Pixel testing trouble

[rrowan]

Then again SSC ver 2 can provide more amps (might help with the slightly problematic nodes) and currently doesn't have a test firmware.

So another round of testing of the nodes with the new SSC 

Rick R.

[chrisatpsu]

but i was gonna say, if the test firmware can make the strings act up, but they work fine running normally...  isn't that what you want? you want your tests to be harsh, so that normal operating would be fine.   it wouldn't make any sense it they acted up normally, but ran fine on the test?

[MrChristmas2000]

I guess you might call the xLights xTester program close to a sequence but not exactly. It allows for function test very similar to the SSC Test PIC code.

It is similar to Vixens channel test but with RGB support and allows for enhanced testing techniques similar to the hardware test programs for LOR and d-light hardware products.

The xLights xTester program seems to test the lights at a higher switching rate than the PIC test firmware. This is just conjecture but somehow the data stream created directly from the test PIC vs the PIC processing the incoming data stream has just a minor enough difference to cause the pixel strings to behave differently.

I don't think this is a power problem. The intensity of the pixels from one end to the other is very consistent.

I hope this input will help with the design of the v2 test program as well as a review of the v1 test program code.

[RJ]

Ok,

 I have seen enough about this that I had to chime in.

I read this,

If i use the test firmware my lights act up.

If use my lights with a seqence normal they work fine.

So I guess I wonder why we keep beating this horse.. Don't test with the test firmware. Test with a seqence. This is what the China tester is doing different.

The test firmware only outputs the data once and it doesnt repeat. So any data error does not clear up in 25ms as it does using the china tester or an SSC running a seqence. This is the only difference.

It was meant to let you verify colors and then turn the string white to burn them in. That is all it was intended for.  a user asked me to create it as a way to test if his issue was the SSC/string. Or if they had the software setup wrong ect.

Longer strings have more data errors and string with nodes acting up will have data errors.  If you under power you system you will also see more errors.

RJ

[keitha43]

Last year all my strings were 126 nodes long. I figured if they worked consistantly with RJ's firmware (after the resistor change) they should be fine in a real environment. Sure I may have thrown away some nodes that would have actually worked in a real sequence, but I was sure mine would work in my show if it worked with the test firmware. At least until the first rainstorm hit it Now I have a newer more waterproof version. And new v2 SSC's coming. With a conductor unit in the future I think I will have a much happier Christmas this year!

[Steve Gase]

but i was gonna say, if the test firmware can make the strings act up, but they work fine running normally...  isn't that what you want? you want your tests to be harsh, so that normal operating would be fine.   it wouldn't make any sense it they acted up normally, but ran fine on the test?

I agree.  I'd rather discover problems with a more rigorous test NOW when I can do something about the repair. 

[Corey872]

The only thing to remember is that by testing outside the normal operating parameters, you may not be finding anything of value.  ...It's like testing a string of lights with double the rated voltage to find the weak ones...suddenly you find a bunch of bad bulbs with otherwise would be perfectly fine within the rated voltage.

[MrChristmas2000]

I only started this conversation when I could not pinpoint a particular failure with the rainbowing effect and there is about to be a deluge of new people buying and testing pixel strings.

There is no consistency between power ups and downs and even from one SSC to another (with test code) to pinpoint a particular pixel failure. Secondly the only time this effect occurs is with the SSC test firmware.

The experience I am having with the latest strings I just aquired from Ray is now different from the first group that I tested. I did not have this rainbow effect the first time around. The failures I saw then was either of two kinds. One was a pixel just failed to operate and pass signal to the rest of the string. The other failure was a pixel missing a color.

RJ has spoken and I will let this subject die for now.