Author Topic: How to Program Zeus Uni 2?  (Read 2912 times)

Offline aERonAUtical96

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How to Program Zeus Uni 2?
« on: November 30, 2016, »
Using USB Pixelnet dongle.  Need to program zeus to start at 4097 (uni 2).  Do I...

1.  Using Zeus Config Util, set address to 1 (won't go above 4096).  Set universe on Zeus to 1 on all 16 outputs.   After programming address, place all jumpers to Universe 2 for each output.
 
or

2. Using Zeus Config Util, set address to 1, set universe to 2 on all 16 outputs.

I tried both.  Method 1 I see the typical flashing lights during programming.  Method 2, I get no flash, so to me this indicates that it is not programmed.

The assembly instructions indicate set the universe first and then program (method 2) but I get no flash.

Offline tbone321

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Re: How to Program Zeus Uni 2?
« Reply #1 on: December 01, 2016, »
The USB dongle is only capable of putting out 1 universe of PixelNet so if you set the jumpers on the Zeus to universe 2, it will not get any data.  A PixelNet universe is 4096 channels long so setting the starting channel to 4097 serves no purpose because channels 4097 and higher simply don't exist in the PixelNet universe.  Unfortunately, the utility is not a polished piece of software and allows you to set invalid values.  The multiple universe settings on the Zeus are based on the EDT and it's 4 universe output.  If you need to use s second universe of PixelNet then you would need either a EDT or a second USB dongle, 
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Offline aERonAUtical96

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Re: How to Program Zeus Uni 2?
« Reply #2 on: December 01, 2016, »
Yes, I understand that.  I do have a 2nd dongle with a combiner to go out via one cable.  My question is the configuration/programming of the zeus for Universe 2.  Since the dongle only goes out on one pair of wires (Uni 1), I'm assuming that I set the Zeus to Universe 1, program it to appropriate channel (in this instance channel 1) and then simply set the jumpers to Universe 2.  By setting the jumpers to universe 2, the zeus will then be listening to data targeted for channels 4097-9xxx as defined in something like xLights or FPP.

Do I program on Uni 1 and then jumper to Uni 2?


Offline aERonAUtical96

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Re: How to Program Zeus Uni 2?
« Reply #3 on: December 01, 2016, »
Sorry... the reason why I'm asking this is that I tried last night via method 1 above, connected the zeus (universe 2) off of an active hub (universe 1) with 2 dongles + combiner.  I tried to do a test with FPP and could not get anything in Uni 2 to light up.  My trees on Uni 1 lit up, but Uni 2 was dark.  I wasn't able to troubleshoot more since it started to rain.  Doesn't rain all month and the one night I finally get everyone connected, it rains... go figure.

Offline LasVegasF250

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Re: How to Program Zeus Uni 2?
« Reply #4 on: December 01, 2016, »
You first method to program the channels for the Zeus is correct. The channels are all the same no matter the universe, that is controlled by the jumpers.

The only way this would work is if the dongles can be programmed for different universes. I know there is firmware for the ETD, you can program one for Ch: 1 -16388 and another for 16389-32776 ect ... is there firmware for the Dongle for 4098-8194?

Offline aERonAUtical96

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Re: How to Program Zeus Uni 2?
« Reply #5 on: December 01, 2016, »
Thanks.  I don't think there is a dongle FW to handle higher channels.

Ok, thank you for confirming.  There must be a different issue then. 

Offline chrisatpsu

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Re: How to Program Zeus Uni 2?
« Reply #6 on: December 01, 2016, »
unless some devices need more than one universe, i'd run the cabling separate instead of combining them.

from a hardware standpoint only, I'd start with one dongle and run my pixelnet stuff out to where it needs to be.
Then I'd go to the 2nd dongle, and run the cabling out for all the stuff and treat it as it was it's own pixelnet universe.

Then the 1st and 2nd universe of pixelnet is defined in the software with how it speaks to your dongles.

each software is different, but for example in vixen 2.0, you set an output for channels 1- 4096 to go to one output, and then the next block of channels to go to another output.
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Offline tbone321

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Re: How to Program Zeus Uni 2?
« Reply #7 on: December 01, 2016, »
Lets not confuse show channels with controller channels.  While the show channels run up sequentially from 1 to whatever, the controller channels are ALWAYS from 1 up to the universe limit.  In DMX, that would be 512 and in PixelNet, that would be 4096.  Also keep in mind that there are NO channel numbers in the data stream.  They are positional so the first one in the stream is channel one and the 5th is channel 5 and the 120th is channel 120 and on it goes either up to the universe limit or the next start of string indicator is read.  When you set the start channel of the controller, it counts the data bytes or channels from the beginning of string indicator until it gets to the start channel assigned to it and then begins loading them up to either its limit or the end of the stream, whichever comes first.  This is why your setting the start channel to 4097 didn't work, because there is no 4097th or higher channel in the stream, it only has 4096 and when it gets to 4096, instead of seeing 4097, it sees a beginning of string indicator and resets and begins counting again, never loading any data.

This is why we have multiple universes.  The trick to it is to properly configure the show software to send the required channels to the proper output universes.  In your example, you would send the first 4096 channels to USB dongle one and the rest to the second USB dongle and that is done in the output controllers definition.  In your case, if you are using a combiner, I would plug the first dongle assigned to the first 4096 channels into the universe 1 port and the second into the universe 2 port.  Then you can set your Zeus to use universe 2 and it will get its data from the second dongle but remember, it is still working from controller channel 1 because regardless of how you defined the outputs, the first show channel number sent to the dongle is always seen as channel one to it and will be channel 1 in the output data stream.  If you defined the first dongle for 4096 channels and the rest to dongle 2, then show channel 1 is channel 1 on universe 1 and show channel  4097 will be channel 1 on universe 2.
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