Author Topic: Zues & 2811  (Read 4253 times)

Offline tindivall

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Zues & 2811
« on: November 26, 2013, »
So I jumped in the DIY world after attending the Academy and listen to RJ...  I may have jumped to fast to soon  :o      I was talking with Steve Gase via PM and he made me aware that some 2811 won't work with the Zues  controller... I have since PMed him with the following links, but in case he gets tied up figured I would ask you other experts here...  will the following lights work with the Zues or am I up the creek without a paddle for not realizing I should have gotten the 1804/09 chipset...

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Offline arw01

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Re: Zues & 2811
« Reply #1 on: November 26, 2013, »
I cannot say 100% on the zues as mine will be a few weeks yet to arrive.  I have the last item, the flex strip, and they work just fine with the SSC which the Zues is similiar (16 ssc in one place).  I have choosen Rigid Strip in the ssc programming utility to make the colors correct etc.

From reading on here the issues with the WS2811 can be a clock difference between different types of the chips.  All the 12v lights I bought from Ray in September work fine with my SSC's.  I bought a  different model of the 100 node WS2811 string, so cannot speak to that one.


Offline twooly

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Re: Zues & 2811
« Reply #2 on: November 26, 2013, »
I used these during the beta and they worked great

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Offline Made2Rock

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Re: Zues & 2811
« Reply #3 on: November 26, 2013, »
I have those listed in the first link. Well I am having trouble it appears to be an issue with programing of the MPUs and not the LEDs. I reprogrammed the chips then reprogrammed the zeus last night and I am testing it with a single string of lights before I take the box back outside but right now the zeus appears to work fine with these lights.

Joe

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Offline tindivall

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Re: Zues & 2811
« Reply #4 on: November 26, 2013, »
Sweet it sounds like I may be ok ... also sounds like it is basically a hook up and see if it works.....


I do have 1 more noob question if you guys don't mind, I am looking to add some lights that were not part of the original plan... i noticed on the link that twooly provided they have some 2811 nodes.... You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login  however the picture shows 4 wires... how would you wire this with the Zues if they are indeed 4 wire.... (assuming you even can and that these 2811 would work)

Offline Made2Rock

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Re: Zues & 2811
« Reply #5 on: November 26, 2013, »
The link twooly gave is different then the link you gave

Twooly gave this one

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you showed this one

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twooly had 3 wires in his. I didn't see anything on what those 4 wires are so I have no idea.

Joe
Born to Rock, but to old to Roll

Offline tindivall

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Re: Zues & 2811
« Reply #6 on: November 26, 2013, »
Right I meant from the website of the link he provided not the exact link....   come on you couldn't read the thoughts in my head? :P

Offline twooly

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Re: Zues & 2811
« Reply #7 on: November 26, 2013, »
The fourth wire would be a clock wire.  Not 100% on how it works.
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Offline tindivall

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Re: Zues & 2811
« Reply #8 on: November 26, 2013, »
This question is off topic from where I started but as I dive deeper and deeper I find I am way out my comfort zone and slightly freaking out...

PICkit.... it looks like I need one of these in order to get everything set up??  and if so is it better to get just the standard 44.95 version or the debug express 69.99 version?

Offline Made2Rock

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Re: Zues & 2811
« Reply #9 on: November 26, 2013, »
The only thing you will need to do with this stuff is program the MPUs (you will not be doing any debugging). You will find the files in the wiki and you'll use those to burn or reprogram the chips. It is nice to have your our pickit but you may find someone in your area to help you out till you have your own. I believe at one time there was a list but I have no idea where it is today.

You will find a lot of help on this forum all you need to do is ask. I checked you location but have no idea what city you live in.

NOTE: The chips on the Zeus should come preprogrammed. In my case I believe I hosed them up and for me it was easier just to bring it in and start over from the ground floor. RJ has fixed the configuration utility and it should be unzipped into a "Smart String Utility V2" folder. If it has a date in its name you have the old utility and need to delete it and get the new file.

Joe
Born to Rock, but to old to Roll

Offline tindivall

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Re: Zues & 2811
« Reply #10 on: November 26, 2013, »
I appreciate that Made, I am trying really hard not to ask to many questions and become annoying :D

I update my profile... from Fort Worth, Tx


Just want to make sure before I purchase that this is what I need: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

Offline Made2Rock

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Re: Zues & 2811
« Reply #11 on: November 26, 2013, »
I have the whole kit (I'm also a software engineer). So far all I have used is that red "box" the pickit 3 and a USB cable to connect it to the computer. The IDE software can be downloaded. So for the most part that is it

BUT!!!!!!

You will see a row of pins on most of RJ's boards that this pickit 3 plugs into to. THE ZEUS DOES NOT HAVE THIS. There are a few things you can do. They make a board you can plug into the pickit 3 and there is a setup in the wiki for it (just be careful there are differences from a pickit 2 and 3). In my case I just pulled the chips from the zeus and plugged them into a SSCv4 which uses the same chip. Like I said for the most you will not do this.

I live in Huntville, Al. so well you are welcome to bring the chips to me it may be a little bit of a drive. You can put a post in the forum, search the forum or if you mail them to me I'll program them for you if needed. Just keep in mind the post office doesn't move very fast and it is late in the season.

Again, the chips on the zeus should already be programmed.

Joe
Born to Rock, but to old to Roll

Offline arw01

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Re: Zues & 2811
« Reply #12 on: November 26, 2013, »
You cannot ask too many questions here, about the third time someone answer the same question someone might refer you to the last answer, but it's a FRIENDLY group of folks here and if they cannot collectively figure it, I don't know what you could have done to make that much of a mess of RJ's toys.   ;D

I had to order one of the adapter boards off Ebay an ISCP18A to program the pic on a SSR4 that will make my arrangement in the yard easier, but other than that everything has been with the standard pickit kit from j1sys off ebay.

Many of us are only a few months ahead of you, took the day off to go figure out where extension cords need to go and how many, blah blah.  Glad I thought ahead and left myself a surprise in the outdoor lights box from last season..... a whole bunch of extension cords  ....

Also when you get to buying the cat5 cables from monoprice, you will need more than 2 50' cables... <fp.

Offline tbone321

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Re: Zues & 2811
« Reply #13 on: November 26, 2013, »
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The fourth wire would be a clock wire.  Not 100% on how it works.

The 4 wire smart nodes are NOT compatable with with the the zeus or any of the SSC's.  As said, the forth wire is the clocking wire and the Lynks equipment does not provide that signal and without it, those pixles will not work.  Just remember that all RGB dumb nodes use 4 wires and that is compatable with the DSC.
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Offline maffeirw

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Re: Zues & 2811
« Reply #14 on: November 26, 2013, »
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The only thing you will need to do with this stuff is program the MPUs (you will not be doing any debugging). You will find the files in the wiki and you'll use those to burn or reprogram the chips. It is nice to have your our pickit but you may find someone in your area to help you out till you have your own. I believe at one time there was a list but I have no idea where it is today.

The link to the list is located in the first box of the "Quick link selector for Wiki Pages" (main wiki page) titled: "PIC Programming and DLA/PIC Google Map". Here's the direct link:

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