Newbie question

[fyb2000]

I have been following as much as I could of all the threads, but I am still a little bit lost. I want to go one step at a time, and try to get something going, very small to start with.
I built a USB DMX Dongle and a Lynx express. Both seem to be functional but I would like to actually be able to get a test done that would confirm it or not.
I do have a few strings of smart LEDs available, but (my understanding) can't test with those without getting a SSC built per string.
I also have a projector that is DMX controllable, and here is my questions:
1/Can I connect the light directly to the Lynx USB DMX Dongle?
2/If yes, what cable should I build? (I have a male/female DMX cable and could recycle it to DMX/Ethernet if I knew how to connect the pins)
3/If no, and I need to connect the dongle to the Lynx express, how to I connect the light to the Lynx Express (so pretty much same than question 2 but from LE -> light). On the LE, there is 2 DMX out, which one would I use?
4/With the system as it is, other than the Smart String Controllers, what I am missing to control the Smart Strings?

The software side of things seems to be working fine. I was able to reprogram the firmware for the dongle without (much) problems. Vixen is seeing and 'talking' to it (after a few fumbles with a 'com3 access denied').

As far as the dongle is concerned, both LED (green and red) are on as soon as I plug the USB. The manual states that 'at least' the red LED should come on when connected, but I am not sure it means that the green one is 'either way'.
Thanks for any help, the cabling part is what I am the most concerned about right now, but any tips is most welcome

[rrowan]

See if this diagram helps to make any sense of what is needed

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The dmx projector, what type of connector does it have for dmx? I am guessing xlr plug
if so then take a look at the wiki page to make a cat5 to xlr cable.
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It says LOR but don't worry about that

If you can control the LE from your computer, then don't worry about the led lights on the dongle.

I hope it helps some

Rick R.

[tbone321]

I have been following as much as I could of all the threads, but I am still a little bit lost. I want to go one step at a time, and try to get something going, very small to start with.
I built a USB DMX Dongle and a Lynx express. Both seem to be functional but I would like to actually be able to get a test done that would confirm it or not.  I do have a few strings of smart LEDs available, but (my understanding) can't test with those without getting a SSC built per string.
I also have a projector that is DMX controllable, and here is my questions:
1/Can I connect the light directly to the Lynx USB DMX Dongle?

No.  Smart strings require both power and the control signal.  Even though the DMX dongle can be flashed for Pixelnet output, it doesn't supply the required 12V that the SmartStrings need.

3/If no, and I need to connect the dongle to the Lynx express, how to I connect the light to the Lynx Express (so pretty much same than question 2 but from LE -> light). On the LE, there is 2 DMX out, which one would I use?

You cannot connect Smart strings to the Express.  The Express is an AC dimmer and only works with resistive loads such as conventinal incandecent and LED light strings.  They are connected to the outputs below the big red heat sink.  The DMX out connections are used to chain in other DMX devices usch as Aethers ot other Expresses.

4/With the system as it is, other than the Smart String Controllers, what I am missing to control the Smart Strings?

For smart strings you would need either a passive or active hub and a power supply for it.  The hubbs supply the power along with the control signal required by SSC's.  With what you have, you would probably need an active hub because it has DMX conversion and output capability requierd by your Express.  The power supply can be a single rail PC supply.  I would then reflash the dongle for Pixelnet putput which is required for the smart string controllers.

The software side of things seems to be working fine. I was able to reprogram the firmware for the dongle without (much) problems. Vixen is seeing and 'talking' to it (after a few fumbles with a 'com3 access denied').

As far as the dongle is concerned, both LED (green and red) are on as soon as I plug the USB. The manual states that 'at least' the red LED should come on when connected, but I am not sure it means that the green one is 'either way'.
Thanks for any help, the cabling part is what I am the most concerned about right now, but any tips is most welcome

I would not worry abou the lights on the dongle.  Being lit is a good thing.  The red light is power and the green light is data output. 

[fyb2000]

Thanks for the answers, that was fast, very awesome.
Rick,
Thank you for the cat5/xlr cable link. I had not found that page before and it will be very useful. Once I get that cable done, can I connect directly the light projector (DMX controllable) to the dongle, or do I have to put the the LE in between?
As far as controlling the LE from the computer, that I am still not sure it is 100% functional. I am trying my best

tbone,
That was my understanding, and I realized I was not very clear. I do not intend to test that part of the system (Dongle + LE) with the smart string, but with the DMX light projector. And I was not 100% sure where, and with what I was supposed to hook it to the system. I'll work on the cable that Rick provided above, but I will reach a point where I will have to figure out if I can connect it directly to the dongle, or if I need the LE in between.

Thanks for your quick responses, it is really awesome. You must have by now figured out, that I was a little bit lost.

[hicksjo]

I have never used a dmx controlled projector, but my guess is that you need the dmx signal into the projector, and not trying to control the power on/off to the projector.  If this is the case, you don't need the LE in the network at all, and need only get the dmx signal from dongle to projector's dmx input.

The LE is used to control AC power, with dimming capability, to an AC resistive device, like an incandescent light.

[tbone321]

If by DMX projector you mean that it understands DMX, then yes, you can connect it directly to the dongle.  You may need to create a simple adapter to get the pinouts correct, but that's about it.

[fyb2000]

Thank you for all the replies.
I went ahead and built the cable, connected the DMX light to the dongle and fired up Vixen. No cookie tonight
Either the cable is not wired correctly (pin 1 of the RJ45 to pin 3 of the DMX/XLR, pin 2 to pin 2) or my Dongle isn't as functional as I hoped it was (checked the program of the firmware several times, checked for shorts and obvious mistakes but haven't seen anything so far).
The Lynx DMX Dongle (v2.0) has a test pin header on the PCB. Anyone knows what I should be looking for when closing it?

[tbone321]

The test pins don't do anything.  They were for a mod to the firmware that never came to be.  If you havea functioning Express, connect a light to one of its outputs and test to make sure that the dongle is working.

[fyb2000]

Hi tbone,
Thanks again for the reply. I will try to hook the LE to the dongle and see if that works. Now, as I am completely new to this, I just need one more piece of info. When you say 'connect a light to the LE' what kind of light are you talking about? I don't want to blow up my house

[PJNMCT]

The "light" is just a regular christmas light string...and not a "smart string".

[mokeefe]

Technically you don't even need the light if you just want to test the DMX connection from the Dongle to the LE.  The green LED's on each of the LE channels will light up when that channel is activated by DMX.  Of course attaching a light will also verify correct operation of the triac.

-Mike

[fyb2000]

Thank you for all the answers. It looks as if my dongle is busted somehow. That green LED is only supposed to be ON when there is transmission but on mine it is always ON. I will double check everything again tonight, but if I don't find anything, I might just wait for the etherdingle from the last COOP.
The LE seems to be working fine. At least in test mode. It goes through all the test and the correct sequence is displayed on the green LEDs, as well as on any light connected to it. So that's a start
The 3rd led (dmx) on the LE doesn't go ON when I hooked it to the dongle. Just to be 100% sure, another obvious question: the cat 5 used to connect the dongle to the LE is a straight cat 5, not a cross over, correct?

[rrowan]

can you post pictures of the dongle pcb. Front and back. We have some eagle eye members that spot problems all of the time.

Rick R.

[fyb2000]

trying, but pic might have been too big, and the forum doesn't let me post anything with attachments anymore.
hopefully this one will be small enough

[fyb2000]

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