DiyLightAnimation
Hardware => Lynx EtherDongle => Topic started by: Pete on September 25, 2012,
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I need some help getting my 2 ED's up and running.
Is there a setup and operation " Ether Dongle Guide for Dummies" (such as I) out there somewhere? I have no problem with the USB dongles however, I have found out I am "NETWORK CHALLENGED" and past plugging in the connectors I am lost.
Has anyone put together a very basic guide from first plugging in the ED to getting lights to blink?
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you -
"NETWORK CHALLENGED" Pete
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me too especially with dmx flashed
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Misleading title... <fp. hahaha
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There really is not a manual for this request.
I will chime in with a few known issues you can try to resolve.
No communication between Ed and LE (or any device)
Solutions:
1. is to make sure you have all the drivers installed.
2. you may need a crossover or in expensive router (I use this method) to create an IP. This is very true with an older computer.
If not give use some very good pictures of both sides of the board.
What are you using to program you PIC?
I am sure there will be more questions for you soon. Most problems are solved by the best questions asked.
Kevin
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There really is not a manual for this request.
I will chime in with a few known issues you can try to resolve.
No communication between Ed and LE (or any device)
Solutions:
1. is to make sure you have all the drivers installed.
2. you may need a crossover or in expensive router (I use this method) to create an IP. This is very true with an older computer.
If not give use some very good pictures of both sides of the board.
What are you using to program you PIC?
I am sure there will be more questions for you soon. Most problems are solved by the best questions asked.
Kevin
Well first off ??????? :-[ I am REALLY Network challenged.
Communication - the board lights up - green led and the magic jack flashes so I guess it is communicating. I can not figure how or where to look to see if the ED is communicating to anything. I do see a Realtec network icon in the windows network sharing center.
The ED is connected to my laptop. ED output to SS hub all set to universe 1.
Pickit 3 was used to program the PIC and checksum is correct (pixelnet)
I do not believe there is a board problem at this point because I have no clue how to setup the ED - check it - test it - and make it blink lights. BTW Vixen is setup with the plugin for the ED.
I do not know how to set up the network for the ED.
Pete
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How about RJ's EtherDongle videos he did?
http://www.diylightanimation.com/wiki/index.php?title=Equipment#Library
Besides that,
Depending on your software you have either very little to setup (Vixen - plugin - number of channels only) to use the EtherDongle or you have to setup the number of universes your EtherDongle will use (xLights - 239.255.0.1 etc)
The EtherDongle itself has no configuration to setup. It just listens for the packets of data sent to the 239.255.0.1 - 239.255.0.32
Rick R.
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I'm also struggling. I have two EDs that I tested months ago with my 6 yr old XP laptop. Sold that laptop and bought a new one. However, I am now testing with my Win7 netbook. I have a 7ft pixel tree set up in my screen room and can play with all the lights using xlights and a USB pixelnet dongle. But now I am trying to recreate my network setup for the ED that was running on the old laptop. I have the netbook with wireless turned off and have tried 3 different routers between the netbook and the ED. I want to get it running with all wired connections first before I start with the wireless even though it was working in my basement workshop after I built the EDs. Apparently only one of the 3 routers I tried supports multicast - a DLink DIR-655 which is a duplicate of the one for the house that was used originally and even tested using wireless from the XP laptop to a wired connection to the ED. I've tried a crossover cable with direct connect and even assigned a static address to the netbook. This is very frustrating. Most folks would not categorize me as network challenged since I am a mostly retired IT support person, but this is challenging not to mention frustrating.
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Is a router needed between my laptop and ED?????
I have been connecting the ED directly to my laptop.
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Is a router needed between my laptop and ED?????
I have been connecting the ED directly to my laptop.
The answer is "it depends". It depends on the capabilities of your laptop, your cable (straight or crossover), having an IP address on the ethernet port, etc. Generally speaking it is simpler and more straight forward to use a router, but then the router must support multicast. Now you understand more of the need for the "Dummies" manual. LOL Boy, this is more work than I would have thought, let me just go back to soldering!!!
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Sooooo . . . . if a router is the way to go (or easier) how do I know if my home router can handle multicast? Is there somewhere I can look or access through it IP address setup screens that will help me find the answer?
If my router does not handle multicast what router suggestions do you have?
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Start by setting up a network address on your network card in your computer and plugging in the ETD with a cable. If you get no connection from the ETD lights then try a cross over cable. Get this working first before adding more complexity of a router in the mix.
Turn your firewall off in your computer.
Make sure you have no other network connections to your computer like wireless equipment to stat your test. Once this is working you can start adding more complexity.
This is all it should take.
RJ
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Thanks RJ -
When I get off work tonight I will follow your instructions. I will post the results.
Pete
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also, try turning off wireless while you're attempting to communicate with the eD. sometimes the computer broadcasts the eD info on that adapter instead.
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Thanks RJ -
When I get off work tonight I will follow your instructions. I will post the results.
Pete
OK . . . . I got the yellow light to dance to a test sequence input, but no lights. I believe that is other than the ED at this point. I am off to work and I will set up the test sequence late tonight tomorrow morning.
Thank you to all who helped this old Network Challenged guy.
Pete
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Hello everyone -
I have more time on the weekend to work on this and I am still having issues with my ED.
I have the ED connected to my laptop after a long time identifying my network connections show an active network. It reads as "unidentified Network" (I have Win7 on a less than 12 month old Dell laptop). I guess this is good??
I have tried a simple test sequence with Vixen 2.1.1.0 to a LE (tested) and the ED has no output, the ED is receiving as the yellow led on the jack is solid yellow when playing. I have all the plugins installed and universes set - so I believe it is good (works with usb dongle).
I am stuck, please help if you can. I am attaching photos of my 2 ED's front and back.
Thank you,
Pete
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Hi Pete,
In looking at your pictures, I've circled an area that looks suspect. Look under magnification and make sure there is separation of these legs with the adjacent pad, in the picture they look close. Soldering on the rest looks good.
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Thank you b476 -
I checked the area under 10x magnification and it looks good - also did a back light check and there is separation of the legs.
Thanks for helping.
Pete
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I don't know if this is a problem . . . . screen shot of network sharing center:
Thanks - Pete
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You need to assign the port a static address. It really doesn't matter which one that you give it becasue it will be sending multi-cast addressing out of it but many OS's will not send anything to an Ethernet port that does not have a valid IP address, multicast or not. Give it an address like 192.168.1.225 That address shouldn't interfere with anything and enable the Ehternet port.
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Thank you tbone -
I entered an ip address as you recommended - thank goodness for google and "howtogeek.com"
The error in set up went away - but still it doesn't work. :( [size=78%] [/size]Here is the screen shot. I will keep reading and see if I can get lucky and get the right combination to make these things work.
Thanks again
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That error is normal. You shouldn't be able to see the internet with a direct connection to the Ehterdongle. Is the data light (yellow) flashing when connected to the dongle?
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Yes
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Here is what I have now and I am totally confused . . .
1. ED flashed for DMX (and reflashed using Pickit 3)
2. LE set up for universe 1
3. Using combiner
4. Using X-lights test mode
5. Data link led is on
With a test input from X-lights to the ED - on the magjack the green light is on steady the yellow flashes occasionally. The combiner on hooked up on 2 I get a fast pattern of output lights on all 16 channels. . . looks like a repeating pattern.
This input does not change whether I choose channels on or off nor does it change when any of the test patterns are selected. Even with all lights off I get this pattern.
If I hook up the LE directly to the ED I have the Data link led on and no output - even using any software.
I get this same output with no software running.
I am getting an output from the ED but not what is expected. Could the ED have a (or more) bad components) on it?
Thanks,
Pete
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You should have the output of the etherdongle going to the combiner pixelnet output and then the le connected to IN #1
Rick R.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Correct - input to combiner is Pixelnet in
On #1 I get no activity
On #2 I get the strange activity
Pete
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Could you post a picture with the backlight on both of the chips? I had one that didn't look bridged but looked almost fuzzy, and its on the way to the doctor currently. :) My second EtD was also having problems, but I was able to reflow one side of the small chip (with a lot pen flux and a quick solder sucker to fix the bridge I caused). It went to working immediately.
The way mine appears to work is that if the green light on the magjack comes on then you have a link to whatever you are connected to. Once you turn on your E1.31 output then the yellow goes solid where it only randomly blinked before. It sounds like you are close but the pic isn't recognizing the broadcast data. I would think the most likely cause would be an improperly flashed PIC, but it sounds like you have programmed it several times with not much different results. The next most likely cause would be a bridge on the Comm chip or the PIC which is grounding or sending the data to an unintended location which may be why universe 2 is acting strange.
Also have you checked the voltages on the 8 and 50MHz clocks? There was a post around here recently that had the voltages and a link to the spec sheet that showed what the pin numbers where. I would imagine either of those failing would also cause odd behavior.
Edit Found it. http://diylightanimation.com/index.php?topic=7735.0 (http://diylightanimation.com/index.php?topic=7735.0) See Caretakers post towards the bottom of page 1.
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I am currently at work, I will post the photos in the AM, make the checks and post the results.
Thank you so much,
Pete
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Could you post a picture with the backlight on both of the chips? I had one that didn't look bridged but looked almost fuzzy, and its on the way to the doctor currently. :) My second EtD was also having problems, but I was able to reflow one side of the small chip (with a lot pen flux and a quick solder sucker to fix the bridge I caused). It went to working immediately.
The way mine appears to work is that if the green light on the magjack comes on then you have a link to whatever you are connected to. Once you turn on your E1.31 output then the yellow goes solid where it only randomly blinked before. It sounds like you are close but the pic isn't recognizing the broadcast data. I would think the most likely cause would be an improperly flashed PIC, but it sounds like you have programmed it several times with not much different results. The next most likely cause would be a bridge on the Comm chip or the PIC which is grounding or sending the data to an unintended location which may be why universe 2 is acting strange.
Also have you checked the voltages on the 8 and 50MHz clocks? There was a post around here recently that had the voltages and a link to the spec sheet that showed what the pin numbers where. I would imagine either of those failing would also cause odd behavior.
Edit Found it. http://diylightanimation.com/index.php?topic=7735.0 (http://diylightanimation.com/index.php?topic=7735.0) See Caretakers post towards the bottom of page 1.
Hi
Here are the voltages (2 ED's) ant the back lite photos.
Thank you,
Pete
Clock voltages:
4-5 = 1.5 & 1.6 vdc
4-8 = 3.1 & 3.2 vdc
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Looks like the bridge trace is missing on pins 35/36 on the small chip on the pixelnet dongle (last photo).
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Looks like someone fixed it.
That bridge that you removed was a trace and those pins need to be connected back together. I bet that is your problem. I will pm you.
RJ