ELL Power issue

[Reddgroom]

Am trying to add 2 ELLs to my display this year to enable indoor PC to to outdoor controllers transmission without a cable. I am having trouble getting the ELL on the inside powered up. Is it possible to power my ELL directly from the PC? I have 2 potential configurations: a serial to RJ45 adapter configuration and an optional USB to serial adapter then SC485 serial to RJ45. The ELL does not have any lights on with either setup. (no power?)

 

I have cross checked the ELLs and cables and both ELLs work when directly hardwired (cat 5) to the controllers. I have also checked the SC485 and USB/serial adapters and they also work fine when directly hardwired to a controller. I only have the problem with the ELLs connected to my PC.

 

I am using an older computer to run the shows. Is it possible the USB on the older computer is not putting out enough power to run the ELL?

 

Is the USB-485B adapter the ONLY way to power an ELL from a computer? I don't have one, so I need to know ASAP inorder to get it delivered quickly.

 

Thanks!

 

Elizabeth

[plasmadrive]

Not all USB ports are powered.  Try another port.

 

You do of course have to have a USB to RS485 adapter like the LOR ones. 

[Don]

You need a USB485B to power the ELL connected to the computer.

[WhitePlainsNY]

You need a USB485B to power the ELL connected to the computer.

That's what I use to power my ELL in my attic window which drives my controllers on the porch and three other neighbors, each with their own ELL.

[Reddgroom]

Thank you for the replies. I wish I had known this wouldn't work when I bought the ELLs, it would have been easy to tack on the proper adapter at that point. I already own an LOR serial to RJ485 adapter and a USB adapter... one more adapter for the box!

 

Buyer Beware! The datasheet, and all information available on the ELLs is incomplete! It does not specify that another adapter is necessary to make them work.

[Tim Benson]

You can supply 9V power to the ELL, you will just need to make a cable to do it.  2 of the pins on the RJ45 connector are +9v and Ground.   I believe the pin#'s are listed in the ELL manual.

 

Tim

 

Pin 3 is +9V  and pin 6 is ground.   so you can make a cable to inject those from a decent wall-wart transformer

into the RJ45 jack on the ELL    That is for the Older ELL,  I think the newer ones will work with 5V

 

Tim

Edited December 8, 2014 by Tim Benson

[DKomick]

Thank you for the solutionRJ485 B solution to connecting the ELL directly from the computer to the first controller. Could LOR put this important piece of technical information in the "buying" section in the store? This would help the next LOR enthusiasts.

 

Cheers. Darrell

[Don]

Thank you for the solutionRJ485 B solution to connecting the ELL directly from the computer to the first controller. Could LOR put this important piece of technical information in the "buying" section in the store? This would help the next LOR enthusiasts.

 

Cheers. Darrell

 

Store product URL: http://store.lightorama.com/ealili.html

 

From the site:

 

 

Power: If you are connecting the ELL directly to a PC with no other LOR controllers connected to the PC then you will need the RS485B (voltage booster version) of our USB adapter. In general if there is a LOR controller connected to an ELL via a CAT5 cable the ELL will get power from the controller via the CAT5 cable.

[DKomick]

Thanks Don,

It could not be more obvious. D.