SSC programming

[IndianaChristmas]

I have watched RJ's video (part 2) on SSC.
I have set up my Ether dongle, hub, SSC and programming utility as the video and tried to program the SSC -> no blinky during transmit.
I have tested my Edongle and hub for DMX out and this works.  This probably doesn't mean the two are 100% OK but I hope so!
I tried with a USB dongle (flashed to pixelenet) and can't program it either.
I tried loading the test firmware and attached the SSC to the hub for power, I don't get blinky.
This could be a SSC issue?  I did place a 150ohm resister where the 330 was intended in the past.  I have checked the wiring into the SSC from cat5 and to the lights.
I don't see where the Utility needs to have the Ether dongle setup.  Did I miss something there?

Any ideas?
I'll try a second SSC as well but thought I would send this out.

Thanks,
Eric

[rrowan]

Are the lights connected to the correct side?

There is a input and output side of the lights.

If string nodes the first node could be bad blocking the rest of the nodes from working

Are you getting 12volts at the output of the SSC?

Rick R.

[IndianaChristmas]

I get 12V at the +/- connections out of the SSC.  Since I am using nodes I have red to +, green to - and blue to data.
My nodes are from one of the first batches from Ray, I bought them last spring/summer and I'm certain they aren't the newer ones.  Would that matter?  Should I remove the first node?
Thanks
Eric

[keitha43]

Make sure the big chip side of the node faces the SSC. This is the input side.

[IndianaChristmas]

I did have it wrong, go figure, 50/50 chance.  Fixed it and still no blinky when programming.
Thanks,
Eric

[taybrynn]

you could have a bad node or could have fried one ... I now keep a set of 10 reference nodes that I know work, for such testing.  You could cut off a node and try it alone ?  I did then when having problems and was splicing them back together anyways.

[peteandvanessa]

Firstly, when you are programming the Smart String Controller with the test code, you are loading the correct hex file into the PICKIT 2 or PICKIT 3 programmer.

The test code should be this (the shorting of the 2 pins on the SSC is only necessary for using the smart string utility. It doesn't matter when flashing the test firmware or the operational firmware)

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You should verify that the chip did actually get programmed by doing a verify.

After programming the SSC, connect it to the Hub and turn on the Hub (I'm also assuming you have flashed the correct firmware to the HUB.

Once powered up, if the SSC program pin is shorted, the smart string should go white, and stay white.

If you then power then down, and the unshort the SSC program pin, they should cycle through the four colors.

If that works, things are looking good.
If it doesn't then something is wrong elsewhere.

If it is working, then you can move onto loading the firmware to the SSC.

The firmware is located here:
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Load the hex firmware into your PICKIT

Flash the firmware to the SSC (the shorting of the 2 pins on the SSC is only necessary for using the smart string utility. It doesn't matter when flashing the test firmware or the operational firmware)


Once flashed, disconnect the PICKIT

Now you need to program the address of the SSC

To do this, short the program Pin, and connect the SSC to the Hub and power up

Once Powered up, use the Smart String utility to connect to the SSC
The Smart string controller utility will connect to the SSC via eithe the USB dongle or EtherDongle (I'm using the USB Dongle)

Select what type of Smart strings they are, how many nodes, start channel, individual nodes, or hybrid or 3 channel string, direction etc.

Remember here, that if you set it as Individual nodes, and you tell it it has 60 individual nodes and the start address is say 1, that string will have a start address of 1 and an end address of 180, becuase each node has three Leds associated with it.

Then hit transmit, it should continue to transmit until you hit stop. If the SSC received the programming, it should flash on and off in white.

If it doesn't flash, then something is wrong.

If it does work correctly, power down the SSC, and un-short the program pin and you SSC controller should be up and running.

[IndianaChristmas]

I have flashed everything with the firmware presented in the wiki.  What I didn't realize is that program had to be shorted when flashing the SSC. 
I'll try that.  Every time I flashed in the past it was successful per Pickit.
I'll try and update.

[keitha43]

The way I remember it is the shorting of the 2 pins is only necessary for using the smart string utility. It doesn't matter when flashing the test firmware or the operational firmware. Flash the ssc back to the test firmware and verify using the picket 3 program not the mplab program. Then connect to the hub. Power up the hub. If the jumper is not shorted it should begin cycling colors, if jumpered they will be all white.

[peteandvanessa]

The way I remember it is the shorting of the 2 pins is only necessary for using the smart string utility. It doesn't matter when flashing the test firmware or the operational firmware. Flash the ssc back to the test firmware and verify using the picket 3 program not the mplab program. Then connect to the hub. Power up the hub. If the jumper is not shorted it should begin cycling colors, if jumpered they will be all white.

Thanks for clarifying, I'll re-edit my response

[IndianaChristmas]

I reflashed with the program shorted using the test hex file.  I was able to get the first 18  nodes of a 128 strand to light white and blink with changes in pin shorting.
Reflashed with standard SSC hex and tried programming the string -> nothing! 
Getting closer!
Eric.

[rimist]

I think the process described by PeteandVanessa should be added to the wiki

-Rimist (via Tapatalk)

[keitha43]

Node 18 could have a problem or 19 could be wired backwards(check for the big chip side). Get all nodes working with the test firmware and let it run a minimum of 12 hours for a burn in. After a few hours you may find problem nodes that were working initially. I let mine burn in overnight. Do this before trying the regular firmware and smartstring utility.

[peteandvanessa]

I reflashed with the program shorted using the test hex file.  I was able to get the first 18  nodes of a 128 strand to light white and blink with changes in pin shorting.
Reflashed with standard SSC hex and tried programming the string -> nothing! 
Getting closer!
Eric.

So we need to deal with the first issue of why only the 1st 18 nodes flash using the test firmware. Sounds like something about the string isn't working, you might need to probe the strings further like others have done to see if the string isn't passing the info further down the string and get that fixed 1st.

Burn in might fix that or there maybe other issues with the string

On the second part where you are connecting the string to the smart string utility, I'm assuming you have the jumpers on the hub set correctly for the address range you are trying to program the string right?

On mine (flashed with PixelNet on the Hub), my hub address starts at 1 and finishes ar 4096, so the jumpers on the Hub need to be set for that range.

Then my first pixel string address (I'm using flexible LED strips) of 60 Pixels starts at 1 and finishes at 180, so the Hub is used to program the string.

I hit transmit and the LED then flash white on and off, once successfully programmed with the smart string utility.

[peteandvanessa]

I think the process described by PeteandVanessa should be added to the wiki

-Rimist (via Tapatalk)

There's another thread I started here which describes the issues (user errors) I encounted when going through the set up of the smart strings with two USB dongles and Light Show Pro, since it's not immediately intuitive on how to do it. This is what I did to get it to work:

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