5 pin XLR male connector.
5 pin XLR female connector.
The 5-pin XLR is a circular multipole connector with a 19 mm nominal shell diameter, defined by IEC 61076-2-103:2004, and is mandatory for DMX512-A lighting control under ANSI E1.11-2008 — the standard explicitly prohibits the use of 3-pin XLR for DMX. On the DMX512-A assignment, Pin 1 carries the data link common (shield/ground), Pins 2 and 3 carry the primary differential data pair (Data 1− and Data 1+), and Pins 4 and 5 are reserved for an optional secondary data link. Beyond DMX, the 5-pin XLR also appears in stereo intercom headset applications (e.g. Clear-Com), where the two additional pins carry left and right headphone signals, as well as in several proprietary stage lighting and talkback protocols from manufacturers such as AVAB, CCT, Strand, and TecPro.
| Pin | ||
|---|---|---|
| Application | 1 | 2 |
| AVAB | SignalGround | Data - |
| CCT Regal II (Dimmer Control) | 0 Volts | DMXData - |
| CCT Regal II (Coloursette Control) | 0 Volts | DMXData - |
| CMX | SignalGround | Data - |
| DMX512 | Screen | Data -Primary |
| PMX | Screen | Signal |
| SMX | Screen | Data - |
| Strand Colour Call Scroller | DMX OV | DMX + |
| TecPro2ch Headset | MicScreen | MicSignal |
Notes
- The DMX512-A standard (ANSI E1.11-2008) mandates a 5-pin XLR connector; 3-pin XLR for DMX is explicitly prohibited by section 7.1.2 of that standard, though non-compliant 3-pin wiring is found on some budget and DJ equipment.
- DMX512-A uses EIA-485 differential balanced signalling at 250 kbaud on 120-ohm shielded twisted-pair cable. A 120-ohm termination resistor must be fitted between Data+ and Data− at the far end of each run.
- Pins 4 and 5 on the DMX512-A assignment carry an optional secondary data link (Data 2+ and Data 2−); most equipment leaves these unconnected.
- For intercom headset use (e.g. Clear-Com XLR-5F), Pin 1 = microphone screen, Pin 2 = microphone input, Pin 3 = headphone return, Pin 4 = left headphone output, Pin 5 = right headphone output.
- Male connectors (plugs) are conventionally used for DMX data output from a controller; female connectors (sockets) are used for DMX data input to a device.
Signals
- Screen / Signal Ground / 0 V — data link common; connects to cable shield and circuit ground at the source end.
- Data −Primary — the inverting (minus) leg of the primary EIA-485 differential data pair.
- Data +Primary — the non-inverting (plus) leg of the primary EIA-485 differential data pair.
- Data 2+ / Data 2− — optional secondary data link pins (Pins 4 and 5); defined in ANSI E1.11-2008 but rarely implemented.
- MicScreen / MicSignal — microphone ground and signal conductors used in TecPro and similar two-channel headset applications.
- DMX OV / DMX+ — proprietary Strand Colour Call Scroller labelling for the DMX common and positive data conductors.