E1.31 pixel control

[angus40]

Is the ether dongle required to  use the e1.31 protocol for all the controllers here at DLA ?

[Steve Gase]

Is the ether dongle required to  use the e1.31 protocol for all the controllers here at DLA ?

yes.  the e1.31 protocol run over ethernet.  only the etherdongle has an ethernet connection.

the usb dongles do not use ethernet, nor e1.31

[angus40]

So am i safe in assuming that there is 3 pcs of hardware required to run pixels here ?

etherdongle > controller >pixel controller >pixels elements .


maybe i have missed it , but is there flow charts  that show how various hardware  connect up to one another ?

[Steve Gase]

Each string of lights requires a controller.  If we limit the discussion to "pixel control" then that controller is known as a "Smart String Controller".  It can control various type of strings at a pixel level.  All are 12v and available through Ray Wu using his store.

Smart String Controllers use a hub to distribute power, and also distribute the control data.  There a couple options, but the "PixelNet 16 Port Active Hub" is most commonly used, and it also allows scalability, and conversion to DMX for non-pixel devices.

The hub needs power, usually a computer power supply for cheap availability to 12v power.

Finally you need the dongle to connect to the computer.  You can use USB dongle to do this for you, but EtherDongle will do it over ethernet connections, and it also uses the e1.31 transport to do this.

Your part list:

Computer (or other sequence scheduler... ie. a conductor)
EtherDongle
Smart String Active Hub
  + power supply
Smart String Controller  (1 for each string)
  + string of pixels


FYI, Ray Wu has a number of compatible 12v strings...  "smart string" of pixels connected with 3 wires, ribbon (flex strip), ribbon (rigid strip), square nodes, plastic nodes.

Links to video demos, manuals, parts, and string ordering info can be found here: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

[angus40]

This sounds  expensive and and complicated  compared to alternatives like the e681 or the p12r for examples.

e681 > pixels

p12r > pixels

I was curious if there was something similar here  for e1.31 pixel control, without requiring

multiple hardware pcs to  control a few strings or strips .

Thanks  for your reply

[Steve Gase]

So am i safe in assuming that there is 3 pcs of hardware required to run pixels here ?

etherdongle > controller >pixel controller >pixels elements .


maybe i have missed it , but is there flow charts  that show how various hardware  connect up to one another ?

Counted by parts... it doesn't seem unwieldy to me.  But the distributed design, allows a lot of leverage in the pieces so that you pay for -- you but an ethernet connection once and get 16K channels or 5460 pixels.

I'd be interested in how a 16K channel design would compare in the other options you suggest.

Using recent coops for the pricing, and spec'ing out a Lynx Smart String environment with 16,384 channels I get this:

1 EtherDongle Kit – Parts, PCB, and Case = $90.55 x 1 = $91
4 Smart String Active Hubs = $51.28 x x 3 = $206
43 Smart String Controllers v2 = $8.59 x 43 = $370
Total = $667

This does not include pixels... estimate $0.40/pixel now
This does not include power supplies... estimate $50x4 or $200
This does not include cat5 cabling...  50 cables of your selected lengths

About $3K to max this out... but there is also no problem in creating similar setups and building this out 2x or 50x this size.

[RJ]

Well it is when you leave off the other stuff you need to run theirs. They require a way to get power to the strings, They require a way to split the data out (a switch for them, a hub for me), There is no free lunch I just created it as a system With power and data distribution built into one device and the power over the same cable, In the long run it is cheaper unless you run one string.

A hub is less than a switch and you get power and dmx from the hub, you do not get with their setup you have to buy additional equiptment to do that, oh wait then you will need another port for it so your 16 port switch is not enough so get another one. it is easy to leave the stuff at its basic and make it sound good. Build the whole system you need in both and then compare. This is the real cost you will get into.

Theirs might be better for you, if so use it. Some others will find my setup to be better and will use it. 

RJ

[rm357]

The e680 does combine the functions of the etherdongle, hub, and ssc, but only for 4 universes of e1.31.

To be equivalent to 1 etherdongle with 1 hub and 16 ssc, you will need 4 e680 controllers.

You will also need to be more concerned about keeping the e680 closer to the nodes where a 100 ft run between the hub and ssc is no problem.

For pixelnet, the etherdongle assembles the e1.31 packets to make 4 - 1365 pixel blocks. If you address it right, two blocks can be made seamless for a single 2730 pixel display element.

The e680 provides 4 - 170 pixel blocks - 512 is not evenly divisible by 3.

DLA stuff is very well documented and easy to assemble. You better do a trial run on the e680 before you start soldering. They may have updated the assembly guide, but when I built one last year, I ended up fishing a few small parts down between large components at the end...

The e680 supports a wide variety of pixels. I bought one to use with the GE Coloreffects strings.
Pixelnet only runs the pixels on the wiki from ray wu's store.

The pixelnet hub is designed to use inexpensive computer power supplies that just plug into the board. The e680 does not address what power supply you should use, but if you decide to go the computer supply route, you will have to either modify the supply by cutting off the connectors or add a power supply adapter of some sort.

[RJ]

Well we can disagree. Again this is fine if you use one. If you need more than you need more equipment such as switches ect. Glad there are other options but they are not DLA based deviced so users can read about them on their site. Just as their users can read about SS stuff at our site. I have to wonder the intent of the post to start with since the op has been here a long time and I believe understands the operation of the stuff well.

Use what works for you is my rule.   

RJ

[angus40]

My intent is to give people here asking me how to do this lighting control full information to the best of my ability.

i am in canada ,and used dla store to purchase in the past .

there is so much involved with this that many here will want to have it but not want to assemble or learn how to make it all work .

 via the months i have been learning, i can see that i will become the conduit for people getting pixel control here .

Unfortunately dla Store has not made available the ether dongle to us canadians , so i have not referenced how it works  until now .

Speaking with some of me neighbors and

being that i live on a street that has 6 city blocks of x-mas lights competition , i can see the power requirement of 12v for many people here and the potential need for large pixel control.

I have 1 e681 powerd and tested  with 16 5v strings , setup was ez , howerver  not neccessarily the best or cheapest way.

in oreder to explain to people here  i need to have all required info for pixel control and you have now supplied that and thank you Rj and Rm .

Ps Thread is lock ?

[RJ]

Thank you for explianing. The etherdongle is not in the store for anyone as we have only done coops on them since we have to have the ships installed.

the thread was locked because I feared this becoming a ours verses theirs thread and I am sure you both know how I fell about that. The systems are different and both designed with different goals in mind. As I said it is important to use what works for you.

RJ

[angus40]

excuse double post . i could not reply here initially .

Richard