Select sequences not running, others are

[dnyoungcpa]

I am running 80 channels (4 x LOR-1602, 1 x LOR 1602MP3), sequence editor v2.3.8, controller firmware 2. This is our 6th year to run this system, and have never had issues in the past. This year, the show consists of 6 sequences, all installed / uploaded on the same card as I have used in the past, using LOR Hardware Utilitty to create the show.

I added 3 new sequences that I obtained from various sources online, just as I have all of the others I use, and then modified them to fit my channel configuration. Of the 3 new ones, one is running, but only playing 4 controllers, the other 2 do not run at all. I have verified the channel and controller configuration on the one that is partially running, and cannot find any issues there. For the 2 that don't run, I have re-formatted the MP3 file to ensure it is 128kbps constant, and verified all channel / controller issues. The other 3 sequences that I put on the card this year are sequences I built / modified in prior years, and they are running perfectly.

Any ideas why the sequences arent running at all, or what else I should check?

Thanks so much for any input!

[Caleb Linburg]

Is it a possibility that they did not fully convert backwards to that software version? I have LOR s3 if you want to send one of the non working ones to me I can let you know if it runs. Clinbu@gmail.com

Edited December 7, 2012 by Caleb Linburg

[TJ Hvasta]

Did you actually load the music file in it too? No music, wont run, skips the the next song.

[dnyoungcpa]

Caleb:

File sent via email - thanks for the offer.

TJ:

Yes - I verified the sequence and the music file were both on the SD card for each of the sequences in the show before i ever took the card out to the controller. On the second try, I made sure to save the sequences again using the newer MP3 file after I converted it to the 128constant format before I created the show file.

I have never had any issues like this - I would understand it skipping over the files if there was a problem with them, but that still doesn't explain it not running the 5th controller on one of the sequences, but running the other 4. And since the older sequences run all 5 controllers, I know it's not a hardware or cabling issue.

Thanks for the help!

[dstevens]

When you say that you verified the channel config, did you do that manually, or did you run the verifier? The verifier has found things that I missed with manual checks.

[dnyoungcpa]

dstevens:

I initially did it manually to ensure the right channel group had been imported, and that each line was properly configured to a controller / channel.

I just ran the verifier, and it picked up 2 channel completely off warnings on a sequence that is not in this year's show list - no other messages at all.

Not sure how the verifier knows where all of my sequence files are, since I use 2 different folders to keep them in (I actually have 2 displays - the 80 channel and a 64 channel that have thier own sequences due to the channel differences), but the messages relate to a sequence that is in the same folder as the ones I am having issues with. I also went back to ensure that I had the right channel configuration in the sequences that are problems.

[TJ Hvasta]

What is your lic level? Are you certain you have a level that allows more than 4 controllers? Secondly, use the HU and go to each controller specifically, individually, grammatically.. to verify that each controller has a unique unit #. I'm better #5 and higher are actually numbered something else.

[dnyoungcpa]

TJ:

License level is standard, so it covers 8 controllers, I think. Every year as part of the setup / checking procedure prior to inserting the SD show card, I use the HU to test each controller individually, plus I have three sequences in the show that are running all 5 controllers as they should, and have every year in the past. The problem is only with the three new sequences I added this year.

BTW with the summer we have had here the last 2 years, I think the surface of the sun (as noted in your avatar) is actually here in Oklahoma - or at least a few solar flares have hit us.

Thanks again for continuing to follow this and offer suggestions - hopefully we will get it figured out.

[TJ Hvasta]

The problem is only with the three new sequences I added this year.

Then it is most definitely a unit/channel assignment problem. Open one of your known good sequences, export the Channel Config file, save it. Open the NEW sequences, IMPORT your channel config file. test. is it working?

[dstevens]

I think TJ is on the right track here. Has to be something in those 3 sequences.

[Dennis Cherry]

Are the ID's sequencial?

Must be for the Standard Version 1..8

[dnyoungcpa]

Dennis:

Unit id's are sequential 1-5.

TJ:

I will try importing the channel config again - I did that initially when modifying the files from the original author. It will be Monday night before I can do this but will let you know. I think the channel config was correct because it looked correct when running the Sequnce Editor animations but it is worth a try! I also sent the file to Caleb and it ran on his system - but he opened it using S3 first.

If the original files were written using S3, and I modified them using S2, could that be a problem? Don't know that that is what was used by the original author, but is it a possibility. What about the controller firmware being v2?

[Max-Paul]

Also it is known to still happen in this day and age that the transfer of files has had a hicup happen. Just wondering if those files might have had a hicup happen to them. Can you access the site or person and do another download of the files? Heck even LOR servers have been known to spit out a file that got messed up during the transfer. But second download has usually worked for a few that have had problems.

[dnyoungcpa]

OK - found the problem to the sequence that was only running 4 of the 5 controllers - I blame the idiot my wife is married to for that one (channels don't do anything if there are no commands on that channel!).

However, I still have the issue with the sequences that get skipped entirely. I sent the file to Caleb above, and he converted it to S3, and it ran with no problems. He went the S3 file back to me, and when I opened it in the S2.3.8 editor, I did get a message saying that it may contain some functions not supported by my version. I'm betting that is the issue with all 3 of the new sequences, but am still not totally convinced. Guess I will bite the bullet and buy the newer S3 software to see if in fact that is the problem - but it doesn't totally make sense to me - it runs the sequences just fine on the S2 animation, but will not run on the actual controllers. Could the problem actually be the firmware version of the controllers, or is it actually with the "confused" information in the sequences since they were converted backwards??

Thanks to all of you that have responded with suggestions! This is definitely a great community to be a part of!

[dnyoungcpa]

I think I may have found the problem with the sequences that weren't running - prior to taking the controllers to the field, for giggles, i updated the firmware on the controllers and MP3 player.

Put last year's card in - no changes to it at all, other than a layer of dust from sitting all summer - and viola!  ALL sequences run.

 

Must have been the firmware on the MP3 - it just didn't like the newer version sequences, even tho they had been saved down to S2.

 

Thanks again to everyone last year for your suggestions - hopefully this year all will go as planned.