dongle new old or what?

[lightingnut]

Im confused, I remember reading that RJ was coming out with a new Dongle that would do more channels and also Pixinet for the smart strings. Is that out yet?

What is the Lynx Combiner used for? Also what is the passive hub used for? Could not find the info in the Wiki.

Thanks

[bcstuff]

New dongle - EtherDongle (not released yet)
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Lynx Combiner
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Video about all of them
Part 1
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Part 2
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Brian

[rrowan]

The Lynx dongle is USB based and can be dmx or pixelent with a firmware change (pixelnet firmware is not out yet but tested)
The Lynx dongle is 512 channels dmx or 4096 channels pixelnet

The new dongle is the EtherDongle which is totally different and connects to your home ethernet. It does 16,384 channels pixelnet only
This dongle is still in beta testing

Passive Hub:
Is part of the Smart String system just like the dongles and 16 port active hub and Smart String Controllers (SSC)
The passive hub allow 4 outputs from one port of the 16 port hub. So if you are using the 16 port hub but you don't want to run 4 cat5 cables to area that needs four controllers (SSC) (Note: you will need to add 12v dc to the passive hub to power the SSC)

Combiner: Allows up to 4 usb dongles to use one cat5 cable to send pixelnet out to the 16 port active hub

Hope the explains more than confuses

Cheers

Rick R.

[lightingnut]

When will there be a USB dongle coop?

I want to run Pixelnet and DMX will I need 2 USB dongles or does one dongle do both?

[trekster]

When will there be a USB dongle coop?

I want to run Pixelnet and DMX will I need 2 USB dongles or does one dongle do both?

The SS hub has a dmx out.  So you can have up to 512 of the 4096 as dmx channels.  I tried it and it works.  I had a smart string running at channel 600 and put an Express at channel 1 dmx and they both worked fine.  So you only need one dongle to do both unless your total count is higher then 4096 channels.

Ron

[lightingnut]

So if I understand right, I only need one DMX dongle, (Thing that plugs into the USB port of my computer.)

(I know I can only have 512 DMX channels).

I do have the SS hub, just need to build it.

The dongle will need to be programmed to do pixelnet and DMX. Can you get the chip on the dongle preprogrammed so I don't have to by the pickit2?

Thanks for the help.

[rrowan]

A usb dongle can be a DMX dongle or Pixelnet dongle (just depends on what firmware is loaded into the pic)

If programmed for Pixelnet then it will output 4096 pixelnet channels. The SS hub can clone out 512 dmx channels if needed.

For programming the pic you can take a look at the wiki main page under the Help section and see a link for programming the pic. A new page loads with a list of people who have volunteer to program the pic for you. Find someone close to you and PM to see if they are available to help you or not.

Hope that helps

Rick R.

[taybrynn]

Yes, only one dongle would be needed. 

You then need a SS Hub and one-or-more SS controllers. 

You could have someone flash the PIC for the dongle with pixelnet firmware for you, and also flash the latest versions of firmware for the SS Hub and SSC PIC(s) also.  The PIC chips are fairly small, so if nobody local can do it for you ... you could mail the chips to a member willing to help and they would flash the chips and mail them back to you ... then you put the PIC into the stuff you built.

You set a jumper on the SS Hub which can enable 1 DMX512 universe [say channels 1-512 for DMX] on the SS HUB DMX OUT port, so thats like your DMX dongle now.  Each SS Hub can emulate 1 DMX universe and the SS Hub jumper sets the starting pixelnet 512 channel range for that new DMX512 universe to use.  They would each be DMX channels 1->512 and you would set the DMX stuff connected to them as needed.  There are no DMX channels above 512, so each is a new DMX universe of 512 channels.  So if you use one SS Hub, you can also have 1 DMX universe on the DMX OUT if you want and thats like a DMX dongle you didn't have to build.

You then would set it up as one giant  4096 channel pixelnet controller (in say LSP, running 4096 channels of pixelnet).

It just so happens that channels 1-512 are actually going to become DMX on SS Hub DMX out, and you would want to start your pure pixelnet channels at 513+ .  Channels 1-512 would actually go to both DMX and pixelnet, but to keep it simple ... I would not double up unless you really know what your doing, so think of them as partitioned for simplicity.

Again, there are options galore ... but giving you the most basic way you could get it all working.

If xlights adds support for pixelnet, you could also just play LOR or VIXEN sequences and map out the channels to pixelnet accordingly or a mix of networks.  Your hardware requirements would be the same.

[jnealand]

The dongle will need to be programmed to do pixelnet and DMX. Can you get the chip on the dongle preprogrammed so I don't have to by the pickit2?

In my opinion, and I'm sure in the minds of many others, you might as well buy a pickit 3 today.  You will eventually want one and having to send your chips to someone else is not something that will be a good solution.  For instance, what if a change for some reason is made in the code for any of the units that you have on Dec 5 and you need that change to make your show work good.  Do you want to want several days to send a chip to someone and wait for it to come back.  I have had to reprogram all my wireless receivers and transmitters since I got them.  I have also ordered pcbs for backup so I have them and can just order parts myself, but those chips will also need to be programmed.  Considering all the money that you will spend on lights and controllers, buying a pickit is almost rounding error.  And in my opinion don't waste your time shopping around just get it from j1sys and spend your time on programming and building your stuff.

[JoeFromOzarks]

And in my opinion don't waste your time shopping around just get it from j1sys and spend your time on programming and building your stuff.

I agree with Jim about buying your PicKit 3 and ZIF's from J1SYS.   You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login  he's in the Vendor section.

If Rick will add me to the Wiki, I'll do programming too, for those folks in these parts of the Midwest.

joe

[lightingnut]

That does make sence to buy one.

Now I need to decide on which lighting program to use. I was going to try LSP but I have been reading that there are troubles with LSP and I thought it was the best to use. So I don't know what to do.

[rrowan]

And in my opinion don't waste your time shopping around just get it from j1sys and spend your time on programming and building your stuff.

I agree with Jim about buying your PicKit 3 and ZIF's from J1SYS.   You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login  he's in the Vendor section.

If Rick will add me to the Wiki, I'll do programming too, for those folks in these parts of the Midwest.

joe

Hi Joe

You can add yourself to the list if you want too or if editing is not your thing then send me your location info like what is in the wiki

Cheers

Rick R.