Basic Cosmic Color Ribbon Questions

[khargy]

Hello I just stubled across the Cosmic Color Ribbon and light-o-rama today and it looks exactly like what I've been looking for!

I have a couple of basic questions:

1) what exactly do I need to run the CCR?

I need the CCD Kit - http://store.lightorama.com/cocori.html

I need the starter kit - http://store.lightorama.com/spk800.html

but I'm confused about whether I need http://lightorama.com/ShowtimePro.html

The typical setups show the Showtime Pro controller there as well.

http://lightorama.com/TypicalSetups.html#Simple_Controller_Configuration_with_Cosmic_Color_Ribbon

The starter kit comes w/ a basic version of the software and had 32 max channels, how many "channels" does the CCR need?

The "Ribbon to controller cable" is listed as 6 feet in the manual, what kind of cable is this and can it be extended?

2) Is is my understanding that you can get multiple CCR kits, daisy-chain them together and then the software can treat them as one long ribbon?

3) Is there any API for the software? Say I wanted to make a web page on the computer that is locally hooked up the the CCR is there anyway to do that or someother way to control the light programatically?

[Don]

1) You would not need the ShowTime Pro controller. Page 26 will show you that you can run with just the CCR (well, and software, etc.)

Don't know if the ribbon cable can be extended. I've not done any CCR installs, and can't recall from here on the forums if it's been done.

2) The software will treat them as controllers with channels. You can download the demo version of the software, and insert two CCR's into the sequence to see how they would look.

3) I am unaware of any LOR Supported API.

[khargy]

So if there's no API support, is there some kinda IR support? Basically after setting up the CCR and creating sequences and whatnot how do I activate them without going into the software?

[Don]

khargy wrote:

So if there's no API support, is there some kinda IR support? Basically after setting up the CCR and creating sequences and whatnot how do I activate them without going into the software?

Well, you're going to have to use the software to program the show, and to set the schedule. Without the schedule, none of the following would work.

To do the IR support, you'd need to get a controller and the CTB16 Input Connector
http://store.lightorama.com/ctinco3in.html

You'd then set up a show (using the software) to activate when triggered. The trigger would be hooked up to the Input Connector.

[khargy]

hmm, you lost me now so that CTB16 Input Connector plugs into the CR150D? And how does that help w/ IR?

thanks

[Don]

I stand corrected.

Check out page 28 of the CCR manual. That should do what you are wanting to do.

[khargy]

Ok, yea it's alittle vague exactly what you can do w/ the input switches. It sounds like you can make a normally open or normally closed button... but what can you program that switch to do? Can you make it step sequentually thought a series of programs?

It sounds like the CCR is kinda designed to be setup and then just left running. I planned on using more as like mood lighting for my basement. So typically it would be off or maybe some lights would be on pure white, but then with my IR remote I could change it to different colors and sequences and whatnot in real time.

Again I'm new to all this stuff, but it sounds like the CCR support the DMX standard? If I had a DMX controller output from the the computer instead of the standard LOR output, I would just need the XLR to cat5 adapter to be able to control the CCR via DMX?

[bob]

The starter kit comes w/ a basic version of the software and had 32 max channels, how many "channels" does the CCR need?

This is not entirely accurate. The Basic version of the software will control any channels that are on unit IDs 01 and 02. It doesn't matter how many channels that is. A single CCR can be set up with a single unit ID. I'm guessing that wherever you got that info from was assuming that (the very common) 16 channel controllers were being used.

Well, a caveat: Old CCRs may require a firmware update to support being addressed as a single unit ID, and old versions of the software may not be able to address them as such. But as long as you're using reasonably new software and firmware, you can.

[khargy]

On this page: http://store.lightorama.com/spk800.html it says the basic version "Max Channels" is 32, that's all I know!

[Alan C]

The "max 32 channels" is based round the standard LOR controllers, which are 16 channels each. With two IDs available, 01 and 02, this gives 32 channels. You could of course have one standard controller and one CCR, or two CCRs, in which case that gives more than 32 channels, but still only two IDs.

Regards,

Alan.

[LightORamaDan]

khargy wrote:

On this page: http://store.lightorama.com/spk800.html it says the basic version "Max Channels" is 32, that's all I know!

That should be updated... But as Bob mentioned it is controlled by Unit IDs...