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[Education] What is the DMX Control Channel?

How the DMX Control Channel works on STORM and NOVA Control Channel profiles, and what commands it can trigger.

DMX Control Channel is a dedicated remote-command channel included on any DMX profile with "& Control" in its name (STORM and NOVA fixtures running Aputure OS II). It doesn't control a light parameter like intensity or color. Instead, it lets you trigger fixture-level settings, such as DMX Smoothing mode, CRMX linking, or RDM, remotely from a console or Sidus Link Pro, without walking up to the fixture.

How It Works

The Control Channel sits at 0 when idle. To send a command:

  1. Set the Control Channel to the DMX value for the command you want.
  2. Hold that value for 2.5 seconds.
  3. Return the channel to 0.

The fixture confirms it received the command by flashing 3 times. This confirmation behavior is called Signal Flash, and it can be disabled if you'd rather the fixture execute commands silently; see What is Signal Flash?

What You Can Control

The exact command list varies slightly by fixture, but the Control Channel generally covers:

  • Signal Flash – enable or disable the confirmation flash
  • Sidus BT – turn on, turn off, or reset
  • DMX Smoothing – Off, Smooth, Super Smooth, or Feather
  • CRMX – on, off, link, unlink, or switch RX/TX mode
  • RDM – on or off
  • High Speed Mode – on or off (where supported)
  • Constant Output and Maximum Output
  • Studio Mode – on or off
  • Dim Curve – Linear, Exponential, Logarithmic, or S-Curve
  • Fan control (NOVA) or Max Power Draw presets (STORM), depending on the fixture

Each command occupies a small range of DMX values (for example, 26–28 for DMX Smoothing Off) rather than a single value, so console patching doesn't need to be pixel-precise. Values outside any defined command range do nothing.

Where to Find It

The Control Channel only appears on Control Channel profiles, the profile family that adds Strobe, Control, and Fan channels on top of the standard color channels. See Basic vs. Control Channel DMX Profiles for how to choose between the two. This includes Individual Emitter profiles, which also come in Control Channel variants.