Added Pixie16 to existing environment but can't get them to light up.

[MikeToo]

Have an existing working network of pre-G3 controllers. The address dip sw on the Pixie is set to "0". The older controllers are on a "Regular" network with recommended speed of 57K, non-enhanced.  I have set the Pixie16 on the Aux A network at 500K and flagged as "enhanced". The Regular network is connected to the BLACK USB485 on COM 10. The Aux A network is connected to a RED RS485 on COM 12. Created a prop setting the Pixie as it's controller but no light when run from sequence.  Prop appears in the Playback screen but no lights on the tree... How do I know what the UNIT ID is??  Do I need to physically set the address in the dip sw on the board?

[Mr. P]

27 minutes ago, MikeToo said:

Have an existing working network of pre-G3 controllers. The address dip sw on the Pixie is set to "0". The older controllers are on a "Regular" network with recommended speed of 57K, non-enhanced.  I have set the Pixie16 on the Aux A network at 500K and flagged as "enhanced". The Regular network is connected to the BLACK USB485 on COM 10. The Aux A network is connected to a RED RS485 on COM 12. Created a prop setting the Pixie as it's controller but no light when run from sequence.  Prop appears in the Playback screen but no lights on the tree... How do I know what the UNIT ID is??  Do I need to physically set the address in the dip sw on the board?

You need to turn all the dip switches off then set the ID in the HU. You will set the base ID and the software will set the next 15 automatically in hex order.

[Indigo]

I'm having the same issue, but I don't think it's the Unit ID. I have an existing LOR network which is usually three 16-port regular light controllers, 2 RGB floods, and a Showtime Director box. I just got a new Pixie 8 controller and pixel tree (yay!). I upgraded to S5 Pro. Set the new controller UNIT ID to 06. Got everything working with my laptop (which was NOT easy, tell you what). So, it's working in the living room, flashy, flashy, very cool. I take the new pixel controller and tree outside and get everything wired up in the yard, connect the new controller (just the new controller) to the Showtime Director, load the new sequence I created onto the SD card, pop it in, and... nothing. The red light on the Pixie controller is steady, no light on the Showtime Director...oh, wait, power! So I grab one of my old regular controllers, plug it in (no lights connected), link the showtime director box to the old controller box, then that to the new pixie controller.  The red status light starts to blink on the pixie controller, the Showtime Director has power... but no flashy with the lights. 

When I made the show in the new Hub tool, I used advanced and told it to do an ELOR, 500k network, as I had to do with it hooked to my laptop. But now I'm stuck. I have searched and searched for info on adding a pixel tree to an existing LOR network, no go. For now, I'm trying to just do the new pixel tree for Fourth of July. But I'd like to be able to add it to my existing setup for Christmas... so... do I forget showtime director for now and load the show directly on the pixie controller?  Am I ever going to be able to add the new controller to my existing setup?

Thanks in advance for any help!

[k6ccc]

First question.  Which Director?

 

[Indigo]

The director is uMP3g3 (Gen3 mini Director).

 

Edited June 14, 2020 by Indigo

[Indigo]

The new pixie setup is installed in the front yard, so I just grabbed one of my REALLY long cat5 cables, connected it to the new pixie8 and ran it into the house. 🙂 It is working fine from the computer, so I know it is functional.

So, I'm thinking I need to update the firmware on the Director to run the ELOR network? But then, will the new pixie8 be able to power the Director?

UPDATE: 1 hour later.  I'm trying to update the firmware on the Director. I plug one end of my really long cat5 cable into the director, the other into my pc\usb adapter.  No status light on the mini director. I go into network settings and switch back to the regular speed, non-E network. Still no light on the mini director. I switched out the really long cat5 for a mostly long cat5 cable...no change. So then I pull out one of my old regular controller boxes, power it on, hook it up to my computer and run another cable from it to the mini-director, and voila! Status light.  So now I have to figure out how to update the firmware of the director without blowing up my old controller.

UPDATE 2: I can't figure out how to update the director through my old controller. Since it is a power issue to the mini director, I tried disconnecting the mini from the attached fm transmitter, but that didn't do anything.

UPDATE 3: So it looks like I might have to upgrade my usb adapter to one that also supplies power (and runs at extended speeds) which will cost me an additional $100. With that, hopefully I can connect to the mini director to update the firmware so that the mini director will be able to run extended speeds so it will be able to talk to the new pixie controller, to get the pixie controller to run the show. That takes me up to $800 to get this new little light tree working ($450 at the mad grab sale, $150 for shipping, $100 to upgrade to S5 Pro, +$100 for the new adapter). 😞  And I still don't know if I will be able to run it with my old light controllers at x-mas.  I'm going to have to go through and update the firmware on them all and try it out. Sorry, but this is very disheartening...going through all this just to add a little flashy, flashy to my neighborhood. 

Edited June 14, 2020 by Indigo
update

[k6ccc]

Yea, you need to supply power to the director from an attacked AC controller.  Updating the firmware on the director should have no effect on the controller that is providing power to the director.  Using a short cable between the power source and the director is reccomeded (as I recall, something like 25 feet or less).

 

[Indigo]

Thank you, Jim for your quick response!

In the HW utility, under "select unit to configure", only the AC Controller shows up. On the Firmware tab, the options are "Selected unit", "only one unit is connected", "mp3 player" and "wireless unit".

If I select "mp3 player", will it know to do the install on the mini, and NOT on the AC Controller?

 

[Indigo]

It's working!!! So, the answer to the above question is yes...if you select "mp3 player" it will figure out to update the director instead of the controller that is listed... yay!

So, the new pixie controller is connected to the old AC Controller (plugged in, but no lights attached), which is connected to the mini director. The mini director is controlling the new pixie controller, but is getting its power from the old AC Controller. 

For x-mas, I'm going to have to update the firmware on my two older AC Controllers, and update all of my sequences to run through the new S5 software, adding the new pixel tree. Very exciting! I see now why the first step in updating to the new S5 is "start in January"! 🙂 

[k6ccc]

Glad you got it.  I have never even seen a director, so I knew I could not give you any details.

 

[dibblejr]

On 6/14/2020 at 6:23 PM, Indigo said:

It's working!!! So, the answer to the above question is yes...if you select "mp3 player" it will figure out to update the director instead of the controller that is listed... yay!

So, the new pixie controller is connected to the old AC Controller (plugged in, but no lights attached), which is connected to the mini director. The mini director is controlling the new pixie controller, but is getting its power from the old AC Controller. 

For x-mas, I'm going to have to update the firmware on my two older AC Controllers, and update all of my sequences to run through the new S5 software, adding the new pixel tree. Very exciting! I see now why the first step in updating to the new S5 is "start in January"! 🙂 

If your older Ac controllers are not G3 you will need a second network to run the Pixie.

Just preparing you for that. If G1/G2 every one I have helped had to set up a new network.

That means you will need a red HS adapter for the pixie.

JR