Hardware > Lynx USB DMX Dongle
Can't Get USB Dongle to Work on Windows 10
Gary:
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Register or LoginHello Gary,
I'm glad the other problem is resolved!!
I didn't go the Falcon route, you'll have to ask those questions on the appropriate site. (I've repaired a couple Falcon players though, imagine that!)
To test DLA's PIXELNET I have a test PIXELNET Dongle -->Smart String Hub with external 12VDC Meanwell Power Supply (with 12V Kit) --> a test SSC v4 with a 3-pin connector (with alligator clips) that matches all of my Ray Wu, year 2009 forward Smart Strings.
I'm not much help with Falcon, sorry. Ask away with DLA stuff and I'll do my best to help!
:) joe
--- End quote ---
Oh, I was referring to the software you use to test the USB dongle with, not the hardware.
JoeFromOzarks:
Oh.
Well, since you put it that way... :) Vixen 2.1.4.0 [http://www.vixenlights.com/downloads/vixen-2-downloads/]
:) joe
You are not allowed to view links.
Register or LoginYou are not allowed to view links.
Register or LoginHello Gary,
I'm glad the other problem is resolved!!
I didn't go the Falcon route, you'll have to ask those questions on the appropriate site. (I've repaired a couple Falcon players though, imagine that!)
To test DLA's PIXELNET I have a test PIXELNET Dongle -->Smart String Hub with external 12VDC Meanwell Power Supply (with 12V Kit) --> a test SSC v4 with a 3-pin connector (with alligator clips) that matches all of my Ray Wu, year 2009 forward Smart Strings.
I'm not much help with Falcon, sorry. Ask away with DLA stuff and I'll do my best to help!
:) joe
--- End quote ---
Oh, I was referring to the software you use to test the USB dongle with, not the hardware.
--- End quote ---
Gary:
Okay then. I was hoping that there was a basic test program out there with minimal configuration settings to "screw up", and as a result, have the Dongle not send out a Pixelnet signal.
I was thinking that if I install Vixen on my Windows 10 PC, chances are that I may get some configuration wrong and the USB dongle won't work as a result anyways.
So, I took the dongle and re-flashed it back to DMX and it works fine again on an Express controller I have.
So, I took another dongle I have (version 2.0) and re-flashed the PIC to Pixelnet. Same thing, which is nothing. However, it has some extra status LEDs, and the green one turns on when I click xLights "Output to Lights" button or turn on xLights Test mode. However, the Falcon F16-V1 controller doesn't recognize a Pixelnet signal coming from it (i.e. The "I see a valid Pixelnet signal" status LED doesn't flash). I noticed a spot to put a jumper on to put the dongle into Test mode, and I still get nothing on my Falcon controller... I would have expected it to make the test light string hooked up to it do something or at least make the F16-V1's "I see a valid Pixelnet signal" LED flash.
I even hooked the dongle up to my Falcon player, configured the Pixelnet dongle as appropriate (or at least I think it is), and when I put the Falcon player into Test mode, I get the green LED turn on, but the "I see a valid Pixelnet signal" status LED on my Falcon Controller still didn't blink.
Interestingly enough, I remembered that I have my old laptop with Vixen 2.1 on it that I installed the Pixelnet add-ins onto back in 2015 when I borrowed somebody's SmartString hub and SmartString controller so I could play around with pixels. I know I used my PIC programmer to change one of my USB dongles to Pixelnet (probably the 1.0 version, but I'm not sure) and worked back then to make blinky flashy. As it turns out, Vixen was still configured with the add-in and I had a sequence on it too. After setting the correct COM port in Vixen for the dongle, I played the sequence and although the green LED on the dongle turned on when I started playing it, there was still nothing happening on my Falcon controller. <fp.
And the Falcon F16-V1 controller in question works when receiving a Pixelnet signal from my F16-B, so it's not like it's bad or a cable that's bad.
Given the above observations, here are my questions:
Is your dongle the 2.0 version with a Test jumper? What does it do if you put use the jumper? What is the baud rate you have the COM port that the dongle is assigned to? Any other suggestions?
JoeFromOzarks:
Hello Gary,
I have both v1 and v2 of Dongles, DMX (VER 1 and 2) and PIXELNET (VER 2 only), I tested all on the HP_1 Laptop and all worked. I do not remember (I may have drain bamage) every having to change the settings in the Control Panel or in Vixen (except the COM PORT) to get any of them to work, I didn’t change any settings in WIN10.
I don’t know what the test jumper does, I’ve never had reason to use it and honestly, I don’t remember reading about the test jumper. The default setting for the Test Jumper is disconnected, that is, the jumper is placed on one pin only.
I included pictures of both the Control Panel Device settings and the VIXEN PIXELNET settings, both screens show the default “out of the box†configurations, I didn’t change anything. The Dongle is a VER 2 PIXELNET version.
(WIN10 has the dot.NET stuff installed, at least all of mine do, so to get Vixen from one computer to your WIN10 computer, just copy the folder from the old computer to the WIN10 computer, with all of the subfolders, of course, create a new Desktop shortcut to VIXEN.EXE and away you go!)
Back to your issues.
This whole process would be sooooo much easier if you could eliminate one possibility of the PIXELNET chip not working. You don’t have any PIXELNET devices, no hubs, no Smart String Controllers, nothing? Anyone reasonably close who can check your PIXELNET Dongle? Box it up and (with tracking info) ship it to me with return postage and I’ll check it out. But I’m betting $0.02 that the Dongle is fine, it is sounding like the problem with the Falcon goodies.
If your Dongle works on DMX but isn’t working with PIXELNET with FALCON, then I’d be researching why on the FALCON sites.
Let me know! I’m fascinated with this problem!
:) joe
You are not allowed to view links.
Register or LoginOkay then. I was hoping that there was a basic test program out there with minimal configuration settings to "screw up", and as a result, have the Dongle not send out a Pixelnet signal.
I was thinking that if I install Vixen on my Windows 10 PC, chances are that I may get some configuration wrong and the USB dongle won't work as a result anyways.
So, I took the dongle and re-flashed it back to DMX and it works fine again on an Express controller I have.
So, I took another dongle I have (version 2.0) and re-flashed the PIC to Pixelnet. Same thing, which is nothing. However, it has some extra status LEDs, and the green one turns on when I click xLights "Output to Lights" button or turn on xLights Test mode. However, the Falcon F16-V1 controller doesn't recognize a Pixelnet signal coming from it (i.e. The "I see a valid Pixelnet signal" status LED doesn't flash). I noticed a spot to put a jumper on to put the dongle into Test mode, and I still get nothing on my Falcon controller... I would have expected it to make the test light string hooked up to it do something or at least make the F16-V1's "I see a valid Pixelnet signal" LED flash.
I even hooked the dongle up to my Falcon player, configured the Pixelnet dongle as appropriate (or at least I think it is), and when I put the Falcon player into Test mode, I get the green LED turn on, but the "I see a valid Pixelnet signal" status LED on my Falcon Controller still didn't blink.
Interestingly enough, I remembered that I have my old laptop with Vixen 2.1 on it that I installed the Pixelnet add-ins onto back in 2015 when I borrowed somebody's SmartString hub and SmartString controller so I could play around with pixels. I know I used my PIC programmer to change one of my USB dongles to Pixelnet (probably the 1.0 version, but I'm not sure) and worked back then to make blinky flashy. As it turns out, Vixen was still configured with the add-in and I had a sequence on it too. After setting the correct COM port in Vixen for the dongle, I played the sequence and although the green LED on the dongle turned on when I started playing it, there was still nothing happening on my Falcon controller. <fp.
And the Falcon F16-V1 controller in question works when receiving a Pixelnet signal from my F16-B, so it's not like it's bad or a cable that's bad.
Given the above observations, here are my questions:
Is your dongle the 2.0 version with a Test jumper? What does it do if you put use the jumper? What is the baud rate you have the COM port that the dongle is assigned to? Any other suggestions?
--- End quote ---
KeithTarpley:
Greetings,,,
FYI, the test jumper was included in the newer version, with the idea being to add the software to the dongle so that a test output could be used to help determine that the basic output was working. It would have put out some generic output for some of the channels to work, thus aiding in resolving that certain things were working.
That was never finished.
Keith
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