Axon — DMX bridge
Axon turns network lighting protocols into a physical DMX512 line: Art-Net or sACN in, RS-485 out. Add it wherever a classic DMX chain needs to meet an Ethernet rig. Status: alpha.
Hardware
Axon runs on the XDMX v1.4 board — a QuinLED-ESP32-AE with wired Ethernet, a MAX485 transceiver and a level shifter.
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| DMX output | RS-485 (MAX485), full 512-channel frame, DE/RE on GPIO 16 |
| Status display | SSD1306 OLED (I²C) — shows IP, active source, universe, frame rate |
| Aux LED outputs | 2 × level-shifted pixel outputs (GPIO 12 / 13), Elyon-style per-output config |
| Ethernet | LAN8720 wired, WiFi + AP fallback |
Bridge configuration
- Set the DMX input source (Art-Net or sACN) and the universe to listen to in the DMX section.
- The DMX1 card configures the wired output: enable it and pick the channel offset — the 512-channel slice of the incoming universe that is put on the wire.
- Wire the RS-485 A/B terminals to your DMX chain (A = Data+, B = Data−, plus signal ground). Terminate the last fixture on the line with 120 Ω.
OLED status
The display mirrors what the web UI shows: device ID and IP while idle, then per-source stats when traffic arrives — active protocol, universe, and live frame rate. When no DMX is being received it reads NO DMX, matching the web UI badge.
Auxiliary LED outputs
The two pixel outputs are configured exactly like Elyon outputs: LED type, pixel count, start universe and channel, grouping, brightness and color order — useful for rack lighting or indicator strips next to the bridge itself.