Art-Net Hex Calculator

Turn an Art-Net hex byte into the subnet and universe it means, and back again.

Overview

Art-Net packs a subnet and a universe into a single byte: the upper four bits are the subnet, the lower four are the universe. Plenty of hardware shows you that byte in hex and expects you to know what it means — and plenty of paperwork gives you a subnet and universe and expects a hex byte back.

This does both directions, so you are not doing nibble arithmetic on the back of a call sheet.

When to Use

• A node’s display shows 0x21 and you need to know which universe that is
• Patch paperwork says subnet 2, universe 1 and the device wants hex
• Reconciling a node’s addressing against a console’s universe numbering

Step-by-Step

1. Hex to universe. Type the hex byte — 21, 0x21 and 2 1 all read the same. It gives you the subnet and universe.
2. Universe to hex. Type a universe number (0–32767) and it gives you the byte to enter on the device.

Tips & Shortcuts

The byte is two nibbles. 0x21 is subnet 2, universe 1 — not universe 21, and not universe 33. Reading it as a single decimal number is the mistake this tool exists to prevent.

Universe numbering is not universal. Art-Net counts from 0; some consoles count from 1. If the number here is one off from the desk, that is usually why — check which end you are converting for.

Related Tools

• DIP Switch Calculator — the other half of addressing a fixture
• Manifest — where a show’s universes and addresses are recorded

Source

Component: HexCalculator