How to connect EtherDongle to PC

[deplanche]

I have my EtherDongle built and am waiting for my Pickit 3 to come in so I can program that.  In the meantime, I was wondering how that gets connected to the PC?  I thought I saw that in the wiki at one point or another, but it's not in the manual from what I can see.

Just trying to figure out if I plug that directly into the computer ethernet port.  Which is fine, but that will disconnect me from the network.  So can I plug that into the router?  Is there anything special I need to do when doing that?  Again, I think I once read the answers to all of this, but that was a while ago and I can't seem to find it again.

Thanks.

[rrowan]

You can plug it into your computer ether port for testing but most people just plug into their network some where either way just using a standard cat5 cable. Then your software is setup to send data to it with a plugin for the etherdongle.

For LSP or xLights you need to enter the following info.

IP address: E1.31 Universe
239.255.0.1 1
239.255.0.2 2
239.255.0.3 3
239.255.0.4 4
239.255.0.5 5
239.255.0.6 6
239.255.0.7 7
239.255.0.8 8

Which gives you the first 4096 channels. You can continue on up to 32 Universes for 16384 channels. But with xLights ver e you can only do the first 16 universes.

Hope that helps some

Rick R.

[tbone321]

You should be able to plug it directly into the router.  RJ suggested that at first you plug it directly into the Enternet port of the PC to eliminate any variables when confirming that it is working.  Once that has been determined, then you can plug it into one of the switch ports of the router ad go from there. 

[jeffcoast]

Which gives you the first 4096 channels. You can continue on up to 32 Universes for 16384 channels. But with xLights ver e you can only do the first 8 universes.

It can do 16 actually.

[rrowan]

Which gives you the first 4096 channels. You can continue on up to 32 Universes for 16384 channels. But with xLights ver e you can only do the first 8 universes.

It can do 16 actually.

my bad, I updated the info.

Thanks

Rick R.

[taybrynn]

so I'm confused ... in xlights ... can you do ~ 8k or 16k channels (currently) with the etherdongle ?  Were talking 512 channel DMX universes, so 16 DMX universes = 8k (4096 x 2) channels but 32 DMX universes would ~= 16k (4096 x 4) ... thread like this need to be clarified so people go off bad info.

[rrowan]

so I'm confused ... in xlights ... can you do ~ 8k or 16k channels (currently) with the etherdongle ?  Were talking 512 channel DMX universes, so 16 DMX universes = 8k (4096 x 2) channels but 32 DMX universes would ~= 16k (4096 x 4) ... thread like this need to be clarified so people go off bad info.

The Ethedongle does 16k channels

xLights ver-E has a bug and can only do 8k channels. Matt will fix that in the next release.

Sorry for any confusion

Rick R.

[taybrynn]

Thanks Rick! 

[PJNMCT]

RJ suggested that at first you plug it directly into the Enternet port of the PC to eliminate any variables when confirming that it is working.

What setup is needed for this (ip addresses, etc.) and then, how is it tested? Does an ip address get set into the etherdongle somehow?

Anything special if using vixen?

-Paul

[rrowan]

RJ suggested that at first you plug it directly into the Enternet port of the PC to eliminate any variables when confirming that it is working.

What setup is needed for this (ip addresses, etc.) and then, how is it tested? Does an ip address get set into the etherdongle somehow?

Anything special if using vixen?

-Paul

For Vixen, Just grab the Vixen 2.1 EtherDongle Plugin from the wiki equipment page (In the EtherDongle section) and then put it in the Vixen Plugins Output folder. Open your profile and add the plugin as your output instead of the USB pixelnet dongle.

No other settings are needed as RJ has already taken care of them in the file.

Rick R.

[dilgod]

1)  Just wondering if the Vixen Ver 2.5 will work or does it have to be Ver 2.1? (I used ver 2.5 for my show in 2011)

2)  Also, the current Coop for the EtherDongle, is it for the Conductor? i.e: will the current EtherDongle Coop free up my PC completely? Is there a wiki page for the instructions to understand the setup a little better. Will I need my current DMX Dongle anymore? I am also a little unclear on how and where the sequencing and songs will be be stored. If anyone can point me in the right direction or wikis or docs, that will be really helpful.

Thanks much
Dilip
 

[rrowan]

1)  Just wondering if the Vixen Ver 2.5 will work or does it have to be Ver 2.1? (I used ver 2.5 for my show in 2011)

2)  Also, the current Coop for the EtherDongle, is it for the Conductor? i.e: will the current EtherDongle Coop free up my PC completely? Is there a wiki page for the instructions to understand the setup a little better. Will I need my current DMX Dongle anymore? I am also a little unclear on how and where the sequencing and songs will be be stored. If anyone can point me in the right direction or wikis or docs, that will be really helpful.

Thanks much
Dilip

1 - Nope, Since RJ used 2.1 he starts with that and then later he tries to do one for 2.5 (Hint you need to ask)
2 - There is not coop for the EtherDongle just a survey for one.
2a - the Conductor has not gone thru beta testing yet there is little to no info yet and none in the wiki.
2b - the conductor will store your show on board.
2c - a conductor coop will be later in the year after testing (Summer??)

Hope that helps some

Rick R.

[Night Owl]

I believe you will not need your USB DMX Dongle anymore as the Active Hub will output DMX.  I haven't built the whole system yet, so someone please correct me if I am wrong, but the way I understand how the Active Hub works is if you put the blue shunt connector in the #1 position on the jumper labeled "DMX Universe," the first 512 channels you program will be sent to the "DMX Output" port on the hub.  So you can connect Expresses, Aethers, other DMX equipment, etc to this output and it will work as normal.  Channel 513 on will be sent to the Smart String Outputs.

You can also change the firmware on the EtherDongle and use it as a DMX dongle that takes input from your ethernet port vice using USB.  This is what I did to test my EtherDongle since I don't have the rest of the system built.

I don't think there is a Wiki for all this.  It's mostly stuff I remember reading from the posts and such.  I've been keeping a running log of info to try and keep things straight in my head.  I might formalize it a bit and post it later.  My small attempt to give back to the community that has helped me a ton.

Aloha
Nathan

[jeffcoast]

I believe you will not need your USB DMX Dongle anymore as the Active Hub will output DMX.  I haven't built the whole system yet, so someone please correct me if I am wrong, but the way I understand how the Active Hub works is if you put the blue shunt connector in the #1 position on the jumper labeled "DMX Universe," the first 512 channels you program will be sent to the "DMX Output" port on the hub.  So you can connect Expresses, Aethers, other DMX equipment, etc to this output and it will work as normal.  Channel 513 on will be sent to the Smart String Outputs.

You can also change the firmware on the EtherDongle and use it as a DMX dongle that takes input from your ethernet port vice using USB.  This is what I did to test my EtherDongle since I don't have the rest of the system built.

I don't think there is a Wiki for all this.  It's mostly stuff I remember reading from the posts and such.  I've been keeping a running log of info to try and keep things straight in my head.  I might formalize it a bit and post it later.  My small attempt to give back to the community that has helped me a ton.

Aloha
Nathan

Minor correction. The Hub always sends all 1-4096 channels to the smartstring controllers, no matter what jumper the DMX is set to. It just mirrors it. You would just need to program the controllers to not use any channels that you want to use for the DMX controllers you are using. Like I have 2 LEs I have plugged into my first hub. So I used DMX 1 and programmed my LEs as 1-16 and 17-32. Then I started my SSCs at 34, simply so the colors would match when using the color finder. You can use the same channel numbers on both and they would just do the same thing with both outputs.