jem5136 Posted May 3, 2015 Posted May 3, 2015 Hello everyone, I'm wanting to add 4 SanDevice E682 controllers to my display but I'm not sure how to go about setting them up in LOR. I haven't yet purchased the controllers but I want to start sequencing. Is there a tutorial video or another thread I couldn't find explaining how to set everything up? What I've done on my own is set up my regular controllers on the "Regular" network and then for each SanDevice I put in their own network (Aux A, Aux B, Aux C, Aux D), and for each different different string I set it's own controller ID. Is this how it should be done or am I doing it all wrong? I'll also need help when it comes to physically connect the devices to my show computer. I know they're plugged into a wireless router but I'm wondering if I can use the spare router I have so I won't have to interfere with our internet router. Does the router have to be connected to an internet source in order to work like it should?
k6ccc Posted May 3, 2015 Posted May 3, 2015 The E682 controllers do not connect to a LOR network. They are connected entirely via ethernet LAN connection and not via a RS-485 LOR network. Since you don't have the E682s yet, I don't have to worry about you plugging the E682 into a LOR network. Just to make sure I'm REALLY clear once you get the E682s, the LOR network and E1.31 networks should never touch. Doing so risks damage to one device or the other. In the LOR setup, the channels are set up as DMX universes in the channel setup. It is recommended to do as much as possible to separate the E1.31 network from your normal home network - particularly if you are running a wireless LAN. The best is to have two network cards in the show computer with your normal home LAN on one card and the E1.31 LAN for your lighting on the other.. If you can't do that there are some tricks to keep the E1.31 traffic off your wireless LAN. And no, your lighting network does not need to have any connection to the internet. There are several of us here that can help you with both simple and more complex network configurations. A little research on the forum will get you well on the way too.
LarryDrumAZ Posted May 4, 2015 Posted May 4, 2015 It is recommended to do as much as possible to separate the E1.31 network from your normal home network - particularly if you are running a wireless LAN. The best is to have two network cards in the show computer with your normal home LAN on one card and the E1.31 LAN for your lighting on the other.. If you can't do that there are some tricks to keep the E1.31 traffic off your wireless LAN. And no, your lighting network does not need to have any connection to the internet. 10000000% agree. My first year with RGB I listened to the advise of others who said to run it through my router. Biggest mistake ever. I purchased a cheap $10, 5-port network switch from Wal-Mart and run my controllers through a dedicated network off of my show computer. During the show season, the computer is not connected to anything but the controller network. No WiFi, no nothing. 1
dgrant Posted May 5, 2015 Posted May 5, 2015 I agree. Keep it apart from your internet connections and go through a GBSwitch. In my case, I needed to go wireless so I can say, it is possible and yes, it does work. If I had my choice though, I'd be running connections directly from the switch to the E1.31 controllers. Again, in my case, I needed to go from the GBSwitch to a N-Bridge, which connects "only" to an N-router, in the garage, which is wired from there to the E1.31 controllers. Seems to work just fine but more complex. 1
jem5136 Posted May 6, 2015 Author Posted May 6, 2015 I have learned from a couple other forums where I posted this that going through a wifi router is not the best way to do it, it's best to get a switch, so I think that I'll look into getting one sometime soon. Also I have set up my channel configuration to DMX universes instead of trying to go through LOR protocol (I'm not sure why but I thought I could use E1.31 under LOR protocol). Either way it was easier than I thought to set up the E1.31 channels. Now once I get the SanDevices I'll have to set up the IP addresses but that's later down the road. Have any of you had problems running so many channels in LOR? When I was putting the universes is and converting them to RGB, it would take my computer anywhere from 6+ minutes just to convert 75 RGB channels. I've used LOR with thousands of RGB channels and each time the software runs EXTREMELY slow and it takes forever to save. I've installed the 4gig patch but it doesn't seem to help at all. I'm considering using a different software to sequence all these channels. I haven't had the chance to use the PE in S4 (I need to update my license) but if it doesn't help much I'm going to be done with LOR and use xLights/Nutcraker or some other software thats really made for thousands of pixels.
k6ccc Posted May 6, 2015 Posted May 6, 2015 jem,As you figured out, a switch is preferred over a WiFi. However as noted by dgrant, there are times where there is no choice. If I get my neighbor across the street to play, I will run a 5 GHz WiFi link over to her house and do everything over there with E1.31 (or DMX downstream of a SanDevices controller). I'm not going to claim to be a networking expert, although there are a few people on the forum that might dispute that statement. However I work with moderately advanced networking both at home and at work so I can generally figure most anything that the forum users need to do. With that said, if you need any help, feel free to ask. Better yet, send me a phone number via PM and we'll talk on the phone. And yes, doing the RGB channel conversion does take a while in Sequence Editor. Things should be far better in S4 from the looks of the beta versions.
pyrotech Posted May 7, 2015 Posted May 7, 2015 What about setting up a separate VLAN? I have a Cisco enterprise grade gigabit switch in my house. If I carve off a VLAN for just the show control network, will that work? Does anyone have any experience with that? Thanks,Tim
Jeff Messer Posted May 9, 2015 Posted May 9, 2015 If you are adding many RGB universes it is best to create a LCC file and use Vegomatic to add your universes. That program has saved me many hours....
k6ccc Posted May 9, 2015 Posted May 9, 2015 Tim, that is exactly what I'm doing. I have sever HP managed switches in my house and have a separate VLAN for the E1.31 stuff. That is one of seven VLANs in my house network. OK, I'm not normal...
sax Posted May 9, 2015 Posted May 9, 2015 How many channels are you talking?I use LOR and superstar for my sequencing. No long saves for me. But, when I tried to do some nutcracker work my save times went out the roof. It is because of the clipboard I am sure. I quit using xlights as it didn't do what I wanted anyway. Precise control of the pixels. So using only superstar and my save and load times are small.Now, I am talking around 700 pixels. I still have numerous dumb rgb, 90 channels or so, and AC channels. But my load times are in the seconds. Like 5 seconds.Similar with S4. Others who have large 20000 plus pixels have been pleased though. Check out the beta forums.
sax Posted May 9, 2015 Posted May 9, 2015 (edited) How are you adding and converting your rgb channels? I use LOR for that as well. No third party add on. Straight up LOR. And again, seconds.It is so easy to add universes and channels in LOR. I don't understand the need for third party software. Not saying it is the cause, but try it with LOR only and see if it is faster.65 channels is not much at all. It should be seconds. Edited May 9, 2015 by sax
jem5136 Posted May 9, 2015 Author Posted May 9, 2015 I'm looking to run about 3000 channels and the more universes I add, the slower LOR runs. When I started out it ran without a problem, but after adding about 1000 RGB channels, it started running bad. I'll add the universe in, then convert the channels to RGB channels and the more I add the longer it takes.
Darryl Lambert Posted May 23, 2015 Posted May 23, 2015 I'm looking to run about 3000 channels and the more universes I add, the slower LOR runs. When I started out it ran without a problem, but after adding about 1000 RGB channels, it started running bad. I'll add the universe in, then convert the channels to RGB channels and the more I add the longer it takes. I have the same issue with my current laptop. I ran 12000 channels last year. It's slow, at least for load/save times but it still works. Sequences ran without a problem. I suspect it's the laptop. I just purchased a new laptop & have seen a dramatic improvement. I'm going to post my results when I'm done configuring the new laptop.
Darryl Lambert Posted May 23, 2015 Posted May 23, 2015 But, when I tried to do some nutcracker work my save times went out the roof. It is because of the clipboard I am sure.I quit using xlights as it didn't do what I wanted anyway. Precise control of the pixels. So using only superstar and my save and load times are small. This is partly due to the way xlights does fades I would think. Here is a thread where someone else had that issue, And possibly a new tool will be released to correct it.
EmmienLightFan Posted May 26, 2015 Posted May 26, 2015 I use XLights and have no load times. 600 pixels and it all goes instantly on my main sequencing PC. It takes about 1 second on my Surface though.
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