A little help please.

[fyb2000]

If after flashing he test firmware on the ssc, there is no light, you have to check that the power is working. With the test firmware the dongle doesn't matter. If no lights it's either your power not working, or the ssc being bad.

[keitha43]

Or the nodes are backward. The big chip side is the input side.

[sittinguphigh]

The nodes are back wards? Are the smart string directional?

OK.

We need to start testing one thing at a time I think.

Computer band-new computer- I can't think any reason this would be the problem
etherdongle- I have a working dongle I used with a express I could flash to pixelnet and test the system with that.
4 port hub- What's a easy to test this
SSC- don't know any way to test this.
smart strings-can theses be tested on there own
cat5e- bought them from monoprice-I don't think these could be bad.

[rrowan]

The nodes are back wards? Are the smart string directional?

YES

Rick R.

Probably the reason the wiki chart lists the direction of each device. Label as Input Side

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[sittinguphigh]

What's the big chip side. The large black chip in input. I have to redue two. But the one I'm using is correct.
So that's not the problem.

The battery is charge.

[fyb2000]

Have you tried the test firmware on your SSC?
If not, please do so.
Once it is flashed on the PIC of the SSC, we will be able to narrow down what the problem can be.
If after flashing it, and applying power to the SSC, the lights are lighting, then the problem will be upstream.
If there is no lights after flashing it, we will focus on the SSC itself, the light string and the power. One of those would be bad.

So make sure you downloaded the test firmware for SSC v3.
Open your PIC programmer program, and reprogram the PIC on the SSC after importing the test firmware (as we did last night, make sure you apply power to the device by checking the 3.3V check box, and that you have selected the correct PIC in the drop down menu for devices)
Once it is programmed, make sure the battery is connected to your SSC and that it is outputting the correct voltage.
At that point, the lights on the string should be doing some things, i.e., they would not be OFF.
Please report the steps you took, and the result you are seeing.

[sittinguphigh]

OK. Program SSC with the test firmware ver 3. Once I find that. Then use pickit-3 to test the smart strings. Not sure how that is done.  By clicking on the power button for 3.3 volts. I think your talking about the power button on the pickit-3.

Do I program the SSC hook up to the 12v power supple?

[lonewolf41]

For the test firmware, you only need to apply power, there is no data involved...it is programmed into the firmware.  This will let you see if the lights, controller, and power are correctly connected.

Good luck,
-Keith

[fyb2000]

Once you have programmed the SSC with the test firmware, you can unplug the pickit3 from the SSC.
The test itself (the lights lighting) will start as soon as you apply the 12V power to the SSC. The only connections that you will need to see if the test is working are:
-Your power supply (12V battery in your case) to the HUB
-HUB to the SSC using a cat5 cable
-Light string to the SSC

[sittinguphigh]

We have lights .

All right. Things are looking up. That means the smart strings are ok. Right. power is OK to.
Only one hub connection is not working. I only need three this year. I will fix it later.
The hub is ok to. Just the one fuse needs to be replaced.



Now is there a test of the  SSC.

[fyb2000]

Good, it means that the communication between the SSC and the light string is working correctly, and the the HUB is correctly powering the SSC.

Now put back the regular firmware on the SSC, and keep it connected to the HUB (the HUB itself powered by the battery)
Once it is reflashed, start the 'smart string utility', close the jumper on the SSC and configure the SSC with the values you want to use.
Once you ready to go, push the button, and the light should be blinking white if the initialization of the SSC worked.

[sittinguphigh]

So you want me to reconnect the etherdongle again? Right

Done No blinky.

[fyb2000]

What steps did you take?

[sittinguphigh]

OK. I disconnected the etherdongle kept the power on the 4 port hub.
Did the SSC test.
The all the lights stayed on.
Reprogram the SSC to the ver3 mod.
Reconnected the ethernet.
Use the SSC utility program to do a test.
Failed the test

[lonewolf41]

To program the SSC with the starting channel and configuration info, you will need to reconnect everything like you show in your picture from reply 164.  Basically, you have it set like you are ready to run a show. 

• Temporarily unplug the controller from the hub. 
• Move the jumper to the program position (jumper on both pins). 
• Plug the string back into the hub. 
• Configure the utility program like you need the lights (hybrid, string, starting channel, etc.). 
• Hit transmit.  The lights should flash white.   
• Hit stop.
• Unplug the lights from the hub
• Move the jumper so that is not on both pins (I store mine by having it on just one pin)
• Plug string/SSC back into hub

This will program the lights to your parameters and you should now be ready to use them in your show.

Good luck,
-Keith

P.S. Is your etherdongle flashed/programmed with Conductor firmware or etherdongle firmware?  I don't know if you can program the lights with the etherdongle if it is programmed with conductor firmware.