OT: RGB LED controller with digital input

Here we go. One of these and one of these. My ethernet-loving OCD is wagging it's tail like a beagle in a sausage factory 🍺
This made me think about an experiment I may have to try. DMX is a fairly simple one way protocol over RS-485. The MicroLogix 1400 has a RS-485 port. Could a ladder program be written to implement the DMX protocol to make a controller? Or could it listen and decode to make it a DMX device? My conference room has some DMX controlled accent lights, so I may have to tap into those and try the experiment.
 
I'd be surprised if you couldn't. In my research I found several references to that sort of thing, which at the time was just annoying because I have a 5370 CompactLogix with no serial port ;)
 
Has anyone successfully interfaced a PLC to a DMX controller before?

Not personally, but when I was at the Beckhoff training course, the RGB lighting in their display cabinet was DMX controlled from one of their cards.
 
Yeah, Beckhoff have a DMX card, I found that in my travels too. Maybe for Rev 2 I could use a 5380 Compact Logix with no I/O, and use all Beckhoff I/O...
 
That is almost exactly what I was after initially. Although, it wouldn't be a lot of fun programming PLC outputs to press buttons the right number of times to select the exact colour I want ;)



They also have DIN mount DMX decoders, though they're not as cost effective when you figure in buying a separate one for each discrete LED strip, as opposed to buying one unit that can do four LED strips.


In any case, it's full steam ahead on DMX control now!
 
I would use an simple arduino NANO and a led strip on three outputs. Put the output on will start the arduino and light the strip.
another one for other color.
cheap and simple
 
Thanks for the heads up daba, I've only got one space where I've got separate light strips from the same output, so I'll make sure to get those two strips colour matched :)
 
Here we go. One of these and one of these. My ethernet-loving OCD is wagging it's tail like a beagle in a sausage factory 🍺
Didn't actually end up putting Ethernet DMX control on it immediately because the customer wanted to get proof of concept (on the rest of the machine) before we spent more money on the fancy bits - for now we just used the DMX controller itself with fixed colours, and allowed space in the panel for the Ethernet/DMX adaptor
 

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