USB485B ELL power issues

[dbaxter21073]

Have a USB485B & ELL and from every thing I have read the USB485B will power the ELL without any other controller. Mine is not working that way. Have the USB connected to the PC to the USB485B and then to the ELL. Nothing happens. If I plug a controller into the second RJ45 of the USB485B, everything powers up.

Configuration I want: PC to USB485B to ELL.

Making the leap of faith that since the USB485 will control the CT-08 that is pulled in, that my device drivers and such are working. I tried this on my backup machine as well and the same results happend where the USB48B is not powering the ELL.

Is this an issue with USB485B, the ELL, or possible configuration issues? I tried another ELL and the same results happened - nothing. So I am down to the USB485B a potential issue (I am using the usb cable that came with it - has the two bullets at either end)

Anyone have any thoughts on what I can try next?

[Guest guest]

This could be your issue, but I can't say for sure. I copied this directly from the ELL Manual:

Important Notes

Transceivers do not automatically detect the network speed.

If you change the RS485 network speed of a transceiver using the Hardware Utility, you must also do this in the Sequence Editor and/or Show Player. If the PC’s or MP3 Director’s network speed does not match the transceiver’s, the transceiver will not recognize and therefore not transmit LOR commands.

============================================================

So I'm sort of thinking maybe your network speeds got changed somehow and/or either need to be set up or re-established so they all match, then hopefully your ELL will work as intended.


Also, is the cat5 going from the USB485B 25 foot or less? That's one of the other issues that could cause you problems if the cat5 cable is too long. That is also covered in the ELL manual.

Taken direct from ELL Manual:

[align=left]1. The cable between the transceiver and the controller or adapter must be 25’ or less. The transceiver is powered by the controller(s) or an LOR USB485B adapter. A long cable causes excessive voltage drop resulting in transceiver failure.[/align]
============================================================


Good Luck.

[-klb-]

1) how long is the cat 5 cable? I think the limit is either 50 or 25 feet.
2) this is a USB-485B (about 2 inches square, uses full size USB connector?)
3) this is plugged directly into a PC or powered hub? An unpowered hub, or some laptop ports may not provide enough power to run the ELL.

[dbaxter21073]

1) how long is the cat 5 cable? - The CAT 5 from the USB485B is teh 6 foot green cable that came with the ELL.

2) this is a USB-485B (about 2 inches square, uses full size USB connector?) YES it is and it is labeled USB485B with voltage boost.

3) this is plugged directly into a PC or powered hub? This is plugged directly into the PC. No HUB.

In the Hardware Utility - in getting the configuration - the message comes up - No unit found. And this is at any speed selected.

[Guest guest]

Just copied this from the ELL manual about power considerations:

Power Considerations


1. Any LOR controller can power the RF-V4 as a receiver.


2. Any two LOR controllers can power the RFV4 as a transmitter. Remember to limit the maximum total length of Cat5 cable between the two nearest controllers and the RF-V4 to 25’.


3. A single CTB16DV3 or later based controller can power the RF-V4 as a transmitter. ( V3 = version 3, see the silk-screening on the circuit board to the right of the transformer)

======================================================

#2 above however does puzzle me, if it states ANY TWO LOR Controllers can power the RFV4 {which is the ELL) as a transmitter, then does this also mean to be able to transmit from the USB485B WOULD REQUIRE at least ONE CONTROLLER and the ELL to be connected to the USB485B dongle as well?

As this appears to be what is happening in your explaination above, you connect the ELL to the USB485B and get nothing, but when you connect the LOR Controller into the USB485, now the ELL is working properly.

So it's appearing to me, from the above info taken directly from the ELL manual, that an ELL WILL NOT WORK as a Transmitter WITHOUT at least TWO Controllers connected, so I'm thinking that would also require at least ONE Controller connected to the USB485 to give enough power to power the ELL as a transmitter. Which seems to defeat the purpose of a single ELL that is connected to an USB485B to power it up as a transmitter and run your show.

I'm hoping the LOR Folks can chime in here on this, as the way I'm reading it, you can't use a single ELL as a transmitter without at least 1 controller connected to the USB485B dongle from the #2 information. Although there is no mention of the USB485B dongle in the power considerations here, but I think this does need to be clarified a bit better in this part of the ELL manual.


EDIT: Okay I just noticed that if using the newer V3 controllers, only 1 is required to get the ELL to transmit. But if using OLDER controllers, V1/V2 seems you need 2. Still doesn't really cover the USB485B dongle power output though for a single ELL, but I guess it should work since the USB485B dongle does power the DC-MP3 Showtime Director, which if using external power requires a 12VDC wal-wart.

Anyone know what the exact power output {DC voltage} is on the Cat5 side of the USB485B dongle? I don't seem to recall seeing that info anywhere, but could have missed it.

[-klb-]

From the information confirmed, this should work. The USB-485B puts out more accessory power than the controllers.

Besides, even if it did take more power than available to transmit, it should still power up for receive with just the one supply.

I use an ELL for traffic both ways one night each year and have just the usb485b, a 25 foot cable, and the ELL as the entire connected string. No issues yet.

Possibly a bad cable, bad input jack on the ELL, or bad voltage boost on the us 485b.

[dbaxter21073]

Thank you for the information. I get the ELLs to work only if I do PC->USB485B->ELL/->Controller to ELL->Controller. If I unplug the Controller from the USB485B, the ELL on the PC side stops working. It is just re-enforcing my thought that it is is USB485B that is not working.

[LightORamaJohn]

dhbaxter wrote:

Thank you for the information. I get the ELLs to work only if I do PC->USB485B->ELL/->Controller to ELL->Controller. If I unplug the Controller from the USB485B, the ELL on the PC side stops working. It is just re-enforcing my thought that it is is USB485B that is not working.

If you connect the USB485B to the PC and to the ELL, LED1 on the ELL should flash about once/second. It does not matter whether any LOR software is running. If this is not happening, then it is likely that the USB485B's accessory power supply is bad and the USB485B will have to be replaced.

[Guest guest]

LightORamaJohn wrote:

dhbaxter wrote:

Thank you for the information. I get the ELLs to work only if I do PC->USB485B->ELL/->Controller to ELL->Controller. If I unplug the Controller from the USB485B, the ELL on the PC side stops working. It is just re-enforcing my thought that it is is USB485B that is not working.

If you connect the USB485B to the PC and to the ELL, LED1 on the ELL should flash about once/second. It does not matter whether any LOR software is running. If this is not happening, then it is likely that the USB485B's accessory power supply is bad and the USB485B will have to be replaced.

This is one of the reasons I think USB485B's *SHOULD* have some type of power output indicator LED on it so you know it's actually working, as it is, there are no indications to let you know the extra power output is functional until you plug something in, and even then, you can't be sure.

So it'd sure be nice if the USB485B had some type of LED power output inidicator showing that the output power is, in fact, working.

I think that could help cut down on a lot of guesswork when trying to figure out why something isn't working correctly when connected to it, especially when other items connected to it ARE working.

[Steven]

Orville wrote:

This is one of the reasons I think USB485B's *SHOULD* have some type of power output indicator LED on it so you know it's actually working,

It wouldn't be that difficult to wire one yourself. If you're only using one of the RJ45 sockets, you could even wire a light without taking the USB-485B apart.

If it's really important, and you don't want to void the warranty, then get a USB485-ISO. It has a power light.