Smart RGB lights will not stop blinking while Idle, no shows playing

[xmasjam]

The lights will not stop blinking when there is not any shows playing. I have S4, 4.0.38, the controller is HolidayCoro Alphapix 16. It is setup as E1.31, Unicast. Setup is Data patch cable is plugged in to laptop to a switch then a patch cord plugged in from switch to controller. I turn on the LOR control panel and the lights work great when playing a sequence on LOR editor but as soon as the sequence is done and everything is idle I get random blinking on the strands. When I turn off the LOR control panel by clicking on Unload Light-O-Rama the blinking stops. Has anybody had this issue? Is it a setting that need to be changed to end the blinking? Link below is a short video of the blinking on the strand while idle.

 

[pyrotech]

I just tested mine.  I have the same setup as you with the exception, I am using Pixel nodes instead of strip

 

I am seeing the exact same behavior.

 

Tim

[1983ss454]

Do you happen to have effects in the last block of your sequence? Do you have turn lights off at the end of sequence checked?

[xmasjam]

Do you happen to have effects in the last block of your sequence? No. I have a 2:46 long sequence and all the first 1:13 of the song is programmed. The rest is blank.

Do you have turn lights off at the end of sequence checked? The (Lights off at end) is checked marked. 

[bob]

Please send me (bob@lightorama.com) an email with the following information:

 

(1) Your forum username.

 

(2) This thread's URL, which is:

 

forums.lightorama.com/index.php?/topic/36451-smart-rgb-lights-will-not-stop-blinking-while-idle-no-shows-playing/

 

(3) The sequence.

 

(4) The output of the LOR Diagnostic utility.

[xmasjam]

Bob I will send all of the information that you are requesting when I get home today, late afternoon PST. Thanks.

[snookb]

I had the same issue with the Alphapix16 on a 50x16 pixel matrix for my daughter's grad party show in June. Same matrix used for July 4th show at the lake but with a Pixlite 16 and had none of the issues. It was a different sequence however, but all done in LOR SE and LOR PE. Unfortunately the grad show programming is no longer available for troubleshooting.

[plwycoff]

I have experienced the exact same problem.  I disconnected the E1.31 cable and I still got the sporadic flashing.  I am wondering if the problem is with the AlphaPix 16 and not the LOR software.
 

[xmasjam]

I have experienced the exact same problem.  I disconnected the E1.31 cable and I still got the sporadic flashing.  I am wondering if the problem is with the AlphaPix 16 and not the LOR software.

 

Not in my case. It's the LOR program/software that continually sending signals when the show is not playing and it is set to all off at the end of the show. The reason I say it's the LOR with my setup is because when the show is done and all the light are off it gets continues random blinking on both RGB smart strips or Pixels strips, I've tested with both. When I turn off the LOR control panel then all of the random blinkling stops. It might be a combo of both LOR software and the AlphaPix 16 controller. I hope it just a setting that need to be change in LOR to end the random blinking. We will know more once I get all of the information to Bob today.

[k6ccc]

None of the channels on either of my SanDevices E6804s that are used nightly for my landscape lighting show experience this problem.  They are powered up 24x7x365.  The show computer is also powered 24x7x365 and has the control panel running all the time unless I'm doing something and have it shut off, and for the 2 minutes every afternoon when the computer re-boots.  My front yard goes mostly dark at 2200 (2300 on weekends) so it would be really obvious if I was getting extra flashes.  Same thing with two SanDevices E682s that are added for Christmas.  I currently have 75 channels of E1.31 up year round and over 3,500 for Christmas.

 

Can you run sACNView or Wireshark and determine if the ethernet stream has channel on commands?  That would positively determine if the PC is sending the commands or if the card is asserting them?  If you need help with that test, I can assist.

 

Another long shot.  Could you have two devices sending E1.31 traffic?  For example could a sequencing computer be trying to send e1.31 traffic at the same time as the show computer?  Remember that with S4, it is far more common for us all to have the control panel operating on a separate sequencing computer.  If you have the control panel open and you have E1.31 configured in Network Preferences, your computer WILL be sending E1.31 data on the ethernet - even if no other LOR applications are running.  I avoid that by having the network settings on my sequencing computer point the E1.31 to a non-existent IP address (this only works if you are using unicast).  I don't know about the AlphaPix, but on the SanDevices controllers having two senders would be very obvious because the count of sequence errors would get very large VERY fast.

[pyrotech]

Just to reiterate.  

 

I have the identical problem as xmasjam.  If I shut down the LOR control panel, the random blinking stops immediately.   

 

Tim

[dgrant]

Last year, I ran into a lot blinky/flashy issues on the E1.31 network to my P12S. Turns out, it was because I had both the LOR listener running and I was using xLights at the same time. Both were sending commands to the E1.31 network even though one was suppose to be commanding. Try disconnecting the internet to the computer and see if it stops.

[bob]

I have tried out the sequence that you sent to me, and it is working without issue for me.  I strongly suspect that LOR is not telling your lights to blink after the sequence is over. 

 

I understand that the issue stops as soon as you turn off the LOR Comm Listener, but this does not imply that the LOR Comm Listener is telling your lights to blink; for example, the controller itself could have a bug where, when it is receiving "all off" commands (which the LOR Comm Listener should be sending it until the point you turn it off), it doesn't necessarily react appropriately.

 

I can't help but notice that lots of people have said a certain specific type of controller.  I would suggest contacting the manufacturer of that controller and seeing what they have to say.

 

I also concur with the suggestions from a couple people in this thread:

 

(1) Make sure you don't have another source of lighting commands, since any number of sources can be sending over E1.31 simultaneously;

 

(2) If feasible, run something like Wireshark to definitively see what your PC is telling your controller to do.

[Cdanna77]

Last year, I ran into a lot blinky/flashy issues on the E1.31 network to my P12S. Turns out, it was because I had both the LOR listener running and I was using xLights at the same time. Both were sending commands to the E1.31 network even though one was suppose to be commanding. Try disconnecting the internet to the computer and see if it stops.

Had this exact problem using a sans e682. Closed one or the other and no more blinky

[dgrant]

Had this exact problem using a sans e682. Closed one or the other and no more blinky

Yes, When I had this last year during my initial tests, it was because there were two programs communicating on the same buss. Turning off one, stopped it. That's why I suggested it to the above person

[xmasjam]

I have tried out the sequence that you sent to me, and it is working without issue for me.  I strongly suspect that LOR is not telling your lights to blink after the sequence is over. 

 

I understand that the issue stops as soon as you turn off the LOR Comm Listener, but this does not imply that the LOR Comm Listener is telling your lights to blink; for example, the controller itself could have a bug where, when it is receiving "all off" commands (which the LOR Comm Listener should be sending it until the point you turn it off), it doesn't necessarily react appropriately.

 

I can't help but notice that lots of people have said a certain specific type of controller.  I would suggest contacting the manufacturer of that controller and seeing what they have to say.

 

I also concur with the suggestions from a couple people in this thread:

 

(1) Make sure you don't have another source of lighting commands, since any number of sources can be sending over E1.31 simultaneously;

 

(2) If feasible, run something like Wireshark to definitively see what your PC is telling your controller to do.

Thanks Bob for looking in to this issue. When I notice the issue the first thing I did was contact Holiday Coro support and opened a ticket. Their tech's answer to fix the issue was use Xlights software. That is not going to happen. I have LOR equipment, this is the first 3rd party equipment that I have purchaed only because Holiday Coro states on their site that the Alphapix 16 controller works with LOR software. I do not have Xlight software so that is ruled out on causing my RGB lights to blink random but I will need to do so more trouble shooting and I hope I can get this issue resolved. I thought I have stumbled on the cause when I turned off the LOR control panel and all of the random blinking stopped. After seeing all of the posts of other people that is having the same issue with LOR & Holiday Coro Alphapix 16 controller having random blinking issues, I would say to those who are thinking of purchasing this controller to hold off on that purchase until the issue is figured out.

[k6ccc]

I'm still leaning towards you having more than one device or piece of software trying to send data to the AlphaPix at the same time.  Do you have the ability to look at the ethernet with WireShark?  Even if you don't know how to read the data, I can if you get a capture and send it to me.

[xmasjam]

I'm still leaning towards you having more than one device or piece of software trying to send data to the AlphaPix at the same time.  Do you have the ability to look at the ethernet with WireShark?  Even if you don't know how to read the data, I can if you get a capture and send it to me.

Yes. I will install Wireshark on my laptop and set everything up and see what I capture. Thanks.

[pyrotech]

I have also opened up a trouble ticket with HolidayCoro.  I am waiting to hear back.

 

Thanks,

Tim

[xmasjam]

Please keep us updated. It has been said that it might be another device that is causing the lights to random blink not LOR but if it's another device sending the signal making the lights blink random while idle then if I shut down the LOR control panel I would think that the lights would still be randomly blinking. shutting down LOR control panel does not shut down the whole laptop ethernet port from communicating to anything.