Zeus version of the Smart String Utility

[onesmoothhead]

Rick is this the same configuration on the J1 as is for the V4 PIC config using the J1 with jumpers and the single wire? Like in the Wiki link for V4? I sure hope I did not cause confusion on the page? If so please delete and remove. Darn that was not the best writing, but it has been a 22 hour day. Again, thank you for the help.


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[tbone321]

Since it is the same PIC, I would say yes.  For those of us that don't have that particular adapter, if mine doesn't work I will just use my SSC V4 board to act as my adapter.

[Steve Gase]

Rick is this the same configuration on the J1 as is for the V4 PIC config using the J1 with jumpers and the single wire? Like in the Wiki link for V4? I sure hope I did not cause confusion on the page? If so please delete and remove. Darn that was not the best writing, but it has been a 22 hour day. Again, thank you for the help.


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The annotated picture was a big help... it took a couple minutes to digest it because I've not run wire jumpers in the past.  The table in the Zeus-8 and Zeus-16 boxes was much more confusing -- I didn't get that, and still wouldn't know what to do with it -- the picture will be my guide.


I hoped that I'd be able to use a completed SSCv4 as a programming platform (swap PICs, program, swap back).  Would that work?  Is there enough consistency between SSCv4 and Zeus?


If people don't mind, I will add the picture to the Zeus box(es) near the pinout  table, and I'll also add Zeus to the "J1SYS boards jumper chart".

[onesmoothhead]

Thanks Tbone and Steve.  Ido not own a V4 board, but did see it is the same PIC. I would do that if I didn't have the J1 sockets from 4 years ago. 


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[duane.mosley]

this stinks. I don't have an ssc v4 or an adaptor. guess I will need one or the other to flash the pics?

[rrowan]

Rick is this the same configuration on the J1 as is for the V4 PIC config using the J1 with jumpers and the single wire? Like in the Wiki link for V4? I sure hope I did not cause confusion on the page? If so please delete and remove. Darn that was not the best writing, but it has been a 22 hour day. Again, thank you for the help.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

The annotated picture was a big help... it took a couple minutes to digest it because I've not run wire jumpers in the past.  The table in the Zeus-8 and Zeus-16 boxes was much more confusing -- I didn't get that, and still wouldn't know what to do with it -- the picture will be my guide.


I hoped that I'd be able to use a completed SSCv4 as a programming platform (swap PICs, program, swap back).  Would that work?  Is there enough consistency between SSCv4 and Zeus?


If people don't mind, I will add the picture to the Zeus box(es) near the pinout  table, and I'll also add Zeus to the "J1SYS boards jumper chart".

Sorry the chart was confusing to you. I don't own any J1.sys products and really have no intentions to own any. The chart was supplied by a beta team member and I was just passing it along. Not sure why pin jumpers are confusing but to each his own. I think if I didn't add the info people would just try to connect the pic to the adapter and if nothing worked right then everyone would be up in arms about that.

Rick R.

[onesmoothhead]

Rick, thank you for the help. The chart works also. I am sure people will find one type, that they are comfortable using. It is nice to have so many options. 

Again, a big thanks to RJ, the Beta testers and you for getting this to us in such a short time. 

Kevin

[tallan]

I was able to simulate his problem, which is now my problem also. 

Here is my set up:
Window 8 > Ethernet Dongle>Zeus Pixelnet In>Zeus Pixelnet Out>Active Hub>DMX out>LE and SSCs for Smartstring Matrix. I also have a Flex strip on Zeus String 1.
Here is what I found.
During the whole process I never had xLights and the Zeus SS Utility open at the same time. I also had the jumper on for terminate.

1.  I was able to program the Zeus to channel 1, using String 1 connections.
2.  I was able to program every version of color selection using the Zeus SmartString Utility.  Note: Though I have 120 nodes I was choosing 84 nodes to eliminate the warning of max nodes.
3.  I could run the all channel test in xLights and was able to test every setting in xLights including individual channels. No problem.
4. Then it happened.  That moment you think you are good to go.  I decided to try changing the color back to my operating color for the flex strip. I closed xLights and opened the Zeus SS utility and started to change back to RGB.  I forgot one little mark and that was to change the selector on the utility to Zeus and not SSC.  Since that point I can not get the Zeus to work at all.
5. I moved back to xLights to see if I lost my previous settings (they were gone or not reacting to xLights)
6. What is interesting is my Active Hub, Matrix and LE are still responding to my test signals from xLights.
7. My Zeus is not responding and the Terminate jumper does not effect my Pixelnet Out at all.
8. I tried a single string program and it does not work now also. I also removed and installed the Zeus Utility again and can not get the Zeus to take a channel configuration.

I hope this helps us figure out what is going on.  I did notice the Warning in the Wiki stating to not use the Zeus SS Utility to program SSC.  Could it be that when I forgot to select the Zeus button in the utility it stayed in the default selection of SSC and that sent the wrong information to the Zeus and now it is acting like it will never work?  Let me know what you all think and I can try anything and respond back.

One other tidbit of information though on the higher end of trouble shooting.  The voltage from the Signal to the Gnd (-) on some of the String connector are 3.32vdc and others are .5vdc.  not sure if this is an issue or not.  All string points from + to - have 12vdc

Well I did not program all but rather just the channel I intended to use and forgot to set it to the Zeus in the utility so I did send the SSC part to the Zeus.  I did not play with any of the RGB settings and just have 1 flex attached to see how it did.

So after reading this thread I just replaced the PIC of the channel I was using and it took the program ( Flashed all white) However when I play my sequence I get nothing.  So my thoughts now are I need to re-flash all the PIC chips but I wanted to verify that with you all first.

My setup is currently Window XP > Ethernet Dongle>Zeus Pixelnet In>Zeus Pixelnet Out>Active Hub. And the active hub has a SSC on it with the same channels I was trying to get the Zeus to play.

SO please let me know if a re-flash of all the PIC's on the Zeus is the way to go now. That will teach me from burning the midnight oil. 

thanks.
Tallan
 

[dcwehw99]

Rick is this the same configuration on the J1 as is for the V4 PIC config using the J1 with jumpers and the single wire? Like in the Wiki link for V4? I sure hope I did not cause confusion on the page? If so please delete and remove. Darn that was not the best writing, but it has been a 22 hour day. Again, thank you for the help.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

The annotated picture was a big help... it took a couple minutes to digest it because I've not run wire jumpers in the past.  The table in the Zeus-8 and Zeus-16 boxes was much more confusing -- I didn't get that, and still wouldn't know what to do with it -- the picture will be my guide.


I hoped that I'd be able to use a completed SSCv4 as a programming platform (swap PICs, program, swap back).  Would that work?  Is there enough consistency between SSCv4 and Zeus?


If people don't mind, I will add the picture to the Zeus box(es) near the pinout  table, and I'll also add Zeus to the "J1SYS boards jumper chart".

Steve,
It sounds like using the SSCv4 to program the Zeus PIC should work.  The difference between selecting SSC and Zeus in the SS Utility program is in the information sent to each unit.  The Zeus has one additional byte, String #, at the beginning of the data stream.  By not selecting Zeus as the controller, the information for each string was NOT transmitted, which means only one PIC could have been affected provided that you didn't change the starting channel #.  Since the configuration information for both the SSC and Zeus are stored in the same location in the PIC, it picked up byte one of the starting channel # as the string #.  Thus all the Zeus configuration information is corrupt, i.e. offset by one byte since string # was missing in the data stream.

As to why you can't redo the programming for Zeus the only thing I can't guess is that the firmware is rereading the corrupt configuration information and getting a fatal error prior to checking to see if it's in program or operational mode.
I don't have access to the source code to verify that though.

Unfortunately the only fix is to flash the PIC again.

I just thought of one thing.  You should be able to program a single string in Zeus since all the PIC's shouldn't have been corrupted.  Try configuring a single string, i.e. don't use the "ALL" option for string and see if that works.

Denny

[Steve Gase]

this stinks. I don't have an ssc v4 or an adaptor. guess I will need one or the other to flash the pics?

To avoid confusion, you shouldn't normally need to program the PICs... from the coop:


PICs will be programmed


Having the PICkit3 and a harness of some kind is needed for future updates, or if troubleshooting and the firmware is one step to rule out that as a problem.

[onesmoothhead]

I used all the first and second time and it did corrupt everything.  I just finished flashing my PICs.  I am tempted to test the single channel and see if it fails the whole board.  Curious I guess.

As of right now everything is working fine.  I even moved it to a different universe and all is good.

Kevin

[duane.mosley]

I used all the first and second time and it did corrupt everything.  I just finished flashing my PICs.  I am tempted to test the single channel and see if it fails the whole board.  Curious I guess.

As of right now everything is working fine.  I even moved it to a different universe and all is good.

Kevin

so by flashing all of your pics, it fixed your issue?

[onesmoothhead]

Yes. Then make sure to always select the Zeus button when setting start channels.


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[dcwehw99]

I used all the first and second time and it did corrupt everything.  I just finished flashing my PICs.  I am tempted to test the single channel and see if it fails the whole board.  Curious I guess.

As of right now everything is working fine.  I even moved it to a different universe and all is good.

Kevin

Just so people are clear on this, it's NOT the "ALL" option that caused the issue but having a mismatch between the controller being programmed, Zeus in this case, and then not selecting Zeus for the "Device to be Setup" in the SS Utility program.

Programming the Zeus PCB and then selecting SSC or leaving it as the default when the SS Utility program is opened, will cause the problem.

This can be prevented from happening in the future with a new firmware release but for now be sure they match.

Denny

[tallan]

So I flashed all mine and that seemed to correct the issue as well.

Thanks,
tallan