Controller Numbering

[BillB]

Probably a very simple question from a newbie who hopes to be up and running by 2014.

 

I understand that controller numbers start with 1 and go up. My question is - do numbers have to be assigned consecutively, or can some numbers be skipped. That is, can you have controllers 1, 2 and 4 connected without 3? Is there a penalty to be paid by skipping numbers?

 

Also, when planning a sequence, do all controllers and channels have to be defined in each sequence or can unused ones be deleted from the sequence even if they are still physically connected?

 

Thanks.

[Don]

Probably a very simple question from a newbie who hopes to be up and running by 2014.

 

I understand that controller numbers start with 1 and go up. My question is - do numbers have to be assigned consecutively, or can some numbers be skipped. That is, can you have controllers 1, 2 and 4 connected without 3? Is there a penalty to be paid by skipping numbers?

 

Also, when planning a sequence, do all controllers and channels have to be defined in each sequence or can unused ones be deleted from the sequence even if they are still physically connected?

 

Thanks.

 

Hi Bill,

 

Controllers can be connected in any order you want. You can also use any controller number you wish. No penalties for skipping around.

 

You do not have to have unused channels in a sequence, they can be removed. If it's me, though, I would recommend not removing them, and at the very least, drag them to the bottom of the sequence.

[Orville]

Skipping controller ID #'s is no problem,  Deleting unused channels from a sequence isn't a problem, but I don't do it.

 

My current controller in use is #5 for my off lighting {outdoor off season outdoor lighting), nor all all channels utilized, yet it is also still connected to two other controllers 1 and 3, which aren't used at this time, I also have two controllers 2 and 4 that are not used until time for the display to go up, they are sitting inside my house completely disconnected.   As display setup gets closer, then all my controllers are connected as 1,3,5,2 and 4, doesn't matter how they are connected.  

 

As for my sequences I use tracks, so any unused channels go into the track that I keep at the very bottom of my sequences, which I label as "Unused/Open Channels", this way if I discover something new I want to add into my display, I'll sequence the new item in the Unused/Open Channels track and then move that channel into the track for that type of element and location.

 

For example, my wireframes may be in Track 3, I find a new wireframe to add to my display, I decide which controller and channel I'm going to connect the new item too, sequence it in the Unused/Open Channels track on the controller/channel I'm going to assign it to, then once sequenced, I move it to the very bottom of Track 3 being a wireframe.

 

If you use this method and save your channel config, always add any new items to the bottom of an existing track, and then reExport your channel config file with the change.  This way when you import it into another existing sequence, your previous channels in the sequence will not be shifted, which could create some issues, because it will mess up your display.  If at the bottom, it will jsut add the new channel info and sequence commands there, leaving everything above it intact just as it was originally.

 

Te only pitfall is, you will have to re-Import this new channel config into all your existing sequences to add the new channel/item into the existing sequence and will also need to be sequenced in to every sequence where you want the item to be used.   And providing you saved the new channel config, any new sequences you create with that channel config file will also have that item inserted into the sequence, then just sequence as usual.

 

Hope this may help.   Any questions feel free to PM me and I'll try to go into any further details you may want to know.

 

.

[TitusCarnathan]

You can skip any number you want, but I would not go too high of a number  with wasted numbers. In the hardware utility there is a max number of controllers setting. The higher the setting the longer it takes for HU to scan all the controllers in the network. 1 2 4 is fine.

 

Also there is no required order on how you connect your controllers. I have mine mixed up and it runs fine.

Edited January 26, 2013 by TitusCarnathan

[Ken Benedict]

Also the numbering is hexadecimal; it goes from 9 to A to B to C to D to E to F to 10 to 11, etc.

 

Might be somewhat confusing at first, but something to be aware of.

[BillB]

Thanks everyone. Just what I needed.

[Shubb]

This brings up a question.

 

Some versions of the software are only good for a certain number of controllers.

(2,4 and 8)

 

If you only have Basic Plus Software (good for 4 controllers) can they still be any Unit ID or does the software only output up to controller #4?

 

Depending on the software of the OP this might make a big difference.

 

Scott

[Don]

This brings up a question.

 

Some versions of the software are only good for a certain number of controllers.

(2,4 and 8)

 

If you only have Basic Plus Software (good for 4 controllers) can they still be any Unit ID or does the software only output up to controller #4?

 

Depending on the software of the OP this might make a big difference.

 

Scott

 

Good point, Scott.

 

That would be correct. If you have Basic Plus you could only have controllers numbered 01, 02, 03 and 04. (Of course, they could still be connected in any order.)