/RDM universes, 18,000+ fixture profiles
Pre-installation simulation Studio DMX (software) 3D visualisation of scenes and stage sets
Remote control Wi-Light (app) Control from a smartphone or tablet

It is not an exhaustive list. See the full interface comparison for other references (SPLIT RDM, DMX SPI, CLUB 512+, CLUB POE, CLUB 128, CLUB 512, CQSA 512/1024, SLIM 512/1024, NODE-2…).

DMX GLOSSARY

Chromateq maintains a DMX glossary that defines every technical lighting-control term (universe, channel, DMX address, RDM, splitter…) in one or two sentences. Link to it from any product page or guide whenever a technical term appears.

Frequently asked questions

How many channels are in a DMX universe?

A DMX universe has 512 channels, each able to hold a value from 0 to 255.

Art-Net and sACN both carry DMX over an Ethernet network via UDP. sACN (ANSI E1.31) uses multicast and natively manages priority between several sources, which makes it well suited to large installations; Art-Net remains widely used in events and mid-size installations.

It depends on the channel count per fixture: about 170 fixtures in RGB (3 channels) or 128 in RGBW (4 channels) across the 512 available channels.

No. Chromateq interfaces (DIN-E, TOUCH, CQSA-E2…) can record a show to internal memory and play it back standalone, without a connected computer.

PRO DMX 2 controls up to 64 DMX, Art-Net and RDM universes on Windows, macOS and Linux; PIXXEM is built for pixel mapping and large-scale LED video.

By placing a 120 Ω terminator on the DMX output of the last device on the line, to prevent signal reflections.

RDM (Remote Device Management) is a DMX512 extension that lets you query and configure a device remotely (address, mode, status) on the same line, without interrupting lighting control.

The NODE PoE converts Art-Net and sACN to DMX512, with PoE power and RDM compatibility.

For practical enquiries (USB drivers, software compatibility, ordering, warranty), see Chromateq’s FAQ