City Theatrical Releases SHoW DMX™ Lab Test Data

City Theatrical (CTI) has released the first definitive laboratory data on wireless DMX ever created in the entertainment industry. CTI commissioned Intertek Testing Services of Totowa, New Jersey to test SHoW DMX, as well as three other widely used wireless DMX systems.

All were tested to ANSI E1.11- 2004 Entertainment Technology USITT DMX512- A—Asynchronous Serial Data Transmission Standard for Controlling Lighting Equipment and Accessories.

The complete 43 page lab report can be read on the CTI website.

Tests were performed in a semi-anechoic chamber to assure protection from other radio signals. Tests were performed and data was gathered in the following areas:

Interference with WiFi: Tests were conducted to measure how WiFi performance was impacted by operation in the same environment with wireless DMX systems.


Data Integrity Test: Tests were conducted to determine if the DMX packet was corrupted in any way during broadcast.

Fragmentation Test: Tests were conducted to measure the number of bad bytes per DMX packet.

Account Test: Tests were conducted to measure any extra packets or dropped packets.

The test results allow lighting users to compare leading brands of wireless DMX and to make comparisons about data fidelity and the systems’ effect on nearby WiFi systems.

The lab report’s conclusion states, “The City Theatrical SHoW DMX system demonstrated the highest degree of data fidelity and the least amount of RF interference with simultaneously operating 802.11B Wireless (WiFi) equipment.”

CTI’s President, Gary Fails, remarks, “These tests, conducted by a well known NRTL (Nationally Recognized Testing Lab), proved that SHoW DMX’s data fidelity was exactly equal to cable under laboratory conditions, exhibiting zero data errors on any test conducted. All other wireless DMX systems tested had large numbers of data errors, even in a perfect radio environment in the laboratory.”

CTI’s SHoW DMX system utilizes a patent pending method that synchronizes the hopping pattern of the radio with the incoming DMX burst to attain levels of data fidelity previously unreachable with wireless DMX. Additionally, SHoW DMX has a range of features including adjustable output power, limited bandwidth mode, and limited burst mode that allow it to peacefully coexist with other radio signals in the busy 2.4 GHz band.

SHoW DMX also is fully RDM so users can change radio settings and monitor receiver strength from their laptop during the performance.

The SHoW DMX family includes a transmitter, receiver, low voltage Dimmer, OEM modules for manufacturers, as well as receivers implemented into Color Kinetics® Power/Data supplies for LED lighting fixtures. CTI also offers engineering and fabrication services for custom projects utilizing wireless DMX, wireless dimming, and wireless LEDs.