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Pixel channels


zvacman

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On 5/7/2016 at 7:32 AM, EmmienLightFan said:

That is very limiting.

So less than 170 pixels per output?

Not really.  I would be willing to bet that the vast majority of pixel controllers in use are not using their full channel capacity.  Take a typical 16 string pixel tree.  Assuming 50 pixels per string, that's only 800 pixels - or a little under 5 universes.  I have tested an E682 up to 500 pixels on one output and it was working just fine.  I stopped at 500 only because that's all the pixels I had available.  I will cite my own display for an example.  For my year round landscape lighting, I have two E6804s.  One currently is driving one string of 94 pixels.  When the yard construction is completed, there will be a second string of 94 pixels, and two more that will likely be around 200 pixels.  The second E6804 (what I suspect is the lightest working E6804 in use) is driving two strings.  One has nine pixels and the other has eight pixels - yes, a grand total of 17 pixels.

For Christmas I have (as of 2015), two E682s.  One is for my pixel tree which has been 12 strings of 50 pixels, plus 360 pixels in the star for a total of 960 pixels.  Because of some planned work last year that did not happen because I did not really have the money, the tree is configured as six universes and the star takes three more.  The second E682 is driving 10 strings of GE Color Effects bulbs with a total of 214 bulbs - split between two universes.

 

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4 hours ago, k6ccc said:

Not really.  I would be willing to bet that the vast majority of pixel controllers in use are not using their full channel capacity.  Take a typical 16 string pixel tree.  Assuming 50 pixels per string, that's only 800 pixels - or a little under 5 universes.  I have tested an E682 up to 500 pixels on one output and it was working just fine.  I stopped at 500 only because that's all the pixels I had available.  I will cite my own display for an example.  For my year round landscape lighting, I have two E6804s.  One currently is driving one string of 94 pixels.  When the yard construction is completed, there will be a second string of 94 pixels, and two more that will likely be around 200 pixels.  The second E6804 (what I suspect is the lightest working E6804 in use) is driving two strings.  One has nine pixels and the other has eight pixels - yes, a grand total of 17 pixels.

For Christmas I have (as of 2015), two E682s.  One is for my pixel tree which has been 12 strings of 50 pixels, plus 360 pixels in the star for a total of 960 pixels.  Because of some planned work last year that did not happen because I did not really have the money, the tree is configured as six universes and the star takes three more.  The second E682 is driving 10 strings of GE Color Effects bulbs with a total of 214 bulbs - split between two universes.

 

I see. So you could say, have two universes one one output, one on 14 outputs and 1 spare, or whatever configuration as you want, but only 6144 channels total.

 

I guess that's not too bad. I am considering getting one for 2016, if not 2017, as they are popular. I have wanted one for a while, but they don't have an online store, so I waited and then saw the F16V2.

I also want a Pixcon.

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Ordering from Jim is online, but you are right that he does not have a "store".

Since the early days, the SanDevices controllers have allowed a string to cross universes. I have four and plan on adding two more this year. I've been very happy with them. The two E6804s run year round.

Sent from my Droid Turbo via Tapatalk

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Jim:

Is the version 5 firmware functional? If so do you have a link that you could send me? This matrix is making me tear my hair out.

Thanks, Mike

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On May 8, 2016 at 2:19 PM, k6ccc said:

Ordering from Jim is online, but you are right that he does not have a "store".

Since the early days, the SanDevices controllers have allowed a string to cross universes. I have four and plan on adding two more this year. I've been very happy with them. The two E6804s run year round.

Sent from my Droid Turbo via Tapatalk

All hail the e6804. 

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On 5/8/2016 at 9:34 AM, Need more lights said:

Hey Mike, Thanks but no. I downloaded E682v5.002-01 on 4/9/16....so the thread is newer than that one. I still can't find it, I think it might be gone. I have the download tho.....;)

and

13 hours ago, zvacman said:

Is the version 5 firmware functional? If so do you have a link that you could send me? This matrix is making me tear my hair out.

Here you go...

http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?42646-SanDevices-version-5-firmware-information-thread

I now have 5.002 in the E682 for my Pixel Tree (although the only lights connected are the 360 pixels of the star.  I think I may pull down a few strings of the tree from the attic storage and hook them up to the controller in the garage so I can do more extensive testing.

 

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13 hours ago, zvacman said:

Jim:

Is the version 5 firmware functional? If so do you have a link that you could send me? This matrix is making me tear my hair out.

Thanks, Mike

Mike, in all honesty, I wouldn't mess with a firmware upgrade right now, considering the difficulty you had simply getting the controller to connect. The current firmware should be just fine for whatever you're trying to do with the matrix. The old adage applies... if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Mike

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Thank you Jim, I bookmarked it this time ^_^

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On May 10, 2016 at 11:03 AM, greenie95125 said:

Mike, in all honesty, I wouldn't mess with a firmware upgrade right now, considering the difficulty you had simply getting the controller to connect. The current firmware should be just fine for whatever you're trying to do with the matrix. The old adage applies... if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Mike

Thanks for the vote of confidence. Turns out that the controller I was having issues with had a bad CPU.  I  am dedicating an E682 to my 700 pixel matrix. I have it soldered to have 7 outputs controlling 100 each. Updating the firmware once has got to be easier than dealing with pixels spilling over from one universe to another throughout the entire sequencing process.  Am I wrong?  

Mike

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Crossing universes is no problem at all in the E682. It's a bit of a pain in Visualizer - although not hard to do.

Sent from my Droid Turbo via Tapatalk

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24 minutes ago, zvacman said:

Thanks for the vote of confidence. Turns out that the controller I was having issues with had a bad CPU.  I  am dedicating an E682 to my 700 pixel matrix. I have it soldered to have 7 outputs controlling 100 each. Updating the firmware once has got to be easier than dealing with pixels spilling over from one universe to another throughout the entire sequencing process.  Am I wrong?  

Mike

Sorry, didn't mean to offend. I'm not sure if a firmware upgrade will help you or not. Personally, the current firmware works perfectly for what I need it to do. I won't update the firmware until Jim has enabled 16 universes on the board. That's what I'd like to see.

Good luck.

Mike

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Mike if you assigned 170 pixels per string in the groups and actually used 100 pixels you won't spill over you would use 7 sockets for 7 universes however you have a lot of waisted channels 

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1 hour ago, k6ccc said:

Crossing universes is no problem at all in the E682. It's a bit of a pain in Visualizer - although not hard to do.

Sent from my Droid Turbo via Tapatalk

 

47 minutes ago, greenie95125 said:

Sorry, didn't mean to offend. I'm not sure if a firmware upgrade will help you or not. Personally, the current firmware works perfectly for what I need it to do. I won't update the firmware until Jim has enabled 16 universes on the board. That's what I'd like to see.

Good luck.

Mike

I quoted you both only to attract your attention...

I am super familiar with e6804 but don't own a e682 so I read up on it last night and I I understand the way the groups works in relation to there outputs. So I have a question.....Couldn't zvacman simply assign group 1-1 to 170 pixels and only use 100 in his sequence? therefore 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, would all start on the there own universe?

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Saxon I just ran a quick test of that setup on the E-682 that's the way to do it but you waste a whole lot of channels .

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2 hours ago, Dennis Laff said:

Saxon I just ran a quick test of that setup on the E-682 that's the way to do it but you waste a whole lot of channels .

Thanks for confirming that, Dennis.

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12 hours ago, greenie95125 said:

Sorry, didn't mean to offend. I'm not sure if a firmware upgrade will help you or not. Personally, the current firmware works perfectly for what I need it to do. I won't update the firmware until Jim has enabled 16 universes on the board. That's what I'd like to see.

Good luck.

Mike

None taken, I'm just a smart allec. I'm with you on the 16 universes.

 

11 hours ago, Dennis Laff said:

Mike if you assigned 170 pixels per string in the groups and actually used 100 pixels you won't spill over you would use 7 sockets for 7 universes however you have a lot of waisted channels 

I don't mind the wasted channels, the Matrix is too far away from any other props to run off of this controller.  I created a new channel config that only has 100 channels per universe and that seems to be working.

Thanks for all of the input everyone, Mike

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