ArtNet DMX Controller Ethernet DMX512 Converter

The FEL-CA3 is the ArtNet-to-DMX512 converter for the Ethernet installs — the gateway between the lighting network and the DMX gear. The console or the media server speaks ArtNet across the network; the CA3 receives it and carries 4CH of DMX512 signal out to the fixtures, the dimmers and the decoders that hang off the DMX line. The LCD screen at the unit runs the config, the built-in test mode checks the rig before the doors open, and the 8 timing plays and 16 recorded effects hold the looks when no one is driving. The firmware upgrades online, the supply is DC9V from the adapter, and the body is the same 145×78.4×29.4mm desktop plate at 410g the CD1 uses.

ArtNet in, DMX512 out

The input row names the protocol — ArtNet, the Ethernet control protocol the lighting networks and the media servers run. The output row carries 4CH of DMX512 signal — the DMX line the fixtures, dimmers and decoders speak. Between the two rows the CA3 does the one job a converter does: it takes the show off the network and puts it onto the DMX line, in the direction the modern installs run — Ethernet on the backbone, DMX at the gear.

The LCD and the test mode

The LCD screen at the unit carries the config: the settings read and set on the decoder-sized display, no laptop opened at the rack. The built-in test mode runs the rig before the show — the outputs checked from the unit itself, which is what the install crews do at the load-in and what the house techs do on the Monday walk. Between the screen and the test mode, the box is operable without a console on the desk.

Timing plays and recorded effects

The unit records effects — 16 of them — and plays 8 of them on a timing schedule. That is the standalone story: the looks captured once, replayed on the clock for the unattended hours, and the recorded effects recalled at the touch of the unit. The retail frontage and the architectural installs hold their sequence without a console on site, and the recording means the looks match what the designer set, not an approximation.

Online firmware

The firmware upgrades online — the box takes protocol and feature updates over the network, without a trip to the cabinet or a re-flash on a bench. For a converter that sits on the lighting backbone, that is the maintenance path that keeps it current across the install’s life.

Working envelope

Working temperature spans -20°C to +55°C, which covers the plant rooms, the racks and the counters the converter lives on. The supply is DC9V from the adapter — the plug type is advised at order so it suits the country. The body is 145×78.4×29.4mm at 410g — the same desktop plate the CD1 uses, sized for the desk, the rack shelf or the cabinet shelf.

Where it gets used

The converter earns its place wherever the lighting network and the DMX gear meet: the theatre where the console runs Ethernet and the dimmers want DMX, the club where the newer network side meets the older DMX rig, the retail and architectural installs where the backbone is Ethernet and the fixtures are DMX. It is the box that lets the network investment reach the gear already on the wall.

Where it sits in the range

The Ethernet side of the range splits by what it drives. The CA3 is this ArtNet-to-DMX512 converter — the gateway to the DMX gear. The CA2 is the pixel controller: ArtNet and sACN in, 16 SPI pixel ports at 5,440 pixels, with 2×512 channels of DMX bridging out. The CD1 is the compact DMX-and-SPI pixel controller with the remote and the scheduled playback. And downstream of them all, the CV decoder family — the DIN rail units, the slim bodies, the stage boxes — translates the DMX into constant-voltage PWM for the strips.

Why do buyers pick the FEL-CA3 over the alternatives? Here is what we hear from customers:
The gateway job, done cleanly. ArtNet in on the Ethernet, 4CH of DMX512 signal out — the network reaches the gear already on the wall.
The LCD and the test mode. The config and the rig check happen at the unit — no laptop opened at the rack.
16 recorded effects, 8 timing plays. The looks captured once and replayed on the clock — the unattended hours hold the designer’s sequence.
Online firmware. The converter stays current over the network as the protocols and the features move, without a trip to the cabinet.
Desktop scale. 145×78.4×29.4mm at 410g on the DC9V adapter — the desk, the rack shelf or the cabinet shelf.
One job, no detours. A converter that converts — the show comes in off the network and lands on the DMX line, without a second box in between.

The FEL-CA3 is the gateway between the lighting network and the DMX gear — the converter that lets the Ethernet investment reach the fixtures already on the wall.
Theatres and venues. The console on the Ethernet backbone, the dimmers and the older DMX rig fed from the CA3’s output.
Clubs and live rooms. The newer network side meeting the existing DMX fixtures, the recorded effects covering the gaps between DJs.
Architectural and retail networks. The building’s lighting network bridging down to the DMX fixtures and dimmers on the shopfloor, the timing plays running the daytime sequence.
Load-ins and walk-throughs. The built-in test mode checking the rig from the unit before the console is even set, the LCD reading back the state on site.
Rack and desk installs. The compact 410g body on the rack shelf or the desk, the LCD carrying the config on site.
For the pixel side of the range, the CA2 drives the SPI pixels directly off its 16 ports; the CD1 adds the remote and the schedule at the desktop scale, and the CV decoder family runs the strips downstream.