Dumb RGB Controller

[TexasStingray]

RJ is pretty smart I'm sure his Dumb String Controller will work for DMX & Pixelnet just a different hex file to flash into the PIC.

[Steve Gase]

Nah!

 Only cost me a couple hundred to have protos done.   

RJ

I'd love to know more about this...  for example, will it do anything along the lines of a "demo mode"?

There is at least one dmx controller that will do test patterns, cycling from one color to the next, and doing fades and overlapping the colors as it does its thing.
if you have power, but no dmx signal this pattern cuts in, then goes to black when the dmx signal is applied.

I like this feature because I've been able to make a number of gifts that use coro as a shell, and dumb strings with a rbg controller inside.  all that is needed to have a wow effect is power applied from a 12v power supply. 

having cool effects when the controller is waiting for dmx might be a useful add.

[TexasStingray]

Steve,

I know it can be done, the question is at what expense. Maybe There should be a store for add-on's. I was think of adding something like that to my RGB Controller but allow you to put patterns on a SD Card. But once again at what expense.

[tbone321]

I would say that it doesn't.   

[Steve Gase]

Looks like they will need a passive splitter to send the DMX on to the next controller.

No, I guess not. As shown, it has a hard connected Terminate resistor.

More questions about unannounced items...

With hard-coded (non-selective) DMX termination, does that limit the use of this controller to lynx hubs?  It seems that I couldn't use it inline with other DMX elements... am I interpreting this correctly?

[rm357]

Looks like an scc, drawing primary power from the cat5.
With that I would assume that it is a pixelnet device and no daisy chaining...

You will have to be careful as is not to overload the cat5... There is no way to limit the output to 128 nodes like RJ does for the smartstrings. Too many nodes = blown fuse...

RM

[TexasStingray]

I bet what makes the PixelNet hub a PixelNet is the firm ware just like the DMX Dongle can be flashed for DMX. So I would think there is a DMX Active Hub in the future. At lease I was think of making one. There are example of power injection into the cat5 cables on the internet. I would think that there has got to be a way to control the amount of current allowed thru it.

[n1ist]

It looks like there are a few things that are getting confused here.

- Pixelnet without power - comes in two flavors, 1 universe as sourced by a Dongle flashed with pixelnet firmware, and 4 universes as sourced by an Ethernet Dongle flashed with pixelnet firmware or 4 Dongles flashed with pixelnet firmware feeding a combiner.  The 4-universe version can be extended using the pixelnet out port of a Pixelnet hub or the upcoming pixelnet splitter.  The 1-universe pixelnet might be able to be split with the standard DMX splitter, but I am not sure of this.

- Pixelnet with power (also called SSC).  This has one universe and 12v DC carried on the other three pairs of the cat5.  This is what goes between a hub (active or passive) and an SSC.  Looking at the picture, the Dumb String Controller will also take this feed, but this is speculation on my part..

/mike

[rm357]

The only smart part of the active pixelnet hub is the pic used to mirror a block of pixelnet addresses to DMX. If you remove that pic or use a passive hub, then it doesn't really matter whether you send DMX or pixelnet protocol through the hub. They use the same physical hardware layer for the data.

The issue is keeping things simple for the items that are available through this site.
If we only use pixelnet hubs for pixelnet, there is no confusion about what is coming out of a hub.

You start using it to power DMX devices, it's an unneeded option that will cause confusion.

For power users, it's no big deal, but for the new folks it's more intimidating and increases the probability of experiencing problems.

RM

[TexasStingray]

Just added the ability to read a 'pattern file' & a 'timer delay file' from an SD Card and play the pattern reading a new line after the delay, & repeating from the beginning of the file when the end of file has been reached. Only additional hardware is a 2 row 8 pin header and and SD Card reader that I got of ebay for $2.90 with free shipping. It does not use the DMX when the card is detected.