Networking in new Pixcon16?

[conrad4402]

Looking for help gang.

Adding pixels for the first time to an existing LOR system.  I run from a mini director, not PC, and have two residential controllers with 28 channels in use.  The mini-director Cat5 connection runs to my first controller, then Cat5 out from first controller to second controller.  I have independent power to the housed PixCon16 and ran Cat5 from second controller to its LAN input.  Also tried the two ports (top & bottom) next to the LAN input.  The status light on this PixCon16 flashes red and no pixels attached are operating.  

Should I run Cat5 from the first controller or the mini director instead or am I missing something.  Under the assumption this is plug & play and will work without PC.  Any thoughts?  Thanks

[Mr. P]

Not enough info, a Pixcon requires a Pro license and must be run on an enhanced network (ELOR).

[k6ccc]

Make sure which mini director you have.  If it’s NOT the g3 version, it will not run at 500k speed, nor enhanced.  Both of those are required for the Pixcon 16.  The g3 version will run 500k speed and enhanced networking.

 

[Vince4xmas]

Actually with the latest firmware release you can run a G3-MP3 and Pixcon16 at 1,000K speed with enhanced networking.

 

[Mr. P]

20 minutes ago, Vince4xmas said:

Actually with the latest firmware release you can run a G3-MP3 and Pixcon16 at 1,000K speed with enhanced networking.

 

Yes, but the op is using a mini director.

[conrad4402]

Thank you.  I am using the a G3 mini director and CTB16 PC G3 controller.  Basically getting 4 pixels to turn on with a CB100D controller, same for the Pixie2D and nothing on the PixCon16.  Is there a way to plug & play the Pixie2D or CB100D with this setup for now and work on figuring out the software side after Christmas?  Really appreciate the feedback.

 

Edited December 7, 2017 by conrad4402

[Mr. P]

1 minute ago, conrad4402 said:

Thank you.  I am using the previous mini director, not the newer G3.  Basically getting 4 pixels to turn on with a CB100D controller and nothing on the PixCon16.  Is there a way to plug & play the CB100D with this mini director and two CTB16 controllers?  Really appreciate the feedback.  Seems I'm functioning a couple years behind the curve.

 

If you are using the older mini director and not the uMP3g3 mini director then you CANNOT use the pixcon on it. The pixcon requires at least a 500k speed and enhanced network and the older mini director will only go up to 115k and cannot do enhanced network.

[conrad4402]

Just confirmed the mini director is a uMP3g3.  Should I be running the Cat5 from that directly into the PixCon16 or into the CTB16 controller and then on to one of the pixel controllers?  The whole plug & play thing doesn't seem to be straight forward.  Also, this is perhaps the second time this former Marine has depended on assistance from former Army individual!

[Mr. P]

9 minutes ago, conrad4402 said:

Just confirmed the mini director is a uMP3g3.  Should I be running the Cat5 from that directly into the PixCon16 or into the CTB16 controller and then on to one of the pixel controllers?  The whole plug & play thing doesn't seem to be straight forward.  Also, this is perhaps the second time this former Marine has depended on assistance from former Army individual!

You can put them in any order you like. You must have a Pro license and make sure that the CTB16PC's are gen 3 so they work on a high speed enhanced network. The Pixcon will use 16 consecutive unit ID's, one per port, so ensure no other controller uses them. In the network config under the LOR tab make sure you you put a check in the J3/J4 box and check enhanced (mandatory for the pixcon).

[cam308]

The PixCon16 is not a plug and play device.  In fact, from my experience, it's one of the more advanced controllers I've had to set up.  If your using this with an LOR network, you will need to assign the controller an ID, just like you did with the other controllers in ur setup.  In order to do this with the PixCon16, you do not use the Hardware Utility.  You have to interface directly with the unit using the Network Configuration Utility.  You will need to connect the PixCon16 directly to ur local computer network by using the silver ethernet port on the device.  From there you can set the LOR Unit ID.  Once you have completed that, you will then be able to use the ethernet IN/OUT ports on the board to jump from one controller to the next.  So I don't think your CAT5 wiring is the issue at this point.  The reason ur not seeing any response from the PixCon16 is because you have not configured it yet.  Take a look at the info below.  This helped me get everything up and running.  Just take ur time and pay attention to the steps in order:

 

Bare Minimum PixCon16 Setup Checklist

Be sure to follow each of these steps IN ORDER. Do not proceed to the following step until you are sure the current step is complete. Please note that you may be further along in your testing than where this check lists starts. Please do not skip any of the previous steps even if you think you have performed them correctly already. Start at #1.


If you have already tried to configure the board, you should first FACTORY RESET the PixCon16. Instructions are provided in the manual. This checklist assumes that you have a 'stock' PixCon16 to start with.


Critical checkpoints points are in bold, but you may experience a problem at any step. If you are having problems at a checkpoint, check ALL steps up to this one to ensure they are completed properly.


The PixCon16 is a professional level board, and does require some in-depth knowledge about how E1.31 works, DMX and networking concepts. You may need to consult other sources if you run into issues or do not understand a concept. 


If you do have an issue and if you think everything is good to that point, and you would like to contact us for help STOP. Do not go further and do NOT change any configuration. If you would like to experiment and try to resolve the issue, please do! We encourage you to find the solution on your own. However if in the end you must contact us, reset the board and start again at step 1 and then stop at the failing step and contact us. We rely on the board being in a known state at every step of this checklist to help you.


Please ensure that you have AT LEAST S4 V4.3.14 Or Higher to configure the board. Some older versions may not be able to properly detect the Pixcon16.

 

1. Pixels have a front and a back (IN and OUT). Ensure you know which side data goes IN to. Pixels from LOR are plainly marked, or are correctly pre-wired. if your pixels have an arrow, that arrow points AWAY from the board.
2. Pixels have a voltage. Ensure you have the proper power supply. LOR Pixels are typically 5v or 12v. If your pixel package from LOR included a power supply, you do not need to worry about this step.
3. Pixels have current draw (amperage). Ensure you are not exceeding the amps per channel/power supply/etc. Pixels from LOR will draw 3A per 50 pixels at 5V (15 Watts), 3A per 100 pixels at 12V (36 Watts). If you pixel package from LOR included a power supply, you do not need to worry about this step.
4. Wire power supply to PixCon16, if not already wired.
5. Remember – never connect or disconnect anything from PixCon16 with power applied.
6. Power up board. Follow instructions in "An Introduction to DMX and E1.31 for Pixel Control" document if needed (linked below). Open Network Preferences/Find Configure PixCon16/Click on PixCon16 in list, and open the PixCon16 configuration window. 
   
   Only work with a SINGLE PixCon16 connected to your network at one time until properly configured -- IP address conflicts can occur if you attempt to configure 2 or more. 
   
   Do not continue until you are able to reliably talk to the board and configure it.
   If you are having difficulty reliably talking to the board, read:
   http://www1.lightorama.com/PDF/IntroductionToDMXandE131.pdf
   Pay particular attention to page 8.
7. Ensure board firmware is AT LEAST 1.4.8. WARNING! Do NOT downgrade if higher! Downgrading a PixCon16 will brick the board requiring special software to recover! All PixCon16s sold since late 2016 are at or above V1.4.8. 
   
   Do not continue until firmware is updated to at least 1.4.8. Instructions are found in the manual. If you have the LOR Control Panel loaded, UNLOAD IT before attempting to update firmware. Updating the firmware while the Control Panel/Comm listener are running can cause the board to FAIL.
8. Properly set up Pixel Type and Pixel Speed in configuration. Ignore all other parameters. LOR Pixels are WS2811. Most are high-speed.
9. Properly wire 1 pixel string to a 4 wire connector. Follow pin-outs in the manual. Note -- Some pixels do not have/require the clock signal.
10. Connect pixels to a single port, and power up. Pixels may briefly flash. Pixels that stay ON indicate incorrect pixel type or speed selected in #8. For LOR Pixels, ensure that you selected 'High Speed'. If High Speed does not work (it should in almost all cases), select slow speed.
11. Run hardware test on the pixels as documented in manual by using the buttons on the PixCon16. If pixels do not work, problem is most likely #8. Go back there. 
    Do not continue until the Hardware Test works properly.
12. Wire the rest of your pixels to the 4 wire connectors. Connect them to the PixCon16. Run the hardware test (step 11) again. Ensure all pixels are working correctly. Pixels that are not working indicate a problem with the pixel itself, or an under-rated power supply.
    Do not continue until the Hardware Test works properly for ALL pixels.
13. Again bring the PixCon16 configuration up. On the first tab of PixCon16 configuration, ensure you have the correct option specified for J3/J4. If you will use the board in ELOR mode, turn this option ON. For E1.31 ensure this option is OFF. If you have not done so yet, install the drivers for the USB adapter and ensure the USB adapter is working properly.
14. On the Second tab set up each port of the PixCon16 properly. You can use simple mode or advanced mode. All options are documented in the help file for the software or in the manual for the PixCon16. Remember, for E1.31 universes must also be set up in Network Preferences (the software will offer to do it for you), for ELOR, 500K speed and Enhanced Light-O-Rama network (done in step 16). It is best to write down the settings.
15. Ensure you have the LOR Control Panel loaded (which will load the LOR COMM Listener). The COMM Listener is ALWAYS required to control pixels.
16. Properly configure your network preferences:
    
    E1.31: Ensure Universe matches universe on the board & Set IP address correctly (multicast or unicast/specify). It is easiest to use multicast.
    
    ELOR: Ensure the COM port is set to at least 500K and ELOR mode is turned ON.
17. Properly connect networking:
    
    E1.31: Do not make any changes.   Both LEDs should be SOLID ON. 
    Do not continue until they are. NOTE: Your computer may need to be rebooted. If you reboot go back to step 15.
    
    ELOR: Disconnect Network cable, ensure jumpers on PixCon16 for J3/J4 are set to LOR. Connect HS USB adapter to computer, CAT5 from USB adapter to J4 of PixCon16. NOTE: You must have previously installed the drivers for the high speed USB adapter. Use another non-PixCon16 unit to test if you are unsure the USB adapter is working properly. Both LEDs should be SOLID ON. 
    
    Do not continue until they are. NOTE: Your computer may need to be rebooted. If you reboot go back to step 15.
18. Start Hardware Utility. If asked if the HWU should take control of a port say NO. Open the pixel console. Set Pixel Console params correctly and test pixels with sliders.
    Do not continue until you can successfully control pixels.
19. Your board is now ready to use.

Edited December 11, 2017 by cam308