Comscan LED General Information
Unpacking: Thank you for purchasing the Comscan LED by Ameri-
can DJ®. Every Comscan LED has been thoroughly tested and has
been shipped in perfect operating condition. Carefully check the shipping carton for damage that may have occurred during shipping. If the
carton appears to be damaged, carefully inspect your xture for any
damage and be sure all equipment necessary to operate the unit has
arrived intact. In the event damage has been found or parts are missing, please contact our toll free customer support number for further
instructions. Please do not return this unit to your dealer without con-
tacting customer support rst.
Introduction: The Comscan LED is a five channel DMX intelligent,
LED scanner. The Comscan LED can operate as a stand alone fixture
or in a Master/Slave configuration. The Comscan LED has three operating modes; sound active mode, show mode and DMX control. For
best results use fog or special effects smoke to enhance the beams
projections.
Customer Support: American DJ® provides a toll free customer
support line, to provide help and to answer any question should you
encounter problems during your set up or initial operation. You may
also visit us on the web at www.americandj.com for any comments or
suggestions. Service Hours are Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to
4:30 p.m. Pacic Standard Time.
Voice: (800) 322-6337
Fax: (323) 582-2941
E-mail: support@americandj.com
To purchase parts online visit http://parts.americandj.com
12/09
Warning! To prevent or reduce the risk of electrical shock or re, do
not expose this unit to rain or moisture.
Warning! This may cause severe eye damage. Avoid looking directly
into the light source at all times!
User Instructions
American DJ® - www.americandj.com - Comscan LED Instruction Manual Page 2
Comscan LED General Instructions
Comscan LED Safety Precautions
To optimize the performance of this product, please read these
operating instructions carefully to familiarize yourself with the basic
operations of this unit. These instructions contain important safety
information regarding the use and maintenance of this unit. Please
keep this manual with the unit, for future reference.
Comscan LED Features
• DMX-512 Protocol Compatible (Five DMX Channels)
• X/Y Mirror Control
• 3 Operating Modes - Sound Active, Show Mode, and DMX Control
• Internal Microphone
• Digital Display for Address and Function Setting
• UC3 Controller (Not Included)
Comscan LED Warranty Registration
The Comscan LED carries a 3 year (1095 days) limited warranty.
Please fill out the enclosed warranty card to validate your purchase
and warranty. You may also register your product online at www.
americandj.com. All returned service items whether under warranty or
not, must be freight pre-paid and accompany a return authorization
(R.A.) number. If the unit is under warranty you must provide a copy
of your proof of purchase invoice. Please contact American DJ® customer support for a R.A. number.
Comscan LED Handling Precautions
Caution! There are no user serviceable parts inside this unit. Do not
attempt any repairs yourself, doing so will void your manufactures warranty. In the unlikely event your unit may require service please contact
American DJ®.
American DJ® will not accept any liability for any resulting damages
caused by the non-observance of this manual or any unauthorized
modication to this unit.
For Your Own Personal Safety, Please Read and Understand This
Manual Completely Before You Attempt To Install Or Operate
This Unit!
• To reduce the risk of electrical shock or re, do not expose this unit
rain or moisture
• Do not spill water or other liquids into or on to your unit.
• Be sure that the local power outlet match that of the required volt age for your unit.
• Do not attempt to operate this unit if the power cord has been
frayed or broken.
• Do not attempt to remove or break off the ground prong from
the electrical cord. This prong is used to reduce the risk of electrical
shock and re in case of an internal short.
• Disconnect from main power before making any type of connection.
• Do not remove the cover under any conditions. There are no user
serviceable parts inside.
• Never operate this unit when it’s cover is removed.
• Always be sure to mount this unit in an area that will allow proper
ventilation. Allow about 6” (15cm) between this device and a wall.
• Do not attempt to operate this unit, if it becomes damaged.
• This unit is intended for indoor use only, use of this product out doors voids all warranties.
• Always mount this unit in safe and stable matter.
• Power-supply cords should be routed so that they are not likely to
be walked on or pinched by items placed upon or against them,
paying particular attention to cords at plugs, convenience recep-
tacles, and the point where they exit from the appliance.
• Cleaning -The fixture should be cleaned only as recommended by
the manufacturer. See page 15 for cleaning details.
• Heat -This fixture should be situated away from heat sources such
as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other appliances (including
amplifiers) that produce heat.
• The fixture should be serviced by qualified service personnel when:
A. Objects have fallen, or liquid has been spilled into the appliance.
B. The appliance has been exposed to rain or water.
C. The appliance does not appear to operate normally or exhibits a
marked change in performance.
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Comscan LED Set Up
DMX512 IN
3-PIN XLR
REMOTE
CONTROL
INPUT
POWER
INPUT OUTPUT
SOUND
REMOTE
CONTROL
INPUT
POWER
INPUT OUTPUT
SOUND
REMOTE
CONTROL
INPUT
POWER
INPUT OUTPUT
DMX512
DMX+,DMX-,COMMON
1
2
3
Terminatio n reduces signal errors and
avo ids sign al transmission prob lems
and interference. It is always advisable
to connect a DMX terminal, (Resistance
120 Ohm 1/4 W) between PIN 2 (DMX-)
and PIN 3 (DMX +) of th e las t fixture.
1
2
3
1
2
3
DMX +
DMX -
COMMON
DMX512 OUT
3-PIN XLR
POWER
SOUND
REMOTE
CONTROL
INPUT
POWER
INPUT OUTPUT
1
2
3
Terminatio n reduces signal errors and
avo ids sign al transmission prob lems
and interference. It is always advisable
to connect a DMX terminal, (Resistance
120 Ohm 1/4 W) between PIN 2 (DMX-)
and PIN 3 (DMX +) of th e las t fixture.
Comscan LED Set Up
Power Supply: The American DJ® Comscan LED contains an elec-
tronic ballast, which will auto sense the voltage when it is plugged into
the power source. With the electronic ballast you do not need to worry
about wall voltage, this unit can be plugged in anywhere. Also be sure
to only use the included I.E.C. power cable supplied with the unit.
DMX-512: DMX is short for Digital Multiplex. This is a universal pro-
tocol used by most lighting and controller manufactures as a form of
communication between intelligent fixtures and controllers. A DMX
controller sends DMX data instructions from the controller to the fixture. DMX data is sent as serial data that travels from fixture to fixture
via the DATA “IN” and DATA “OUT” XLR terminals located on all DMX
fixtures (most controllers only have a DATA “OUT” terminal).
DMX Linking: DMX is a language allowing all makes and models
of different manufactures to be linked together and operate from a
single controller, as long as all xtures and the controller are DMX
compliant. To ensure proper DMX data transmission, when using
several DMX fixtures try to use the shortest cable path possible. The
order in which fixtures are connected in a DMX line does not influence
the DMX addressing. For example; a fixture assigned a DMX address
of 1 may be placed anywhere in a DMX line, at the beginning, at the
end, or anywhere in the middle. Therefore, the first fixture controlled
by the controller could be the last fixture in the chain. When a fixture
is assigned a DMX address of 1, the DMX controller knows to send
DATA assigned to address 1 to that unit, no matter where it is located
in the DMX chain.
Data Cable (DMX Cable) Requirements (For DMX and Master/Slave
Operation): The Comscan LED can be controlled via DMX-512 pro-
tocol. The Comscan LED is a ve channel DMX
unit. The DMX address is set electronically using
the controls on the rear panel of the unit. Your unit
and your DMX controller require a approved DMX-
512 110 Ohm Data cable for data input and data
output (Figure 1). We recommend Accu-Cable DMX
cables. If you are making your own cables, be sure
to use standard 110-120 Ohm shielded cable (This
cable may be purchased at almost all professional
sound and lighting stores). Your cables should be made with a male
and female XLR connector on either end of the cable. Also remember
that DMX cable must be daisy chained and cannot be split.
Notice: Be sure to follow gures two and three when making your own
cables. Do not use the ground lug on the XLR connector. Do not connect the cable’s shield conductor to the ground lug or allow the shield
conductor to come in contact with the XLR’s outer casing. Grounding
the shield could cause a short circuit and erratic behavior.
Figure 2
XLR Male Socket
1 Ground
2 Cold
3 Hot
Figure 3
Special Note: Line Termination.
used, you may need to use a terminator on the last unit to avoid erratic
Figure 1
behavior. A terminator is a 110-120 ohm 1/4 watt resistor which is connected between pins 2 and 3 of a male XLR connector (DATA + and
DATA -). This unit is inserted in the female XLR connector of the last
unit in your daisy chain to terminate the line. Using a cable terminator
(ADJ part number Z-DMX/T) will decrease the possibilities of erratic
behavior.
American DJ® - www.americandj.com - Comscan LED Instruction Manual Page 6American DJ® - www.americandj.com - Comscan LED Instruction Manual Page 5
XLR Female Socket
2 Cold
XLR Pin Conguration
1 Ground
3 Hot
Pin 1 = Ground
Pin 2 = Data Compliment (negative)
Pin 3 = Data True (positive)
When longer runs of cable are
Figure 4