Networking with Smart String Hubs

[JimWright]

OK. The great news is that we are getting close to having our Smart String Hubs and Controllers (thanks to RJ, Bill, and all). I have a question concerning channel numbering, just to make sure that I understand it.
1. As I understand it, the hub will support a maximum of (16X128) 2048 RGB nodes (channels).
2. The hub has a DMX out port that will support a standard DMX universe of 512 channels.

Now for the question. If I want to allow for interfacing other DMX equipment (such as the Lynx Express, etc.) do I need to leave the first 512 channel numbers assigned to the interface dongle for standard type controllers (for maximum flexibility)? I think this means that I need to start my smart string channel numbers at 513. Is this correct?

Hopefully, I am not the only one who needs a discussion on this question.
Jim W

[bcstuff]

Jim a pixelnet universe is only 4096 channels or 8 DMX universes. If you ran a full hub of 16 x 128 pixels you would either have to overlap and have some channels the same on some pixels or run some in string mode. You could not have 2048 individually controlled pixels on one hub. In pixel mode you need 3 channels for each node to run them individually without overlap.

As far as what you said about Regular DMX, You could use 1-512, which seems easiest to me, but would subtract those channels as available to use from the pixelnet universe, i.e. 4096 - 512 = 3584. You could also pick any of the 8 universes that are part of the pixel net universe, see the Pixel net hub DMX channel chart to see the appropriate jumpers for the universe of DMX you want to use, located in the Smart String Wiki

[JimWright]

OK. Thanks. I am learning more with each response. To make sure that I understand, for each pixelnet universe I need a separate dongle out of the computer, set to a different DMX universe. I that correct. Also, I really made a stupid error, forgetting that there are really 3 channels per node. I know better than that. Therefore, if my math is correct, I use channels 1-512 as "regular" DMX channels and 513-4096 for smart strings for a total of 3584 channels, or 1194 total nodes with 2 channels left over. Does this sound correct?
Jim W

[rrowan]

Hi Jim

See if these links help
1 - RJs spreadsheet showing channel numbering You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
2 - Basic diagram wiring up one pixelnet universe You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

Rick R.

[chrisatpsu]

if you use one lynx dongle (flashed as pixelnet) for one hub.

then use another lynx dongle (flashed as pixelnet) for another hub...

you can set them both as 1st universe of pixelnet, as they aren't aware of each other.

however, if you combined the two lines with a pixelnet combiner, then you can setup your hub as pulling from either the 1st, or 2nd pixelnet universe.

to use a 2nd, 3rd, or 4th pixelnet universe, you have to use the combiner, ot the etherdongle (not available yet)

[tbone321]

This is beginning to sound more complicated than it really needs to be.  A pixelnet universe is a pixelnet universe and has NOTHING to do with DMX.  Each Pxelnet universe is capable of supporting 8 different DMX universes but only one DMX universe can be output per hub.  If you need more than 4096 channels of combined output, then you will need a second dongle.  You can set the DMX output anywhere within the Pixelnet universe in 512 channel increments but putting it in the beginning or the end makes it easier.  Now here is the good thing.  Just because you set a DMX universe doesn't mean that you lose all of those channels from the pixelnet universe.  The hub doesn't care about DMX on its pixelnet outputs and send ALL of the channls to the pixelnet outputs.  If you set the hub to create a DMX output on DMX universe 1, then it will convert the first 512 pixelnet channels to DMX for the DMX output but it will also output those channels to the pixelnet outputs as well. 

This way if you only need 100 channels of DMX you can use the first 100 channels for DMX and begin coding your Pixelnet channels at 101.  Just remember that in this case to set your first pixelnet controller to start at channel 101.  As for what Chris said, h was refering to the jumpers on the hubs.  The universe jumpers on the hub simply refer to the pair in the input cable that the hub is working with.  Since the Dongle always uses the first pair, if the hubs are connected to two different dongles then both hubs will need to be set to universe 1 even thought they are on different universes.  If you use a combiner, then each dongle will be on a different pair and then you would set the universe jumpers to the pair the dongle you want it to work with is on.

[bcstuff]

Now here is the good thing.  Just because you set a DMX universe doesn't mean that you lose all of those channels from the pixelnet universe.  The hub doesn't care about DMX on its pixelnet outputs and send ALL of the channls to the pixelnet outputs.  If you set the hub to create a DMX output on DMX universe 1, then it will convert the first 512 pixelnet channels to DMX for the DMX output but it will also output those channels to the pixelnet outputs as well. 

Tbone, thanks for pointing this out. I remember reading this but it didn't click in my head till just now.

-Brian

[JimWright]

Thanks to all of your for your responses!   

RickR - I had looked at those pages that you developed but I still had questions.
tbone321 - Thanks for that response. That is what I was looking for. That is a great explanation. I think that I now know how to set up the channel numbers for this year, if not in the future.

A side note. As I read over this thread, I noticed that I am now marked as a "senior member" of DLA. That was a surprise to me (I don't know how many posts it takes). But here is the thought that came to my befuddled mind - I guess that I should be called a "senior - senior member" since I will be of MEDICARE age in July. 
Jim

[tng5737]

OK, I'm a bit confused ... Because of the logistics of my layout I need to use two hubs.  I have more than 4096 addresses.   I will carve out 512 dmx addresses from 1 -512 on hub 1.   513-4096 are pixelnet,  feed by pixelnet dongle #1.   Hub2 will have addresses 4097-8196 pixelnet.   So I intend to have two pixelnet dongles going into a combiner which goes to Hub1 (set for Universe 1) .  Hub2 daisy-chains off of Hub1 and is set for Universe 2.  Does that sound correct?

[RJ]

Yes but understand you still have ch 1-4096 of pixelnet the DMx does not carve anything it simple mirrors some channels in DMX format. In your case the first SSC would be addressed as start channel 513.

See here :
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[rm357]

Yes. That will work.

I think one of the points of confusion is between pixelnet and dmx universes.

You will have two dongles flashed for pixelnet creating two pixelnet universes with one dmx universe being within the first pixelnet universe.

RM

[jeffcoast]

Ok, now this makes sense to me. I was thinking like others that if you used the DMX then you lost those channels to pixelnet. It is nice to know that isn't the case, as I would probably only be using 32 channels in the DMX stream for my LEs I got.

[chrisatpsu]

the only thing to worry about would be if you used the first 512 for dmx, but only needed to do (for sake of example) say about 32 channels of dmx. then you started your pixelnet at channel 33...    if you added another express in the future, and didn't move around the pixelnet, you'd have an express overlapping what some smart string individual colors were doing...  so it might be a good idea to provide a cushion between the two, to add on last minute extra stuff (like hopefully an aether ii)   

just remember, that when you setup your channels in vixen, you'll have a gap of any unused channels, as it will still list them.

[zwiller]

Jim,
You are NOT the only one who needs this discussion.  Thanks for asking this.  This is helping me understand this a lot more.   Still learning. 

[JimWright]

In response to chrisatpsu above, with having all of these channels available, I think the most flexible way would be to reserve channels 1-512 for DMX, even if you don't need them right now (assuming that you need any at all), and then go on with the SS's. Thanks to this discussion, that is what I now plan to do. That should future proof the setup, even when we get the ether dongle.
Jim W