DMX/Show Buddy - What is the shortest time interval?

Chat about Show Buddy Setlist show control software.
KevinH
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2021 4:02 pm

DMX/Show Buddy - What is the shortest time interval?

Post by KevinH »

Greetings,

My name is Kevin and I am new to the forums.


I'm researching LED lights that are controlled with DMX and maybe Show Buddy.

May I ask what the shortest pulse of light that is possible with DMX control and the Show Buddy software?

I'm actually hoping to use this system for photography and would like to use the short burst of light in a way as a shutter.

Thank you for reading this.
Have a good new week.
Be well :)

Best Regards,
Kevin
Dave Brown [admin]
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Re: DMX/Show Buddy - What is the shortest time interval?

Post by Dave Brown [admin] »

Difficult to answer without further details of your planned design. However, the DMX protocol isn't designed to control fast lighting events. Even running at its fastest refresh rate, DMX only updates lights every 1/40 seconds. Some cheaper lighting fixtures can't cope with this rate, so we actually throttle the update interval in DMXIS/Show Buddy to 1/25 sec.

The limitations of DMX timing are covered in a little more detail in this article.

Where very accurate bursts of light are required (for example, an accurate strobe at a particular frequency) you would typically use a light fixture that handles all strobe timing on-board, and DMX is only used to enable/disable the fixture.
Dave Brown - db audioware
Author of Show Buddy Setlist | Show Buddy Active | ArtNetMon
KevinH
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2021 4:02 pm

Re: DMX/Show Buddy - What is the shortest time interval?

Post by KevinH »

Hello Dave Brown,

Thanks for your reply.

I think my shutter speeds would be 1/8th of a second to a few seconds.

From your link and reply, I guess this is possible?

I might be going a different route, but knowing the LED burst/timing is possible is comforting lol

Thanks :)

Be well

Best Regards,
Kevin H.
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