DiyLightAnimation
Software => Vixen => Topic started by: Penfold on July 18, 2012,
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I have been trying to run a test sequence in Vixen 2.1.1.0 and have been unsuccessful in having the smart pixels come online. I notice that the ED is blinking like crazy when I have a chase over a couple of channels, but I am still unable to get the lights to blink. I have the Etherdongle plugin V2 in my plugin output folder and I have it checked in my profile. I notice that I cannot access the plugin setup button. I have tried this on Vixen 2.1 and Vixen 2.1.1.0 and I get the same result. If I use the program utility that RJ created I have no problem getting the white blinking lights after a successful program so I know it has to be a software issue.
Is there .net framework that I need to download to get this up and running perhaps? I am on .net 2 for Vixen 2.1 as that is what is required to run it for this version. Does anyone know if RJ used version 3 or 4 .net for the plugin DLL?
Please help me as this has been driving me nuts for the last two nights.
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If your plug in was the problem the etd would not be reciecving the data which it sounds as it is. I am thinking it is an ssc address/universe mismatch issue. The framework is the same on the utility as the plugin so your good.
Sent from my Charge by Tapatalk
RJ
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Both of my jumpers (shunts) are set on #1 on both Pixelnet and DMX universe. I used Firefox version 9 to download the driver but I am using Version 13. I saw other posts having problems using Firefox. I have downloaded the driver using IE and I will see if that helps anything.
I will research the SSC address / Universe addressing and see what that yields.
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If it's an SSC/Universe mismatch how do I remedy that situation. I am not running DMX on my show, just Pixelnet. If that is the case should I enter the IP address as 239.255.0.1?
Right now I have the address set at 192.168.1.1
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What plugin are you using?
RJ's Lynx EtherDongle plugin does not even give you the option to enter in the ip address
Just the start and end channels
Rick R.
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I have RJ's lynx etherdongle dll file in output plugin folder. The IP I was talking about was the one that you change manually under Network connections. From what you are describing Rick it seems that I don't have to worry about the IP address for RJ's Etherdongle Plugin. I do see the start and end channels and there is a button below that that states plugin setup that I can't seem to click on. Am I supposed to be able to click on that?
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That setup button doesn't do anything. I was just confused when you started talking about an IP address
Rick R.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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I am out of ideas. Last night I spent about an hour tinkering around with the Vixen extras (Diagnostic, RGB Lighting) which yeilded absolutely nothing.
If there is an SSC/address mismatch conflict how can I go about resolving it?
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If you want to try something else that is pretty stupid simple to use
then http://www.diylightanimation.com/wiki/index.php?title=media:ColorFinder4-24.zip
download the zip file and then run the setup program in it. When the program starts up it will ask for channels. This is the total number of channels that you want to send. Note: it is still in beta testing but it should work for everyone.
Or use xLights which you will have to enter each e1.31 universe but it does have a lot more function to it.
To be honest if Vixen is not working for you then it has to be a setup issue. If you can some screen shots might help.
Rick R.
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Ask and ye shall receive!
Here is a Video of my setup. Please let me know if there is any more information that you need.
http://youtu.be/ENETMMvwfAQ (http://youtu.be/ENETMMvwfAQ)
I am aware that the channel count in Vixen should have been 96, but I don't think that should have made a big difference as I will worry about proper channel count when I am doing my legit sequencing.
P.S. I thought it was cool that Youtube saved the URL with an "FAQ" at the end. Talk about ironic.
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I can't comment on Vixen since I don't use that program.
When you connect you PC to the etherdongle, I've always set it to DHCP rather than setting a static IP address.
Have you tried setting it to obtain an IP Address automatically (DHCP)?
I'm also assuming you must be connecting directly to the Ether dongle, rather than going though a router.
I in-fact connect through a router so it connects like this:
PC-> Router->Etherdongle->Smart string Hub-> Smart String Controller-> Lights
Have you tried connecting through a router?
Also, do you have any anti-virus, anti-malware S/W turned on?
If so, try turning it off
Also, I can't quite see in the video how many LEDs you have connected, but when you program the LED modules you are setting it to 36 Nodes.
Each node is 3 LED channels, so in fact you are setting the SSC to 2x36 nodes = 108 channels (although I don't think that's the issue)
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Hello PeteandVanessa,
I do have my dongle connected directly to the PC with a crossover cable. I will try the DHCP tonight to see what that yields. Thanks for your suggestion. If that doesn't work I will see if I can't get a router. This PC is just a work horse dedicated to making the blinky flashy.
I also do not have the firewalls up.
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I don't think it's this, but do you have a wireless connection in the show computer?
If you do, disable the wireless connection. I've had issues when both wired and wireless were active.
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Nope I sure don't have wireless capabilities (apart from my laptop)
Can you recommend and fairly inexpensive and efficient router?
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I went home during lunch and I was able to get an automatic IP address, but it did not give me a gateway. I guess that is where the router would come into place?
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I went home during lunch and I was able to get an automatic IP address, but it did not give me a gateway. I guess that is where the router would come into place?
When I connect mine to the router, it assigns a dynamic IP address for my Laptop, since my router default IP address is 192.168.1.1, usually the Laptop will be assigned an address something like:
192.168.1.120 or something for the Laptop's IP address
The Gateway address will be 192.168.1.1 since the router is the Gateway out to the broader internet. Now I don't actually have the router connected to the internet, so I don't get internet access from my Laptop when running the lighting tests.
Now I did have to log-into my Router and access the security setting to allow the Router to pass Multi-cast traffic (*Note not all Router will pass Multi-cast traffic) to get mine to work.
Another thing to check, you don't happen to have two NICs in your PC do you?
If you do, you will need to dis-able one of them and just use one of the NICs
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No, this desktop only has one NIC and it also has two serial ports (For my Renard boards). I will try to set the gateway as mentioned above. The desktop did designate an IP for itself and subnet as mentioned but the gateway was the address I was missing. I will try to find a multicast router and see what's going to happen.
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Nope I sure don't have wireless capabilities (apart from my laptop)
Can you recommend and fairly inexpensive and efficient router?
I'm using a cheap and cheerful Linksys router (can't remember which one)
However, I'd assume you could go buy any of the modern home routers that supports Multicast (I'm assuming most support Multicasting nowadays)
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Nope I sure don't have wireless capabilities (apart from my laptop)
Can you recommend and fairly inexpensive and efficient router?
I'm using a cheap and cheerful Linksys router (can't remember which one)
However, I'd assume you could go buy any of the modern home routers that supports Multicast (I'm assuming most support Multicasting nowadays)
You know what they say about assuming... Actually a lot of routers DON'T support mulitcast. I have an older NetGear that does but my newer one doesn't. You should be able to find one for under $50 that does, just check NewEgg, Tiger Direct or your favorite computer supply store.
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Think I'm having the same issue as the OP.
Can program with the SSC utility, can use the color picker slider app just fine, but tossing some stuff in vixen and I get nothing. I have the etherdongle plugin selected on the sequence as well like penfold shows in his video.
Perhaps it's some funky vixen setting a newer guy like me may have overlooked?
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I would put at least a full pixelnet universe of 4096 channels and see if that helps
or greater than 1024 channels
Rick R.
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if he can program a ssc via the etherdongle then he does not have a communications problem. It has to be a output setup problem in vixen
Myk
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You da man Rick at least for my similar issue to the OP.
Was able to do some tests now that I'm back from dinner.
If I create a sequence with 1024 channels Vixen worked as expected, if I created one with 4096 it worked as well.
On a side note, I tried expanding another show after the above successful tests. They didn't work til I realized I had to also to remember to add the expanded channel count to the etherdongle plugin.
So I guess an assumption to make is the etherdongle plugin grabs in something like a multiple of 1024 channels or ignores?
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interesting, Thought we fixed this once?
Is it possible the wiki has one before this fix. Anyone that was involved remember and can help me by pointing it out to me?
RJ
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if it helps RJ I had redownloaded it from the wiki today, details tab of the DLL lists the version as 1.0.0.0 and size 28.0KB
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I went to Wally Mart over the weekend and bought a netgear N300 ($40). Although it didn't say multicast, or any of the routers I looked at said nothing about multicast, I bought it as it said it could be used with multiple gaming computers or something to that effect. I hooked it up and I was able to get an auto configure for the DHCP.
Still I am unable to get the SSC to blink in Vixen. What I did notice this time however was when I programed the SSC first and went into Vixen I got the following message:
at.System.Version..ctor (String Version)
at.AppUpdate.Migration..ctor (String Migration Line)
at.AppUpdate.AppUpdate.DoMigration()2
Version String portion was too short or too long
The update will not continue.
Does this mean I have to hook this computer up to the internet so I can get an update or is this possibly the channel issue (not putting in 4096channels)?
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I went to Wally Mart over the weekend and bought a netgear N300 ($40). Although it didn't say multicast, or any of the routers I looked at said nothing about multicast, I bought it as it said it could be used with multiple gaming computers or something to that effect. I hooked it up and I was able to get an auto configure for the DHCP.
Still I am unable to get the SSC to blink in Vixen. What I did notice this time however was when I programed the SSC first and went into Vixen I got the following message:
at.System.Version..ctor (String Version)
at.AppUpdate.Migration..ctor (String Migration Line)
at.AppUpdate.AppUpdate.DoMigration()2
Version String portion was too short or too long
The update will not continue.
Does this mean I have to hook this computer up to the internet so I can get an update or is this possibly the channel issue (not putting in 4096channels)?
I think that error is Vixen trying to find/update itself through the internet.
Rick R.
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Finally got it!! It was a user error in the setup on the plugin in Vixen. I moved the channel count from 1 to 1024 just to see what would happen and it worked!!
I was so used to the Renard system being a little more forgiving in allowing you to put whatever darned channel interval you wanted. Now that I know how this deal works I will be a little more careful in the future during setup.
I believe I killed a fuse yesterday in my excitement, because I now have one port that doesn't send power over to the lights. That is more then likely a fuse issue.
THANKS SO MUCH!!!!!!!
Thanks go out to RJ, Rick, PeteandVanessa, Caretaker, and everyone else that gave me input and tried to help me. Thank you all very much!!
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Glad to see it's all working.