HolidayCoro RGB Controller setup

[David K]

I have purchased an RGB controller that's been assembled by HolidayCoro.com. I'm trying to set up the controller via the "Light-O-Rama Hardware" application and it cannot be detected by my computer. Is there a different dongle you use rather than the one for LOR controllers? Or am I doing something wrong? Thank you!

[Dennis Laff]

The hardware utility will not detect the Holiday Coro controller.

[David K]

Interesting. How do I program the controller along with my 3 other LOR controllers?

[Mr. P]

What controller are talking about from HC? The 27 ch controller?

Edited November 23, 2016 by Mr. P

[David K]

Yes it is!

[Mr. P]

That is a DMX controller,totally different then a LOR controller. You will need the actidongle that HC has to connect it into the network. then you will have to add the channels individually.

http://www.holidaycoro.com/Enttec-Pro-Compatible-DMX-Dongle-p/53.htm

There are others in here who use them and have more knowledge about them then I do. Hopefully someone will chime in here soon.

[David K]

Would the USB-RS485 work?

[jrock_at_rons]

It won't.   You'll essentially be running two networks out of your laptop.  One will be the rs485 for your lor controllers.  The other will be usb into the entec dmx dongle and on to your HC rgb controllers. 

There is also some universe setup, but it's not super complex.   Make sure your HC controllers have the proper dip switches set for their starting channel.  For me it's 1, 28 and 55... 27 each   

Let me know if you have any other questions.  

[Santas Helper]

1 hour ago, David K said:

Would the USB-RS485 work?

Do not connect the HolidayCoro to the USB-485. It will fry it. It did mine anyways.

I connected it through the Lan port on the computer but needed a switch for that to happen. HolidayCoro explains it in their video.

Then use the USB-485 for the the LOR controllers.

See the HolidayCoro videos. It helped me.

[David K]

So I should order the Actidongle that HC suggests? Or can I just plug the HC controller into the LAN port?

And if I can only do the actidongle option, do both dongles (the 485 we already have for the LOR boxes) each plug in to their own USB into the computer? Our setup is 3 LOR controllers, 1 HC 27ch controller.

We've done just LOR the past few years and this is the first time we've done anything RGB and HC. We're clueless and confused. Feel free to say as much detail as possible.

[David K]

Just re-read what you said, jrock. So should I get the actidongle HC suggests or some sort of entec brand dongle? Please link anything you suggest, thank you.

[jrock_at_rons]

I have the entec dmx dongle from HC.    

http://www.holidaycoro.com/Enttec-Pro-Compatible-DMX-Dongle-p/53.htm

So once you get that you'll have both coming out of separate USB ports from your laptop.  

Laptop-->usb-->entec-->cat5-->dmx controller (for your rgb network)

Laptop-->usb-->rs485-->cat5-->lor controllers (for your lor network).   It's a single laptop using two use ports.   

There was a document somewhere online that helped me a lot.  I'll try to dig it up tonight.   

[David K]

Thank you so much you have no idea how helpful you're being. Santa's Helper above said I could use the LAN, is that possible and simply achieved? Or should I just get the dongle you linked me?

[jrock_at_rons]

I don't use the lan so I'm not sure how that would work.  I started in Rgb last year and went with the dongle as it seemed the most straight forward.  

 

[David K]

Gotcha. Ordered the dongle, thanks again. One last thing: could you steer me in the direction of setting up the universes and such for the HC controller on LOR? Thanks again, you (and everyone else) have been extremely helpful!

[jrock_at_rons]

Watch these videos  I was able to get it up and running using them last year.  They both go through it step by step. 

 

 

 

 

[David K]

Thank you thank you thank you! I may reach out to you again on this post if I run into issues, but you just made this whole week so much easier for us. Have a happy Thanksgiving!

[jrock_at_rons]

No problem.  Happy Thanksgiving.  

[EmmienLightFan]

You cannot use the ethernet port on your computer. That is also a different protocol.

 

You can use a USB-485 dongle, you just need a second one and it must be set for DMX. I used two last year, one for LOR and one for DMX.

[k6ccc]

David, I want to clarify something.  There are two sets of answers here that are in conflict.  For those that understand this stuff, we realize the differences, but you likely do not.  I'm going to give a somewhat long answer.

LOR uses an electrical data transmission called RS-485.  The LOR USB-485 adapter converts a USB signal from your computer to the RS-485 standard.  On a LOR netowrk, the data that rides on those wires is using LOR's proprietary protocol.

The 27 channel controller from Holiday Coro uses the DMX protocol.  DMX also uses RS-485, but the data bits are different.  LOR controllers will respond to either DMX or LOR protocol data, but most (or likely all) DMX controllers will only respond to DMX protocol signals.  Because both LOR and DMX use a RS-485 electrical signal, the LOR USB-485 CAN be used to drive either a LOR network or a DMX network, but not both at the same time.  With that said, there are a number of other DMX only USB adapters that in some cases handle DMX better than the LOR USB-485 adapter.  The reason that some USB adapters handle DMX better is because so called "smart" DMX adapters have some intelligence and free up the computer CPU from all the level processing that is required with DMX.  "Dumb" DMX adapters are just a level converter and require the computer to do all the level processing.  The LOR USB-485 adapter falls into the category of a dumb adapter - which is just fine for LOR protocol.  There have also been issues with the DMX channel number being off by one channel when using the LOR USB-485 adapter.  One other note is that when using RJ-45 connectors, LOR uses different pins than DMX.  However that only takes the correct cable to re-arrange the pins.

What Santas Helper mentioned is a different Holiday Coro controller that uses the E1.31 standard which is DMX data over an ethernet LAN.  In this case, you MUST NOT connect to a RS-485 network, as it can damage equipment.  E1.31 controllers connect to your computer via ethernet so in most case that means it will plug into a switch or router.  It is very important NOT to mix a RS-485 based network with an ethernet network.  In my case, I use a different color Cat-5 cable - purple for RS-485 and green for E1.31.

Note that E1.31 controller are normally driving smart pixels with hundreds or thousands of channel capability, whereas RS-485 based DMX controllers are normally no more than a few dozen channels at the most.  I will also point out that many E1.31 controllers DO have the ability to output a RS-485 signal with DMX protocol to drive the smaller controllers.