5000 commands

[DragonWire]

To NOT call a tech and bother them w/ TOTAL NOOB questions I'll ask this

here.

 

Excuse me for the length; I am trying to get all my starting questions out

in one post.

CMB16-QC DMX  

I need to know what exactly 5000 commands means. Like for instance. With the

editor set at 1/10 sec intervals, I set Channel 1 "ON"  then

lets say 3 min later "ON" then "FILL IN" so my lights turn

ON stay ON for 3 min then turn off. Is this 2 commands ON then OFF or is there

a command for every 1/10 sec which doesn't seem right. You'd burn up 5000

really fast. And the fade up, fade downs, twinkles, etc..

I want to build a fairly complicated sequence, how can I judge how many commands

I am using?

Looking around at the Sequence Editor I haven’t found a counter,  is

there one?

I'd like a sequence that lasts about 4to5 min or so. Then all off for like

15 min then start over. So I was thinking a 20 min sequence were after 5 min

all channels are off. How do I have it replay over and over till I shut power

down? 

Last question for now is. Can this unit and art project, be hooked up to my computer

while I am building the Sequence in the S. Editor. Then periodically, run it,

and see what’s happening. So I can then stop it and make adjustment. The Manual

was a little confusing on the issue, I think it said I can do this. Then when I

like it, download sequence to the unit, disconnect it from computer, and take

it out in the world to show it off.

I'm sure more questions to come . I am really excited to start learning the

program and expanding in the future.

My Art project if anyone is curious... Is a 3 foot long copper wire Dragon,

LED lights in and around it, including about 240 1.8 mm reds chasing for the

fire. For most of the circuits this unit will be used to just turn on and off.

Those circuits use their own mini controllers w/ either Pos power transformers

or Mosfets to power up. All set to V- triggers some using mini relays to do so.

I also have a few circuits that will be directly controlled by this unit. There

is some common +5V supplies that several circuits use for lights and +12V

supplies for controllers. All powered from a 360w Earthwatt CPU  I converted to a bench power supply.

 

Many hand built fade up and downs, using 555s, resisters, tiny transformers, and capacitors.

And about 10 kits I built doing all kinds of different things inside and out of

the Dragon. I’ve tested each circuit and all is working great.

 

[Shubb]

Those are actually pretty good questions for a newbie. I'm assuming you are using an animation sequence loaded into the controller.

Although I have never used the "stand alone" feature I'll take a stab at a few and if I'm wrong hopefully someone can correct me.

If not using stand alone these answer's may not apply.

 

 

To NOT call a tech and bother them w/ TOTAL NOOB questions I'll ask this
here.

 

Excuse me for the length; I am trying to get all my starting questions out

in one post.

CMB16-QC DMX  

I need to know what exactly 5000 commands means. Like for instance. With the
editor set at 1/10 sec intervals, I set Channel 1 "ON"  then
lets say 3 min later "ON" then "FILL IN" so my lights turn
ON stay ON for 3 min then turn off. Is this 2 commands ON then OFF or is there
a command for every 1/10 sec which doesn't seem right. You'd burn up 5000
really fast. And the fade up, fade downs, twinkles, etc..

 

On is 1 command, Off is 2nd command. 

I want to build a fairly complicated sequence, how can I judge how many commands

I am using?

If you are using 1/10th timing you can get pretty radical.  You can use loops to reduce the commands generated.

Looking around at the Sequence Editor I haven’t found a counter,  is
there one?

 

Not that I am aware of.

I'd like a sequence that lasts about 4to5 min or so. Then all off for like
15 min then start over. So I was thinking a 20 min sequence were after 5 min
all channels are off. How do I have it replay over and over till I shut power
down? 

15 minutes of your sequence, then 5 minutes of nothing.   Use loops to recreate similar elements and the 5 minutes of "Off" commands

Last question for now is. Can this unit and art project, be hooked up to my computer

while I am building the Sequence in the S. Editor. Then periodically, run it,
and see what’s happening. So I can then stop it and make adjustment. The Manual
was a little confusing on the issue, I think it said I can do this. Then when I
like it, download sequence to the unit, disconnect it from computer, and take
it out in the world to show it off.

Absolutely!!

I'm sure more questions to come . I am really excited to start learning the

program and expanding in the future.

My Art project if anyone is curious... Is a 3 foot long copper wire Dragon,

LED lights in and around it, including about 240 1.8 mm reds chasing for the
fire. For most of the circuits this unit will be used to just turn on and off.
Those circuits use their own mini controllers w/ either Pos power transformers
or Mosfets to power up. All set to V- triggers some using mini relays to do so.
I also have a few circuits that will be directly controlled by this unit. There
is some common +5V supplies that several circuits use for lights and +12V
supplies for controllers. All powered from a 360w Earthwatt CPU  I converted to a bench power supply.

 

Many hand built fade up and downs, using 555s, resisters, tiny transformers, and capacitors.
And about 10 kits I built doing all kinds of different things inside and out of
the Dragon. I’ve tested each circuit and all is working great.

 

[DragonWire]

Thanx for the reply. Loop. I need to learn how that works. it's actually more like 5 min seq then 15 off. I'm also rethinking the 1/10 sec for pos 1/4th. there are a few things I need to time one after the other that happend rather fast is why I was thinking 1/10.

 

Is there a manual some were that explains each of the fuction bottons, how they work, and how you lets say, set up fade up and down. I so far am asuming a few things about how it works and will soon be hooking it up to some test lights and playing w/ fuctions now that I understand I can enter in a few simple commands and push play and watch what it does. The tutorials I have found don't seem to explain what I am needing to uderstand from a total newbee level.

 

Another asumtion I am making, . The way I wired my project with common V+'s I think I am right that I don't have to run each circuits V+ to each contact on the board as each sid of the board shares a common V+ But getting their source from the board that is fused is a good idea. So I need to make sure all 8 circuits I am controlling on the V- are also fed from that side of the common V+ rail. I have all 16 circuits bridged down to 4 then 2 to my power source, but need to check what goes were to keep each side separated.