S5 and Pixie 16 Channel Questions

[ace22]

I know its way to late but this has been driving me nuts and I gave up about 2 months ago. I have been using s4 for years as all I was using were 4 -16 channel controllers. Last year I did a pixel tree and that was simple with 1 Pixie 16 and the Super Star software. This year I added more Pixels and a second Pixie 16. Decided to finally try S5 and I cannot make sense of the Props and Controller Setup. In S4 I just added a Pixie 16 on Aux A and gave it ID of 5. This year when I imported my pixel tree into the design with S5 it asks for the Network (Aux A), unit ID and I gave it 5 then it figured out the rest. So then I tried designed free standing props with the other controller and couldn't figure out the Unit ID and Start Circuit. So I tried just adding a whole controller Aux A unit ID 6. Well the First Pixie 16 is setup with 1 - Aux A, Unit ID 05, Start Circuit 1 End 150, 2 Was Unit 6, 3 was unit 7 and so on. Till 16 was Unit 14. What I do not get is how the Network Unit and Start Circuit should be setup for A Pixie 16. With my imported sequence from last year the tree displays perfect the way its setup in the Previewer. But if tried to add that second controller I get Channel Conflicts. With S4 it added the controller on Aux A Unit 5 and then had 16 ports. I have read over and over the manual and cannot find anything out there showing me what to do. I see Max Circuit is 512 but shouldn't it be 1600 as it can control 1600 pixels. I also cannot change the end Circuit. I know that's kinda long but its been driving me crazy. I have resorted to Programing my other Props in Xlights and xporting it to LOR and just using S4. I know its a Big learning curve from S4 but had hopes of using it as it appears there is so much I can do with it.

 

Thanks for any help

[orchidman]

If I read your description correctly, your first Pixie 16 starts with ID 05.  As you listed the 16th string is ID 14.  You can not use ID#'s 5 thru 14 for any other controller.  Your second Pixie 16 would start with an ID of 15 and go thru # 28.  Both of your Pixie 16's need to be on Enhanced Network.  So put both on your Aux A.  Now you will need a Red USB-RS485 to drive them properly.

Hope this helps

[ace22]

20 hours ago, orchidman said:

If I read your description correctly, your first Pixie 16 starts with ID 05.  As you listed the 16th string is ID 14.  You can not use ID#'s 5 thru 14 for any other controller.  Your second Pixie 16 would start with an ID of 15 and go thru # 28.  Both of your Pixie 16's need to be on Enhanced Network.  So put both on your Aux A.  Now you will need a Red USB-RS485 to drive them properly.

Hope this helps

Thanks for your reply. That makes a bit more sense. So The first Port of a Pixie 16 is Unit 05 then the second Port is 06 and so on. So then even though I think of Unit 5 as the whole thing the software is only looking at port 1 as unit 5 and so on. That Helps. Maybe next year I can do some programming with S5. 

Thanks Again for you help

[default]

22 hours ago, orchidman said:

 Your second Pixie 16 would start with an ID of 15 and go thru # 28.

This is incorrect, the Unit ID's use a Hexadecimal numbering system. If your second Pixie16 starts at Unit ID 15 it would go to Unit 24. As shown below.

Alan...

[orchidman]

1 hour ago, default said:

This is incorrect, the Unit ID's use a Hexadecimal numbering system. If your second Pixie16 starts at Unit ID 15 it would go to Unit 24. As shown below.

Alan...

Correct, I was counting on a napkin and it looks like I missed something.  Even more fun counting binary 😮

[tlogan]

NOT binary; HEX. It's hard enough remembering Hex. If I had to re-learn binary I think my head would explode!

[orchidman]

7 hours ago, tlogan said:

NOT binary; HEX. It's hard enough remembering Hex. If I had to re-learn binary I think my head would explode!

Glad I am well past my assembler days.  'Forgetting more then I ever knew', at least being retired is a good excuse.

[TexasLights]

I tried to teach my kids how to count in Octal one evening.   It still comes up when they want to point out how nerdy I am ….

[PJD]

17 minutes ago, TexasLights said:

I tried to teach my kids how to count in Octal one evening.   It still comes up when they want to point out how nerdy I am ….

LOL! You just reminded me that I taught my son binary, Octal and Hex when he was around 7 or 8.  He had come across binary references in Minecraft and wanted to know what it was.  He thought it was the coolest thing ever.  Clearly nerdy-ness is contagious - he is now in his Jr year at college majoring in Electrical/Computer Engineering with a minor in Computer Science!  (Still not sure how that happened - my husband and I both majored in  Mechanical Engineering - how did we end up with an EE?!?)

[tlogan]

15 hours ago, orchidman said:

Glad I am well past my assembler days.  'Forgetting more then I ever knew', at least being retired is a good excuse.

I still have my yellow IBM pocket reference. Like W.C Fields told Groucho Marx when Fields showed him his attic full liquor and Groucho said, "But Bill, Prohibition has been over for 20 years" and Fields said, "You never know when it might come back."

That reference came in REALLY handy when those young whippersnappers needed EPCIDIC to ASCII conversions before that interweb thing came along. Call ME a dinosaur, will you? Why I oughta.....yeah, and stay off my lawn too!

[TheDucks]

2 minutes ago, tlogan said:

I still have my yellow IBM pocket reference. Like W.C Fields told Groucho Marx when Fields showed him his attic full liquor and Groucho said, "But Bill, Prohibition has been over for 20 years" and Fields said, "You never know when it might come back."

That reference came in REALLY handy when those young whippersnappers needed EPCIDIC to ASCII conversions before that interweb thing came along. Call ME a dinosaur, will you? Why I oughta.....yeah, and stay off my lawn too!

Spool, Punch, DASD, channel attached ... does that bring back fond memories (of when a single computer system took up a large room)

[tlogan]

OOOoooo….punch cards! I came up right as those were on their way out, but I learned real quick to stay away from the one machine that punched a different code than what it typed. Would spend HOURS desk checking my deck against the printout and not be able to figure out why the complier bombed out. 

[Effcnt1]

I have a similar issue.... 

So to set the stage, this is my first year and I have been buying and working on my display all year. I have S5, two Pixie16 controllers, one CTB16PC controller and a mini director. I have built my entire display in a preview and have programmed several songs that play nicely in sequencer and the preview. I have a 16x50 pixel tree on the first Pixie16 and the physical unit ID is set to 01. I have several sequences programmed and the tree is built in the backyard and works great. The problem comes in when I add the second Pixie16 to the network.The second Pixie16 is setup as follows.I have a smaller 6 strand pixel tree on ports 1 thru 6 on the second Pixie16 that has a physical address of 02. I have 5 snowflakes on ports 7 thru 11. I have. I have 3 arches on ports 12 thru 14. Ports 15 and 16 are my “tune to” sign. I have the prop definitions set in sequential order starting at 01 with the first port on controller 1 and going all the way to port 16 on the second controller. I have everything set using hexadecimal. I have no channel conflicts. When I connect the second controller the lights on the second controller follow the sequence of the first controller. I have been reading everything I can find and cannot find the answer. I guess I stumped the help desk because they have answered several other questions I sent in a matter of an hour or two but this one is still sitting there open. I know someone has to be able to tell me what I am doing wrong. Also, I have all of this setup on an enhanced regular network.

 

Thanks for your hemp,

Harold

[TheDucks]

3 hours ago, Effcnt1 said:

I have a similar issue.... 

So to set the stage, this is my first year and I have been buying and working on my display all year. I have S5, two Pixie16 controllers, one CTB16PC controller and a mini director. I have built my entire display in a preview and have programmed several songs that play nicely in sequencer and the preview. I have a 16x50 pixel tree on the first Pixie16 and the physical unit ID is set to 01. I have several sequences programmed and the tree is built in the backyard and works great. The problem comes in when I add the second Pixie16 to the network.The second Pixie16 is setup as follows.I have a smaller 6 strand pixel tree on ports 1 thru 6 on the second Pixie16 that has a physical address of 02. I have 5 snowflakes on ports 7 thru 11. I have. I have 3 arches on ports 12 thru 14. Ports 15 and 16 are my “tune to” sign. I have the prop definitions set in sequential order starting at 01 with the first port on controller 1 and going all the way to port 16 on the second controller. I have everything set using hexadecimal. I have no channel conflicts. When I connect the second controller the lights on the second controller follow the sequence of the first controller. I have been reading everything I can find and cannot find the answer. I guess I stumped the help desk because they have answered several other questions I sent in a matter of an hour or two but this one is still sitting there open. I know someone has to be able to tell me what I am doing wrong. Also, I have all of this setup on an enhanced regular network.

 

Thanks for your hemp,

Harold

Pixies use the same number of addresses as their number. Your first (CTB)  uses 1  ID's PER CONTROLLER But your Pixie 16 uses 16 LOR ID's

since you set the base to 02, that uses 02-11   (remember HEX counting on ID), so your next controller needs to be set to 12 to avoid ovelap

I find it easier to assign by blocks

Simple: 01-0F

Complex (pix*): 10,20,30  and if you use the smaller one, assign on the normal Hex boundaries for the count: Pixie4 x0, x4, x8, xC

[Effcnt1]

I’m sorry but you lost me...

I have the CTB controller set to address 03.

let me ask the question in a different way.. when I make a preview I have to add a prop. I simply chose the first line in the choices that pop up. Once I am in that prop I choose the rgb and then a shape, like tree, star, etc. I then set the number of strings and the number of pixels per string. Over on the right side of the screen (as shown in above post) you have to choose a unit ID and start circuit. My understanding is that for a Pixie controller I choose the “port” number here. And that works fine for controller 01. What would port 1 of controller 02 be? In hexadecimal it would be 11 (#17). I don’t see anywhere to even reference the physical controller address, controller 01,02 or 03 for me. 

[Mr. P]

8 minutes ago, Effcnt1 said:

I’m sorry but you lost me...

I have the CTB controller set to address 03.

let me ask the question in a different way.. when I make a preview I have to add a prop. I simply chose the first line in the choices that pop up. Once I am in that prop I choose the rgb and then a shape, like tree, star, etc. I then set the number of strings and the number of pixels per string. Over on the right side of the screen (as shown in above post) you have to choose a unit ID and start circuit. My understanding is that for a Pixie controller I choose the “port” number here. And that works fine for controller 01. What would port 1 of controller 02 be? In hexadecimal it would be 11 (#17). I don’t see anywhere to even reference the physical controller address, controller 01,02 or 03 for me. 

LOR Unit ID's count in hex, A Pixie16 uses 16 Unit ID's, one for each port. If you assigned ID 01 to the first Pixie16 the software automatically assigns the next 15 ID's. You first Pixie16 uses ID's 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0A, 0B, 0C, 0D, 0E, 0F, 10. The next available ID for use would be 11.

Edited November 27, 2019 by Mr. P

[TheDucks]

2 minutes ago, Effcnt1 said:

I’m sorry but you lost me...

I have the CTB controller set to address 03.

let me ask the question in a different way.. when I make a preview I have to add a prop. I simply chose the first line in the choices that pop up. Once I am in that prop I choose the rgb and then a shape, like tree, star, etc. I then set the number of strings and the number of pixels per string. Over on the right side of the screen (as shown in above post) you have to choose a unit ID and start circuit. My understanding is that for a Pixie controller I choose the “port” number here. And that works fine for controller 01. What would port 1 of controller 02 be? In hexadecimal it would be 11 (#17). I don’t see anywhere to even reference the physical controller address, controller 01,02 or 03 for me. 

You can't split a Pixie ID.

You assign the base, the other ports  ON THAT PIXIE inherit from the base .    With a pro License, you don't need to start with 01

I really recommend a Block plan. I have 01-07, 20(-23),24(-27), 30(-38)  << notice I showed the numbers in paren. That is because I do not make ANY board setting for those numbers

Someone else will have to help you shift your ID's around  because you us ST5

 

[Effcnt1]

Mr. P   That is how I have it setup. Pixie16 01 starts at 01 and ends with 10. Pixie16 02 starts at 11 and goes through whatever hexadecimal is for 32. I don’t have my laptop in front of me now but I think it is 20.  My problem is controller 02 controls the lights just like controller 01. 
 

let me ask this way. Let’s say I have a Pixie16 and I address it as controller 07. What would I put in the prop definition for port 1 of that controller?

 

it sounds like version S4 was easier to program. The help files for 5 are so confusing because they still talk about things that doesn’t exist in S5. For example the help files talk about defining the prop in the pixel editor. The pixel editor doesn’t even exist in S5????????

[tlogan]

It's not that hard. You can go into the Prop Definition and just reset the Unit ID for a prop and save. I just went through this last night as I screwed up the unit id (and circuits)  in some of my sequences while trying to learn S5 and adding two new controllers. I had to go back and get them all the same so that I could use the same Preview for all of my sequences. Also, the String Summary tab on the Preview Design screen is a GREAT help in being able to see all your UnitIDs and circuit assignments.

Edited November 27, 2019 by tlogan

[TheDucks]

27 minutes ago, Effcnt1 said:

Mr. P   That is how I have it setup. Pixie16 01 starts at 01 and ends with 10. Pixie16 02 starts at 11 and goes through whatever hexadecimal is for 32. I don’t have my laptop in front of me now but I think it is 20.  My problem is controller 02 controls the lights just like controller 01. 
 

let me ask this way. Let’s say I have a Pixie16 and I address it as controller 07. What would I put in the prop definition for port 1 of that controller?

 

it sounds like version S4 was easier to program. The help files for 5 are so confusing because they still talk about things that doesn’t exist in S5. For example the help files talk about defining the prop in the pixel editor. The pixel editor doesn’t even exist in S5????????

Port 1 on a Pixie IS the Base address

Port 3 would be the Base+2