setting channel assignments?

[tombmatt]

I used vix3 to program sequence. have zues 16 and zues 8 on etherdongle. I have 24 strings of 50 nodes so 150 channels per string. so 3 strings per universe (e1.31) leaveing 62 channels per universe. do I leave those 62 channels blank when I assign them to controlers, or do I let vixen span the universes. vix3 will span universes but (and here is where I get in trouble I assume) the zues boards will not span a universe, right? I am having gaps in my actual show that does not show up in preview, that is why I am asking?

[tbone321]

No controller we have can "span" a universe.  The Ver2 Zeus 16 will allow you to set each output to a different universe but no single output can span multiple universes. 

[egenoup]

I think Tombmatt is talking about e131 universes (512 channels each) versus pixelnet universes that are 4096 channels each.  For 24 strings each with 50 nodes would use 3600 channels, so they could all fit on one PIXELNET universe (PU).  Hope this clears it up a bit.

[tbone321]

If this is the case< (and looking again, you are probably right), then the thought process has to change.  E1.31 universes are meaningless here and shouldn't even be thought of.  You have to look and see what the universe size is that the controller is designed to work with and work with that number.  If the Zeus was a DMX controller, then its universe size would be the same as the e1.31 universe and he could use that in his calculations.  The Pixelnet universe is 4096 channels and the ETD does this by combining 8 e1.31 universes.  The problem is that if you are basing your configuration on e1.31, you have to understand that universe 8 of e1.31 is on universe 1 of PixelNet but universe 9 of e1.31 in on universe 2 of pixelnet so with the exception of the Zeus 16, the universes 8 and 9 of e1.31 cannot be sent to the same controller.  The ETD does a good job of combining e1.31 universes into a PixelNet universe so there is no need to leave the open channels at the ends of the e1.31 universes.  Just remember that every 8 e1.31 universes combines into 1 PixelNet universe.

[jnealand]

First time I ever heard the term e1.31 universes.  I believe you should think of E1.31 as a transmission protocol.  Let's stick with DMX universes (512 channels) and Pixelnet universes (4096 channels) and not confuse newbies any more than they already are.

[charles59]

But E1.31 is a transmission protocol for DMX (which is in part a transmission protocol as the spec defines the electrical transmission as well).  The more general SACN is flexible, but E1.31 is sized to 512 channels.  So I think the point of what was being said is valid.

In fact, that is one of the things I don't like about E1.31, the small packets, that are uncoupled from each other.  One has to stitch them together, but with no definition of when all may arrive (if they arrive), the order, etc.  Not the best suited for synchronized high speed control of large counts (as seen by some networks getting overload).  It works, but not an ideal situation.  Truthfully, for most light show needs, they didn't need the "DMX" framework when they went to large shows, so that E1.31 "universe" legacy of DMX, will eventually become more of a hindrence then a help.

[tombmatt]

yes im stuck in dmx and no none of this clarified anything. I get that a pixelnet is 4096 but my mental block is each string is 150 channels can I just assign all 16 strings on my zues 16 to universe 1 and not worry about where string 1 ends and string 2 starts? and just take all 2400 strings and start at channel 1 universe 1 and go straight thru. and then take zue 8 strings and start at channel 4097 universe 2 and be good ( I still get stuck on the break or not for the string)

[maffeirw]

yes im stuck in dmx and no none of this clarified anything. I get that a pixelnet is 4096 but my mental block is each string is 150 channels can I just assign all 16 strings on my zues 16 to universe 1 and not worry about where string 1 ends and string 2 starts?

Yes, if your Zeus 16 were the first controller in your configuration, with the jumper set to Universe 1, the channel assignments would look like this:
1st string  Zeus port 1  start address  1   end address 150 
2nd string Zeus port 2 start address 151 end address 300
3rd string Zeus port 3 start address 301 end address 450
4th string Zeus port 4 start address 451 end address 600
...5th thru 14th start address 601 end address 2100
15th string Zeus port 15 start address 2101 end address 2250
16 string Zeus port 16 start address 2251 end address 2400
that will leave 1696 channels (4096 - 2400) available in Universe 1. If the next controller was an SSC, attached to a Hub and set to Universe 1, you would set it's starting address to 2401. You would then continue this until you came close to using all 4096 channels in Universe 1.

and just take all 2400 strings and start at channel 1 universe 1 and go straight thru. and then take zue 8 strings and start at channel 4097 universe 2 and be good

You could continue on to Universe 2 starting at 4097 or as stated above you would still have 1696 channels left on Universe 1 that you could use. If you used the same 150 channel strings, your Zeus 8 might be configured as follows:
1st string  Zeus 8 port 1  start address  2401   end address 2550 
...2nd thru 7th start address 2551 end address 3450
8th string  Zeus 8 port 8  start address  3451   end address 3600
still leaving 496 channels (4096 - 3600) or ~165 RGB pixels available in universe 1
My advice is that you set up a spread sheet to keep track of the addresses that you need to set up in your controllers, as this becomes a little more complicated when adding additional Universes and non Pixelnet controllers into the mix.

( I still get stuck on the break or not for the string)

The addresses would usually be set up contiguously, in a single universe. You could not have a single string go across the 4096 channel PixelNet Universe boundary. (i.e. you can't start your 50 node string at 4051 and end at 4200 because internally Universe 1 ends at 4096 and Universe 2 starts with an absolute address of 1 again but on a different set of wires.)

I hope I have not confused you more by these explanations.