I was referring to the 3 pin connector that some people use to connect the ssc to the node string where you have power, ground, and data connections. If you are using that, and if you have an older version on the pixel string side, and a newer version 3 pin on the ssc v2 side, and an older version 3 pin on the ssc v1 side, it could explain why swapping the ssc could cause a problem as the 3 pin dongle on the ssc v2 side could have wires swapped.
Been there done that as well.
I had recently received another batch of 3 pin connectors this year and those were even different from some I had received earlier and ran into the problem of going by color codes instead of ohmin it out.
If you have the output wired incorrectly the pixels don't work period.
The output works but I am getting incorrect colors and the first pixel misbehaving incorrectly.
Well I tried this today.
I took 2 V1 and 2 V2 SSCs and reprogrammed the PICs, reset the address on each one never closing the utility.
Now I did do 1 thing different and this may have been part of the problem but it's weird if it is, I tightened each of the connectors instead of just plugging them together.
I hooked all 4 to the same hub so they all would receive the same commands and should respond identically.
The pixel 1 problem seems to have gone away in this setup BUT, yep there is that little word.
Each color alone looks ok BUT when you start to mix colors things are not all equal. Especiially when you turn on all colors to make white the white produced by the V1 is different from the white produced by the V2 SSCs.
The Yellows and cyan are close but there is some varriation.
I would have posted pictures but the pixels are so bright they just wash out any differences.
I'm going to put this to bed for now until someone with a mixed SSC V1/V2 environment complains about color differences.
Thanks to everybody for all the input.