Author Topic: Changing a Freestyles DMX address  (Read 6599 times)

Offline MrChristmas2000

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1115
Changing a Freestyles DMX address
« on: December 01, 2014, »
I know this is an old product but it has worked well and gives widely distributed control of many elements.

I have not had to program any of my freestyles in several years but this year I have the need to replace one with a spare.

I have followed the address process using both Vixen and the 'Lynx Address Utility'.

I have tried both programming processes called for in the manual.

Neither of my 2 spare Freestyles will program to any address but '1'.

Is there a location in the PIC code that could be manually edited and the PIC reprogrammed with the hard coded address of 257?

Any help would be appreciated before I totally loose all my hair.  :)

Offline rrowan

  • Administrator
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5899
  • 08096
Re: Changing a Freestyles DMX address
« Reply #1 on: December 01, 2014, »
Using Pickit programmer:
Its in the EEPROM Data area

Memory locations 02 and 04
You have to put in the Hexadecimal value.

257 = 0X101 so (only two digits per location)

Memory 02 = FF
Memory 04 = 02

Rick R.
Light Animation Hobby - Having fun and Learning at the same time. (21st member of DLA)
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
Warning SOME assembly required

Offline MrChristmas2000

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1115
Re: Changing a Freestyles DMX address
« Reply #2 on: December 01, 2014, »
Wow, that will be much easier than changing out all that equipment. Thanks <res.

I just have to pull out my old Pic Kit 2. LOL. Have not used that one in a very long time.

Offline MrChristmas2000

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1115
Re: Changing a Freestyles DMX address
« Reply #3 on: December 01, 2014, »
Ok, I have read the PIC and the screen looks like the attached dump.

I look at what appears to be location 002 and it currently has a value of F000 and location 004 has a value of FFFF.

So if I understand you correctly I change those bytes to 00FF and 0002 respectively?

Am I correct or reading the instructions wrong?

Thanks for your help.

Offline rrowan

  • Administrator
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5899
  • 08096
Re: Changing a Freestyles DMX address
« Reply #4 on: December 01, 2014, »
No NO

Look at the bottom where it says EEPROM Data

You are looking in the Program Memory section

Rick R.

I marked your picture for the locations
« Last Edit: December 01, 2014, by rrowan »
Light Animation Hobby - Having fun and Learning at the same time. (21st member of DLA)
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
Warning SOME assembly required

Offline MrChristmas2000

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1115
Re: Changing a Freestyles DMX address
« Reply #5 on: December 02, 2014, »
Ok, I changed those locations (see graphic).

Still the Freestyle starts at address 1.

Any other ideas would be appreciated.

Offline tbone321

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 4054
Re: Changing a Freestyles DMX address
« Reply #6 on: December 02, 2014, »
Are you sure that you actually wrote this to the device?  You checksum has not changed although I'm not sure if EPROM data is included in the checksum value.  I would shut down everything and restart the software and reread the PIC and see if the new values are still there.
If at first you don't succeed,
your not cut out for sky diving

Offline rrowan

  • Administrator
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5899
  • 08096
Re: Changing a Freestyles DMX address
« Reply #7 on: December 02, 2014, »
After a write I would do a read to verify that the chip has the correct address.

Rick R.
Light Animation Hobby - Having fun and Learning at the same time. (21st member of DLA)
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
Warning SOME assembly required

Offline MrChristmas2000

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1115
Re: Changing a Freestyles DMX address
« Reply #8 on: December 02, 2014, »
I reconnected my Programmer module, pulled the chip out of the Freestyle and put it in the Programmer socked. Fired up the PICkit2 software, did a read and here is the resulting dump. (attached).

Offline tbone321

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 4054
Re: Changing a Freestyles DMX address
« Reply #9 on: December 02, 2014, »
RJ may need to get involved in this.  He may have a default value of 1 if it cannot resolve a correct address.  If he is just adding the two memory locations, you could try reversing the two entries and put the 02 in position 2 and the FF in position 4.  You could also keep the first entry in position 2 but make it FE and change the value in position 4 to 03.
If at first you don't succeed,
your not cut out for sky diving

Offline MrChristmas2000

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1115
Re: Changing a Freestyles DMX address
« Reply #10 on: December 02, 2014, »
tbone that didn't help either.

I guess I am just going to have to rewire my show, ugh!  <fp

Freestyles seem to just have a mind of their own. LOL They are very very very very stubborn about changing the start address to something else.

I have accomplished it before but it took a long time to do it back then and I don't remember the magical combination that worked.  :(

Didn't RJ retire?
« Last Edit: December 02, 2014, by MrChristmas2000 »

Offline tbone321

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 4054
Re: Changing a Freestyles DMX address
« Reply #11 on: December 02, 2014, »
Sorry to hear that.  It appears that there may be a third piece to this puzzle. 
If at first you don't succeed,
your not cut out for sky diving

Offline MrChristmas2000

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1115
Re: Changing a Freestyles DMX address
« Reply #12 on: December 03, 2014, »
I just want to thank those that have helped.

Unfortunately because of the inability to reprogram a Freestyle with this address I am stuck with stripping it out and recabling 4 Lynx Expresses to do the same job. UGH!

Again thanks.

Tom

Offline Iced

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 85
Re: Changing a Freestyles DMX address
« Reply #13 on: December 03, 2014, »
Hi Tom, I am having the very same problem with one of my Freestyles as well - it's being very stubborn.  One thing to doublecheck is your comport settings in Device Manager, if you haven't already.  Make sure it's set to 115200, 8, N, 1.

Offline MrChristmas2000

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1115
Re: Changing a Freestyles DMX address
« Reply #14 on: December 03, 2014, »
I checked and mine was at the default of 9600. I am going to be very upset is this fixes the problem because I am over half way to replacing that box.  <md..