iDMX won't output data

[bisquit476]

Ok, a little background. iDMX bought at the summer sale, just trying it this week for the first time. Open the HU, scanned, found the iDMX as I set it, unit A0 + . The status light stopped blinking, just like it should. The light on the DMX side still flashes, like it should. But there is no output on the DMX side (I'm using one of the Lynx Express V5 controllers, with a data LED, which is unlit, meaning there is no DMX output from the iDMX) I verified the controller is working. I reset the iDMX about 5 times total. I changed the unit ID a couple of times. I changed the polarity switch 2 or 3 times. I'm using a USB485B converter. The iDMX output adapter is from LOR, it plugs direct into the controller. I have a terminating jumper on the LE. I tried using the console, ran a sequence, nothing works on the DMX side. So folks, what haven't I tried or though of yet? Thanks for any help,

Bill

[LightORamaDan]

bisquit476 wrote:

Ok, a little background. iDMX bought at the summer sale, just trying it this week for the first time. Open the HU, scanned, found the iDMX as I set it, unit A0 + . The status light stopped blinking, just like it should. The light on the DMX side still flashes, like it should. But there is no output on the DMX side (I'm using one of the Lynx Express V5 controllers, with a data LED, which is unlit, meaning there is no DMX output from the iDMX) I verified the controller is working. I reset the iDMX about 5 times total. I changed the unit ID a couple of times. I changed the polarity switch 2 or 3 times. I'm using a USB485B converter. The iDMX output adapter is from LOR, it plugs direct into the controller. I have a terminating jumper on the LE. I tried using the console, ran a sequence, nothing works on the DMX side. So folks, what haven't I tried or though of yet? Thanks for any help,

Bill

I would guess that you have double checked the wiring for the XLR-RJ45 adapter. That is one place that could cause an issue.

Although it would not make a difference, If I just started out with an iDMX I would not run in in legacy mode (last digit of unit id is "0") I would run it in regular mode so that you can get all 512 DMX addresses and use a single Unit ID. The way to do that is to not use "0" as the last digit of the Unit ID. "11" and "12" ... are regular mode, "10", "20".... are legacy mode.

Dan

[bisquit476]

Thanks Dan,

I'll try that regular mode, now that I have it working.

I didn't realize the cross over cable had to be inserted in the line between the iDMX output and the Express input. I thought DMX output would be DMX output, but the adapter is still needed to cross over from LOR to Lynx. It's working now. Thanks again,

Bill

[jeffl]

I just want to ask this so I'm clear as I'm going to start playing with my iDMX unit. If I set the unit ID to say 41 I will have access to all 512 channels correct?

I figure if I set it to 41 it's higher than the other 34 or so LOR controllers on my network.

Anything but a value ending in "0".

Thanks Jeff

[LightORamaDan]

jeffl wrote:

I just want to ask this so I'm clear as I'm going to start playing with my iDMX unit. If I set the unit ID to say 41 I will have access to all 512 channels correct?

I figure if I set it to 41 it's higher than the other 34 or so LOR controllers on my network.

Anything but a value ending in "0".

Thanks Jeff

That is correct.

If you set the unit ID to "41" then the iDMX uses that one Unit ID (41) and has 512 channels associated with that unit ID... 41.1, 41.2 .... 41.511, 41.512

If you set the unit ID to "40" then the iDMX goes into "Legacy Mode" and uses 16 Unit IDs (40 thru 4F) and it has 16 channels assocated with each Unit ID, (40.1 ... 41.16), (41.1 ... 41.16) ... (4F.1...4F.16) for a total of 256 channels.

Dan

[jeffl]

Perfect. Thanks for the explanation. Even though I struggle with hex.

[LightORamaDan]

jeffl wrote:

Perfect. Thanks for the explanation. Even though I struggle with hex.

Hex really doesn't belong in anything used by normal humans!

[Steven]

LightORamaDan wrote:

Hex really doesn't belong in anything used by normal humans!

That sounds like new math! ...as Tom Lehrer sung about it.

[z327]

How are you setting the ID to 41?

Are you using the programming buttons on the LE to set the 3 LED Displays to 041, 041, etc....?

I have set up multiple LOR controllers daisy chained CAT5 to an iDMX to one LE and then daisy chained multiple LEs from the first LE. The LE's have their unit IDs set as 001, 002, etc.... on the unit's LED display.

Using the LOR hardware utility I search the network and it finds E0, E1, E2...EF

If I select E0 I can control the outputs on the first LE. But I have selected E1, E2..... and can never get the subsequent LEs to talk to the LOR hardware utility.

LightORamaDan wrote:

jeffl wrote:

I just want to ask this so I'm clear as I'm going to start playing with my iDMX unit. If I set the unit ID to say 41 I will have access to all 512 channels correct?

I figure if I set it to 41 it's higher than the other 34 or so LOR controllers on my network.

Anything but a value ending in "0".

Thanks Jeff

That is correct.

If you set the unit ID to "41" then the iDMX uses that one Unit ID (41) and has 512 channels associated with that unit ID... 41.1, 41.2 .... 41.511, 41.512

If you set the unit ID to "40" then the iDMX goes into "Legacy Mode" and uses 16 Unit IDs (40 thru 4F) and it has 16 channels assocated with each Unit ID, (40.1 ... 41.16), (41.1 ... 41.16) ... (4F.1...4F.16) for a total of 256 channels.

Dan

[basis21b]

z327 wrote:

How are you setting the ID to 41?

Are you using the programming buttons on the LE to set the 3 LED Displays to 041, 041, etc....?

I have set up multiple LOR controllers daisy chained CAT5 to an iDMX to one LE and then daisy chained multiple LEs from the first LE. The LE's have their unit IDs set as 001, 002, etc.... on the unit's LED display.

Using the LOR hardware utility I search the network and it finds E0, E1, E2...EF

If I select E0 I can control the outputs on the first LE. But I have selected E1, E2..... and can never get the subsequent LEs to talk to the LOR hardware utility

You need to set your second LE to 017 if you want it controlled by E1. The E0 unit is controlling DMX channels 1-16. The E1 Unit is controlling DMX channels 17-32 etc. Your LE unit ids are assigned by a beginning DMX channel number and they consume 16 DMX channels. So if you have three LE devices you would want to address them as 001, 017, 033 or some combination where there were gaps of 16. Otherwise they will overlap.

Hope this makes sense.

[bisquit476]

z327 wrote:

How are you setting the ID to 41?

In the Hardware utility, under LOR Control, on the upper right hand side, change the Max Unit ID to at least "E0", then on the bottom left hand side is a box marked "Change Existing ID". In the Old Unit ID, input your iDMX start address (default is E0), and in the New Unit ID, input the channel you want for your start address for the iDMX (in this example "41"), then click the change ID box and the iDMX will then be set to channel "41" for it's start channel. Then the first LE would be set 001 as start channel, LE #2 would be start channel 017, etc. Then go in the LOR test console, select in the controller type "iDMX1000- DMX", in the channel mode, select "Extended Circuit ID's", and then in the select channel group, if you move the slider the start channels change, but they will all be a variation of the iDMX start channel, i.e.. 41.001, 41.017, 41.033, etc. Hope this makes sense.