Hardware Utility keeps changing it's mind

[indi]

I am running  3 LOR 16 channel controllers on one network and 8 CCPs on another network. After running the HU it found 3 controllers, Then change comm port and it would only find 6 CCP controllers and one unknown devise. Refreshed and it found 7 ccps. Went back to the other comm port and refreshed and it found 2 LOR controllers and one unknown devise. Refreshed again and it found all 3 controllers. Ran the sequence and everything seemed find. Changed sequence and ran another sequence and only the back half of my pixel tree worked. Gave up and will try to figure it out in the morning. I'll move the computer out to the pixel tree and retry connected straight into the cat 5. I might have cat 5 trouble. My last ccp (#8) is not working. It's in my globe. I will live without it if I have too. It worked during a test run before I put it on the pole. Oh well things happen.

[Jim Hans]

Sounds like cat 5 issues to me.

[Orville]

I get that issue from time to time, cat5 tests out 100% fine with my cat5 tester, but occasionally my HWU doesn't find all my controllers either and once I refresh it, it finds all and all work.    My Sequences always worked fine, just the HWU has this hiccup on occasion.  Don't have CCP's or any other fancy lighting, just standard L.E.D. strands, incandescent wireframe deer, blow molds{incandescent bulbs} and some incandescent light strands.   And I get this same glitch with only 3 CTB16PC controllers attached.   All V2 boards and 4.40 firmware.

[Bizywk]

Ditto what Jim said. 

 

I had that same symptom heading into Halloween.  My HU was all over the map as well.  I traced the problem back and discovered that one controller didn't appear to daisy chain the signal through an apparent inoperative right side CAT5 jack, and another controller needed to have the CAT-5 wiggled occasionally to keep connection.  I made it through the show by swapping the uncooperative controller to the end of the line and coiled the data cable in the second controller's enclosure so that it put slight upward pressure on the other controller's CAT-5 as I closed the enclosure.   The controllers were clean and dry, and I was using factory fresh pre-made cables.  The cables tested just fine and I even replaced the cables with other brand new out of the plastic ones at the time to absolutely confirm the problem was the controller CAT5 sockets.  Both controllers were brand new out of the box so LOR graciously sent me replacements.  Now that my controllers are back inside and I'm working with them in the well heated and lighted garage and using other data cables, I cant duplicate the error.  The CAT5 cables tested just fine but now that I cant duplicate the problem, I'm back to square one. Trying to figure out where those original data cables went so I can test one more time. 

 

Looks like I'm sending LOR's replacement boards back unopened.

 

If you figure it out, I'd sure be interested. 

[indi]

_{I will try again today. I'll bring the speed back to 115 and see if that works}

[indi]

_{I will try again today. I'll bring the speed back to 115 and see if that works}

Well that didn't work. Hardware Utility finds 7 ccp's, but it looks like #8 is working. Unhooked the globe and checked, It found both units. Left it unplugged and ran the HU on the cat 5 that the other  6 units and it was found. Connect all the ccps back up and the HU finds 7 units. Went to the console and tested, all the units light up. but when running the sequence, only the back half of the tree lights. Units 1,2,3,6 don't work the rest works. All the units seemed to work for the first sequence last night, the trouble started. Can't figure it out.

[indi]

Well I think I have it working. I connected the 6 ccp controllers for my pixel tree to my last 16 channel controller and the other two ccp controllers (Pixel Globe) as an AUX 1. I think it works now. Will know when it gets dark tonight.

[Max-Paul]

Not a 100% fix, but RS-485 can have a set up problem that causes the data signal to reflect. In those cases a resistor added to the last output jack can squelch the reflections. What you do is make a cat 5 cable that is only a few inches long. Start off with a long piece of cat 5 cable and install a RJ-45 plug. Cut the cable down to about 3 inches. Put a 110 ohm 1/8 watt resistor across the data lines. I would tell you which pins that is, but I just went brain dead and will need someone else to fill in the blanks. There are a few here that did this and found that there problem was this reflected signal that was acting like noise.

 

Speaking of noise, be sure to keep your cat 5 wires several inches away from any of the power leads going to the controller or going out to the lights. Try to not run side by side if possible. Cross over at right angles.

[indi]

Not a 100% fix, but RS-485 can have a set up problem that causes the data signal to reflect. In those cases a resistor added to the last output jack can squelch the reflections. What you do is make a cat 5 cable that is only a few inches long. Start off with a long piece of cat 5 cable and install a RJ-45 plug. Cut the cable down to about 3 inches. Put a 110 ohm 1/8 watt resistor across the data lines. I would tell you which pins that is, but I just went brain dead and will need someone else to fill in the blanks. There are a few here that did this and found that there problem was this reflected signal that was acting like noise.

 

Speaking of noise, be sure to keep your cat 5 wires several inches away from any of the power leads going to the controller or going out to the lights. Try to not run side by side if possible. Cross over at right angles.

That might be my problem. I do have the extension cords going across my cat5's. I will move them later this week and see if that helps.

 

Thanks

[George Simmons]

Indi - do you have the unit IDs for the CCP controllers correctly allocated with two consecutive unit IDs per CCP?

[indi]

Indi - do you have the unit IDs for the CCP controllers correctly allocated with two consecutive unit IDs per CCP?

Yes I do. Everything works great in the visualizer.