The DIN Pixie DMX to SPI pixel controller is packed with smart features
alongside its DMX to SPI conversion it allows for standalone show playback, pixel grouping,
playing pre-recorded shows on DMX loss and USB to pixel control using our developer API.
Let's get into it.
Inside the box we've got a USB Type A to Type B cable that's used to connect the DIN Pixie
to your computer for configuration and to upload or record standalone shows to it.
inside this bubble wrap pouch we've got the DIN Pixie. it's DIN mounting clip used to
connect it to TS35 DIN rails and two screws to attach the clip to the body of the unit.
Finally we've got our quick start guide and an ENTTEC sticker.
Let's have a look in more detail.
On the front of the DIN Pixie we've got a single colour LED
status indicator that shows whether the DIN Pixie is receiving data from USB.
receiving DMX, or is in standalone mode where the DIN Pixie can record and play a sequence of
up to 4 000 frames of DMX or ArtNet in a loop. If the LED is constantly on it means there's
an error with the device and you should plug it into your computer to investigate what's going on.
On the back we've got two holes for surface
mounting the DIN Pixie in any orientation using two screws.
Between these you can see the two holes used to attach the TS35 din mount we unboxed earlier.
On the bottom we've got two RJ45 ports used for DMX input. These allow you to connect DMX control
data from a lighting controller. These connectors use the ANSI E1.27-2 standard for permanently
installed control cables. If you wanted to create your own cables to connect to the DIN Pixie,
we've added this to the product documentation and in our knowledge base on the top of the device.
We've got two SPI outputs to control Pixel Dots and Tape.
This also acts as a power source for the DIN Pixie. Voltage input is between 5 and 48 volts.
Depending on your DIN Pixie configuration you can convert each DMX input to an SPI output
this will give you a total of 1024 channels of led to control this works out to be 340
individual 8-bit RGB LED pixels so just over 10 meters of 30 pixels per meter LED Tape.
You can control these 340 LED's out of one port in one long continuous strip,
or you can duplicate this onto both output ports. Alternatively,
you could split it for one universe on each port giving 170 RGB pixels on each.
Of course, you're not just limited to just RGB pixels the DIN Pixel supports
RGB / RGBW and various other pixel order, colours and protocol types
see the ENTTEC website for more information finally we've got the sturdy USB Type B connector,
this allows you to connect the DIN Pixie to your computer for configuration.
To connect it, simply use the USB cable provided in the box and plug it into your computer.
The DIN Pixie will start booting up then the indicator should begin flashing at 0.5 Hz.
Driver installation should be automatic,
however if you do have issues installing head over to the knowledge base on our website.
After this you'll be able to configure it. It's worth noting that all ports including the USB
on the DIN Pixie are protected against transient voltage and surges up to eight kilovolts contact.
Additionally, each data port is covered by resettable fuses.
This makes it perfectly suited to long-term installations and capable of dealing with
any surprise faults or electrical noise that may occur on the data line.
You can be sure that the DIN Pixie blocks these faults from passing through to other
devices on your installation, Here we've set up a simple system with
our DIN Pixie and smart pixel 40 dots the laptop is connected to the DIN Pixel via
USB and one SPI output is connected to the Dots and a 24V power supply.
We'll upload the demo show via USB to its internal memory and see it start playing back instantly.
This can be set to playback infinitely or a fixed number of times after start-up.
This can now be unplugged and deployed on your installation.
The configuration software used for the DIN Pixie allows you to record up to 4000 frames
of ArtNet or a DMX universe to be saved onto the device for unattended playback.
Finally we'll set the DIN Pixie to receive DMX and plug a DMX source
into it. Here we're using a DMX USB Pro to generate the DMX feed
but it could be the output of a lighting desk a DMX node or anything else.
The DIN Pixie's made in our Melbourne HQ and shipped out to projects globally. If you've
got any questions let us know in the comments below or get in touch with us at enttec.com