ASD1M SPI + DMX Art-Net Setup with QLC+
One controller.
Two independent
lighting outputs.
Use QLC+ and Art-Net to change your SPI strip and DMX PAR separately—with the supplied firmware.
Real test setup pictured above. The independent color results below were confirmed on the connected lights on 28 September 2026.
Yes—SPI and DMX can work separately.
Send the pixel data to one network universe and the PAR data to another. Proxy Universe tells the controller which network universe to send to its physical DMX output.
SPI strip
Art-Net 0QLC+ Universe 1 controls the pixels.
Sync Interfaces → Start universe: 0
DMX PAR
Art-Net 1QLC+ Universe 2 controls the PAR.
DMX Output → Proxy Universe: 1
What you need
- A PK-WLED-ASD1M with its supplied firmware, a WS281x RGB strip and a DMX PAR.
- QLC+ on a computer connected to the same local network as the controller.
- Connect the strip to the SPI output and the PAR to the DMX output, following the product wiring instructions. Use the correct power supply for each device; the controller’s 5V test terminal is not intended to power a long strip.
- For this first test, use a short strip and configure no more than 170 RGB pixels. Put the PAR in its 7-channel DMX mode, starting at address 001.
Set up the controller, then QLC+.
Open the controller’s IP address in your browser. Save each settings page and follow any restart prompt. Keep a note of your original settings before changing them.
1 LED Preferences
- LED type
- WS281x
- Color order
- GRB*
- Start
- 0
- Length
- Actual count, up to 170
- GPIO
- 5
*Match your strip. The bench test used Length 170 and checked the first pixel.
2 Sync Interfaces
- Receive UDP realtime
- Enabled
- Input protocol
- Art-Net
- Start universe
- 0
- DMX start address
- 0*
- DMX mode
- Multi RGB
- Realtime LED offset
- 0
*0 is the value used in this supplied firmware’s Art-Net input screen. The PAR’s physical DMX start address is 001.
3 DMX Output → Proxy Universe = 1
This sends incoming Art-Net Universe 1 to the physical DMX port. The LED-to-DMX fixture mapping underneath is bypassed when the proxy is active. Configure the PAR’s channel values in QLC+.
4 QLC+ → Input/Output
Enable ArtNet output for both QLC+ universes on the wired interface connected to the controller. Check the plugin’s output mapping:
| QLC+ universe | Network Art-Net universe | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Universe 1 | 0 | SPI strip |
| Universe 2 | 1 | DMX PAR |
If using unicast, target the controller IP. If using broadcast, use the connected local network. Merely naming a QLC+ universe “2” is not enough—its Art-Net output must actually send network universe 1.
Check that each output is independent.
Open Simple Desk in QLC+. For this PAR, channel 1 is master dimmer, 2 is red, 3 is green and 4 is blue. Keep channels 5–7 at 0. Other PAR models may have a different channel chart—follow the fixture manual.
For the SPI strip, the first pixel uses QLC+ Universe 1 channels 1–3 as R, G and B. Start with other test channels at 0.
Set different colors
First pixel: red
PAR: blue
255, 0, 0
QLC U2 · CH1–4
255, 0, 0, 255
Change only the PAR
First pixel: stays red
PAR: turns green
255, 0, 0
QLC U2 · CH1–4
255, 0, 255, 0
Change only the strip
First pixel: turns blue
PAR: stays green
0, 0, 255
QLC U2 · unchanged
255, 0, 255, 0
All three results were confirmed on the real lights. No firmware change or switch to sACN was needed.
See the screenshots for tests 02 and 03
Tested: supplied WLED-based v0.13.1 “WIFI-LED”, build 2203151; QLC+ 5.2.1; Art-Net; one SPI strip and one seven-channel PAR. This verifies independent control in this setup, not a maximum-pixel or all-512-channel load test.
What does “Proxy Universe = 8” mean?
It means: “Take the lighting data arriving on network universe 8 and send it to the DMX socket.” It does not mean DMX channel 8, eight channels, or eight lamps.
Universe = a group of channels
Think of it as a numbered folder. Each DMX universe has up to 512 channel slots. A fixture uses the slots that match its start address and channel mode.
Channel = a control inside that group
Our seven-channel PAR at address 001 uses channels 1–7 of the proxy universe. A second seven-channel fixture can start at 008 and use channels 8–14.
Why did this test use 1 instead of 8? The short-strip setup uses only Art-Net universe 0. Universe 1 is therefore free for the PAR. The number 8 was simply another possible choice outside the pixel range.
If you choose Proxy Universe 8, make QLC+ send the PAR’s data on Art-Net universe 8. Check the output mapping; do not assume that QLC+ “Universe 8” has the same network number.
Why did both lights originally follow the same color?
With Proxy Universe = 0, the proxy is disabled and the controller can generate DMX from its pixel colors using the fixture mapping below. In our original mapping, PAR dimmer was fixed at 255 and PAR RGB followed the first pixel. DMX itself was still working.
With a matching, non-zero proxy universe, QLC+ supplies the PAR’s channel data separately. You no longer need to describe that PAR using the controller’s LED-to-DMX mapping.
Firmware, channels & troubleshooting.
Do I need new firmware to use DMX and SPI together?
Not for the supplied firmware used in this guide. It already has DMX Output and supported the independent Art-Net test. If your settings screen differs, send Pknight your firmware version and screenshots before changing firmware.
How do I use the 512 DMX channels?
The physical DMX output is one universe of up to 512 channels. Use Proxy Universe to select its network source, then patch fixtures in your lighting software and set their DMX start addresses. The PAR in this example occupies just channels 1–7. Additional fixtures can use the remaining addresses, provided their channel ranges do not overlap unintentionally and do not extend beyond channel 512. This walkthrough did not test every channel individually.
Do SPI pixels take channels away from my DMX PAR?
Give SPI and DMX separate network universes. The PAR then uses channels in its own DMX universe. As you add pixels, allow for the extra universes the strip occupies and keep the proxy outside that range.
Can I flash ESPixelStick?
We have not verified ESPixelStick compatibility with the PK-WLED-ASD1M. A generic ESP32 build does not establish compatibility with this controller’s Ethernet hardware and output pins. Use the supplied firmware for this workflow; contact Pknight before replacing it.
Both outputs still change together. What should I check?
Check that Proxy Universe is a matching non-zero network universe, the pixel range does not include that universe, and QLC+ sends different data to the two outputs. For this walkthrough, the configured pixel count must be no more than 170.
The strip works, but the PAR stays dark.
Check DMX wiring, fixture mode and start address 001. Make sure the master dimmer is up, the fixture’s shutter is open if its channel chart requires it, and QLC+ Universe 2 is actually outputting Art-Net universe 1. The controller’s old “E1.31” proxy label does not mean you must change this tested Art-Net setup to sACN.
Can I connect two ASD1M controllers?
Yes, but give them different IP addresses. Plan the Art-Net universes for each device and target the correct IP when using unicast. Do not leave both devices at the same default IP.
Build your SPI + DMX setup.
See the PK-WLED-ASD1M product details, or contact Pknight with your fixture’s channel chart and screenshots of your settings.
View the ASD1M controller →Prepared from the Pknight bench test and product manuals. Background references: QLC+ Art-Net numbering · WLED DMX concepts. General documentation may differ from the supplied firmware shown here.
