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DMX issues with iDMx with addresses around ch 481 ish

tpctech

By tpctech
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tpctech Member

tpctech

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I am using almost a full universe this year with a iDMX. I have several posts on my porch each with 4 colors. I was getting some strange blinking, flashing and irratic control on the last 2 posts. These start at address 481. It looked like a DMX data issue. I use DMX professionally all of the time (I am a field service tech for ETC lighting) I checked out all of my dimmers etc with my Gizmo and all works well until it is controlled by the iDMX. If I monitor the output of the iDMx with the Gizmo I see the same irratic data around address 481 and I have a dimmer that sometimes does not fire at address at address 465. All of these work fine if controlled by the Gizmo and not the iDMX. Just to be sure I checked the DMX line with a O Scope and the waveform looks fine etc. Any Thoughts? Being my show is now running I un-plugged the "bad" circuits and was considering adding an additional universe of DMX with USB adapter just for these channels to get me through the next 4 weeks!

PS firmware was 1.4 and i reflashed just to be sure....no change in operation.

KEN

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Ken Benedict Member

Ken Benedict

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Insert a DMX distro starting upstream of the problem area. Good distros will rebuild the signal.

Move it more upstream to see if 481/485 is more solid.

I've had good luck in my theatre with http://www.dfd.com/123-data.html

BTW; been very happy with my ETC Element 60-500 console. Pass the word.

Also consider an isolation amp like http://www.dfd.com/121.html

Keep us posted.

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tpctech Member

tpctech

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Thanks!

I actually see the irractic data comimg right out of the iDMX before it gets to my distribution. After I reboot the iDMX it is stable for a few minutes then the flicker come back.

As far as DMX distribution I come out of the iDMX and hit a 4 port Pathway opto splitter before all of the lines head out to the yard! It is just the right way to do it as you said!

KEN

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JonB256 Member

JonB256

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Any chance you have a termination resistor on the last device in the universe? (120 ohm resistor)

You may be getting reflected noise, particularly if your 481 channel is physically near the end of the CAT5 run.

If possible, try changing the CAT5 route to see if the problem moves.

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tpctech Member

tpctech

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Dennis Cherry wrote:

Curious, what comm speed are you running into the IDMX-1000?

Short, Long, or Normal (Recommended).


I did not change from the default. I will check to see if that is option with the iDMX.

The LOR loop before the iDMX is pretty short like 20ft. I am going to try a different iDMX box tonight!!



KEN
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tpctech Member

tpctech

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JonB256 wrote:

Any chance you have a termination resistor on the last device in the universe? (120 ohm resistor)

You may be getting reflected noise, particularly if your 481 channel is physically near the end of the CAT5 run.

If possible, try changing the CAT5 route to see if the problem moves.


I thought about that and have changed the wiring around which brought me back to seeing the issue with 4ft cable right out of the iDMX. I am going to try another iDMX box tonight. It may just be a bad interface!

Thanks

KEN
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tpctech Member

tpctech

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Ok,

So I had more time to troubleshoot this. Tried another iDMX same issues. Wrote a new animation seq with 2 channels one on E1-479 one on E1-481 the channel in 479 works the channel in 481 comes on once and stays on or flickers......



Test setup:

iDMX with lastest firmware and LOR 3.0.2 advanced on 32 bit W7 machine my show machine where the issue showed up is a XP box.

KEN

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tpctech Member

tpctech

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More testing....

Updated LOR to 3.1.4 no changes problem still exists. Tried using a LOR USB to RS485 as a raw DMX device. DMX address at 481 etc is fine!!

now to try a the USB - RS485 converter into iDMX instead of the serial RS-485 adapter



KEN

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  • 1 year later...
LightguyGreg Member

LightguyGreg

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Hey guys-

 

This may be a very dumb question. I myself also have a ETC Element 60/500 at the college I work at- and just bought the idmx box to hopefully interface some of the dumb and smart pixel devices for our upcoming production of Young Frankenstein.  

 

Any advice on getting it setup/hooked up to the console would be great. 

 

Do I need to do anything special or can I just daisy it off of a moving light in the rig for signal?

 

As for power to the box I will probably hookup one of my 16 channel controllers for some of the special effects in the show. 

 

Look forward to any advice you can give.

 

Thanks!

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bisquit476 Member

bisquit476

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I must have slept thru the memo, when did  the idmx1000 start working above 256?

 

about 2 years ago, yep, you slept thru the memo. BTW, the directors can play a sequence longer than 10 minutes now too.

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plasmadrive Member

plasmadrive

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I don't have a director but I was reading the Idmx spec sheet and it still says 256 with 512 in the future.  I think LOR slept thru that one too!   LOL

 

I just looked and their users manual on line is from 2007.  No mention anywhere about using 512 channels now.

Edited by plasmadrive
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Ken Benedict Member

Ken Benedict

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I don't have a director but I was reading the Idmx spec sheet and it still says 256 with 512 in the future.  I think LOR slept thru that one too!   LOL

 

I just looked and their users manual on line is from 2007.  No mention anywhere about using 512 channels now.

 

Here's the official response: http://forums.lightorama.com/index.php?/topic/27477-idmx-1000-mp3-showtime-director/?p=258940

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Ken Benedict Member

Ken Benedict

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Hey guys-

 

This may be a very dumb question. I myself also have a ETC Element 60/500 at the college I work at- and just bought the idmx box to hopefully interface some of the dumb and smart pixel devices for our upcoming production of Young Frankenstein.  

 

Any advice on getting it setup/hooked up to the console would be great. 

 

Do I need to do anything special or can I just daisy it off of a moving light in the rig for signal?

 

As for power to the box I will probably hookup one of my 16 channel controllers for some of the special effects in the show. 

 

Look forward to any advice you can give.

 

Thanks!

 

As long as your interface to the strips can handle DMX, just treat it as another address in line with the others.

A dumb strip will use only 3 DMX channels, but a smart strip can use an entire universe or more. So check the specs.

You will not need an iDMX-1000 to make this happen.

 

The LOR 16 channel controller can be run with DMX by using a special cable or you can make your own.

What you will not get is Twinkles and Shimmers. DMX will do it's best, but won't perform as well as on a LOR network.

The LOR controllers have embedded firmware for those effects.

It will still be a 16 channel controller and you can set the starting address as outlined in the manual.

 

And the ETC Element console will do a fine job of driving it, especially with the built-in effects.

Hit the Effects button twice to see them.

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plasmadrive Member

plasmadrive

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Thanks Ken.  I did a search and came up with nothing about this.  Seems the search engine on the forums is not the best.

 

BTW, bisquit, that was August of this year, not two years ago.  I didn't think I was asleep that long!   LOL

 
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Ken Benedict Member

Ken Benedict

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As you found out, the LOR Forum's search isn't very good.

 

Here's a much better way to search these forums: http://forums.lightorama.com/index.php?/topic/27670-for-the-new-folks/?p=260440

 

and: http://forums.lightorama.com/index.php?/topic/27290-how-do-you-make-a-lor-controlled-water-fountain-display/?p=257157

 

 

And when you search Ray Wu's website: http://forums.lightorama.com/index.php?/topic/27600-dmx-to-ws2811-convertors-that-dont-work/?p=259915

 

can't use Dogpile for Ray Wu, but his search engine doesn't cut you any slack.

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bisquit476 Member

bisquit476

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BTW, bisquit, that was August of this year, not two years ago.  I didn't think I was asleep that long!   LOL

 

 

 

Actually I was wrong, version 2.7.4, which included the updated firmware for the iDMX came out about 3 years ago (©2010 Light-O-Rama, Inc.), at least that's the date it says on the front page of the help file. Sorry

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plasmadrive Member

plasmadrive

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THREE YEARS AGO?  Something ain't right about that.. I couldn't have been asleeep all that time.. I don't feel rested..

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