Trying to program the ssc for the first time.

[bcstuff]

- Your Smart hub is powered while trying to program the SSC? No.  Should I?

I guess you figured out that if the smart string hub is not powered, you won't get flashing lights to confirm programming. I see that you got flashing lights and at least 1 controller working.

Many of my dongles are not working that same way.  I have some ver.1 and some ver2 that have all been upgraded with the MOD3 changes.  Some have the RJ48 connector and some are using the 4pin waterproof connection.

All of them will run the test sequence properly but out of the 6 or 8 i have, so far I have only succeeded in getting one to work properly.
My first questions is:  Since the test sequence is working correctly, what in the data stream could be hosing up communication from the etherdongle and smarthub?  Could the 485 ship be bad?  Any other component?

The test sequence is output directly from the Pic. Verify you have the correct data wires connected to your input for the non working controllers (power and ground obviously work since test firmware runs). Also verify that you completed the v3 mod correctly. I had done a few (during Christmas show season, what was I thinking) and couldn't get them to work after I modded them, ran out of time and converted them back to v1. You should check the solder joints of the pins on your pic too, I believe the v3 mod uses a different pin to drive the pixels.

Last you could try process of elimination by swapping the known working pic and 485 into the non working board and see if it works.

[mmciver]

Well,

I made some great progress!  3 of the dongles that I had were wired with the RJ48 input cables and 2 of them worked perfectly once I went back thru the instructions and made sure I pulled the program jumper when appropriate.  One of the is not working and I will check it out later.

The rest of my dongles have the 4 pin waterproof connectors on them.  Someone I got the Data+ and Data- backward on the pigtail I was using for testing.  Put them straight and I was able to program all of them but the one I mentioned above.

All and all a productive night.  Now I have to finish some pixel arches, figure out how many nodes I have in them and configure the SSC for the correct channels, but the testing tonight was very encouraging!

Thank you everyone who tried to help me thru this!  It is always the simple things that throw us off, and if you get aggitated, you just don't think straight!!!

Now I can finish my Merry Christmas Pixel sign, my RGB arches, a couple of Fast Eddy Candles, and a few candy canes.  All new elements for next year!  They should look cool.

Miike