DMX512 controller add-on for the SDJ / Sagitter / Proel MIMETIK-M smoke machine. Provides pulse-based DMX smoke control with ready-state detection and a neat 3D-printed enclosure.

• ✅ Tested with SDJ Mimetik-M
• ⚠️ May also work with machines sharing the same timer/remote port pinout
• ❌ Not universal — always check wiring before use

• DMX512 input via RS485 transceiver
• READY/WARM-UP detection (machine won’t fire until warmed up)
• Pulse control: DMX value maps to pulse duration and pulse period
• Feedback PWM LED (DMX level, pin 9)
• Smoke pulse LED (mirrors smoke firing, pin 10)
• READY LED (built-in pin 13)
• Compact 3D-printed enclosure that mounts directly using factory screws

⚠️ Important: The +5 V pin from the timer/remote port is not able to supply enough current to run an Arduino.
Use a separate Arduino power source (USB, barrel jack, VIN, or stable +5 V).

Arduino                                               DMX connector

    +5V  --------------------------------------+
                                               |                                 
                          +---------------+    |
     RX  -----------------| R         VCC |----+
                          |               |
                     +----| RE/         B |----------  Data - (XLR pin 2)
                     |    |    SN75176    |
      2  ------------+----| DE          A |----------  Data + (XLR pin 3)
                          |               |
     TX  -----------------| D         GND |---+------  Ground (XLR pin 1)
                          +---------------+   |
                                              |
    GND  -------------------------------------+                                       

Arduino                                      Timer Port

                           +---------------  SMOKE
                           |
                           |
                           |  
                         | /  C
             470-680 Ω   |/     
      8  -----\/\/\/\----|    PN22222
                       B |\
                         | v  E
                           |
                           |
                           |
    GND  ------------------+---------------  GND                    

     12  ----------------------------------  READY

Arduino
               220Ω
      9  -----\/\/\/\-----|>|-----+  DMX feedback LED
                                  |
               220Ω               |
     10  -----\/\/\/\-----|>|-----+  Smoke pulse LED
                                  |
                                  |
    GND  -------------------------+            

The smoke machine’s timer port +5 V cannot power the Arduino (insufficient current).
Use one of the standard Arduino Uno power options instead:

⚠️ Never connect power simultaneously to multiple inputs (e.g. USB and VIN) unless you know exactly how Arduino’s auto-select circuitry works.

• DMX channel: 503 (change in code if desired)
• READY = LOW → warm-up → smoke disabled
• DMX mapping
  • 0 = smoke OFF
  • 1 = short pulse (0.1 s ON / 9.9 s OFF)
  • 255 = continuous smoke (1 s ON every 1 s cycle → always ON)
  • Intermediate DMX values scale linearly between these extremes
• Pulse cycle
  • For each cycle:
    • Smoke ON for mapped duration
    • Smoke OFF until the mapped period completes
  • At DMX 255, duration = period → machine runs continuously
  • Responds instantly to DMX changes mid-cycle
• LED indicators
  • Pin 9: PWM LED shows DMX level
  • Pin 10: LED mirrors smoke pulse (ON when machine is triggered)
  • Pin 13: Built-in LED follows READY state
• Failsafe
  • Smoke is forced OFF if:
    • Machine is warming up (READY LOW)
    • DMX signal is lost for >3s
    • DMX=0

1. Print the enclosure and assemble the electronics.
2. Mount to left or right side of the machine with existing screws.
3. Connect to the timer/remote port.
4. Power the Arduino via USB, barrel jack/VIN, or +5 V pin from a regulated supply.
   ⚠️ Do not use the timer port’s +5 V — it cannot supply enough current.
5. Upload the Arduino sketch (tested on Uno R3).
6. Send DMX values to the configured channel.

The PN2222 is a common NPN bipolar junction transistor (BJT) used as a switch in the DMX smoke machine controller.

The Arduino’s digital output pin cannot directly drive the smoke machine’s timer input (which typically activates a coil inside the machine, like a relay) because the relay expects higher current than the Arduino pin can safely supply. The PN2222 acts as a current amplifier to safely trigger the smoke machine.

1. Arduino outputs a small current to the transistor base through a resistor (560 Ω in the schematic).
2. This turns the transistor ON, allowing current to flow from collector to emitter, which pulls the smoke trigger line LOW.
3. When the Arduino pin is LOW, the transistor switches OFF, and the smoke line returns to HIGH (inactive).

• The 560 Ω resistor sets the current into the transistor’s base.
• It can be replaced with a 470 Ω or 680 Ω resistor depending on available components.

• Protects the Arduino from excessive current draw.
• Provides fast switching for precise smoke pulses.
• Compatible with standard 5 V logic levels.
• Cheap, widely available, and reliable.

• Smoke machines run on mains voltage — isolate low-voltage electronics.
• Double-check wiring before powering on.
• Only use with machines confirmed to share the SDJ Mimetik-M pinout.
• ⚠️ The +5 V timer port output cannot power the Arduino (insufficient current).
  Use USB or the barrel jack with an external supply.

MIT License – free to use, adapt, and improve.