Dcroc Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 I see a lot of controllers for sale, but want to be careful. What is the difference between V2 and V3 controllers? Is there anything I can do with V3 that can't be done with V2 controllers? Any reason I wouldn't want V2? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plasmadrive Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 V3 controllers have a newer more powerful processor and more memory if I am correct. They can use dimming curves if you want them and they can use the 500k LOR network speed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezimnow Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 http://www1.lightorama.com/Documents/CTB16PCg3_UserMan_Web.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 What color is the status LED light? If it's green, then it's a V3. The reason I mention it is because I recall Dan and I having a conversation a while back about a screen printing error, which lead to some new generation boards getting the "V2" verbiage on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meegan Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Hmm. Not to high jack, but aside from processor speeds: Are they compatible daisy chained? This year I'll have a gen 2 and 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plasmadrive Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Hmm. Not to high jack, but aside from processor speeds: Are they compatible daisy chained? This year I'll have a gen 2 and 3Yes, you just can't run them at 500k. You have to default to the slower of the two on the network Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstorms Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Also the new S4 enhanced protocol (or was it intensity files) feature only works on Gen 3's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dcroc Posted July 21, 2015 Author Share Posted July 21, 2015 Sounds like I'm better off waiting for a sale, and sticking with G3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plasmadrive Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 (edited) Also the new S4 enhanced protocol (or was it intensity files) feature only works on Gen 3's.That's what I said.... you can't run them at 500k... Oops.. my bad.. this is new for S4 it appears.. Sorry jstorms.. my mistake.. Edited July 22, 2015 by plasmadrive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k6ccc Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Enhanced Protocol and 500K speed are not related. You can run a 500K network that is not using Enhanced Protocol, and you can use Enhanced Protocol at any speed (tested that at all four possible speeds over the weekend). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plasmadrive Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 (edited) Enhanced Protocol and 500K speed are not related. You can run a 500K network that is not using Enhanced Protocol, and you can use Enhanced Protocol at any speed (tested that at all four possible speeds over the weekend).If that is the case I stand corrected.. I do know you cannot run 500k on V2 controllers.. I assumed that was LORs verbage for "Enhanced Procol". If that is not the case... please explain the difference.. I was unable to find it in the controller manuals..Update: I was able to find some mention of it in the S4 blurbs.. I guess I was thinking enhanced network and not enhanced protocol. I stand corrected... Sorry jstorms, I was mistaken. Edited July 22, 2015 by plasmadrive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k6ccc Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 (edited) Correct. Enhanced Protocol (which is required for intensity files) was introduced with S4. It will run on Gen 3 controllers - which also includes all Cosmic Color Devices (may require a firmware update), 24 port DC controllers, 16 DC port controllers with a firmware update. 500k speed was introduced a year or two ago and for the most part will run on the same Devices. I tested the speed vs enhanced protocol over the weekend to make sure I had it right since I will be re-arranging my networks to take advantage of the enhanced protocol. Would be annoying to find out that I had it wrong and I might have to change a bunch of sequences! Edited to specify 16 port DC controllers... Edited July 22, 2015 by k6ccc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k6ccc Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 (edited) I just re-read what I typed above and want to clarify something I said. In the second sentence I listed most of the controllers that can use the enhanced protocol. After 24 port DC controllers, I said 16 port controllers with a firmware update. That was supposed to read 16 port DC controllers with a firmware update. I was able to edit the above post so it now read correctly. Leaving this message for anyone who had already seen the incomplete post. Edited July 22, 2015 by k6ccc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Burton Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Soooo,Version 1 and 2 controllers will work on S4, just at the slower speed? (non-enhanced)And if you have say... some SanDevices controllers... how would that work with S4? Mixing in the older controllers of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k6ccc Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Version 1 & 2 controllers work just fine under S4 (I have several in my year round landscape lighting show). However the network can't run at 500K speed nor can it run enhanced protocol. SanDevices (or any other E1.31) controllers connect via ethernet LAN - NOT via a LOR RS-485 serial network. As such, they could not care less about what the setting are for the LOR networks since they are not connected to a LOR network. BTW, I have two SanDevices E6804s in my year round show as well. My show computer has been running S4 since late in the beta phase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Burton Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Version 1 & 2 controllers work just fine under S4 (I have several in my year round landscape lighting show). However the network can't run at 500K speed nor can it run enhanced protocol. SanDevices (or any other E1.31) controllers connect via ethernet LAN - NOT via a LOR RS-485 serial network. As such, they could not care less about what the setting are for the LOR networks since they are not connected to a LOR network. BTW, I have two SanDevices E6804s in my year round show as well. My show computer has been running S4 since late in the beta phase.Right, I understand about not running on the 500k speed network for the LOR controllers. Also understand about the ethernet lan on E1.31 (I have three e682's I ran last year and will be adding a few generic dmx pixel controllers this year as well). That is comforting that you have gotten both to work on S4. Did you run the pixel editor with your Sandevices stuff... and then run it with S4? Just not sure how it (s4 AND the pixel editor) is going to act with the SanDevices controllers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k6ccc Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 My landscaping show is entirely based on sequences created on Sequence Editor with some version of S3. There is a combination of LOR controllers on two non-enhanced networks and two E6804s. I'm only running it under S4.1. I did a test with spare controllers and my sequencing computer with intensity files, but that did not include any E1.31. If I have time this weekend I will try to do my network rearrangement to get one enhanced and one non-enhanced network, and redo my landscape sequences for the new config. Then I'll redo the landscape sequences using either PE or SuperStar exported via intensity files. No guarantee on getting all that done, but I'll shoot for that, and report here... I need to do all that anyway, so this is not extra work just for a test... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Right, I understand about not running on the 500k speed network for the LOR controllers. Also understand about the ethernet lan on E1.31 (I have three e682's I ran last year and will be adding a few generic dmx pixel controllers this year as well). That is comforting that you have gotten both to work on S4. Did you run the pixel editor with your Sandevices stuff... and then run it with S4? Just not sure how it (s4 AND the pixel editor) is going to act with the SanDevices controllers. I have sequenced my normal channels in SE and my pixels in PE in S4. I was able to see my lights working through the normal LOR network and my pixels working through E1.31 and my E682. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dcroc Posted July 27, 2015 Author Share Posted July 27, 2015 My landscaping show is entirely based on sequences created on Sequence Editor with some version of S3. There is a combination of LOR controllers on two non-enhanced networks and two E6804s. I'm only running it under S4.1. I did a test with spare controllers and my sequencing computer with intensity files, but that did not include any E1.31. If I have time this weekend I will try to do my network rearrangement to get one enhanced and one non-enhanced network, and redo my landscape sequences for the new config. Then I'll redo the landscape sequences using either PE or SuperStar exported via intensity files. No guarantee on getting all that done, but I'll shoot for that, and report here... I need to do all that anyway, so this is not extra work just for a test... I see you mention your "landscaping show" a lot. Is there any video of it? Would like to see what you can do with LOR year round... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k6ccc Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 I've never shot video of the landscape lighting. It's not very exciting, but it's almost all RGB. One of these days I'll do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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