Editing DMX512 (section)

==== Common non-compliant connectors ====
In the early days of digital lighting control, equipment manufacturers employed various connectors and pinouts for their proprietary digital control signals. The most common of these is the three-pin [[XLR connector]]. When DMX512 was ratified, many of these manufacturers then issued firmware updates to enable the use of DMX512 control on their existing equipment by the use of a simple adapter to and from the standard 5-pin XLR style connector.

As the electrical specification currently only defines a purpose for a single wire pair, some equipment manufacturers continue to use it. Such equipment is not compliant with the DMX standard, but may be sufficiently compatible for operation using simple adapters.

There is a risk of equipment damage if 3-pin XLR audio and DMX signals are plugged into each other. 

===== XLR-3 pinout =====
Section 7 of ANSI E1.11 - 2008 prohibits the use of XLR-3 connectors with DMX512. However, in practice XLR-3 has become a de facto standard in the lighting industry with the following pinout commonly seen:
# Ground
# Data 1-
# Data 1+

Since DMX512 over XLR-3 is not officially standardised, there may be devices which use other pinouts.

===== Other RJ-45 pinouts =====
[[Color Kinetics]] has their own version of the RJ-45 connector for DMX,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dl.colorkinetics.com/files/web/support/pro/wiring/RJ45_TO_RJ45.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2016-06-28 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417220016/http://www.dl.colorkinetics.com/files/web/support/pro/wiring/RJ45_TO_RJ45.pdf |archive-date=2016-04-17 }}</ref> which predates the 2008 official inclusion in the DMX512 standard. The pinout specifically for Color Kinetics LED lighting products is:

# Data 1-
# Data 1+
# Shield
# Optional
# Optional
# Optional
# Optional
# Optional