Author Topic: PixelNet to Renard/DMX Converter  (Read 5233 times)

Offline davron12

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PixelNet to Renard/DMX Converter
« on: April 17, 2013, »
I'm probably not the only one out there that is running multiple types of networks/devices. The DMX out from the active hub was a really nice feature that I used to connect some DMX flood lights last year. I was thinking of a small device that took in pixelnet and had a pixelnet out (to continue the signal on, or maybe even 2 pixelnet outs) and a DMX/renard/other out so that you could attach your other boards/devices. Does this sound useful or not needed?

Offline RJ

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Re: PixelNet to Renard/DMX Converter
« Reply #1 on: April 17, 2013, »
Renard users just put the DMX firmware in their Renards and run off the DMX outs. I'm not sure adding another protocol to the mix is a good idea. and since they can already run them it really is not needed.

RJ
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Offline animal

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Re: PixelNet to Renard/DMX Converter
« Reply #2 on: April 17, 2013, »
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I'm probably not the only one out there that is running multiple types of networks/devices. The DMX out from the active hub was a really nice feature that I used to connect some DMX flood lights last year. I was thinking of a small device that took in pixelnet and had a pixelnet out (to continue the signal on, or maybe even 2 pixelnet outs) and a DMX/Renard/other out so that you could attach your other boards/devices. Does this sound useful or not needed?

 My experience running the Renard's on DMX was not good. In theory it worked but the results were disaterest. Now in saying that, I took this to an extream. I went from a 300 channel Renard base show to a 6000 channel pixelnet/ dmx/ Renard. I converted the 300 Channels of Renard's to dmx and with testing it all worked, but when the show ran, it was a mess. Alot of emi issues, flicker, and non responsive. I had FPL come out and get rid of my smart meter back to the original, installed emi filters on the inputs and ac's of the controllers which improved it alot, but still was ugly. I had to change the Renard's back to their original firmware, put them on a seperate rs485 port just to get then to respond correctly. I also had to change the configuration of the show with the Renard's in the first universe, first 300 channels and not at the end. The Renard's are not designed for dmx. I know some people have had success, but not me. I've sold all my Renard's and moved forward.
                               This is just my experience and my opinion.

                                       animal

Offline dpitts

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Re: PixelNet to Renard/DMX Converter
« Reply #3 on: April 17, 2013, »
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I'm probably not the only one out there that is running multiple types of networks/devices. The DMX out from the active hub was a really nice feature that I used to connect some DMX flood lights last year. I was thinking of a small device that took in pixelnet and had a pixelnet out (to continue the signal on, or maybe even 2 pixelnet outs) and a DMX/Renard/other out so that you could attach your other boards/devices. Does this sound useful or not needed?

 My experience running the Renard's on DMX was not good. In theory it worked but the results were disaterest. Now in saying that, I took this to an extream. I went from a 300 channel Renard base show to a 6000 channel pixelnet/ dmx/ Renard. I converted the 300 Channels of Renard's to dmx and with testing it all worked, but when the show ran, it was a mess. Alot of emi issues, flicker, and non responsive. I had FPL come out and get rid of my smart meter back to the original, installed emi filters on the inputs and ac's of the controllers which improved it alot, but still was ugly. I had to change the Renard's back to their original firmware, put them on a seperate rs485 port just to get then to respond correctly. I also had to change the configuration of the show with the Renard's in the first universe, first 300 channels and not at the end. The Renard's are not designed for dmx. I know some people have had success, but not me. I've sold all my Renard's and moved forward.
                               This is just my experience and my opinion.

                                       animal

That is strange. I ran 10 RenSS24's for last two years running DMX code. No problems. I had them on same network with over 100 channels of Ray Wu 27 channel controllers and Renards were at the end.
« Last Edit: April 17, 2013, by dpitts »

Offline animal

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Re: PixelNet to Renard/DMX Converter
« Reply #4 on: April 17, 2013, »
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I'm probably not the only one out there that is running multiple types of networks/devices. The DMX out from the active hub was a really nice feature that I used to connect some DMX flood lights last year. I was thinking of a small device that took in pixelnet and had a pixelnet out (to continue the signal on, or maybe even 2 pixelnet outs) and a DMX/Renard/other out so that you could attach your other boards/devices. Does this sound useful or not needed?

 My experience running the Renard's on DMX was not good. In theory it worked but the results were disaterest. Now in saying that, I took this to an extream. I went from a 300 channel Renard base show to a 6000 channel pixelnet/ dmx/ Renard. I converted the 300 Channels of Renard's to dmx and with testing it all worked, but when the show ran, it was a mess. Alot of emi issues, flicker, and non responsive. I had FPL come out and get rid of my smart meter back to the original, installed emi filters on the inputs and ac's of the controllers which improved it alot, but still was ugly. I had to change the Renard's back to their original firmware, put them on a separate rs485 port just to get then to respond correctly. I also had to change the configuration of the show with the Renard's in the first universe, first 300 channels and not at the end. The Renard's are not designed for dmx. I know some people have had success, but not me. I've sold all my Renard's and moved forward.
                               This is just my experience and my opinion.

                                       animal

That is strange. I ran 10 RenSS24's for last two years running DMX code. No problems.

 Hi dpitts,
      For what ever reason being my fault (which 99% probably was) or just my set up. I just couldn't get it to work correctly especially with the complexity of the sequences. I've worked with the Renard's for close to 5 years with no problems in their original state and design concept. I just couldn't get them to work properly in dmx. I was too confident on testing and I probably should have done more, this was probably my down fall with them.  All the pixel net and dmx work flawlessly, but I just couldn't get the Renard's to work for me. Lesson maybe not learned, so I moved forward.

                                                        again this was just my experience and opinion being self induced or what.

                                                          Thanks
                                                               animal
« Last Edit: April 17, 2013, by animal »

Offline dpitts

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Re: PixelNet to Renard/DMX Converter
« Reply #5 on: April 17, 2013, »
I know you can have problems if the Renards are first with other devices on the network because they strip out their own data and pass the rest down. This will cause other true DMX devices downstream to be very upset.

Offline JonB256

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Re: PixelNet to Renard/DMX Converter
« Reply #6 on: April 17, 2013, »
animal - the Renards do use pins #4 and #5 instead of #1 and #2. That is the same as an LOR or D-Light board.
But the Renards have #4 and #5 swapped compared to LOR / D-Light.

I know that my D-Light boards running DMX will not work if I get #4 and #5 swapped. They'll flicker but that's about it.

Offline davron12

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Re: PixelNet to Renard/DMX Converter
« Reply #7 on: April 18, 2013, »
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Renard users just put the DMX firmware in their Renards and run off the DMX outs. I'm not sure adding another protocol to the mix is a good idea. and since they can already run them it really is not needed.

RJ

It depends on the chip used. The boards that are running off of the old PIC16F688 have the DMX firmware, but there are newer boards that use other PICs and don't have a DMX firmware yet, and some people have problems with using DMX on renard boards.

This idea was more 2 fold. 1, a small device that you could easily add anywhere in your network to get a DMX out (in case you didn't have a active hub nearby, but your network cable was going right past where you needed DMX. Right now, you could take an active hub, cut it up (to make it smaller) handle powering it, and then you'd have something like that, but it would be nicer to have a board designed for that. 2, it would be nice to have a PixelNet->Renard converter for the reasons I already mentioned. Then I just combined 1 & 2 together because it seemed like a good fit.

Offline RJ

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Re: PixelNet to Renard/DMX Converter
« Reply #8 on: April 18, 2013, »
We have a member already working on a standalone DMX unit like this for everyone.

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RJ
Innovation beats imitation - and it's more satisfying

Offline davron12

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Re: PixelNet to Renard/DMX Converter
« Reply #9 on: April 18, 2013, »
Sweet! I had no idea. I was just throwing the idea out there hoping that someone would. Now if I could only convince them to include a jumper for Renard output...