DiyLightAnimation
Hardware => Lynx SSR4 => Topic started by: drlucas on November 04, 2013,
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I've been able to program two of my SSRs using an etherdongle with pixelnet flashed and using the start chanel app. I used the second method to program it. The issue I am running into is that it appears that channel 3 and 4 are the same. I run a simple chase pattern in xlights and channel 1 comes on, then off, then 2 comes on and off then three and four come on and stays on for what appears to be a two count, then they turn off and one comes back on and around and around the pattern goes.
Any ideas why the two channels are appearing to be "stuck" together?
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You really know how to break stuff. LOL We need to make you a beta tester. I do not have a clue as to how this problem could arise.
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I find I learn more by doing things the hard way!!
I'm just in the process now of trying a different start channel and see if that makes any difference.
I'm running off the first hub in my series so that I'm not dealing with anything downstream. I may pull the usb dongle out to do the programming if this doesn't do it for me... failing that I may reflash the SSR....
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You are aware that the SSR4 is a DMX device, right?!? If you are really using PixelNet on it in program mode, who knows what that may have done to it. I would reload the firmware and then set the start channel with a DMX flashed dongle.
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OK - I threw in the towel.....but will fight another day :)
The good news with 3 SSRs all doing the same thing and 3 LEs sitting unused I decided I'd use a 12' extension cord and run the fourth string of lights to the LE instead of staying with the SSR. So my SSR is using channel 1,2,3(4ish) and my LE starts now on channel 4. That seems to be a work around I can live with!
Pics below of what I've built....
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I am...but on the wiki under the windows programs (lynx software section) the last one in the table says Etherdongle pixelnet Y. I assume that meant I could program the SSR with that. Also, I'm guessing the SSR just cares about the first channel and doesn't really get all 4 sent to it? If that's a safe assumption then I indeed have set it to a new start channel. That's not to say that I didn't corrupt something else in the SSR and a reflash of the pic might actually fix this issue...but I'm going to use my work around :)
You are aware that the SSR4 is a DMX device, right?!? If you are really using PixelNet on it in program mode, who knows what that may have done to it. I would reload the firmware and then set the start channel with a DMX flashed dongle.
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Guess I won't be posting right now...
The upload folder is full. Please try a smaller file and/or contact an administrator.
....regardless its my tune to radio station sign. TUNE is one color, TO is another color and 102.7 is another color. Then I have around the 4x4' frame another 100 mini leds. over all it looks pretty good. 600 or so LEDs to make the sign. my fingers and hands are sore after drilling and pushing LEDs through the coro....
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I'm not sure of I would completely trust that chart. It also says that you can use Ricks color finder program n an SSC and DSC with a DMX flashed EtherDongle. How is that possible and how come it will not work with a DMX USB dongle? The DMX firmware is looking for a specific pattern to know where the beginning of the data stream is and that doesn't exist with PixelNet. The same is true with Pixelnet. It uses a specific dim code to indicate the end of the data which is also the beginning of the next and that code could be generated at any time in a DMX stream.
Since ALL of the SSR4's are doing the same thing and not what is expected, I would say that the chart is wrong but the only way to be sure is to set the start address with a DMX device. Leaving them this way could possibly harm then and that is really NOT what you want to do.
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Guess I won't be posting right now...
The upload folder is full. Please try a smaller file and/or contact an administrator.
That may have been my fault. I tried to post an image directly from my camera (8+ Meg) a few minutes ago and got the same error. I reduced to image to 48k and it uploaded without problem. Try it again
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There is a size limit and I believe that it is around 1 Meg.
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Back view of tune to sign
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Someone needs to update the wiki then if these are not accurate. I will get my lynx dongle out in the mean time
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Accuracy can only be determined by testing. Perhaps with very limited testing or very specific values it may work even though I really don't know how. If your SSR4's begin to function properly after being addressed with this software and a DMX device, then that would prove the chart to be invalid and then it can be corrected.
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.....as far as I got tonight.....I've been able to get the SSR programmed via my lynx dongle and the lynx address utility. Tomorrow I'll drop a 4th wire back on the SSR and connect another light and do the last test to verify that this was indeed the issue (so much for me tossing in the towel - HA!!!).
Anyways, as always thanks for the guidance. At least I know my usb dongle works
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Well, the way that I see it is that if this proves the chart wrong, it allows for it's correction and that helps eveyone that uses SSR4's.
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Here is the front of my sign. Haven't made it back to the garage yet today to work on this
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100% fixed. It would appear that using the lynx address via my USB dongle flashed with dmx firmware did the trick. Suggest that before the wiki is updated that one other person confirms my finding so that we eliminate any false positives - because with me that's a real possibility and I don't want to say one persons software is/isn't compatible without someone else verifying.
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It's not the software, it's the protocol that is not compatible. DMX is DMX and PixelNet is PixelNet. The software just sends the correct codes (or so we hope) but it is up to the protocol to get it there and make it understands what is being sent.
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Just so anyone knows this. The start channel problem can "talk" to both the usb dongle and etherdongle with either firmware. The problem seems to be the active hub is not handling the code to send out the proper info for programing the boards. I will make a note in the wiki to that fact.
Rick R.
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LOL, I wasn't even thinking about the DMX output from the smart hub. I would put a note in there as well saying that either device flashed with PixelNet requires some type of DMX conversion because others (like myself) may forget about the hub, especially in you are using a USB dongle flashed with PixelNet because the USB dongle is normally directly connected to the device. Unless this is an easy and quick fix, I would change the chart to indicate that it doesn't work with PixelNet because currently, it doesn't. Once the issue is found and fixed, it is easy enough to change it back and add any notes for possible acceptions.