Multiple Controllers

[gayw90]

I have a CTB16PC and a Pixie16 (v1.04).  I have been trying to get them to play together and have been running into some difficulties.

At first, I tried to connect them together.  The Pixie16 is units 1-10, and the CTB16PC was unit 20.  Using the hardware utility, all was good, and I could control lights on either one.

I ran into problems when I tried to use them both in a sequence.  The Pixie16 requires an enhanced network, which does not work with the CTB16PC.

OK, so I put them on different networks.  The Pixie16 is on COM4, the CTB16PC on COM3.  Using the hardware utility, I can control either one again.

The Pixie16 is set up at 500K, Enhanced Regular network.  The CTB16PC on COM3 is just simply 56K.  I set it up as Aux A in the Network Utility.

I created a sequence that uses both controllers, and assigned the CTB16PC to Aux A in the sequence, the Pixie16 to the Regular network.

So my problem seems to be when I try to play the sequence with both controllers.  I noticed in the status console there is an error

Comm Listener error 3: Comm Winsock Error / 10053: Connection is aborted due to timeout or other failure
 

The last piece of information is the LOR software is running on Win2012 R2, since I have my server on all the time.

Is there something I have configured wrong, is this a software bug, or is my configuration just incompatible?  Any insight would be very helpful!  TIA!

[k6ccc]

1 hour ago, gayw90 said:

The last piece of information is the LOR software is running on Win2012 R2, since I have my server on all the time.

Hey, someone else running their show on a server.  I run my year round landscape lighting show on my server - also running Windows server 2012 R2.  The landscaping show also uses two LOR networks with one Enhanced and one non-enhanced.  There is also E1.31.  I do have a dedicated show computer for Christmas.

 

1 hour ago, gayw90 said:

So my problem seems to be when I try to play the sequence with both controllers.  I noticed in the status console there is an error

Comm Listener error 3: Comm Winsock Error / 10053: Connection is aborted due to timeout or other failure

By chance do you still have the Hardware Utility open?  Only one program can access the comm port at the same time.  Also confirm that both USB adapters are plugged into the computer.

 

[gayw90]

So after a certain amount of diagnosing the issue, this seems like there must be a software bug (5.3.10)

I have the Pixie16 on COM4, units 1-10 on the Regular network.  The CTB16PC on COM3, unit 20, on the Aux A network.  The Hardware Utility is able to tell the Comm Listener to shut down COM4 when I want to connect to that controller.  If I tell if to connect to COM3, it cannot shut it down, because it says the port is in use.  OK.

I then go and disable shows.  Go back into the Hardware Utility, it shuts down COM4 when I want to check out the Pixie16.  I can select COM3, and it will successfully connect and control the CTB16PC.

Leaving shows disabled, go into the Sequencer, verified that I have effects set up for the CTB16PC, verifying that the Unit and network are correct.  Play the sequence, and the Pixie16 does its thing, as expected, but nothing on the CTB16PC.

As a last sanity check, I enable the schedule.  Go into the Sequencer and open my sequence that uses both controllers.  Oops, "Unable to connect to Aux A on COM3.  Make sure shows are disabled and the Hardware Utility is closed."  Check.  No Hardware Utility.

Last sanity check.  Show on Demand.  Pick the show.  Still nothing on the CTB16PC.

As a guy who has done software for over 40 years, and has written device drivers and other software, I'm pretty sure I have configured everything correctly.  Frustrating.  Maybe I should try to uninstall and go back to 5.2.2, although I am not sure that will do any better.