Wiring Guide
Wiring Diagrams
All wiring is low-voltage
Recessed Lights Wiring
Outdoor Lights Wiring 24v
Outdoor Lights Wiring 48v
Cable Types
There are three primary types of cable used in every Colorbeam system.
Category 5 / 6 cable: all recessed luminaires and most outdoor luminaires
Multi-conductor (speaker) cable: LED tape and some outdoor luminaires
DMX cable : required for all DMX bus connections
For a detailed list of all Colorbeam products and the required cable, refer to the Technical Documents section.
Distance Limits
RJ45
Inspired by PoE (Power Over Ethernet), we bring low voltage to our fixtures using CAT6 22 AWG cable.
Just like AC system, cable gauge and length have a vital impact on the stability and efficiency of Low Voltage systems. We use the shortest twisted pair of conductors within CAT6 wires which reduces the loss of power transmission and color rendering (RGB).
To minimize the impact of cable length, refer to the pinout chart and adhere to maximum recommended cable run length per category wire.
You may also use CAT 5 or regular CAT6 cables, but this will limit your the distance you can have between the lights and the drivers.
CAT 5 24 AWG conductor Maximum length: 200 feet or 60m
CAT 6 23 AWG conductor Maximum length: 250 feet or 75m
CAT 6 22 AWG is the recommended option: 400 feet or 120m
If you expect runs greater than 400 feet or 120m, consider a second electrical room.
Terminations & Connections
DMX
Typically, the individual wires of a DMX cable will be terminated directly to the driver. Be sure to match pinout as you connect driver together.
| Pin | Wire |
|---|---|
| 1 | GND |
| 2 | Data (-) |
| 3 | Date (+) |
| Pin | Wire |
The DMX Wire is a 120 Ohm cable, used to control the noise on the DMX bus. You will just need to make sure the proper pins connect to each other. In other words, D+ to D+, D- to D- and Ground to Ground. You will also need to make sure that when you connect devices together with the DMX Wire, you connect from the DMX Out of a device to a DMX in the next device in the chain (DMX bus). The order in which your devices are connected does not matter.
RJ45
The T568-B standard is recommended for all category cable terminations (and 8-conductor connections when used for outdoor lighting). No data is carried by the category cable, rather, each pair of wires creates a DC circuit for the specific channel it’s connected to.
If using the T568-B standard, refer to the following chart for pinout.
| RJ45 Pin | Tunable | RGBW |
|---|---|---|
| (1) – Orange / White | Warm 1 (+) | Red (+) |
| (2) – Orange | Warm 1 (-) | Red (-) |
| (3) – Green / White | Cool 1 (+) | Green (+) |
| (4) – Blue | Cool 1 (-) | Green (-) |
| (5) – Blue / White | Warm 2 (+) | Blue (+) |
| (6) – Green | Warm 2 (-) | Blue (-) |
| (7) – Brown / White | Cool 2 (+) | White (+) |
| (8) – Brown | Cool 2 (-) | White (-) |
Some products require a Terminating Pin, Bi-White Extender, A-Splitter, and/or Outdoor Splitter for proper functionality. Refer to the Wiring Diagrams of your specific bulb for further details.
The Terminating Pin simply “loops” channels back to complete the DC circuit as needed.
The Bi-White Extender, used with specific tunable bulbs only, “flips” certain pairs of wires to both provide an in-line terminator and ensure wires are on the proper channels at the bulb input.
Since pins 1-4 are the only “active” pins at each tunable bulb, pins 5-8 are simply passed through to the second bulb. The Bi-White Extender shifts the pins on the output of the first bulb to the correct locations on the input of the second bulb.
The A-Splitter is used exclusively with the VENUS fixture due to its unique installation requirements. It is simply a breakout connector and ensures each wire within the RJ45 is connected correctly.
The Outdoor Splitter is used to ensure a water-tight connection for RJ45 terminations outdoors. It is required for most outdoor products.
Connections are clearly marked on the Outdoor Splitter and should be used accordingly. Refer to the Outdoor Wiring section for further details.
RJ45 Loop Terminator
A bridge is necessary to enable the DC loop. The last fixture on each line requires a terminator. This terminator is very different than a DMX terminator as it has no resistor, simply a bridge to create the required loop in VDC.
Each Colorbeam Lighting fixture comes with a RJ45 terminator.
Multi-Conductor
All multi-conductor cable is terminated directly to outputs on the decoder and field spliced to the luminaire as necessary. We recommend keeping all wire colors consistent (e.g. red wire for red channel, etc.), however, it is not mandatory. Below is the typical pinout for multi-conductor products.
| Pin | Single Color | Tunable | RGB | RGBW | RGBWW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24v (+) | 24v Power | 24v Power | 24v Power | 24v Power | 24v Power |
| 1 | Dim Only | Warm White | Red | Red | Red |
| 2 | Cool White | Green | Green | Green | |
| 3 | Blue | Blue | Blue | ||
| 4 | White | Warm White | |||
| 5 | Cool White |
For detailed wiring diagrams of each decoder, refer to