General sizing question

[Brucey]

Since last year I've added a few devices and would like to know if someone could confirm my calculations since I think I need to add another controller to make it work to handle any lag.  For this upcoming season, I have a fully utilized CTB16PC running led rope lights, I have a 1602G3MP3 which up to this year was running led's around my house as well as miscellaneous decorations (e.g. island of misfit toys figures, wreaths, etc.) which fully utilized all of the power on it running on a single network.

This year I've added a 12 string CCP (50 per string) mega tree (with the controller per string), 8 dumb pixel ribbons running to a central controller and possibly a set of 4 "singing trees" led's.  I've put drawn it out in the attached picture and put all of the net-new stuff in red. 

I plan to run the show off the G3MP3's SD card.  Will this work or will I need to add new controllers or anything else?

Thanks for taking a look.

 

[Jim Hans]

You shouldn't have any problem with that setup.

[k6ccc]

I assume when you say "antenna" you are referring to a pair of ELLs.  My only question (and I flat out don't know as I've never used ELLs), what about power for the ELL connected to the director.  As I recall, the ELLs are powered from a connected controller.  Not a problem for the one on the left, but will the director power an ELL?

The only other note is that if able, I would run the port 2 network out of the director at 500K speed.  That would be a lot of channels for a slower speed network.  My recollection (and I don't use a director either)  is that the new G3 director can run 500K speed on both of the ports.  The CCPs and CMB24 will handle 500K speed - although a firmware upgrade MAY be required (not likely if these are new purchases, but something to keep in the back of your mind in case you end up with new old stock).  Note, BTW that the ELLs will NOT run at 500K speed so you would need to run that network out of the director at 19.2 or 57.6 K speed.

 

[TitusCarnathan]

I would move the cmb24d over to network 1 so you can use it to power the ELL's

[Brucey]

Great thanks for letting me know. If I wanted to add pixel arches on that second network, do you think it's doable or am I pushing the limits?  

[k6ccc]

7 minutes ago, Brucey said:

Great thanks for letting me know. If I wanted to add pixel arches on that second network, do you think it's doable or am I pushing the limits?  

As long as the network with the CCP tree and pixel arches is running at 500K, you should be fine.

 

Edited August 10, 2016 by k6ccc

[Brucey]

14 hours ago, TitusCarnathan said:

I would move the cmb24d over to network 1 so you can use it to power the ELL's

So the G3MP3 can't power the ELL's directly?

[jerrymac]

As far as delay is concerned it isn't the number of lights, it is the number of commands going to the lights. The more chases etc you send to the lights the more data has to be sent. At one point you get into a situation of to much stuff going out the line at the same time.  Of course the more lights you have the more commands are usually sent, but not necessarily. the more often you send a change the more you move to slow downs.  

BUT delays are only more likely with you get a LOT of RGB lights doing a lot of different stuff a lot of the time.

 

[k6ccc]

3 hours ago, Brucey said:

So the G3MP3 can't power the ELL's directly?

In fact, just the opposite.  I had to go read the manual on the G3-MP3 and ELL online to confirm this...  Just like the ELL, the G3-MP3 (when operating stand-alone) is normally powered from an attached controller via the RS-485 network cable.  It does have a power jack and can be supplied from a separate power supply, however doing so disconnects the power wires on the network connections so it can't supply power to another device.

If your physical layout makes it possible, as TitusCarnathan said, I would move the CMB-24D to the first network so it's between the ELL and G3-MP3 and would power both.  You could also supply power to the G3-MP3 via the power jack on it and a separate power supply which would mean that the CMB-24D was only needing to supply power to the ELL.  Particularly if the CMB-24D is powering both the G3-MP3 and the ELL, I would test everything well in advance to make sure it all works.  Keep in mind that network cables when supplying power need to be shorter than the normal cable length limits when not supplying power.

 

[Brucey]

Actually it is quite the opposite. With my 1602g3mp3 when I plug in the unit's embedded power, the director powers up as well - it doesn't get its power from other controllers, it gets power from its own controller which was why I was thinking I could just plug the ell into it

I'm taking off end of August to start prepping everything (firmware, lights, tests, etc) so im just trying to get an idea of what it'll take to make the design work. 

[k6ccc]

That was the key information you had not mentioned and your drawing does not show - that the G3-MP3 was mounted in a 1602 controller.  The implication was that it was a stand alone unit.  Since you have the 1602, I would assume you are correct that the ELL will get power from the 1602 via the network cable.

Yes, the details like that are important at times!