What is DMX
First of all, we have to understand DMX(Digital Multiplex) first. It’s a protocol used for controlling LED lighting, often seen in stage lighting for creating intricate effects.
DMX Universe Capacity
Capacity means how many channels does DMX have, the most common one is DMX512 which shows it has 512 channels. Sometimes, we use more than one DMX controller for big projects, so in this network, we call each DMX a DMX universe.
How many channel does LED strips have
LED strips varies in colors, chips, power, IC controlled, etc. But only color and IC decides how many channel it has.
Single-color strips: Normally, only 1 channel for the whole strip
RGB strips: 3 channels for red, green and blue.
RGBW strips: It uses 4 channels for red, green, blue and white.
RGBWW, RGBCW, RGBCCT strips: 1 channel for each color, so 5 channels in total.
Addressable strips: It depends how you control this strip, each LED can be controlled separately by IC, so for addressable single-color strip, 1channel/LED. For Addressable RGB strip, 3channel/LED.
How many LED strips can a DMX control
Single-color strips: 512pcs LED strips.
RGB strips: Up to 170pcs LED strips(512/3≈170).
RGBW strips: 128pcs LED strips.
RGBWW, RGBCW, RGBCCT: up to 102pcs LED strips(512/5≈102).
RGBIC strip: if you use 3 channels for the entire strip, you can control up to 170pcs strips with DMX512. However, if you use 3 channels for each LED, you can you only control 170pcs LEDs
Cautions
1. DMX decoder is the necessary device that translate DMX signal into control signal (PWM) for strips, make sure it’s connected properly.
2. You have to prepare power supply for all strips, DMX only provides signal to strips.
3. If you only have one DMX controller but need to control more strips, you can use a DMX splitter, it copies and extends DMX controller signal to multiple signals which enable you to control more strips.
4. Cable length is another factor that affects the quantity of strips you can reliably control, the longer cable length, the bigger signal degradation.
In summary, there is no correct answer to how many strips DMX can control. It depends on many factors, such as the number of channels of the DMX controller, the number of channels required for each strip, and how complex you want to control strips.
