Multiple EtherDongles on same network...

[tng5737]

If you had two EtherDongles on the same network - how does each ED know which set of universes it should use?   I don't see any jumpers on the pcb. 

[rm357]

You will have to load a different firmware into the ether dongle.

Do you really think you are going to need more than 16,000 channels?

RM

[Steve Gase]

I know that I will.

I am using 3 active hubs for a tree, and another for other SSC items.  With growth I expect to have more strings in other places.

Sounds like a config tool is needed -- instead of custom firmware.

[tng5737]

You will have to load a different firmware into the ether dongle.

?  Other than the DMX and Pixelnet firmware options, what other options exist?

  Do you really think you are going to need more than 16,000 channels?

Trying to figure out if this is a sincere question or some sarcastic remark!  There may be other reasons for multiple EDs.   I can see a use for two such dongles in my config!

[rm357]

Sincere question.

The ether dongle supports 4 pixel net universes. You would need 4 fully loaded hubs to use all of those channels.

Sequencing that is mind boggling... We,ll need some major improvements in the sequencing software if we are going to use that many channels. Just my 46x16 ss mega tree generated a 300MB lms file from LSP for a 2 minue song... And drove LSP to its knees...

The second ED would bring the total to 8 hubs and something on the order of 100 ssc and 10,000 nodes....(about $15k investment - hmmm maybe next year - that's a sarcastic remark - remember, this is personal use only...)

RM

[tng5737]

Because of the logistics of my display I have two zones - one at each end of the house.  This year I am using two pixel dongles and combiner/splitter boards to route each zone to its appropriate hub.  For 2012 I was planning to go wireless to the EDs.  So it is not really a matter of channels.   I know that I could simply have both Eds respond tothe same set of universes and simply map the elements within them, however my sequences are already mapped to the two zones.  I will probably get around to building my two Eds this week I was not able to find any document which describe their setup - hence my question.
The wiki doc on Function and Use starts off alright but quickly goes on about Slaves and daughter boards - never really gets around to the setup.

[smartcontrols]

Just a thought for you to consider, as I had the same question a few months ago.

My current matrix is made of flex strips and is 60 nodes by 80 nodes. That is 14,400 channels just for it. It uses 4 hubs with 15 SSC each. And no LSP could not handle it, I had to use Vixen.

I really listened to the conductor demo and I hope I understand it all correctly. What I took from it is there would be no real channel count limit. The show on the ED with the conductor daughter board does not have to be the same show as the ED with the slave board, just the same timing. Each would control their own channels and not know about the channels the other is using.

So the plans for my setup next year, when I will be well over 20,000 channels, is to have a ED with the conductor board run part of my display, another ED with a slave dedicated only to my matrix, and another ED with a slave on the other side of the house run the other part of the display. That is to mean it is one sequence split into 3 different parts and downloaded to 3 different EDs that the conductor plays them all as one sequence again.



I am betting on this, so I sure hope I understand it all and RJ finds the time to get the conductor gets out soon.

May be a possibility for you.
-Jeff

[rm357]

This discussion brings up a question that I have and have not had time to test. Can you drive different universes within the ED from different computers? Say pix uni 1  from a "show" computer and pix uni 2 from a "sign" computer?

RM

[Ron]

I'm pretty sure the answer is yes and I found out by accident, but it sort of makes sense since the ED is multicast. I had my show running on my show computer and was tweaking some sequences on another computer, both on the same network. I went outside to check on the updates I was making and my lights were going crazy. I realized I had the show computer and my other pc running different shows at the same time and they were in the same network, so the ED was trying to send all the data out. Pretty crazy looking.

Ron

[gatorengineer]

I've had this question for weeks now and have not asked, so I'm glad someone else asked....I just thought I hadn't found the answer because RJ kept saying it was easy.

I don't expect to have to need it for 2012, but the following year I absolutely will need the additional dongle. 

Thanks.

[RJ]

It will totally depend on what you are doing. If your need for another ETD is do to seperation such as across the street but you do not need over 16,000 channels you simply put both out with the firmware publised and set the controller to the channels in that 16,000 channels you need at that location. Both will output the same 16,000 channels as if it is just one big show. The controllers do not know which is controlling them.

If on the other hand you are going to exceed 16,000 channels then you will need to reflash one of the ETD with a yet to be released firmware.
The firmware will allow operation at other than universe 1 - 32.

The conductor brings many other options but I am not going to start into all this since it has not even made it to beta testing yet. It is close now that we are getting some software to convert the shows to run on it.

RJ