Wireless Solution W-DMX

Wireless Solution AB, a Swedish wireless DMX manufacturer, has recently released a new wireless DMX system called W-DMX. It works with any device that transmits a DMX signal, transmitting to a wireless receiver at the receiving device. It’s intended for systems where hard-wiring a DMX signal is impossible or impractical. For example, when several large format automated lights were placed on several tall buildings during the Super Bowl and operated from the top of another tall building, it was not practical to run DMX cable to the fixtures.

The W-DMX system uses a type of wireless technology that is based on “frequency hopping” which is well-suited for this application. It’s taken from a standard called IEEE 802.11 (FHSS or Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum) and it’s similar to Bluetooth wireless technology in that it is constantly changing the frequency of transmission in order to avoid interference. For that reason, W-DMX is touted as being less susceptible to interference from other wireless systems compared to IEEE 802.11 a/b/g DSSS (Direct Sequencing Spread Spectrum) technology, which is what is used by most wireless LANs such as a laptop wireless card.

W-DMX also used Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), which is a way of splitting up the data before it’s transmitted and putting it back together at the receiving end. It’s similar to the protocol used by ATM machines and helps to make the data more secure and less vulnerable to being intercepted.

The W-DMX system is very simple to use and it is completely plug-and-play. The transmitters will automatically detect any Wireless Solution receivers in the area and assign them to respond to its signal. If you are looking to run more than one universe of DMX wirelessly, you simply set up each universe one at a time and they will work as intended, powering up receivers then transmitters for each universe in sequence. Each box retains its setup link even if power is lost, and when it is rebooted, it will regain its DMX link in about one second. The login information is stored in an EEPROM and will not be erased on power down, so no battery backup is needed. In theory, the units stay logged in to each other forever. The outdoor models of the W-DMX have a built-in UPS that will run them for up to eight hours if power is interrupted. Currently, no indoor models are available with battery backup, but they might be available on other models in the future. To change the link between boxes, the receivers must first be taken offline and reset. Then, whichever transmitter is to be linked to them must be reset to reacquire the receivers. This takes about 10 seconds and worked every time I tried it.

The communication between devices is very robust and shows no sign of dropping DMX packets. After testing this system with both single and multiple universes, I found it to be very straightforward and reliable. While running both universes, I tried a variety of chases and color effects to see how the units would react, and there was no visible loss or disruption in communication. The testing environment was in a large lighting shop warehouse with moderate radio activity.

The units can vary in size, but they are approximately 6 by 8 inches and very lightweight. Antennas will also vary according to the application and they change the working range of the units. The maximum distance with a standard antenna is 1km, but it can also work with other antennas boosting its range up to 30km. The system can also include single repeaters, which simply retransmit the signal and increase the wireless range, and transceivers, which can act as a transmitter, repeater and receiver. Overall, the system is extremely robust and easy to use.