SS Question

[IndianaChristmas]

I have set the start channel of my SSv4 to 5217.  Set the other parameters as: individual nodes, forward, node count 120, null nodes 0, grouping 1, flex string.
Hit transmit and all my lights blink white.

I go to test the nodes on the strip (I use LSP).  My hub jumpers are set to Pixelnet 2, Universe 2.  Turn on channel 5217 and the 3rd node from the start of the strip turns on, not the first as I was expecting.

What would cause this behavior?
Thanks.

[CaptainMurdoch]

I have set the start channel of my SSv4 to 5217.  Set the other parameters as: individual nodes, forward, node count 120, null nodes 0, grouping 1, flex string.
Hit transmit and all my lights blink white.

Do you mean you actually entered 5217 in the start channel box?  That won't work.  You need to enter 1121 (5217 - 4096) since you want start channel 1121 in Universe #2.  the SSC doesn't know what universe it is in, it only knows the start channel that it should use in whatever universe it is being sent, so your start channel in the SSC utility will always be somewhere from 1 to 4096.  Realistically that would be 1-4094 since you'd want 4094, 4095, 4096 for the last RGB set of 3 channels.

[keitha43]

He is correct. However in LSP you would still use 5217 I believe. Someone feel free to correct me if I am wrong. I don't have that many channels myself.

[twooly]

He is correct. However in LSP you would still use 5217 I believe. Someone feel free to correct me if I am wrong. I don't have that many channels myself.

Yep you are right.  Hardware you keep it under each universe numbering and then software you use the actual channel you want.

[tbone321]

I believe that this indicates a weakness in the utility that perhaps should be addressed.  There are two way to do it.  The first and easiest is to perform a simple test and if any of the nodes channel number exceed 4096, flag it with an error message and disable the send button. 

The other way would be to calculate the correct starting address and just send the correct one.  This would make it much easier for the user but would require more work because along with the recalculation, it would also need to make sure that the channel count doesn't jump universes and if it does, then flag the error and also disable the send button.

[IndianaChristmas]

Thanks guys.  That fixed it. 

My only question is why did the string even light up after I set the start channel greater than 4096 on the SSC?  Not an issue just wondering why it would work at all.

[CaptainMurdoch]

Thanks guys.  That fixed it. 

My only question is why did the string even light up after I set the start channel greater than 4096 on the SSC?  Not an issue just wondering why it would work at all.

It flashes because it was programmed.  Your guess is as good as mine about what it was programmed with though.    That would depend on how the utility was written and how the firmware stores the start channel in its memory.  I'd venture to guess that it was set to an inaccessible start channel though, something you wouldn't even be able to control if you set all 4096 channels on with xLights test mode.