Multiple Universes in LOR and SANDEVICES

[smithzone]

I have two SANDEVICE 6804 running on e1.31 using lightorama for my show (latest firmware on both). I have CAT6 running to everything and I am using Unicast.

Only my second year adding e1.31 so now thinking about adding two-three more 6804s (as I like them close to props). 

Current SANDEVICE #1 (unique IP) has each of the ports aligned with a universe - (so Port 1= Universe 1, Port 2= Universe 2, Port 3= Universe 3, Port 4= Universe 4)
Current SANDEVICE #2 (unique IP) has each of the ports aligned with a universe - (so Port 1= Universe 5, Port 2= Universe 6, Port 37= Universe 7, Port 4= Universe 8)
Adding a New SANDEVICE #3 (unique IP) looks simple enough, it will be the last 4 slots on the SANDEVICE webpage - Universe 9->12

My question is how do I add SANDEVICE #4 (unique IP)? Do I change the SANDEVICE webpage to start at Universe 13 and run up to Universe 24? 

Can I run five 6804s and 20 universes all on same network (will it support that many)? The old SANDEVICE manual says "76 universes of E1.31 multicast, and up to 12 universes of E1.31 Unicast" so thinking not on Unicast?
 

If that doesn't work is there a way I can set-up each SANDEVICE as Universe 1->4 and tell LOR that Universe names overlap, but they are on unique IPs?  I don't see a way in LOR Network Config.

[Dennis Laff]

I have 5 E6804 running you just change the start universe on the web page to what ever universes you want on top half of page first then add universe number on each port 

[k6ccc]

It took me minute to figure out what you were asking, but I'm pretty sure I know.  Below are two screen captures from one of my E6804 cards.  Note that this E6804 is running V5.023 firmware, so if yours are using some version 4 firmware, the screens will look different - both of these will be on the same screen instead of split between two screens, but the data fields are the same.  I assume you are talking about the universe selection dropdown box pointed out in Red arrow on the top screen capture.  What numbers are available is set on the row with the green arrows in the bottom screen capture.  you can type in whatever numbers you need - then press the "SAVE UNIV NUMBERS" button.  If you are using a version 4 of the SanDevices firmware, these two selections will be on the same screen with the Universe numbers selection in the top part of the screen and you MUST Save before the new numbers will be available at the bottom.

 

 

 

[Dennis Laff]

Hi Jim your always on the ball

[k6ccc]

43 minutes ago, smithzone said:

Can I run five 6804s and 20 universes all on same network (will it support that many)? The old SANDEVICE manual says "76 universes of E1.31 multicast, and up to 12 universes of E1.31 Unicast" so thinking not on Unicast?

Forgot to answer this part.  Yes, if running Unicast, any given SanDevices card can support up to 12 universes.  How many universes you run on multiple cards is only limited by available bandwidth on your LAN.  Each universe results in about a quarter Megabit per second of LAN traffic.  Therefore, if you are using a 100BaseT network, you could support a couple hundred universes on a single LAN (unless there is other traffic on that LAN).

 

[k6ccc]

15 minutes ago, Dennis Laff said:

Hi Jim your always on the ball

Thank you - I try

And doing the screen captures is easy for me.  Had to do it remotely this time as I'm not at home.  But I have networking magic that makes that fairly easy.

 

[smithzone]

This is great - I already updated to the new Firmware so my screens match.   I just wasn't sure I could start at some random universe point above 12 on the SANDEVICE  (as the manual also references that 12 universe limit).   Looks like I will have no issues expanding.

I have the dedicated light network up on a gigabit router with CAT6 so should be fine there (I understand the 6804s only run 100B on their port).

While researching this, I keep reading about the Falcon F4V3 Pixel Controller - might be another option as well.......

[smithzone]

1 hour ago, Dennis Laff said:

I have 5 E6804 running you just change the start universe on the web page to what ever universes you want on top half of page first then add universe number on each port 

Perfect - that is what I wanted to hear, before I hit the "Buy" button (or send email in this case)

[k6ccc]

28 minutes ago, smithzone said:

This is great - I already updated to the new Firmware so my screens match.   I just wasn't sure I could start at some random universe point above 12 on the SANDEVICE  (as the manual also references that 12 universe limit).   Looks like I will have no issues expanding.

Nope.  It can be essentially any 12 universes.  They do have to be unique, so have unused positions, they each have to have a different universe number.  For some historical reasons, I always start at 231 and count downward for whatever unused positions there are.  How handy that you were also running SanDevices version 5...

30 minutes ago, smithzone said:

I have the dedicated light network up on a gigabit router with CAT6 so should be fine there (I understand the 6804s only run 100B on their port).

So do I, but mine is not Gigabit.

32 minutes ago, smithzone said:

While researching this, I keep reading about the Falcon F4V3 Pixel Controller - might be another option as well.....

There certainly are other E1.31 controllers out there.  I bought my first E682 in 2012 and have been very happy with them, so I see no real reason to change brands.  I have two E6804s that are used year round for my landscape lighting, and currently three E682s that are used for Christmas.  The screen captures were from one of the E6804s that I see has an up time of 279.5 days - which comes up to Tuesday 24 January, 2017.  That is likely when I upgraded that controller to 5.023 - I know all of mine were 5.018 last Christmas, and I upgraded all five controllers shortly before the E682s were powered down for the off-season.