6 Dongles/ Baffled

[urthegman]

Hello All, I need your recommendations because I can't seem to wrap my mind around what I am doing. So far I have two of the DIY LYNX dongles flashed with Pixelnet firmware. One I will be using with a Smart String hub to control 15 of the 90 node flexible strips for a total of 4095 channels(hmmm, what to do with the 1 leftover channel? LOL) The second I will use on 8 120 node flexible strips for an additional 2904 channels. I have another dongle controlling my 8 Animated Lighting controllers. Now, I have purchased 30 of Brad Boyink's (Computerized Lightings) Snow tubes, so if each set of 10 equals 480 channels, that is 3 DMX universes and I would need 3 more dongles? That would make 6 dongles? I don't think my show laptop has that many com ports!!! LOL Now how do I handle all those dongles? Also since my second Lynx hub has 1192 left over channels, could I use the DMX output on my second hub (and a DMX splitter?) to control 960 channels of the programmable snow tubes and instead of needing 3 more dongles I would only need 1 more flashed with DMX firmware? I am not sure if the hub can speak Pixelnet and DMX at the same time or the dongle can send Pixelnet and DMX signals to the second hub at the same time? Do I go with an EthConGateway for the snow tubes? Is there a DIY alternative to the EthCon Gateway? I'm sure the answer is simple, I just can't seem to see the forest through the trees right now. FYI I will be using LightShow Pro again this year. Thanks for any help you can give.

[dmaccole]

I've checked your arithmetic a couple of times and it looks like you're right about the total channels you'll need (though take that with a grain of salt -- I did humanities courses in college, not math).

Your one basic question -- can you squeeze additional channels out of your SmartString Hub? -- is correct insofar that you can get one universe of the left over channels -- there is only one DMX out port on the board, so it will only support 512 channels ... the additional 680 channels must be left on the floor (or wherever such bits go).

Is there a DIY E1.31 to DMX device? Yes. See You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

HTH.

\dmc

[urthegman]

Dmac, Thank you for your reply, I guess I meant to ask if we had a device here on DIY that would put out 3 DMX universes to support the programmable tubes and that works with LightShow Pro(the EthCon Gateway also has a diy version but I really like the hardware RJ and others here have designed. Looking for a way to streamline what I am doing using as few dongles as possible.

[dmaccole]

Dmac, Thank you for your reply, I guess I meant to ask if we had a device here on DIY that would put out 3 DMX universes to support the programmable tubes and that works with LightShow Pro(the EthCon Gateway also has a diy version but I really like the hardware RJ and others here have designed. Looking for a way to streamline what I am doing using as few dongles as possible.

RJ has a component he's developing that will be ready for the 2012 season ... in the meantime, I believe you'd need to do six dongles.

\dmc

[RJ]

Send me a pm. I might be able to help.
Put what it is about or I will have forgot!
RJ

[urthegman]

Send me a pm. I might be able to help.
Put what it is about or I will have forgot!
RJ

Pm sent.

[urthegman]

Almost forgot and I don't know if it affects or limits what I can do, but I will be using Madrix to control some or all of the effects on Computerized Lightings programmable snow tubes. Thanks

[urthegman]

Hello All, I need your recommendations because I can't seem to wrap my mind around what I am doing. So far I have two of the DIY LYNX dongles flashed with Pixelnet firmware. One I will be using with a Smart String hub to control 15 of the 90 node flexible strips for a total of 4095 channels(hmmm, what to do with the 1 leftover channel? LOL) The second I will use on 8 120 node flexible strips for an additional 2904 channels. I have another dongle controlling my 8 Animated Lighting controllers. Now, I have purchased 30 of Brad Boyink's (Computerized Lightings) Snow tubes, so if each set of 10 equals 480 channels, that is 3 DMX universes and I would need 3 more dongles? That would make 6 dongles? I don't think my show laptop has that many com ports!!! LOL Now how do I handle all those dongles? Also since my second Lynx hub has 1192 left over channels, could I use the DMX output on my second hub (and a DMX splitter?) to control 960 channels of the programmable snow tubes and instead of needing 3 more dongles I would only need 1 more flashed with DMX firmware? I am not sure if the hub can speak Pixelnet and DMX at the same time or the dongle can send Pixelnet and DMX signals to the second hub at the same time? Do I go with an EthConGateway for the snow tubes? Is there a DIY alternative to the EthCon Gateway? I'm sure the answer is simple, I just can't seem to see the forest through the trees right now. FYI I will be using LightShow Pro again this year. Thanks for any help you can give.

If the EtherDongle comes out in time, how would I set this up? Here is my guess: Etherdongle to Hub 1 , Pixelnet output on Hub 1 to Pixelnet input on Hub 2, DMX output to DMX input on the Snowvision tubes(herein lies a problem, how do I go from an rj45 jack to a 3 pin XLR male input?), Pixelnet output on Hub 2 to Pixelnet input on Hub 3 (I've decided to run two Flexible ribbon Smart String arches off of this Hub as well) DMX output on Hub 3 to second set of Snowvision tubes(rj45 to 3 pin xlr male input?), Pixelnet output on Hub 3 to Pixelnet input on Hub 4, DMX output on Hub 4 to 3 pin xlr male input on third set of Snowvision tubes via the rj45 to 3 pin XLR male input solution. Does this sound right to you? Please correct me if I am wrong anywhere. Also if anyone has a solution for the rj45 to 3 pin XLR male input problem, I would greatly appreciate your input. Many thanks, George

[n1ist]

From the wiki:
  XLR pin 1 not connected
  XLR pin 2 to RJ45 pin 2 (usually orange)
  XLR pin 3 to RJ45 pin 1 (usually white with orange stripe)
(Note that this is the same for 3 and 5 pin XLRs)

I usually just chop an ethernet patchcord in half and add the XLR to the end.  There are some RJ45-XLR adapters out there, but they cost a lot more.  I asked IT at work to save any broken patchcords for me; most of the time the little clip broke off one end but the other end is fine.
/mike