Controllers with same ID?

[Guest guest]

Reality Check Needed before I DSS ("do something stupid")

Is there a requirement (or a reason) to have every controller with a unique ID?

For example, I have a 16-channel controller which will be handling the lights to the right of my sidewalk.

I have the exact same configuration of lights (and sequencing) for the left side of the sidewalk. If both controllers have the same ID I would expect each to respond to "their" commands, which means fewer channels to contend with in the Sequence Editor.

But before I commit to this scheme, I wanted to ask the big online "LOR brain" with the collective wisdom.

Thanks ... (he writes, in a panic, realizing that without a single sequence done installation of lights and 128 channels begins in two weeks)

[Guest guest]

DSS Check Complete.

Proceed as planned. (No reason why you can't.)

[Guest guest]

Hold off on that. The controllers should be set to a unique ID. This can easily be remedied in the sequence editor by copy and paste of the entire rows if you want 2 controllers to do the same thing. This will benefit you in several ways:

1. This is the way LOR designed the controllers to operate.

2. You will enable yourself a better troubleshooting ability if needed to track down a potential problem.

3. the controllers do "talk back" to the system, and this could cause problems for now and future abiltities of the controllers.

4. Firmware updates would be more difficult to manage.

5. If you should make any last minute changes that you want the ability to have the opposite sides to do something different, you would be able to still do this.

>> Bill

[Guest guest]

And what about that little "moment" when you want the channels to do something different?

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the responses.

Normally, I'd use unique IDs, but in the interest of time (with Thanksgiving looming) I'm taking any shortcuts I can without impacting the visual experience.

On the positive side, this prevents me from inadvertently making a change on one side of the sidewalk and forgetting to copy it to the other side.

I'd thought about the firmware upgrades ... but since I'm using nothing more exotic than C7 bulbs I'm not going to mess with the firmware as everything is working fine.

And in January when I *really* start working on my 2007 display I can be more thoughtful and detail focused.

Again, thanks for the replies.

[Guest guest]

wait why use another controller if the same thing is happing on the other side of the sidewalk. run some extension cords from the side that doesn't have a lor box to the side that does. this will free up 16ch to use some where else.

[Guest guest]

Rick,

My Reference for using a unique ID is page 9 of the CTB16D manual. If I were in your shoes here, I would handle it in the following way to avoid potential troubles. program the show just as you would assuming the same ID. when you are complete with your show, you can add the mirrored controller to the end of the list of controllers.

Remember this, the ID's in both the physical hardware and the sequence editor do NOT have to be in any particular order. Give the extra controller a unique ID, and add the 16 channels at the bottom (so it doesn't clutter your screen). To mirror the first controller is real easy, do the following in the sequence editor:

1. Choose the select box button (far left) and and with your mouse drag it down over the 16 channels in the FIRST time segment box for the controller you are wanting to mirror (you should see an outlined box at this time around the these segments when you release the mouse button).

2. Select the Edit drop down menu button, go to SELECT ROW(s). At this time it will select all of the information from these 16 channels, and the box will surround all this information.

3. Go back to the Edit drop down menu button again, Select COPY (not the copy timing). You now have the complete 16 channel's programming saved at this point.

4. Go to the last controller (the mirrored controller with the unique ID) and select the first timing box just as you did for the controller that you were mirroring, so that only the one square (top, left) is highlighted.

5. Go back to the Edit drop down menu button, and select PASTE. All the information will now be mirrored on to this controller.

Doing these steps will enable you to use the equipment properly, will allow you to have accurate information in the hardware list, firmware updates and such. If you choose to not do it this way, then if you have problems with your show, this would be the first thing I would suspect as the problem. Trust me, it's not worth it to have "potential problems" with electronics, they may seem to work at first, but then do weird things later, and in places that you don't expect them to.

>> Bill

[Guest guest]

I like you had a need to cut some time out of the slot for Halloween

I have 10 boards throughout the yard. I didn't want to set up a halloween sequence, as I was busy with other things.

I decided to use LORVIS and I set all 10 controllers to 1. I didn't have any issues at all.

It was beautiful display and I had almost 2 hours of synched lights because all I needed with LORVIS was a play list.

I had many compliments. I had over 200 little goblins come up and dance in the lights and the fog.

All my controllers were checked as seperate IDs to make sure they functioned right.

I then ran soem sequences I did with it, and again no issues at all.

did it cause any problems not at all, and it solved a need for me.

So in my opinion, what ever sails your boat.

As a side note I would do it in a heartbeat if needed