LED flex strips all on

[Mickpat]

I built the hub and 3 controllers.  Controllers are attached to the 120 node flex strips. 

I have connected 1 flex strip and 1 Aether flood.  The flex strip is on channel 513 and the Aether on 50.

In Vixen I created a new sequence and configured the pixelnet add-in.  I added only 120 channels. 

In Vixen test mode, I select all channels (1-120) and start moving the slider.  Immediately the LED flex strip turns nearly all white.  I can control the Aether, but not the flex strips.  The only way to turn the LED flex strips off is to disconnect the strips from the hub. 

The same issue occurs in LSP when I enable output.  Instantly, the LEDs turn white rainbow color.

The same LED flex strip was working with LSP 1.8 the other day and all I have been during is building more controllers.  This happens with all the controllers I have built. 

Happens with both LSP and Vixen.  What is odd is the DMX out works, but not the flex LEDs. 

I downloaded the test firmware to the controller and the led cycles through all colors, red, green, blue, white perfectly.

I also downloaded the ColorPicker application and it works perfectly too.  Moving the slider on the app updates all 120 nodes on the strip.

Any ideas?

 

[chrisatpsu]

when i was testing my smart strings with a dmx tester i got from Ray, i had accidently connected the data + and data -  connections backwards on the dmx data line, what i got was the exact opposite of what i was expecting...  when it was doing nothing, it was all on, and when i tried to turn everything on, if t would go dark...

with that said,  look at your cat 5 cable...   is it possible that a wire could be backwards?  white orange & orange maybe?

[Mickpat]

I did more testing tonight.

I have 3 built controllers.  I retested each one.

A.  Set to 513 and works as expected
B.  All lights go on
C.  All lights go on

Swapped pic with A and B.

A.  All lights go on
B.  Works as expected
C.  All lights go on

Copied pic from B and write to A.

A.  Works as expected
B.  Works as expected
C  All ligths go on

Programmed channel 873 to B using smart string utility

A.  Works as expected
B.  All lights go on
C.  All lights go on

I am not sure why, but if I set the channel on my flex strings it stops working.

To program I am

1.  Disconnect power
2.  Set jumper
3.  Apply power
4.  Transmit start channel
5.  All lights flash white
6.  Stop transmit
7.  Disconnect power
8.  Set jumper unbridged
9.  Reconnect power
10.  Retest

I repeated this several times and it always repro.  Now what I cannot figure out is why the first one works and the other two do not.  I am going to swap chips again and see if I can program the start channel by taking PIC B and moving it to A.  For now I don't want to risk messing up PIC A since it is working.

[Mickpat]

I simplified this some more.

1.  Load the default pixnet controller software
2.  Run Color Picker utility
3.  Works
4.  Use Utility to set start channel to 1
5.  Run Color Picker utility
6.  Fail.  All LEDs turn rainbow colors the instant I adjust any of the sliders on the color picker.  Same issue with Vixen and LSP.

So, is it possible I am programming the channel number wrong?

1.  Disconnect power
2.  Set jumper
3.  Apply power
4.  Transmit start channel
5.  All lights flash white
6.  Stop transmit
7.  Disconnect power
8.  Set jumper unbridged
9.  Reconnect power
10.  Retest

The photo shows what the LED looks like when all on.

[Mickpat]

More testing. 

Using the Smart String Utility,

if I set the node count to 128, the LED flex strips work
if I set the node count to 120, the LED fex strips turn all on when data is sent.

So, it looks like there is an issue with the Smart String Utility tool or firmware.  The LED are the flex strips with 120 nodes. 

RJ, anything else I could try or check?

[tng5737]

I just replicated your setup - used the SS config to set the type to flex and nodes to 120 - prog'd the SSC - and created a test seq in Vixen of 360 chans of random data w. carying levels of intensity.  Everything work just as it should!   I am using the latest firmware update in my SSC.  I know that this doesn't help you but it shows that the config util is working as advertised.  I think the only thing I did differently was that I normally switch steps 6 & 7 - that is I disconnect the rj45 first then stop the config util.

[RJ]

Out of town this week but will try to reproduce when i get home.

RJ

Sent from my Charge by Tapatalk

[tng5737]

I tried another SSC and got the all whites like you - I re-flashed the PIC in that SSC and tested and it worked   Also, as a side note I would not use LSP for testing your strings until the new PixelNet Output Plugin becomes available.

[taybrynn]

Yes, I was testing with LSP last night ... and the plugin and software are so flaky that you really need to be tolerant of the first 4 times I doesn't work, then you find the secret combination of things to do, then it works.  I got it to work, but could tell the Pixelnet Plugin (or just LSP?) was very buggy and unstable.  I say that because you open up a sequence that was working, then it doesn't work, doesn't work, partially works, then it fully works.  THen later, colors flake out.  THen shut down, restart ... repeat ... and you can get it working for awhile again eventally.  Frustrating.

[Mickpat]

Thanks tng5727 for spending time trying to repro this.  I have been working to try and narrow down the repro steps and have elminiated LSP and Vixen from the picture.  I am now using the color picker tool which is very simple.

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It appears that after setting a node count other than 128, sending any command produces all on as shown in the pic.  I have tried setting node count to 50 and 120. 

Given my strings are only 120 nodes and it works at 128 I think I can work around this issue for now. Right?  Will the last 8 nodes be ignored?  I beleive I can still properly set the starting channel numbers and have each flex string work without any gaps.

[taybrynn]

I just set up the flex strips as 120 node pixelnet controller in LSP and seems to work.

I think there are bugs, but am waiting for new plugin from LSP to verify it fixes the flakiness.
 

[tng5737]

Just out of curisoity AND because RJ will probably want to know this also - what are the jumper settings on your hub?   Also, I noticed in your earlier post you said you had pgm'd Vixen for 120 channels - I just wanted to say that since Vixen isn't RGB aware you would need to program 360 (120x3) for your flex strip.   As far as config the string to 128 - it may work, however there is something else going on and if your luck is anything like mine - sooner or later these kinds of work-arounds will get you when you least expect it and the last thing you'll think of is the setting the 120 flex to 128.   You're better off geting to the bottom of it now!

[taybrynn]

jumpers on the hub are set to universe 1 on everything.

I am in the process of setting up in Vixen, and did add as 360 channels (120x3), but its not working yet.

I did get the plugin to show finally, using the correct version of vixen.

[rm357]

Setting the channel count to 128 won't cause any issues, and yes, you can overlap the ssc address ranges with no problems as the ssc are independent of each other and they all receive the full universe.

However, as mentioned earlier, you have an issue that will probably surface later on...

RM

[tng5737]

You said you cfig'd the ssc for the flex to begin at addr 513.   try to reconfig it to at addr 1 with 120 nodes - flex  then set up a simple vixen rtn using addrs 1- 1024  (goes quicker if you use rrowan's excellent pgm VSB)   then select all 360 (120rgb) chans in vixen and set them to play random data at varying levels.   Do the flex strings work?   If they do then cut all of chan 1-360(120rgb) and move them to addr 513 - next reconfig your flex ssc to start at addr 513 and re-test.   Do they still work? or are they all white w. possible exception of the first node.
When I tried this I got all white whem moved to 513.