Newbie question

[rm357]

Yes, there should always be some ones and zeros present in the data stream, regardless of the actual data being transmitted. The sync pulse, break, and the start and stop bits for each word of channel data ensure that there is always some on/off activity on the data line, regardless of actual data values. Changing the data from all zeros to all 255s will change the apparent brightness of the led, but you need to do that for most of the channels to be able to see it.

[rm357]

I had to pull one of my LEs out of the closet to remember this...

After running the test (TST), pressing the mode button again takes in into addressing mode for the 100s - the decimal point on the 100s digit should be lit. press again for 10s, then again for ones, then one more time to set the address. After a few seconds, your starting address should be showing with no lit decimal points. It is now in run mode and should accept channel data. If any of the decimal points are lit, I don't think the LE will do anything. Also, the start address cannot be 0.

The mistake I made on my first LE is that I was still in 1s programming mode and trying to get it work...

[rm357]

If the attachment worked, this is a picture of me moving a usb dongle at high speed. This is just plugged into my computer with no software running. The small dark gaps are part of the sync pulse that DMX uses.

[fyb2000]

Thanks RM,
I think you just removed the last doubt there was as far as if the dongle is outputting something or not. I went ahead and did the same than you and I attached the result. Looks good to me.
Going to have to go down the line now and investigate the LE, but not before running a few more test on the dongle.
By the way, once I launched the LE, after the welcome message, it settles to 001, with no decimal point. If I run the test, then yes, it does show the decimal point, but I usually just reset the board after a test, or launch xlights right after booting up the LE (and after the welcome message).

[onesmoothhead]

I would have to pull my LE out to verify, but could you have the jumper in the remove for wireless position? Also, make sure you have the jumper on the terminate if you are only testing one LE.


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[fyb2000]

Doh!
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I guess it was all working from the beginning, except for a serious brain fart on my end...
I read 'remove for wireless' on the board, but my brain stopped at 'remove'. I kept that jumper open (the terminate was closed as it should be), and kept testing a board that was expecting wireless communication while I was testing a wired connection...
Thank you to everyone for the time I made you waste Sorry about that.
Currently testing the Lynx Dongle, with the LE, controlled by a MAC through xlights. Houston, we have blinking...

[fyb2000]

Again I want to thanks everyone in here for the help that you provided me with. I tried to mark the thread as 'solved' but I am not sure I can do that.
For all the ones that read this and are scoffing at my beginner mistake, my 15 years old daughter is extremely impressed. All the dads and moms out there know that it isn't an easy things to achieve. Well I got all of you to thanks for that rare occurrence...
With my next step being pixel net and smart strings, you guys might want to put me on your blocked list

[chrisatpsu]

We all started out that way. Don't feel bad. Before long, you'll be one of the helpers too!

[rm357]

+1

Expert:
Ex - has been
Spurt - drip under pressure

[onesmoothhead]

We are glad you are up and running. It is an amazing feeling when you get the dongle and an express working. Only feeling that might be better, is watching the smiles in people watching the lights. Congrats!


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[fyb2000]

I used the past few days to go one step further, and built an active HUB and 8 ssc v2 (currently I have 6 smart strings, so got a little ahead of myself...). I will be doing the mod for v3 on all the ssc tonight, eventhough I have not run into any trouble with the 2 I am currently using as test bed (I am expecting the 3 prongs connector from Ray in the next few weeks, and don't want to solder all of my strings directly on the ssc for the time being).
A couple of things I ran into:
-the PVC in the link on the equipment page is too small to accommodate a SSC v2. Not sure if it is because the walls on it (I bought the exact same model/manufacturer from the same store the link is pointing at) are too thick, but it looks like the pcb has a width of 1 1/8 inch and the PVC is 1 inch. Or it might be the link is not pointing to the correct model of PVC. Not really sure there.
-my biggest problem is I am using a MAC and all the software out there are PC only. I have been running bootcamp on my MAC, and I am able to run LSP and Vixen. LSP is a little bit more intuitive for me, but I am using the latest version available there (2.5) and stability is a huge problem. It locks quite often, is extremely slow and the result of my tests always look good in the preview but are really substandart when running on the lights themselves. I built a quick matrix with a 128 nodes SS, in 8 rows of 16 nodes. This is by far where the results are the worst in real tests. I'll investigate more Vixen, but the setting seems to be more finicky about the COM port used by my dongle. That works well with LSP but is more troubling with Vixen.
Has anyone used LSP 2.5 and found any similar issues?

I am aware that this is not the board where this message should go. But you guys have been so fantastic helping with my first steps, that I didn't want you to think that your hard work was not appreciated and making a difference.

I did a test last night and connected all the different elements I have built so far (all pixelnet flashed when applicable). I ended up with a USB dongle connected to an active HUB. The LE was daisychained to the HUB and all the 16 channels were hooked. The HUB also had 2 SSC v2 hooked to it, each controlling a 128 nodes SS. I know this is a small setup for everyone out there, but for me, this is huge as a week ago I had nothing
I was able to control each element of the system, and played around with it without any major issues. Now if I only could settle on the software side and get one that is reliable for my system that would be great. Trying to do a 30 seconds transition in LSP for one string took more than 20 minutes of computation, and I was watching the CPUs activities at the time, neither of them got above 20%...

[rrowan]

Check out xLights to run your show. I believe there is a mac version for it.

xLights can run shows from LSP, Vixen and other programs.

Rick R.

[keitha43]

For high channel counts usb dongles don't perform as well as an etherdongle also

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[fyb2000]

I have xlights also, and have been using it on both MAC and PC. But, as I am starting from scratch, I do have to do some sequences first in order to use the scheduler from xlights. That is pretty much where my biggest problem is. I love the testing abilities of xlights, a lot more straightforward than the one in LSP, and faster to get at than vixen.
I am waiting for the COOP of the etherdongle to be delivered to switch the whole thing to etherdongle. I have not run into any issues as far as COM ports or drivers are concerned with the USB dongle, but, as you are pointing out, the performance of the etherdongle might be better. What do you qualify as a 'high channel count'? 

[keitha43]

I started seeing problems last year and had between 3000-4000 channels. This year I have an etherdongle and with luck a conductor.

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