Author Topic: $4 Lynx wireless??  (Read 6386 times)

Offline cmorda

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$4 Lynx wireless??
« on: October 17, 2017, »
I made some adapter boards for the ESP-01 WiFi module that can be had for about $2-$3. They work with the ESPixelStick firmware, which is in active development.

Anyone interested in the design? You can have them made on OshPark for next to nothing. Well, 50 cents each to be precise, in multiples of three.

Other than the ESP-01, and the small PCB, all that is needed is a 2x4 female header socket and a 1x4 male header.

Photos attached...
« Last Edit: May 27, 2018, by cmorda »
Ventura, CA

Offline rjhodgefamily

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Re: $4 Lynx wireless??
« Reply #1 on: October 17, 2017, »
I would be interested in trying it out.

Offline cmorda

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Re: $4 Lynx wireless??
« Reply #2 on: October 18, 2017, »
Great! Do you have any ESP-01 modules and the means to program them?

Here is a link to the manual for ESPixelStick. The hardware part will be irrelevant but the programming and usage information applies. You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

The link to the firmware is in the manual.

Finally, here is a link to the board on OSH Park
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

Let me know if you have any questions or need help. And also share your results!

EDIT:
Lastly, if you want to try it right away, I can send you a board that needs a small modification. That is what I am currently using. The first design I made used the ESP TXD pin to send DMX data. ESPixelStick uses GPIO2.
« Last Edit: October 18, 2017, by cmorda »
Ventura, CA

Offline rjhodgefamily

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Re: $4 Lynx wireless??
« Reply #3 on: December 21, 2017, »
So just now getting around to playing with this and had a couple of quick questions.

1. What do I use for the SSID and Passphrase when setting this up for an Lynx Etherdongle and Lynx TX/RX?
2. Do I set the device as Serial or Pixel? I am assuming serial since this is going on a LE.
3. If serial what is the serial port number that I set?

I think everything else I can set in the web interface for the device.

Thanks,
Richard

Offline Dennis Cherry

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Re: $4 Lynx wireless??
« Reply #4 on: December 22, 2017, »
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So just now getting around to playing with this and had a couple of quick questions.

1. What do I use for the SSID and Passphrase when setting this up for an Lynx Etherdongle and Lynx TX/RX?

Your routers SSID and paraphrase, it is login into the router like any other wireless device, if using Unicast then you assign the IP you want for the ESPixelstick, else let the router assign an IP in multicast.

2. Do I set the device as Serial or Pixel? I am assuming serial since this is going on a LE.

You set to serial, Pixel is for intelligent RGB nodes.

3. If serial what is the serial port number that I set?

The DMX universe you assigned in your sequencer for that device.

I think everything else I can set in the web interface for the device.

Thanks,
Richard
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Offline rjhodgefamily

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Re: $4 Lynx wireless??
« Reply #5 on: December 22, 2017, »
So I am not currently using a router in my setup. Everything runs through the etherdongle and a lynx tx/rx wireless dongle. Sounds like this won't work unless I add a router to my setup which I was trying to avoid having to do. For whatever reason my head kept thinking it would just be a drop in replacement for the EX/RX boards.

So current set up looks like this:

FPP on RasPi ---> Etherdongle ---> Lynx TX/RX Wireless ---> LE's Using EX/RX boards

If I decide to go this route with adding in a router the new set up would look something like this:

                                          ---> Etherdongle ---> Lynx TX/RX Wireless ---> LE's Using EX/RX boards
                                        /
FPP on RasPi ---> Router <
                                        \
                                          ---> LE's/SSR4's Using ESP-01

Just want to make sure that if I go this route I have everything right now, while I have time to play with stuff. Since this years show is already running and this was for next year anyways.

Thanks,
Richard

Offline winwin

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Re: $4 Lynx wireless??
« Reply #6 on: December 28, 2017, »
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Great! Do you have any ESP-01 modules and the means to program them?

Here is a link to the manual for ESPixelStick. The hardware part will be irrelevant but the programming and usage information applies. You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

The link to the firmware is in the manual.

Finally, here is a link to the board on OSH Park
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

Let me know if you have any questions or need help. And also share your results!

EDIT:
Lastly, if you want to try it right away, I can send you a board that needs a small modification. That is what I am currently using. The first design I made used the ESP TXD pin to send DMX data. ESPixelStick uses GPIO2.

Great job. I might be interested to give it a try for the next season.
I keep my 4 LEs away from the elements; They are mounted on a board next to each other inside the house and are daisy chained together with cat 5. From there, I run cables to the lights outside. Keeping the same layout I assume only the first LE would have to become wireless and keep the daisy chain as it is. Is that correct?
I have never bought from OSH Park before. Can you only get 1 or 2 boards from them or do you have to buy in larger quantities? Don't really want to get into etching my own board (yet).

AL.

Offline rjhodgefamily

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Re: $4 Lynx wireless??
« Reply #7 on: December 28, 2017, »
Just do the prototype board. That is what I did. Cost about $5 if I remember right and it came with 3 boards. As far as set up that is correct that you would only need wireless to the first LE and then daisy chain the rest.

Offline winwin

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Re: $4 Lynx wireless??
« Reply #8 on: December 29, 2017, »
Just ordered 3 boards for a total of $1.50 and free shipping. Not sure how long it will take but not pressed by time now.
Thanks for making this board available to us.
AL.

Offline mmciver

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Re: $4 Lynx wireless??
« Reply #9 on: January 04, 2018, »
Looks like a pretty cool little project.
So this lets you setup a LE like an e.131 device on the network?

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Offline rjhodgefamily

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Re: $4 Lynx wireless??
« Reply #10 on: January 04, 2018, »
Yeah I think that is what it is supposed to do. I am waiting until this weekend to take the show down and play with it more. If it works it is an extremely cheap alternative to the EX/RX.

I found the easiest way to program it is to buy one of the ESPixelSticks for $20 off of Amazon.

Offline winwin

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Re: $4 Lynx wireless??
« Reply #11 on: January 21, 2018, »
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Yeah I think that is what it is supposed to do. I am waiting until this weekend to take the show down and play with it more. If it works it is an extremely cheap alternative to the EX/RX.

I found the easiest way to program it is to buy one of the ESPixelSticks for $20 off of Amazon.

have you tried it yet and does it work or are you using the ESPixelStick?
AL.

Offline rjhodgefamily

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Re: $4 Lynx wireless??
« Reply #12 on: January 22, 2018, »
Seem to be working great. Need to play with it more, and am designing a separate board so I can plug one right on to an SSR4 instead of doing the weird wiring from an EX/RX that you have to do now.

I'll post that once I get my oshpark protoboard that I designed for the SSR4.

I am only using the ESPixelStick to program the ESP-01. It's just a little easier since it has the buttons and everything already in place. way easier than trying to lay everything out on a breadboard.

Offline winwin

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Re: $4 Lynx wireless??
« Reply #13 on: January 22, 2018, »
that's good news!
I've got the board already, just need to get the missing parts. It will be a few weeks though before I get to it.
I have a few ESPixelSticks and they are very to use with Shelby's tool. Make the ESP-01 programming easy. Only issue I had was related to web browser I was using (firefox) and linux. Had no problem with windows 10 and explorer.
Good luck with your new board for the SSR4.
AL.

Offline cmorda

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Re: $4 Lynx wireless??
« Reply #14 on: April 09, 2018, »
Whoops. I didn't mean to abandon this! December was consumed by an enormous wildfire here.

If anyone has any questions I will try to answer them. Using a pixelstick to program is a good idea.
Ventura, CA