Multiple issues with playback.....HELP!!!

[chowell]

This has been the worst setup year I've had in 10 years.  It has been one thing after another.  I could use a ton of help here if any of you have experienced these same issues.  I am running 9 LOR controllers and 5 E1.31 controllers.  Last year I ran 2 E1.31 controllers with the LOR controllers and didn't have any issues.  I added three additional E1.31 controllers for a total of 5 this year.  I now have the pixels running during the show after a nice guy reminded me to setup network preferences in LOR.  Here are the multiple issues going on:

1.  When I run the E1.31 controllers in test mode, everything seems to come on OK which tells me the wiring and such should be right meaning connections, length of runs, etc.  I have set all my pixel counts, etc. which I believe are accurate.  Example:  I have 10 - 84 count pixel trees.  When I run my show, about half or so will run the proper effects, and the others don't.  Some of them run different colors, not all pixels are running, etc.  It is totally haywire.  It seems like communication is off somewhere.  If i run test mode and the lights all come on and change colors as they should, my wiring should be correct shouldn't it? 

2.  I have an 8 string - 96 count pixel ea. string matrix that I ran last year with no problem.  Universes 1-8.  This year due to the new additions I have tried to run the first two pixel strings (last year Universes 1 and 2) on a different controller which are actually universes 31 and 32 so my matrix universe configuration in PE looks like this: (and I had to check the "individual start channels" box in order to assign different universes like that)

Univ 31, Univ 32, Univ 3, Univ 4, Univ 5, Univ 6, Univ 7, Univ 8

When I try to run the show, those first two channels Univ 31 and 32 are just following along with whatever the universes on that controller are doing....universes 17-30.  Can I not make this work?  Due to the length of wiring runs I really need to use those two channels for that matrix if possible. 

3.  Last year I had a small pixel matrix that ran no problem on one controller with a certain length of wiring.  This year, I had to switch that small matrix to a different controller but the length of wiring remained identical.  Now it does not want to run properly.  Just flashes sporadically and won't run the effects.  Why would the switch but the same length of wiring hinder the performance?

 

Let me add this and ask opinions:  I have come out of the house from the pc to a network switch in which two E1.31 controllers are plugged in to.  Then I have daisy chained the switch out to another switch which has three controllers plugged in to it.  I know daisy chaining is not optimal for other applications but how else would I do it and could that be the issue?  If so, why would some of the props run properly and others don't?

 

I would appreciate any help on this.  I am almost to the point of cancelling the show for the first time in 10 years. 

 

Thanks in advance.

Corey

 

Edited December 2, 2017 by chowell

[Dennis Laff]

When you changed universes numbers on the controllers did you also change the universe numbers in  web for controllers in network Preferances and also in pixel editor  seems like your channels or universes are conflicting .

[chowell]

Dennis, thanks so much for your replies to my issues.  After going back to the drawing board I discovered the universe assignments that I had initially set were not intact.  I have no explanation why so your idea of the channels conflicting caused me to go back and check.  I am going to test now but I'm thinking this was the issue.  As far as the two props flickering at full white I'm going to turn down intensity and see how that works.  Fingers crossed!

 

Thanks again.

Corey

[k6ccc]

50 minutes ago, chowell said:

After going back to the drawing board I discovered the universe assignments that I had initially set were not intact.  I have no explanation why so your idea of the channels conflicting caused me to go back and check. 

That was going to be my guess.  Glad you got it working.

 

4 hours ago, chowell said:

I have come out of the house from the pc to a network switch in which two E1.31 controllers are plugged in to.  Then I have daisy chained the switch out to another switch which has three controllers plugged in to it.  I know daisy chaining is not optimal for other applications but how else would I do it and could that be the issue?  If so, why would some of the props run properly and others don't?

This is a somewhat common misconception.  Running multiple switches in a row is NOT and issue.  The misconception comes from the days of hubs when it was a little more of a problem.  Switches are more intelligent than hubs.  Your communication to this forum likely goes through dozens of routers and switches.  For Christmas, I currently run four E1.31 controllers.  All of them go through at least two switches, and two go through three switches.  Below is a poor quality drawing of the E1.31 portion of my home LAN.  Just below this paragraph is a link to a far better .pdf drawing of the same extract.  The forum software does not know what to do with a .pdf file so you have to click the link to see it (and why I did the .png that you can see).

http://newburghlights.org/images/E1.31_extract_2017-11-02.pdf