Bench testing

[kernal]

Just getting into smart strings and rgb this year, so i will have LOTS of questiins....

First tho, is can i conncect the power supply directly to the ssc or does it have to go to a hub first?  I got my nodes from ray and have the ssc's, but no hub yet.  Waiting for coop and to see if the bugs get worked out if the zeus! 

Thanks in advance!
Kernal

[arw01]

depends on what you are doing with the ssc.  If you have test firmware only, then applying 12 volts in the proper lines for the ssc will blink the string.  If you are tying to control them from the computer, then you need something to talk pixelnet between the computer and the ssc and then someway to apply power to the ssc.

So ask more specifically what you are doing and we can help you specifically.

[tbone321]

Yea, unless you want to make some funky bench test cable you will need a hub.  But for bench testing, the 4 port hub will work perfectly.  It has the 12V hookup that you need to send power to the SSC and simple RJ45 connection for PixelNet in.  It also has RJ4's for the outputs but being such a low cost device, I would have no fear making changes to the output connection type if you decide to use a different connection type.  With this, simply connect the 12V bench power source you intend to use to the hub, plug in your EtherDongle or PixelNet flashed USB dongle, connect your string(s) to the output port(s) and you are ready for testing with the confidence that if i works here, it will work on the 16 port hub as well.

[kernal]

Ok.  I have an etherdongle and just recieved my nodes.  I have sscs and power supplies from a previous deal.  I just want to try it out.  I havent tried anything with rgb yet and dont want to ruin anything.  So before i go hookin stuff up, i went to the wiki...  and everything says power to the hub.  Unless im reading them wrong.  But then b4 i buy a hub, would the zeus be a better option? 

[taybrynn]

Yes, you could run the ED pixelnet out to a Zeus pixelnet IN and then just connect lights to the Zeus.  At the zeus is basically a power injector with 16 onboard SSC(s).  The Zeus is not as flexible as an active hub outside because you need to connect lights fairly close to it, whereas an active hub and SSC(s) can connect close or up to 100' so more options that way.  The Zeus generally goes in a battery box with an ATX power supply, just like an active hub would.  Cost wise the Zeus is similar to the active hub 16 but the active hub requires you buy and build additional SSC(s) to go with it, but they are not too expensive each ($6 each?).

I prefer to use an active smart string hub myself, just simple and lots of capability in that one thing ... its true for those on a tight budget passive 4-port could work, but for me ... its so much cleaner to have an active hub in a battery box with its own ATX power supply and just hook up a SSC to that ... yes its bigger, but its all in the battery box and you can locate it off the bench very easily and just put the SSC and lights on the bench since its just a cat5 from the hub to the SSC on the bench.

[onesmoothhead]

I may be off of what you are asking and correct me if so.  Since you have some SSC you will need a hub, be it active or passive or 4 port.  You will not be able to connect the SSCs to a Zeus.  I hope that makes since.  You could by the 4 port as suggested or just wait for a coop.  There maybe people selling a few also.  I have a Active hub for my testbed.  I planned it that way a few years ago when we started this technology. I hope this helps?

Kevin

[kernal]

I know the zeus dosnt need ssc's.  My question was could i connect straight to the stings...  and it has been answered!  Appreciate all the help.

Now... 

The zeus ...  should i go the active hub route or the zeus route?  I been seeing in the threads that ppl are having issues with the zeus.  Being new, how many bugs do you guys see it having? 

[rm357]

The hub is just a repeater for the pixelnet and provides power and fuses. As long as you get the polarity right for the 12 volts and run the pixel net pair (pins 1&2), you should not have any issues.


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[keitha43]

With the Zeus the light string would need to be about 12 feet or less from the Zeus unless you use null nodes. With a hub you can have the SSC be up to about 100 feet away from the hub and then up to 12 feet from the SSC to the light string if it is a v4 SSC. RJ is investigating the few problems a few people had and will have it fixed so you don't have to worry about that.

[tbone321]

Ok.  I have an etherdongle and just recieved my nodes.  I have sscs and power supplies from a previous deal.  I just want to try it out.  I havent tried anything with rgb yet and dont want to ruin anything.  So before i go hookin stuff up, i went to the wiki...  and everything says power to the hub.  Unless im reading them wrong.  But then b4 i buy a hub, would the zeus be a better option?

The Zeus is what I call an item specific device.  It takes the place of both the hub and the SCC's connected to the strings.  While this sounds great and it is, there is a significant limit in distance between the Zeus and the first node.  You can get around that by using the null node feature but then you are making changes to the string itself.  This makes the Zeus a great choice for things like megatrees and matrixes where the first node of each string is within 10 or so feet of the Zeus.  If your strings will be further away, then the hub and SSc is your best bet.  The reason that everything says power to the hub is because the hub was designed as a power distribution point and the SCC gets its power and signal on the same cable.  You don't want to plug the ETD directly into the SSC because the SSC will not be getting power and will not work.  If you inject power directy into the string while the ETD is connected to the SSC, the power will back feed into the ETD's signal lines and damage it.  As said before, the 4 port hub is cheap and should be available in the store and the BOM is also short and inexpensive as well.

[kernal]

So the zeus coop was approx $10 cheaper than if i was to buy a active hub pcb and bom from mouser...  this is gettin to be an easier decision.  Lol

[tbone321]

If you are buying these to make a megatree or a matrix then the Zeus is the way to go but if you are intending to outline windows and the frame oof your house or the roofline, then the Zeus will not work well if at all. 

[kernal]

Tbone i will send u pm

[tbone321]

Ok