MR16 work on DMX dongle BUT...

[TheQueb]

But it doesn't work when I plug it in to the active hub's dmx out which is attached to a pixelnet flashed dongle. What tiny thing am I missing?  The start address of the MR16 is 431 and my last pixelnet address is 420

[hicksjo]

Try another cat 5 if possible ... I had dmx acting goofy and turned out my cat 5 was off by one pin somehow ... Found that by checking continuity with ohmmeter

Is terminate jumper on?

Absolutely sure the mr 16 start address is programmed correctly?

[hicksjo]

Do you have any other dmx equipment to test the active hub dmx out?

[TheQueb]

Try another cat 5 if possible ... I had dmx acting goofy and turned out my cat 5 was off by one pin somehow ... Found that by checking continuity with ohmmeter

Is terminate jumper on?

Absolutely sure the mr 16 start address is programmed correctly?

I'm using the same cable.  I just unplugged it from the hub and plugged it into the dmx dongle and it works that way. Terminate jumper is on. And yes the address is correct. It works fine with the dmx dongle.

Do you have any other dmx equipment to test the active hub dmx out?

I have an LE but I'm not using it yet this year and it is new and untested.

[TheQueb]

I guess I have to ask... Is it possible that the DMX out is somehow powered only by the atx type power supply?  I have the optional 12v kit and only have power connected through the optional terminal.

[Mickpat]

The active hub must be powered. What is the dmx jumper set to?  What sw are you using to test. Try xlights light tester.

Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express

[JonB256]

The PIC on the SS Active Hub - I initially forgot to program mine and there is no way to tell except by connecting the PicKit 2 or 3 and reading.  (unless it is working, but then you wouldn't have this thread )

[hicksjo]

Just checking so as not to assume anything so we can narrow ths down ... Have you confirmed your pixel net channels are working from active hub?

[TheQueb]

Just checking so as not to assume anything so we can narrow ths down ... Have you confirmed your pixel net channels are working from active hub?

Yes pixelnet is working from the hub.  For now I'm just running two dongles, one flashed with pixelnet and one flashed with DMX. It's working this way but I hate having another wire running out of the house...

[DanHouston]

I'm very curious where this goes since I have a challenge with certain items being connected to a DMX flashed etherdongle and what I've discovered is you lose the ground pin (I think) and just have DMX+ and DMX-. I've not confirmed that is the issue I have, but I am narrowing it down to that.

[JonB256]

Dan, there is no ground pin on the Etherdongle. It is running a standard RS485 Data+ and Data- output on RJ45 pins 1 and 2.

Pixelnet output from the Etherdongle uses all 8 wires (there is no room for a ground).

[DanHouston]

Yeah, but the DMX standard calls for a ground/common. I have a set of floods that will work with the USB dongle, but will not work with the Etherdongle (flashed for DMX)....Just wondering if this is the problem he is encountering as well.

[tbone321]

The USB dongle doesn't have a ground either so the missing ground is not the issue.  Did any other DMX devices work with the ED when it was flashed with DMX firmware.

[DanHouston]

All other DMX devices do work (for me, not sure about the OP)....Hmm...I thought I saw a trace from pin 7 to the ground on the 485 chip, but I'll have to look again. Some of the other dongles I was testing with (like RPM) definitely do so I may have mixed it up.

The images in the wiki appear to show a link from pin 7 to the ground of the RS-485 chip (think I have that right), but I'll check my actual board when I get home.

[rm357]

The ground is just a shield, it should not be an issue.

Active hub needs 3.3v to run the pic that converts pixelnet to DMX . The 12v kit included this regulator, but you should use a multimeter to verify 3.3 volts is present at the pic. Unfortunately I forget which pin that is, but it should also be present across the little capacitor next to the 3.3v regulator.

The pic must be programmed and he correct pins jumpered next to the pic to select the proper address range.