WS2811 Technicolor Strings Have High Failure Rate

[dduck]

Thanks dduck, I played with adding a few diodes on the 12v line of my power supply last night to reduce the voltage. It work but I was having trouble with the lights. In my case I was using a zeus and this zeus has been trouble from the beginning so I am out of spare equipment so I'll need to pull some of the boxes back in and use them.

I've attached pictures of the Megatree to show more of what the problem is. To answer the questions ahead of time Yes the tree should be a solid color and yes the equipment driving it is all turned on. This is the best this can be

Joe

So I assume the trouble lights were from previous damage and not by reducing the voltage?     If I see the pictures
well enough this looks like what happened to my bad node.    After my bad node the lights did not blink, some red, some white, some blank.

[johno123]

Anyone find a way to lower intensity in LSP for a whole controller/string?  I seem to only see it channel by channel.

[Hauvega]

Had some rain come through.  These strings have been out for a couple of weeks now.  Had a node out.  Everything else not functioning.  The resistance of the data in line to ground is about 14k.  The resistance of the data line out is about 18k. This is measured on either side of the node.  I feel production line quality is the source of this problem.  I am going to wait until it drys up again to test resistance.

[Made2Rock]

Anyone find a way to lower intensity in LSP for a whole controller/string?  I seem to only see it channel by channel.

I'm working on a method but so far it has problems.

[arw01]

just a thought to try.

With a new sequence if you change the one channel down, and then can you use the copy and paste with one effect on that line, does it bring the CHANNEL intensity with it, or only the sequence data?

e.g.  put one off a cell or two out, then click the channel header to select the entire line, copy it, and then go paste it into another channel and see if the intensity you lowered came into that channel as well or only the sequence itself.

obviously won't help much with an existing sequence, but could be nice for anything you do going forward if it works.

Alan

[Made2Rock]

Good idea but not at the scale of this year's show.

My problem is the size of all of this. I have about 8,000 channels across 86 different controls and all the sequencing is already done. Mike from LSP has given me an unsupported method of doing this. I am able to make changes to the sequence this way but so far have not been able to use the sequence after the changes. I'm hoping this weekend to look into this problem.

[Steve Gase]

Good idea but not at the scale of this year's show.

My problem is the size of all of this. I have about 8,000 channels across 86 different controls and all the sequencing is already done. Mike from LSP has given me an unsupported method of doing this. I am able to make changes to the sequence this way but so far have not been able to use the sequence after the changes. I'm hoping this weekend to look into this problem.

what is your final format?  xlights seq file?  conductor seq file? 

I'm thinking of some code that that could take a known file format and alter the intensities -- either limiting each channel value to a max value (0-255) or applying a percentage to the existing value  (ie. 50% of whatever is present in the original file).

the "filter" could be selective by channel range(s).

just haven't started it yet...  ideally, the format would be close to the final playable file, so that it can be uniformly applied regardless of the original source (ie. lsp or LOR imported into nutcracker)

[arw01]

look into macro software for your pc.  You may be able to record the keystrokes, mouse clicks into a macro and allow it to run on it's own going down all your channels one at a time as fast as the computer can process it.  Has nothing to do with LSP macros.

also does the intensity of a channel survive bring put into a library and then pulled back out of the library to overwrite an existing controller?  Wondering if you could change  a "master" controller, save it, bring it out and map existing channels into it?

Maybe another quiver in your arsenal as well.

[arw01]

I'm thinking of some code that that could take a known file format and alter the intensities -- either limiting each channel value to a max value (0-255) or applying a percentage to the existing value  (ie. 50% of whatever is present in the original file).

the "filter" could be selective by channel range(s).

just haven't started it yet...  ideally, the format would be close to the final playable file, so that it can be uniformly applied regardless of the original source (ie. lsp or LOR imported into nutcracker)

A Sed function might be able to do that for you, just get the correct regex and index in and turn it loose.

[Made2Rock]

I'm thinking of some code that that could take a known file format and alter the intensities -- either limiting each channel value to a max value (0-255) or applying a percentage to the existing value  (ie. 50% of whatever is present in the original file).

the "filter" could be selective by channel range(s).

just haven't started it yet...  ideally, the format would be close to the final playable file, so that it can be uniformly applied regardless of the original source (ie. lsp or LOR imported into nutcracker)

A Sed function might be able to do that for you, just get the correct regex and index in and turn it loose.

The problem right now with editing the file is now to put a LSP file back together. I know how to break it apart and make the changes I just don't know how to put it back together. I'm sure it is a simple little step somewhere. Mike at LSP is helping me so I'm sure he has that answer.

My plans are to reduce the voltage on the 12v line and see how my one remaining full working string behaves. I have modified my power supply so the 12 volts is down around 9. I used a Zeus last night but I'm beginning to think one of the PICs has a problem because it has acted dead 3 times and 3 times I have reprogrammed every PIC and got it working only to have it turn around an go belly up.

So tonight I'll take a brand new pixelnet dongle hook it up to a passive 4 port hub powered by 9v power supply and then I'll use a SSCv4 at 9v and see how it works.

[Made2Rock]

Good idea but not at the scale of this year's show.

My problem is the size of all of this. I have about 8,000 channels across 86 different controls and all the sequencing is already done. Mike from LSP has given me an unsupported method of doing this. I am able to make changes to the sequence this way but so far have not been able to use the sequence after the changes. I'm hoping this weekend to look into this problem.

what is your final format?  xlights seq file?  conductor seq file? 

I'm thinking of some code that that could take a known file format and alter the intensities -- either limiting each channel value to a max value (0-255) or applying a percentage to the existing value  (ie. 50% of whatever is present in the original file).

the "filter" could be selective by channel range(s).

just haven't started it yet...  ideally, the format would be close to the final playable file, so that it can be uniformly applied regardless of the original source (ie. lsp or LOR imported into nutcracker)

I use LSP but the scheduler was having trouble with the DMX output not working so I now take the LSP sequences export them into a conductor .seq file and then use xlights to convert it to a .xseq file. I have so many problems this year and that throws data out there so it is close enough for me.

It would be nice to have utility to be able to reduce the intensity of channels. In my case I keep universe 1 for DMX and above that for RGBs. So I have data across 3 universes.

[RJ]

A conductor file is easy to tweak this way. The whole file is levels so write a script to open the file read each byte and lower it by the % you want the write it back out.

Sent from my Charge by Tapatalk

RJ

[Made2Rock]

A conductor file is easy to tweak this way. The whole file is levels so write a script to open the file read each byte and lower it by the % you want the write it back out.

Sent from my Charge by Tapatalk

RJ

Thanks RJ, I just may use that

UPDATE

I found a bad PIC on the Zeus so the Zeus has been fixed and is back to operating 100% and will be using in testing

I had added 4 diodes to the output of my 12 volt power supply and reduced the output down to 8.8 volts. I have hook up the Zeus to this 8.8 volts and connect my only working string of 100 WS2811 TC. This string has been running the x-lights mixed color test pattern for the last hour without a single hiccup.

My input voltage to the Zeus & string is 8.8 volts. I am measuring 5.2-5.4 volts are the end of the string of 100. This string has the default spacing of about 4 1/2".

[Steve Gase]

A conductor file is easy to tweak this way. The whole file is levels so write a script to open the file read each byte and lower it by the % you want the write it back out.

Sent from my Charge by Tapatalk

RJ

I've completed a .seq translation tool.  I'm looking at the .xseq capability now.


The tool allows a range of channels to be specified, and scaling and/or limit (max) to be applied to each channel in that range.

[Made2Rock]

A conductor file is easy to tweak this way. The whole file is levels so write a script to open the file read each byte and lower it by the % you want the write it back out.

Sent from my Charge by Tapatalk

RJ

I've completed a .seq translation tool.  I'm looking at the .xseq capability now.


The tool allows a range of channels to be specified, and scaling and/or limit (max) to be applied to each channel in that range.

Steve, Buddy...... Christmas is coming.... Did you know it better to give then receive.....

I've never been one to stand in the way of someone doing a give thing so it you feel the need I would be more than happy to receive a copy of that editor.

 

Joe