Powered Usb Hub Connection

[dl20415]

Last Christmas I ran a pixel tree with 8 Lor controllers. This year I'm adding another pixel tree with the same amount of controllers. My computer has 3 sub ports, so I got a powered hub to add sub ports. How do I set this up? I've tried using the same comm port for the regular Lor controllers I used last Christmas, and then plugged the 4 rgb controllers into the hub which is plugged into an empty sub on the computer. I get solid lights on controllers, but no lights when I play a sequence. Can anyone help?

[Ken Benedict]

Are these sub ports or USB ports? Need the correct terminology so we can help you.

[k6ccc]

I'm going to guess he meant USB however his spellcheck "fixed" it for him. I'm going to answer the rest of this based on that assumption.

As Ken said, your terminology is a bit confusing. Please tell us exactly your configuration. I am gathering that last year you had eight LOR controllers on a single USB RS-485 adapter as your "regular" LOR network. I am further gathering that you are adding eight more LOR controllers on an additional LOR network (which would presumably be the "Aux A" network). You also mentioned RGB controllers. Is that Cosmic Color Devices, 24 port DC controllers, E1.31 controllers, or something else?

One of the things I really don't like about Windows implementation of USB is that frequently if you plug a serial converter device into a different USB port, it will end up with a different Comm port number. If you open up the device manager, you should be able to see what Comm port numbers are assigned. I'm guessing that

[k6ccc]

I hate it when I hit post accidentally...

To finish that last sentence, I'm guessing that the Comm port number changed on the USB RS-485 adapter that was your only network last year.

[dl20415]

USB ports! Spell check got me!

[dl20415]

I had 13 regular 16 channel lor controllers on comm port 3. 4 LOR pixel controllers on comm 5. 4 more LOR pixel controllers on comm 5. Now I'm out of USB ports. I'm adding 8 more LOR pixel controllers for another tree this year. I bought a powered usb hub to give me extra ports. Do I just plug the usb from the hub in one comm port on the computer an everything else into the hub? How would I designate that in network preferences?

[dl20415]

Pixel controllers 30, 31, 32, 33 on one universe Aux C. Pixel controllers 34, 35, 36, 37 on another universe Aux D. I need to add pixel controllers 40, 41, 42, 43 Aux A and 44, 45, 46, 47 Aux B

[dl20415]

Yes the comm ports did change, but I corrected them in network preferences. But that pesky pop up that comes on when I do auto configure changes them around.

[Dennis Laff]

When you connect the powered usb hub now instead of three com ports you now have more com ports you add a dongle to each new port then connect you controllers to that dongle you don't connect the controllers to the hub.

[dl20415]

Yes, I attached a 485 hi speed adapter to each of the 4 universes. A regular adapter is attached to the 13 regular controllers

[Dennis Laff]

if you have all the com ports assigned why are you using the the auto configure?

[ebrown1972]

I know this sounds stupid but did you tell the sequence editor to "control the lights" under play?

[Max-Paul]

if you have all the com ports assigned why are you using the the auto configure?

Have to agree with what Dennis wrote above.

[George Simmons]

When my networks are all setup, I'd rather hit shimmer with my finger stuck into a live C9 socket than press the auto configure button.  But maybe that's just me ...

[dl20415]

That's probably my mistake, using auto configure. Yes I have control lights checked.

The reason I use auto configure is that all the comm ports don't show up in hardware utility

[Dennis Laff]

what type of pixel controllers are you using?

[dl20415]

I'm using the LOR pixel controller that runs 2 strings of 50 pixels

[k6ccc]

Here is my concept for getting the various networks identified.  Start out with all of your USB RS-485 adapters unplugged.  Open the device manager and select ports.  It will list any ports that are built in or attached.  Plug in ONE RS-485 adapter.  You will see it appear in the ports list.  Note what comm port was assigned for that device.  Plug in ONE more RS-485 adapter and again note what comm port is assigned to that adapter.  Repeat this for however many RS-485 adapters you have.  Now mark or otherwise document what RS-485 adapter goes into what port on the computer or external hub.  For example, use colored tape, or P-Touch labels to indicate which adapter goes into what port.  I keep a list as a file on the desktop of my show computer with the following:

Com3 - LOR Regular Network - aka Network 1
Com4 - LOR Aux A Network - aka Network 2 (garage)
Com5 - LOR Aux B Network - aka Network 3 (Christmas arches)

 

Although LOR calls the networks "Regular", "Aux A", and "Aux B", I refer to them as network 1, 2, & 3.  The reason for that is that I use color marking tape using the resistor color code to identify cables.  Therefore, if a purple cable (all of my LOR networking is using purple Cat-5 cable) has a red color marking tape, I know it is network 2.  I color mark the cables at any conduit junction box that the cable passes through, and of course at the ends.

 

Note that if you unplug an RS-485 adapter and plug it into a different USB port, it MAY come up with the comm Port number and it MAY NOT.  Newer OSes are better about that than older ones, but you are better off making the assumption that the comm port number will change.

 

Sometime this year I will be making some changes to the wiring mess back here where my normal use PC and the show computer are sitting.  When I do that, there will be only one USB cable plugged into the show computer, and that will go to a 4 port powered USB hub.  The 3 RS-485 adapters will connect to that.  I will use P-Touch labels to mark what port is what adapter, and my text file will be updated to include that.

[dl20415]

That sounds like the solution! I have a 7 port hub, so I'll try plugging just the hub in my laptop and everything else in the hub, while checking the device manager!

[EmmienLightFan]

I have exactly the same problem. I have a Surface Pro, with only one USB socket, so I use a 7 post hub. Everything works if I have two DMX universes running on RS485 adapters in the hub, but if I try one LOR, one DMX or both LOR, I get a solid light but no control.

 

I think it is because the hub does not have its own USB controller on the mother board. If I do it on my PC, one in the USB3 and one in the USB2 socket (They are seperate controllers) Everything works.