DiyLightAnimation
Hardware => Lynx Smart String => Topic started by: RJ on January 30, 2014,
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Before I finish the SSC V4 update that adds the Zeus features did anyone run into any issues related to the hardware itself this year?
RJ
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Only when bare pcb's touch metal objects on my soldering bench while under power.. <md..
I had 17 of them work perfectly the whole light show up to their maximum count.
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I didn't run into any issues. Would it be difficult to put some kind of version ID into the program so it "self identifies" when you run it? Not a biggie, but might help folks in knowing when they are running a certain version easier. I know in the past the utility shows as version 1 all the time.
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I didn't run into any issues. Would it be difficult to put some kind of version ID into the program so it "self identifies" when you run it? Not a biggie, but might help folks in knowing when they are running a certain version easier. I know in the past the utility shows as version 1 all the time.
+1
And no problems at all with the SSC 4s this season. Thanks
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No issues at all for me.
John
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Couple issues, but water related, not SSC. Great design RJ.
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Works great if you don't drop it on the cement :)
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I ran 10 of them for two months with no issues.
Thank you
Rick
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I didn't run into any issues. Would it be difficult to put some kind of version ID into the program so it "self identifies" when you run it? Not a biggie, but might help folks in knowing when they are running a certain version easier. I know in the past the utility shows as version 1 all the time.
Do you mean the programming utility or the firmware?
RJ
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I didn't run into any issues. Would it be difficult to put some kind of version ID into the program so it "self identifies" when you run it? Not a biggie, but might help folks in knowing when they are running a certain version easier. I know in the past the utility shows as version 1 all the time.
Do you mean the programming utility or the firmware?
RJ
For me it's the utility. Having the 3 out there has confused me more than once. I've gotten to the point that the only way I can tell the difference is checking to see if it has grouping and/or Zeus checkboxes. SSCv 1&2 utility has no grouping, SSC modded & v4 Utility has grouping but no Zeus and Zeus has, well, Zeus. :)
I would imagine that when I finally modify all my V1&2 SSC hardware that a later version of the utility will house both the newer SSC & Zeus utility code.
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Look at the top of the utility as the one I am posting is V3 it is for the Zeus and V4 firmware that is attached. Someone want to flash you V4 SSC for me and update your utility with this and give it a try. The new SSC firmware is compatible with the Zeus to prevent messing up you firmware on the Zues pics and having to flash them again.
Please give these a try and let me know how it works as I had nothing setup to test with but should work fine. This includes the additional color orders for the SSC as the Zeus has.
So to repeat you need to flash your V4 SSC with the new firmware and update you utility with this new EXE for it to work. V3 utility it will say it at the top if you have updated correctly.
Thanks
RJ
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No issues for me.
Roger
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No issues for me.
Roger
Great! Need a couple more to try it and if all good we will post it for all. It should be good as it is basically the Zeus firmware which has been tested already.
RJ
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Where is the new firmware? I have not found it yet.
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Where is the new firmware? I have not found it yet.
Youe right the file did not post, not sure how you tested it?
I will get it reposted this evening. not sure if I messed up or it did not like the file?
RJ
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Ok the files have been loaded to the previous post above as they should have been already. Give them a try and let me know how they work.
RJ
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OK the files have been loaded to the previous post above as they should have been already. Give them a try and let me know how they work.
RJ
I had an interesting problem with the testing of the new utility.
I started by using the new utility to program three strings on a Zeus 16 that I had previously hooked up to a 325 channel starburst. I used the new utility to program the ports as follows:
Str1 3rd port Start Chan: 1 Nodes: 117
Str2 4th port Start Chan: 352 Nodes: 104
Str3 5th port Start Chan: 664 Nodes: 104
I used xLights to create a number of Starburst effects and everything appeared to function normally.
I then flashed the pics in three SSCv4s with your new firmware and replaced the Zeus 16 with these SSCs attached to a passive hub. I proceeded to use the new Smart String Utility (selecting the SSC button) to setup the first 117 node string (Str1) . I had no problem with the first SSC so I removed the jumper from the program header and placed it on the second SSC. I set the SS Utility for the Str2 parameters and when I transmitted the second set of lights flashed as expected but the first string 1st pixel lit white and the next 3 pixels on string 1 lit red. I moved the jumper to the 3rd string's SSC and set the parameters to Str3 again the string 3 lights flashed as expected but the same pixels on string one lit the same way as when the second string's SSC was programmed. I removed the program jumper from the last SSC and tried the xLights sequence and it worked as expected. I again opened the new SS Utility and started transmitting (with none of the programming jumpers installed) and got the same results as before except the third pixel did not light but the first was white and the 2nd and 4th were red. After playing for a while I found out that when I increased the start channel to >1 the third pixel lit red.
I then hooked up the Zeus 16 again and reprogrammed the first 3 ports as Str1, Str2 & Str3. This time I noticed that it gave me the same results as the SSCv4's did with the first 4 pixels of the first string affected whenever parameters were transmitted. When I used the Zeus button and tried programming all the ports at once, the same 4 pixels where effected but this time the 3rd pixel flashed red.
As far as I'm concerned I can easily live with this as it appears not to effect the actual sequence presentation and only shows what seems like a minor bug with the utility. If you need further testing I would be happy to oblige.
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You will see this as I am sending data out the same as I would to run a show. The difference is that on the ones in program mode they use to program themselfs with it. So this is normal unless I am not understanding. If you are saying lights blink on other strings when programming a different SSC or string on a Zeus then it is fine.
We just need to check that all the options work as expected. They should as the code is mainly the Zeus code with minor differences.
Also we should likely verify that you can not mess up you Zeus by choosing SSC and trying to program it with it. Should just program the first string as I remember.
RJ
RJ
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We just need to check that all the options work as expected. They should as the code is mainly the Zeus code with minor differences.
Also we should likely verify that you can not mess up you Zeus by choosing SSC and trying to program it with it. Should just program the first string as I remember.
RJ
I set the Zeus 16 jumper to program and selected SSC in the utility. I set it to 25 nodes and transmitted the parameters. All the pixels on the first string flashed. After removing the jumper and sending a test sequence only the first 25 pixels in the first string responded to the sequence and the other 2 strings continued to work as expected. I then reprogrammed the Zeus back to 117 pixels (using the BRG setting) and got the expected resulting shift in colors for the first string. Finally I reprogrammed the Zeus (using the SSC button) back to the original settings and everything worked fine.
At this point I can find no problems with either the SSCv4 firmware or the new Smart String Utility. Thanks for all you hard work on, well, everything :)
By the way the addition of Version 3 to the header and the About page will make it much easier to differentiate this from the prior iterations if any are necessary, which brings to mind one last question - can the new utility be used on V1&2 SSCs with the modification or will we continue to use the second version?
Ron
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One a few people make sure the color settings and all features work on this new firmware I will post a V3 version for the modded old models. Then there will be just two firmwares for SSC, V3 & V4, One firmware for the Zeus(s) and one utility for the all.
RJ
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:-[ Miss read (Or did not read!) the thread, Simply meant I had no issues with the V4!! <fp. Sorry for the confusion!
Roger
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Then there will be ... and one utility for the all.
RJ
It will be great to have "One Ring to rule them all" (bad Lord of the Rings reference), so I can stop reloading the correct SSR Utility everytime I need to program an SSR or Zeus. :)
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Then there will be ... and one utility for the all.
RJ
It will be great to have "One Ring to rule them all" (bad Lord of the Rings reference), so I can stop reloading the correct SSR Utility everytime I need to program an SSR or Zeus. :)
Exactly! thats the plan. Just need some people to verify all is well first.
RJ
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I'm get no output when I choose these 2 color combos.
BGR
RBGAll the other combos work great and I get output. I tested square models/flex strip/nodes/2811 rectangles(these need the BGR combo though)
Thats the only thing I've found so far, otherwise the channel works/# of nodes/null nodes/grouping/backwards/forward
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Interesting! I will look into it.
RJ
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Just wanted to see if you were able to find out the issue with those 2 not outputting.