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Using LOR Dongle with DMX


djohnson1810

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Hi guys. I am hoping that someone can help me figure out what I am doing wrong.

I recently have started investing in RGB lights. In particular two RGB floods from HolidayCoro. They are DIY floods and it was pretty easy to build after watching David’s video. I also made the required crossover cable to go from a LOR system to the DMX standard.

I have tested the two lights with x-lights and everything is working fine. This tells me that I did not make any errors in my build of the lights, power injector, or the crossover cable. I am using the LOR USB485 dongle.

My problem is when I try and use the LOR sequence software (S3 standard). I can’t get the lights to work with it. I can tell that the floods are not getting any data from the LOR software as the flood lights just cycle through the default colors that are pre-programmed into the 3 channel controller when I am running the test sequence.
Since the floods work with x-lights “lighting test”, I can only assume it is a software problem.

I can’t help but think I do not have something set up correct in the LOR Sequencer. I am pretty proficient using the software with LOR controllers but I am obviously missing something when trying to get it to work with RGB. Here is what I have done:

I started a new test sequence with 16 channels and then converted the first one to RGB. I set the device type to DMX UNIVERSE, the network to UNIVERSE 1 (for all 3 channels) and the circuits to 1, 2, 3. I also confirmed the flood lights were in-fact set to channels 1-3 with x-lights. I did not change anything in the NETWORK PREFERANCES as I am using the LOR dongle only. I have confirmed my dongle is on COM 3 and that is how it is setup in the network preferences. I also have CONTROL LIGHTS selected under the PLAY tab. The Light-o-Rama Control Panel is also running.

There is no joy though when I run the sequence. The flood lights never stop running through their default sequence. I have even tried using x-lights to convert the file from LOR to x-lights and then running the show with x-lights. The same thing happens.

Any ideas what I am missing? I am thinking about eventually getting an Enttec dongle, but I would like to start learning to sequence the RGB lights with the LOR Sequencer now.

I sent in a help ticket and here was their answer:
-------------------------------------------------------
We officially don't support this configuration but recommend using an Enttec DMX USB or Lynx DMX converter to bridge from the USB world to the DMX world.

But... I've heard of others being successful doing what you are attempting. As I remember, the trick was in the wiring of the cables. The DMX pinout isn't what most people assume.

Attached files 315738=17232-Channel Config.jpg

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  • dominguesg

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Try clicking the top box on the bottom. And I will tell you like I have told everyone else, take LOR's advice and get the Enttec or Lynx.

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You are saying you have S3 Standard, per the help file,

DMX Intensity
Light-O-Rama allows the possible intensity of most lighting effects ranges from 0 to 100, i.e. a percentage of full intensity. DMX devices, however, are capable of taking 256 different intensities (from 0 to 255), rather than 101. Light-O-Rama supports this possibility via the DMX Intensity tool.

However, this is only supported in the Advanced license level. Other license levels will not have access to the DMX Intensity tool.

DMX devices, in addition to Light-O-Rama controllers. Lower license levels can only send lighting commands to Light-O-Rama controllers.

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I'm new to DMX also. But it looks like your network isn't set up for DMX.

You need to deselect the USB dongle in the LOR section and then select it in the lower section. In the lower section, the adaptor will have some random letter which I believe is a hex address.

Once you do that, you may have to restart the LOR software. Be sure the the listener opens. It is a black window that looks like a windows command window. Don't worry if it says exiting. As long as the window is open, the listener is working.

You know that you need separate USB dongles for LOR and DMX. Right?

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Thanks for the replies!

bdeditch - I tried checking the box that you suggested. No joy. And yes, I will eventually get an Enttec.

bisquit476 - You may be right. I am going to send the question into the help desk to confirm this. I had noticed that also, but the way I read it was that I could have a broader range of brightness with the DMX Intensity Tool. I was also assuming that since the S3 standard allows you to convert channels to DMX that it supports DMX. You know what assuming does though... :-)

eurbaini - There is no other option besides "none" in the lower section (DMX Universes). I imagine that is because the only dongle I have attached is the LOR dongle. Thus, no other selection. If I am understanding it correctly, since I am using the LOR dongle and the LOR dongle supports DMX, I only need to have that one setup.

Thanks again for everyone's help!

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djohnson1810 wrote:


eurbaini - There is no other option besides "none" in the lower section (DMX Universes). I imagine that is because the only dongle I have attached is the LOR dongle. Thus, no other selection. If I am understanding it correctly, since I am using the LOR dongle and the LOR dongle supports DMX, I only need to have that one setup.


That is the same issue that I had also. You absolutely must have the dongle in the DMX universe. I think that I had to unselect it from LOR. Save, stop the software. When I restart, it showed up to add it to DMX. I also think that I had to save it, shut down the software and restart before it worked.

I can't recall the steps, but it took me the better part of a Saturday afternoon.

As I understand it, you cannot use one dongle for LOR and DMX simultaneously. You must use one for each.

See my network preference below. I'm only using this machine to test DMX. So, I don't have a dongle on the LOR network here.

I was wrong about this being a hex address (no q's or K's in hex).

Attached files 315803=17234-Network Preferences DMX.png
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eurbani is correct, Here are my network settings with an enttec pro. Notice DMX universe has my adapter name just like Eurbani's. Also see his is Raw DMX mine is a pro.
I have also added a pic of the first channels

Attached files 315804=17237-networksettings.png

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here are some instructions I gave someone last year that was having the same issue as you. I bet all you need to do is the final part of the document, under the network preference pic

Attached files LOR DMX Settings.zip

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KenL_MCSE

Thanks! I looked at your instructions. As you can see from the attached screen shot, I have nothing to select from under the DMX Universe Adapters as I do not have any other adapters attached. I was hoping to get it to work with the LOR dongle. I did purchase the Enttec adapter today though. :D

Attached files 315810=17240-Network pref2.jpg

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djohnson1810 wrote:

KenL_MCSE

Thanks! I looked at your instructions. As you can see from the attached screen shot, I have nothing to select from under the DMX Universe Adapters as I do not have any other adapters attached. I was hoping to get it to work with the LOR dongle. I did purchase the Enttec adapter today though. :D


Do you have 2 USB485s (LOR dongles)?
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No, just the one. I was hoping to get started learning to sequence DMX with what I have (no LOR Controllers attached) and get the Enttec later but that has proven difficult. My understanding is that the LOR dongle should support DMX but that does not seem to be happening. This is my setup right now:

PC -> LOR-USB485 dongle -> Crossover Cable (pin 4-5 to pin 1-2 -> Power Injector -> RGB Flood.

Everything works fine with the x-lights test mode.

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djohnson1810 wrote:

No, just the one. I was hoping to get started learning to sequence DMX with what I have (no LOR Controllers attached) and get the Enttec later but that has proven difficult. My understanding is that the LOR dongle should support DMX but that does not seem to be happening. This is my setup right now:

PC -> LOR-USB485 dongle -> Crossover Cable (pin 4-5 to pin 1-2 -> Power Injector -> RGB Flood.

Everything works fine with the x-lights test mode.


I don't know of any way that with one dongle that you can do both DMX and LOR.
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I had the same problem when I first tried getting DMX out of LOR. I didn't have the second LOR USB dongle yet, so I was just trying to change the single one I had to output DMX, with no luck. Now I run 2 LOR USB dongles, 1 as a DMX universe, and an Enttec Open, and just leave them plugged into a USB hub so I don't get any Listener device errors when I am not using them all when sequencing or testing.

Since you mentioned you are using some of HolidayCoro's controllers, be aware that if you use the LOR USB dongle for DMX to control them, you will need to alter the channel numbers in LOR by 1, from what the controllers themselves are actually programmed for.

So for example, if your first RGB flood's 3-channel DMX controller is addressed as channels 1,2,3 , you would need to alter the circuits for it in the Sequencer as 2,3,4.

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You will need to have an LOR network configured, before an additional LOR adapter can be configured for and then actually output DMX and control lights.

This older thread talks about it

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Finally got it working. I had to upgrade to the S3 Advanced and then remove the LOR dongle from the Network Settings in Light-O-Rama network. After restarting S3 I could then select an adapter in the DMX network. After restarting the LOR Control Panel then the DOS screen appeared and everything worked fine.

Thanks everyone!

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