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DDS 6000 DIMMER PACK
Software Revision 1.0 and above, Version C, UL Versions INTRODUCTION
NSI DIGITAL DIMMING SYSTEM
DDS 6000 DIMMER PACK
INSTALLATION AND OPERATION GUIDE
Software Revision 1.0 and above, Version C, UL Versions
INTRODUCTION
The NSI DDS 6000 represents a key part of a state of the art, integrated lighting control system. These dimmers may operate in
a "stand alone" mode for automated lighting of displays or may be combined with an NSI memory lighting console for total lighting
control. The DDS 6000 provides four channels of 1200 watts each. This dimmer is designed for portable or permanent use for
entertainment or display lighting. Several DDS dimmer packs may be combined for more channels of lighting.
SPECIFICATIONS
Number of Channels: 4
Output capacity: 1200 Watts per channel.
Input Power: DDS 6000-15: 120 VAC 1800 Watts max (one power source)
DDS 6000-20: 120 VAC 2400 Watts max (one power source)
DDS 6000Plus-15: 120 VAC 3600 Watts max (two power sources)
DDS 6000Plus-20: 120 VAC 4800 Watts max (two power sources)
Dimmer control system: Microprocessor digital phase control dimming or
zero-crossing relay mode.
Load filtering: ~ 400us rise time.
Control Input Types: 0 - 10VDC each channel on 5 pin Din connector.
MICROPLEX multiplex signal (128 channel)
on three pin XLR type connector.
DMX-512 digital signal (512 channel) on five pin XLR optional.
Control Wiring: Class 2 low voltage.
Output Connections: 2 NEMA 5-15 outlets per channel.
Screw terminals optional
Cooling System: Passive external aluminum heatsinks.
Ambient Temperature: 100 degree F Maximum.
Load Type: AC lighting loads only
Enclosure Type: For indoor use only, (Utilizer dans un endroit a l’abri.)
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DDS 6000 DIMMER PACK
MOUNTING Software Revision 1.0 and above, Version C, UL Versions
MOUNTING
The NSI DDS 6000 dimmer pack is designed to be mounted VERTICALLY. Each dimmer pack is provided with two mounting
flanges or ears designed for securing to the center of truss bars or attaching to other vertical surfaces. Since the DDS 6000 depends
upon convection cooling, room air flow must be insured. Keep the air vents located on front and each side of the dimmer pack
clear of dust or any obstructions. In order for the unit to cool properly the control receptacles must be oriented towards the floor.
If several units are to be operated in a small enclosed room, adequate ventilation must be provided to prevent the room temperature
from exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit
AC POWER CABLE(S) - PORTABLE CONNECTION
This is the main power cord(s) for your dimmer pack which ultimately carries all of the ac power consumed by lights connected to
the dimmer pack. The DDS6000 with the NEMA 5-15 plug is limited to 1800 watts max. While the unit with NEMA 5-20 plug
will support 2400 watts. The DDS6000 Plus includes two cords, one per each two channels, which doubles the maximum capacity.
The power cord(s) must be connected to a power source capable of supplying the total power drawn by the lights. (See specifications
for details on maximum power capability.)
WARNING: Do not remove grounding prong of AC plug. To do so may allow exposure to potentially lethal voltage levels
and will void the warranty on this product.
AC OUTPUT RECEPTACLES
The DDS 6000 has two AC receptacles for each channel. These receptacles provide power to the lamps in your lighting system.
The amount of power supplied to these outlets controls the intensity of the lamps connected.
The total lamp wattage connected to each channel must not exceed the rating of each channel (see specifications). For inductive
loads, the total lamp volt-amperes plus the volt-amperes of any ballast or transformer must not exceed the rating of each channel.
NOTE: Some inductive type loads such as transformers, ballasts, and motors, with poor power factor may cause the dimmer
to output D.C. type current. This may cause the load to draw excessive current and overheat, causing damage to the
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DDS 6000 DIMMER PACK
Software Revision 1.0 and above, Version C, UL Versions PERMANENT CONNECTION
transformer, ballast, or motor. For this reason, it is necessary to insure any inductive loads are fused individually for their
respective normal operating current.
PERMANENT CONNECTION
The DDS6000 is available as an optional DDS6000 Plus-20 terminal version. This version must be installed by qualified personnel
in accordance with applicable electrical codes.
AC Input
Conduit containing line conductors enters pack through one of the knock-outs in the top end. The two 20A, 120V, 60HZ, 2 wire
line circuits, A and B, are terminated to their respective terminals labeled Line and Line N. The terminals accept wire sizes 22-8
AWG CU and have a torque rating of 8 in-lbs. Line equipment grounding conductor, if a wire, terminates to the lug labeled Gnd.
The ground lug accepts wire size 14-6 AWG CU and has a torque rating of 35 in-lbs. (14-10 AWG), 40 in-lbs. (8 AWG), and 45
in-lbs. (6 AWG).
AC Output
Conduit containing load conductors enters pack through on of the knock-outs in the top end. The four 1200W max, 120V, 2 wire
load circuits, 1 through 4, are terminated to their respective terminals labeled Load and Load N. Circuits 1 and 2 are supplied from
input A, and circuits 3 and 4 from input B. The control power supply is also supplied by input A. Terminal rating are the same
as indicated above for line terminals.
MICROPLEX MULTIPLEX CONTROL WIRING.
Microplex is the control protocol used on most NSI lighting consoles. This system uses a single three conductor cable to transmit
up to 128 channels of dimmer control. For short distances (50 feet or less) a standard microphone cable may be used to carry both
the control signal and the DC power source for NSI control consoles. Longer distances may be accommodated with 18 gauge or
better cable to reduce voltage losses of the power supply.
Connect the Microplex control cable to either of the three pin XLR jacks. Since both jacks are wired in parallel, another control
cable may connected between the remaining jack and another dimmer pack. Many dimmer packs may be "daisy chained" together
in this manner.
Be sure to set the Channel Address dip switch as required (see DIP SWITCH SETTINGS).
ANALOG 0 - 10 VDC CONTROL WIRING.
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DDS 6000 DIMMER PACK
DMX-512 MULTIPLEX CONTROL WIRING. Software Revision 1.0 and above, Version C, UL Versions
Each of the four dimmer channels of the DDS 6000 may be operated by an analog 0 - 10 VDC control voltage. This type of control
will provide 0% intensity at 0 volts and 100% intensity at 10 volts. Any or all of the DDS 6000 dimmer channels may be operated
in this manner simultaneously with any multiplex control input. Each dimmer will respond to the greater of any control inputs.
The analog control input uses a standard 5 pin DIN plug which is available from most electronics supply houses. Connect each of
the positive channel control wires to the desired dimmer channel input pins (see diagram) of the plug. Connect the common (ground)
control wire to the pin indicated on the diagram. Consult the documentation of the analog control console or device you are using
for the proper connections. The control input impedance is 4.7K ohms.
DMX-512 MULTIPLEX CONTROL WIRING.
DMX 512 is the United States Institute of Theater Technology (USITT) standard for the digital control of dimmers. NSI DDS
Dimmer products can be converted from Microplex to DMX 512 digital multiplex with a simple kit available from your dealer.
DMX-512 is the preferred type of control wiring when many dimmer channels are used, because of the high update rate and the
resistance to interference. It is recommended in locations subject to electrical noise. DMX-512 only requires 3 wires to transmit
lighting levels for as many as 512 dimmer channels. Most of the NSI lighting control consoles can optionally use this interface.
Connect the DMX 512 cable from the control console to the male input connector. Another cable may be connected from the
female connector to the male connector on another pack. Many dimmer packs may be "daisy chained" connect together in this
manner.
Be sure to set the Channel Address dip switch as required (see DIP SWITCH SETTINGS).
LED INDICATORS
The front panel indicator LEDs indicate the status of the dimmer.
• RED - Indicates the firing card is receiving DC power.
• GREEN - Steady indicates a multiplex control signal is being received.
• YELLOW - Indicates a respective dimmer channel is active and the LED indicates relative intensity.
AUTO LAMP TEST
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DDS 6000 DIMMER PACK
Software Revision 1.0 and above, Version C, UL Versions CHANNEL FUSES
Whenever dipswitch #8 is in the off (down) position and there is no multiplex signal detected, all channel outputs will come to full
intensity. The automatic sequencing feature must be disabled for this Auto Lamp test to operate (see INTERNAL CONFIGURATION
DIPSWITCH SELECTIONS).
CHANNEL FUSES
Each channel is protected by a fuse to help prevent overload and damage to the power control devices used in the dimmer. Be
sure to replace the fuse with the same type and rating. Replacement with the wrong fuse is dangerous and will void your warranty.
Note: Lamps may sometimes cause a temporary "short-circuit" when the filament burns out and cause the fuse to blow.
This is normal and protects the internal dimmer circuitry from damage.
INSTALLATION and OPERATION TIPS
Care should always be taken to:
1) Keep all AC wiring away from control wiring.
2) We also recommend powering up and performance checks be done one unit at a time. This can be a real time saver should
problems arise thus eliminating unnecessary isolation techniques to resolve problems.
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DDS 6000 DIMMER PACK
FRONT PANEL DIP SWITCH SETTINGS Software Revision 1.0 and above, Version C, UL Versions
FRONT PANEL DIP SWITCH SETTINGS
When using any of the multiplex control systems the dip switches on the front panel of the DDS 6000 must be set to assign the
desired dimmer channels. The switches control the dimmer channels in groups of four. See the following chart for settings.
DIP SWITCH CHANNEL ASSIGNMENTS
CONTROL 1234567 CONTROL 1234567 CONTROL 1234567
1-4 0000000 5-8 1000000 9-12 0100000
13-16 1100000 17-20 0010000 1-24 1010000
25-28 0110000 29-32 1110000 33-36 0001000
37-40 1001000 41-44 0101000 45-48 1101000
49-52 0011000 53-56 1011000 57-60 0111000
61-64 1111000 65-68 0000100 69-72 1000100
73-76 0100100 77-80 1100100 81-84 0010100
85-88 1010100 89-92 0110100 93-96 1110100
97-100 0001100 101-104 1001100 105-108 0101100
109-112 1101100 113-116 0011100 117-120 1011100
121-124 0111100 125-128 1111100 129-132 0000010
133-136 1000010 137-140 0100010 141-144 1100010
145-148 0010010 149-152 1010010 153-156 0110010
157-160 1110010 161-164 0001010 165-168 1001010
169-172 0101010 173-176 1101010 177-180 0011010
181-184 1011010 185-188 0111010 189-192 1111010
193-196 0000110 197-200 1000110 201-204 0100110
205-208 1100110 209-212 0010110 213-216 1010110
217-220 0110110 221-224 1110110 225-228 0001110
229-232 1001110 233-236 0101110 237-240 1101110
241-244 0011110 245-248 1011110 249-252 0111110
253-256 1111110 257-260 0000001 261-264 1000001
265-268 0100001 269-272 1100001 273-276 0010001
277-280 1010001 281-284 0110001 285-288 1110001
289-292 0001001 293-296 1001001 297-300 0101001
301-304 1101001 305-308 0011001 309-312 1011001
313-316 0111001 317-320 1111001 321-324 0000101
325-328 1000101 329-332 0100101 333-336 1100101
337-340 0010101 341-344 1010101 345-348 0110101
349-352 1110101 353-356 0001101 357-360 1001101
361-364 0101101 365-368 1101101 369-372 0011101
373-376 1011101 377-380 0111101 381-384 1111101
385-388 0000011 389-392 1000011 393-396 0100011
397-400 1100011 401-404 0010011 405-408 1010011
409-412 0110011 413-416 1110011 417-420 0001011
421-424 1001011 425-428 0101011 429-432 1101011
433-436 0011011 437-440 1011011 441-444 0111011
445-448 1111011 449-452 0000111 453-456 1000111
457-460 0100111 461-464 1100111 465-468 0010111
469-472 1010111 473-476 0110111 477-480 1110111
481-484 0001111 485-488 1001111 489-492 0101111
493-496 1101111 497-500 0011111 501-504 1011111
505-508 0111111 509-512 1111111
When the automatic sequencing feature is operating, the dip switch selects the operating sequence pattern and speed. See the section
on INTERNAL CONFIGURATION DIPSWITCH SELECTION for details.
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DDS 6000 DIMMER PACK
Software Revision 1.0 and above, Version C, UL Versions INTERNAL CONFIGURATION DIPSWITCH SELECTIONS
INTERNAL CONFIGURATION DIPSWITCH SELECTIONS
Caution: The follow procedures should be performed by qualified personnel only.
Remove all power and remove the cover of the dimmer pack. Locate and change configuration dipswitch settings on the firing card
as indicated in the following section.
Softstart
The Softstart mode of operation forces at least a 1/10th second delay between the output being full off to the output being full on
to allow a more gradual warming of the lamp filaments. Thermal shock and inrush currents are reduced thereby increasing lamp
life. Softstart should not be used when quick dimmer response is desired such as chasing.
To activated Softstart turn OFF switch number one (1) on the configuration dipswitch on the firing card. moving this switch to
ON will deactivate Softstart.
NOTE: The channels of the DDS 6000 configured for NON DIM operation will not be affected by softstart.
Non Dim Channels (Relay Mode)
Any of the channels of the DDS 6000 may be configured as NON DIM channels. This will cause the output of the channel to go
to full on whenever the input signal is over 15%. When the input signal drops to less than 10%, the channel output goes to full
off. This is the equivalent of a zero-crossing solid state relay.
To configure a channel for NON DIM operation simply move the respective switches on the configuration dipswitch to the OFF
position on the firing card as indicated. Moving the switch to ON will restore dimming operation.
CHANNEL SWITCH NUMBER CHANNEL SWITCH NUMBER
1 3 2 4
3 5 4 6
Configuration
Dipswitch
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DDS 6000 DIMMER PACK
Software Revision 1.0 and above, Version C, UL Versions
Auto Sequencing Mode
The DDS 6000 dimmers can be configured to perform stand alone Automatic Sequencing in place of Auto Lamp Test. This is
useful for lighting displays and show windows. The four channels will automatically fade from one to another in a preprogrammed
pattern and time selected by the front panel dipswitch whenever front panel dipswitch #8 is up and no multiplex signal is detected.
The Analog control input will continue to operate while the dimmer is sequencing.
To enable Automatic Sequencing Mode move the switch on the internal configuration dipswitch #2 to OFF.
Front panel Dipswitch sequence settings. (not internal dipswitch)
STEP TIME SWITCH 1,2,3 PATTERN SWITCH 4,5,6
1 SECOND OFF,OFF,OFF 2 CHAN BUILD OFF,OFF,OFF
3 SECOND ON,OFF,OFF 3 CHAN SEQUENCE ON,OFF,OFF
5 SECOND OFF,ON,OFF 3 CHAN BUILD OFF,ON,OFF
10 SECOND ON,ON,OFF 2&4 CHAN ALT ON,ON,OFF
15 SECOND OFF,OFF,ON 4 CHAN SEQUENCE OFF,OFF,ON
30 SECOND ON,OFF,ON 4 CHAN BUILD ON,OFF,ON
45 SECOND OFF,ON,ON 4 CHAN BUILD + OFF,ON,ON
60 SECOND ON,ON,ON 4 CHAN RANDOM ON,ON,ON
Dipswitch # 7 on causes all above sequences to ping-pong.
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DDS 6000 DIMMER PACK
Software Revision 1.0 and above, Version C, UL Versions Service Information
Service Information
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DDS 6000 DIMMER PACK
NSI Corporation Limited Warranty Software Revision 1.0 and above, Version C, UL Versions
WARRANTY
NSI Corporation Limited Warranty
NSI Corporation warrants new electronics products to be free from defective materials and workmanship for a
period of one (1) year from the date of purchase to the original owner when purchased from an authorized NSI
dealer.
The purchaser is responsible for completing and mailing to NSI, within 15 days of purchase, the warranty registration
card enclosed with each product. NSI products that have been subject to accident, alteration, abuse, or defacing
of the serial number are not covered by this warranty. The normal wear and tear of items such as knobs, jacks,
and switches are not covered under this warranty.
If your NSI product requires service during the warranty period, NSI will repair or replace, at its option, defective
materials provided you have identified yourself as the original owner of the product to NSI or any authorized NSI
dealer. Transportation charges to and from an authorized dealer or the NSI factory for repair shall be the responsibility
of the owner. All products returned to NSI must have factory authorization for return prior to shipping.
NSI Corporation is not liable for any incidental or consequential damages resulting from defect or failure other
than repairs of the NSI product subject to the terms of this warranty. This warranty gives you specific legal rights,
and you may have other rights which vary from state to state. This warranty is expressly in lieu of all other
agreements and warranties expressed or implied except as may be otherwise required by law.
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