Author Topic: Need setup verification  (Read 3724 times)

Offline aERonAUtical96

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Need setup verification
« on: October 21, 2015, »
Need to verify my setup...

USB Dongle (flashed to pixelnet) -> (pixelnet in) 16 port active hub
                                                                                      |-------  (pixelnet out) -> (pixelnet in) zeus 16 (terminate)
                                                                                      |-------  (dmx out) -> (dmx in) express (dmx out) -> express ...
                                                                                      |-------  (power outputs) ->  SSC -> nodes

Active Hub set to PixelNet Uni 1 and DMX 1
Zeus 16 set to PixelNet Uni 1

Channels 1-256 DMX to expresses
Pixelnet 120 channels (40 nodes) to 1 SSC  (programmed to start at channel 257)
Pixelnet 2400 channels (800 nodes) to zeus 16 (programmed to start at channel 377)

Vixen would map to the above channels.  I have not seen the pixelnet plug-in configuration wizard, so I'm assuming I just have to define the first address (257) as the start of the pixelnet universe.

Thanks


Offline tbone321

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Re: Need setup verification
« Reply #1 on: October 21, 2015, »
Nope, you will define the pixelnet universe to channel 1.  Since you are using single USB dongle configured for pixelnet for all output, all of the channels need to be defined to that device which in this case is a single pixelnet universe.  The active hub pulls the first 512 channels of this pixelnet universe and converts that to DMX.  It also sends those same channels out on the pixelnet output ports so no pixelnet channels are lost, only duplicated.   As long as your device start channels are defined correctly, the controllers will work as expected and from what I can see in your description, they appear to be.
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Offline aERonAUtical96

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Re: Need setup verification
« Reply #2 on: November 19, 2015, »
Follow up question for anyone...

I'm assuming it is ok, but need to verify...

Obtained a 2nd dongle and I am thinking of running 2 dongles, for physical separation of devices in my yard.  Can I flash one as pixelnet and one as standard DMX?  So the layout would look something like this...

FPP ---->  Pixelnet Dongle ---> Active Hub ---> Zeus --->  Freestyle --->  LE 1..4
     |---->  DMX dongle ---> LE 5 ---> LE 6 ---> SSR4 DMX

Would I need to run the devices off of the DMX dongle in a 2nd universe?

I think this can be done, just not sure of the proper configuration as it relates to universes and channel configs.

Thanks,

Offline taybrynn

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Re: Need setup verification
« Reply #3 on: November 19, 2015, »
yes you could do it that way.   

Scott - Castle Rock, Colorado   [ 2 homes, 100% RGB in 2016; since 2008; over 32k channels of E1.31 ]
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Offline jnealand

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Re: Need setup verification
« Reply #4 on: November 19, 2015, »
Why are you not taking DMX out of the active hub?  I take DMX from the active hub and go right to a TX/RX and run stuff on both sides of my driveway using the wireless option.  Being doing that ever since the active hub came out and it works great.
Jim Nealand
Kennesaw, GA

Offline aERonAUtical96

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Re: Need setup verification
« Reply #5 on: November 19, 2015, »
Jim,  I guess that I am...  All of the DMX devices on the left side of my driveway will be run from that line... so the active hub will deliver pixelnet to the zeus and dmx to the FS and 4 LEs.  Instead of running a cable across the driveway to the DMX devices on the right hand side, I was thinking I would come out of the garage via the 2nd dongle (flashed for DMX).

Just an idea... might be more of a configuration pain then it is worth.


Offline taybrynn

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Re: Need setup verification
« Reply #6 on: November 19, 2015, »
I understand that reasoning.  Having a cord across the driveway would be a pain, esp. where I live (snow, ice).

I always did a DMX Tx out of my active hub DMX out ... then I could put the other DMX stuff anywhere and feed them from a nearby LE with DMX ex/rx on it ... and
go DMX wired from there.
Scott - Castle Rock, Colorado   [ 2 homes, 100% RGB in 2016; since 2008; over 32k channels of E1.31 ]
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Offline CaptainMurdoch

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Re: Need setup verification
« Reply #7 on: November 19, 2015, »
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FPP ---->  Pixelnet Dongle ---> Active Hub ---> Zeus --->  Freestyle --->  LE 1..4
     |---->  DMX dongle ---> LE 5 ---> LE 6 ---> SSR4 DMX

Would I need to run the devices off of the DMX dongle in a 2nd universe?

I think this can be done, just not sure of the proper configuration as it relates to universes and channel configs.

You can run it this way and whether you overlap the 512 DMX channels on the Pixelnet side is up to you.  If you want to use different channels, then you could just tell Vixen that you have 9 E1.31 universes of 512 channels each.  That would let you send one universe out the DMX dongle and the other 8 out the Pixelnet dongle.  If you want to overlap channels, then you can configure Vixen with 8 universes and then you can use FPP's Channel Output screen to determine whether you want to send the first 512 channels or the last 512 (or anywhere in between) out the DMX dongle.  You could also grab the same DMX universe off the active hub at the same time so you have it on both sides of the driveways.