DiyLightAnimation
Hardware => Lynx Express => Topic started by: cmorda on October 17, 2017,
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I made some adapter boards for the ESP-01 WiFi module that can be had for about $2-$3. They work with the ESPixelStick firmware, which is in active development.
Anyone interested in the design? You can have them made on OshPark for next to nothing. Well, 50 cents each to be precise, in multiples of three.
Other than the ESP-01, and the small PCB, all that is needed is a 2x4 female header socket and a 1x4 male header.
Photos attached...
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I would be interested in trying it out.
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Great! Do you have any ESP-01 modules and the means to program them?
Here is a link to the manual for ESPixelStick. The hardware part will be irrelevant but the programming and usage information applies. http://forkineye.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/ESPixelStick-V2-Assembly-and-Usage.pdf
The link to the firmware is in the manual.
Finally, here is a link to the board on OSH Park
https://oshpark.com/shared_projects/6iJ3dxPj
Let me know if you have any questions or need help. And also share your results!
EDIT:
Lastly, if you want to try it right away, I can send you a board that needs a small modification. That is what I am currently using. The first design I made used the ESP TXD pin to send DMX data. ESPixelStick uses GPIO2.
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So just now getting around to playing with this and had a couple of quick questions.
1. What do I use for the SSID and Passphrase when setting this up for an Lynx Etherdongle and Lynx TX/RX?
2. Do I set the device as Serial or Pixel? I am assuming serial since this is going on a LE.
3. If serial what is the serial port number that I set?
I think everything else I can set in the web interface for the device.
Thanks,
Richard
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So just now getting around to playing with this and had a couple of quick questions.
1. What do I use for the SSID and Passphrase when setting this up for an Lynx Etherdongle and Lynx TX/RX?
Your routers SSID and paraphrase, it is login into the router like any other wireless device, if using Unicast then you assign the IP you want for the ESPixelstick, else let the router assign an IP in multicast.
2. Do I set the device as Serial or Pixel? I am assuming serial since this is going on a LE.
You set to serial, Pixel is for intelligent RGB nodes.
3. If serial what is the serial port number that I set?
The DMX universe you assigned in your sequencer for that device.
I think everything else I can set in the web interface for the device.
Thanks,
Richard
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So I am not currently using a router in my setup. Everything runs through the etherdongle and a lynx tx/rx wireless dongle. Sounds like this won't work unless I add a router to my setup which I was trying to avoid having to do. For whatever reason my head kept thinking it would just be a drop in replacement for the EX/RX boards.
So current set up looks like this:
FPP on RasPi ---> Etherdongle ---> Lynx TX/RX Wireless ---> LE's Using EX/RX boards
If I decide to go this route with adding in a router the new set up would look something like this:
---> Etherdongle ---> Lynx TX/RX Wireless ---> LE's Using EX/RX boards
/
FPP on RasPi ---> Router <
\
---> LE's/SSR4's Using ESP-01
Just want to make sure that if I go this route I have everything right now, while I have time to play with stuff. Since this years show is already running and this was for next year anyways.
Thanks,
Richard
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Great! Do you have any ESP-01 modules and the means to program them?
Here is a link to the manual for ESPixelStick. The hardware part will be irrelevant but the programming and usage information applies. http://forkineye.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/ESPixelStick-V2-Assembly-and-Usage.pdf
The link to the firmware is in the manual.
Finally, here is a link to the board on OSH Park
https://oshpark.com/shared_projects/6iJ3dxPj
Let me know if you have any questions or need help. And also share your results!
EDIT:
Lastly, if you want to try it right away, I can send you a board that needs a small modification. That is what I am currently using. The first design I made used the ESP TXD pin to send DMX data. ESPixelStick uses GPIO2.
Great job. I might be interested to give it a try for the next season.
I keep my 4 LEs away from the elements; They are mounted on a board next to each other inside the house and are daisy chained together with cat 5. From there, I run cables to the lights outside. Keeping the same layout I assume only the first LE would have to become wireless and keep the daisy chain as it is. Is that correct?
I have never bought from OSH Park before. Can you only get 1 or 2 boards from them or do you have to buy in larger quantities? Don't really want to get into etching my own board (yet).
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Just do the prototype board. That is what I did. Cost about $5 if I remember right and it came with 3 boards. As far as set up that is correct that you would only need wireless to the first LE and then daisy chain the rest.
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Just ordered 3 boards for a total of $1.50 and free shipping. Not sure how long it will take but not pressed by time now.
Thanks for making this board available to us.
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Looks like a pretty cool little project.
So this lets you setup a LE like an e.131 device on the network?
MIke.
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Yeah I think that is what it is supposed to do. I am waiting until this weekend to take the show down and play with it more. If it works it is an extremely cheap alternative to the EX/RX.
I found the easiest way to program it is to buy one of the ESPixelSticks for $20 off of Amazon.
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Yeah I think that is what it is supposed to do. I am waiting until this weekend to take the show down and play with it more. If it works it is an extremely cheap alternative to the EX/RX.
I found the easiest way to program it is to buy one of the ESPixelSticks for $20 off of Amazon.
have you tried it yet and does it work or are you using the ESPixelStick?
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Seem to be working great. Need to play with it more, and am designing a separate board so I can plug one right on to an SSR4 instead of doing the weird wiring from an EX/RX that you have to do now.
I'll post that once I get my oshpark protoboard that I designed for the SSR4.
I am only using the ESPixelStick to program the ESP-01. It's just a little easier since it has the buttons and everything already in place. way easier than trying to lay everything out on a breadboard.
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that's good news!
I've got the board already, just need to get the missing parts. It will be a few weeks though before I get to it.
I have a few ESPixelSticks and they are very to use with Shelby's tool. Make the ESP-01 programming easy. Only issue I had was related to web browser I was using (firefox) and linux. Had no problem with windows 10 and explorer.
Good luck with your new board for the SSR4.
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Whoops. I didn't mean to abandon this! December was consumed by an enormous wildfire here.
If anyone has any questions I will try to answer them. Using a pixelstick to program is a good idea.
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Did you get the board working for the SSR4?
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It works great just wiring everything up via the breadboard. I just haven't had time to transfer everything to PCB and get a test ordered. Should be great once it is done, just replace the chip with the new pcb and a esp01 and wireless. Haven't done PCB design in two decades so should be interesting. Then I just need to scrounge up enough SSR4s to accomplish the cup-de-sacs design goal.
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How many SSR4 do you need? I have a bunch of the newer versions PCB...and if you have the older version, I have have a bunch of the transformers that are now EOL.
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Ideally I would need 2 of the old transformers and 24 of the new boards to complete the project we want to do. I know some people would say I am crazy for using the older SSR4s instead of newer leds but this is only controlling a bunch of three color incandescent mini trees and so are a perfect solution.
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I'll trade you what you need for 12 of the SSR boards and 12 of the Lynx boards :-)
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Only downside to that is I am still designing the SSR boards. Real job has gotten in the way of doing any Christmas stuff of late. Would probably be easier to just buy them off of you, and then I will post the SSR4 designs like cmorda did for the lynx ones.
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Very interesting, so the PCB board is really only a circuit bridge between the ESP01 and the wireless input for the Express? I have a boat load of ESP8266 CH340G chips and I would be interested to see if they will work. I guess I'll download the Arduino source and have a peek.
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The ESP01's work great using the ESPixelStick firmware and setting them to DMX, then use the board that cmorda posted for the express. I never did get my board modification working for an SSR4 to accept the wireless. In theory it is possible the same way I just ran out of time to get it working between a new job and getting stuff working for this year's show.
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I just cracked open my Lynx and I don't even have a wireless header in it (bought it after market). ::)