Smart string programming ghosts - figured out - well aparently not - now I did!

[lonewolf41]

This is driving me crazy!  What I thought was a Vixen issue here:

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is apparently actually a smart string issue.  As you can see from the pic, the string is different colors when it should all be blue and yellow.  I have tried multiple controllers and they all behave the same.  This part over my garage (house4) is set to start channel 1973 on universe 2 (6069 in Vixen).  My string in front of this one (house3) is set to start @ 1655 on universe 2 (5751 in Vixen).  String 3 behaves fine.  If I set my house 4 string to mimic house3 and start @ 1655, the string works great and looks just like string 3.  If I program it back to 1973 where it is supposed to be, it looks like the picture again.  Starting with node 25, the colors are wrong.

These are v3 modded controllers using the correct programming utility with groupings.  I have absolutely no idea what else to try at this point as I don't know what is causing this issue.

HELP!!!

Thanks,
-Keith

[zwiller]

Would you happen to have a SSC programmed near these overlapping channels causing colors to mix?  Probably not easy to spot with grouping them.   

[rrowan]

Could your channel count be off?

Rick R.

[zwiller]

Now that I think about it you can't really overlap in vixen.  Easy to do in LSP.

I saw some really funky things in universe 2 with first firmware of etherdongle.  Dim led's, certain colors not firing.  2nd firmware installed?  That one hit me hard.

Nice lines, they look great! 

[lonewolf41]

The channels are not grouped.  The strings are in hybrid mode with no grouping.  I have looked at the channel count many times and it looks good.  It only behaves this way in this one part of the song when the colors move along the string in a chase.  It does something similar in a different song when there is movement.  I also took the house 4 controller and put it on the house 3 string to see what would happen.  I didn't reprogram anything just unplugged the controller from the cable and light string and moved it to house 3.  House 3 looked the same as house 4 with the colors all mixed up.  So it followed the controller. 

So it seems either the hardware is not interpreting the data correctly or the software is sending out the wrong data.  Don't know which or how to find out.  This house 4 string is the last channels.  There is nothing else after it.  I am trying to get another laptop hooked up to try it and see if it makes a difference.

Thanks again,
-Keith

[lonewolf41]

Now that I think about it you can't really overlap in vixen.  Easy to do in LSP.

I saw some really funky things in universe 2 with first firmware of etherdongle.  Dim led's, certain colors not firing.  2nd firmware installed?  That one hit me hard.

Nice lines, they look great!

I didn't build my etherdongle until a couple of months ago and used the firmware from the wiki so assume it is correct.  In fact, I had to send it to RJ to fix and he said it was working when he was done so take that as an additional check as well.

Yea, I wasn't sure how you could overlap channels in Vixen either.

Thanks,
-Keith

[rrowan]

You didn't remap the channels did you?  I assume you didn't but since another member has I am just checking

Can the offending channels be move to a different block of channels to see if that is a problem?

Rick R.

[lonewolf41]

I can move them further down.  No room further up the chain.  I thought about that.  Just have not had time to try moving them.  May do that here in a minute.  I also decided to go ahead and build my conductor tonight so I have that available to eliminate the computer.  Will try moving channels first and then reflash for the conductor and try that.

Thanks,
-Keith

[lonewolf41]

OK, I shifted the last string down two channels by putting 2 blank channels between house 3 & 4.  It now starts at 1975.  Ran with this setup and the sequence looked identical.  I guess I could put this one string on a 3rd universe but that seems ridiculous.  The only thing I know to try is the conductor.  Well, I guess I could try xlights, I will just have to set it up.  Any other ideas?

Thanks,
-Keith

[zwiller]

I looked at the sequence and nothing jumped out. 

You try vixen test mode?  Also how does house 4 act when selecting the hybrid channels?  Xlights is not a bad idea either...

If I look close to the pic I can count 10 nodes and right around the problem areas I notice dim nodes before the wrong color.  Reminds me of the old etherdongle firmware.  I would reflash it to rule it out 100% unless it's a real pain. 

[lonewolf41]

No problem reflashing.  It is easy to do so will try that next.  In fact, may try it at lunch.  The stupid thing is...the string looks GREAT the rest of the time.  Only during the parts where there are (relatively) slow chases up/down the string does it behave this way.  I may also try switching house 3 & 4 channels in Vixen and see what happens.  If house 4 starts @ 1655 & house 3 starts @ 1973, I will reprogram the controllers appropriately but not move their physical location and see what happens.  I don't know what this will do, but it will be a new data point.

There are actually 24 nodes that are OK, the 25th node is the first one to act bad.  In fact, when it is supposed to turn yellow, it goes white.  I thought I had a bad node, but when I moved that house 4 controller and put it on my house 3 light string, the 25th node on that house 3 string (which worked great with the house 3 controller) began acting up.  So it follows the controller/channel.  I tried 3 or 4 controllers and they all did the same thing when programmed to channel 1973 so I don't think it is a controller issue.  I would say change out the hub, but all it is doing is passing data.  I did move the output to a different port with no difference.

Thanks again,
-Keith

[zwiller]

 

I commend you for doing that many channels in Vixen!  I even ran your channel numbers for house 4 so they are ok and in order too. 

Does the white/bad node stay lit as long as the others or is it shorter? 

[lonewolf41]

It stays lit as long as the others.  When the node is supposed to switch back to blue from yellow, it goes from white to a dull blue.  I'll try and post some video showing it in real-time.

-Keith

[jnealand]

I had one string do that last year.  Only in one song and only in a part of the song.  Never did figure out what the problem was, I just decided to consider it a unique feature and forget about it.  LOL.  Don't know about this year yet since I still have not been able to get the show up and running.  All my DMX stuff is working great, but I keep stumbling on SS issues that are not consistent.  I have had to reflash the chips, redo the start addresses, etc.  Even have one string where separately the lights work, the controller works, the cable tests good, but all together they fail.  Very frustrating. 

[sielbear]

What is the end channel (and node) of that controller?