Ethernet Issues

[Capt_Bill_USMC]

Hello!  I hope someone can help.

I have an Alphapix 16 controller and I am also running 96 LOR channels.  I have followed HC's videos to set up everything and got it all to ping correctly.  Then, something catastrophic happened to my ethernet port.  Some how, it shorted out and I had to buy a USB to ethernet adapter.  Now, I have no idea how to configue the network. I basically need to put the IP address in there and follow the same steps as I did if I was using the actual ethernet port.  But, the adapater, which the computer recognizes, does not show where the ethernet connection normally is.  Can someone please help?

Once I solve that problme, I have no idea how to use LOR to test my configuration without actually using a sequence.  Can someone please help with that?

Thank you!

Bill

 

[arnolddeleon]

Relatively easy with live help but a little challenging w/o it if you are not familiar.

See if you can get to Control Panel/Network and Internet/Network Connections

From there you should be able to go properties and fix things.

For testing you can use the LOR Hardware utility, look at "Pixel Console".  You'll want DMX/Pixel (E1.31) but before you get here you will need to configure network preferences in LOR.

 arnold

[Capt_Bill_USMC]

19 hours ago, arnolddeleon said:

Relatively easy with live help but a little challenging w/o it if you are not familiar.

See if you can get to Control Panel/Network and Internet/Network Connections

From there you should be able to go properties and fix things.

For testing you can use the LOR Hardware utility, look at "Pixel Console".  You'll want DMX/Pixel (E1.31) but before you get here you will need to configure network preferences in LOR.

 Arnold

Arnold, thank you!  This is a huge help.  I've already configured my network preferences, although I am skeptical of the IP address, but we will see.  Also, should the order of my lights be BRG?

Right now, the IP addresses under network configuration are:

239.255.0.1; 239.255.0.2; 239.255.0.3, etc. etc. all the to 16 

Does that sound correct?

Thanks again!

 

[Mr. P]

19 minutes ago, Capt_Bill_USMC said:

Arnold, thank you!  This is a huge help.  I've already configured my network preferences, although I am skeptical of the IP address, but we will see.  Also, should the order of my lights be BRG?

Right now, the IP addresses under network configuration are:

239.255.0.1; 239.255.0.2; 239.255.0.3, etc. etc. all the to 16 

Does that sound correct?

Thanks again!

 

The color order of the lights will depend on the manufacturer, some are RGB some are BRG etc. You can test the color order in the pixel console in the HU.

As far as the ip addresses the Alphapix16 will be assigned one ip address and each universe under that Alphapix will fall under that ip address. So if you have 16 universes on the Alphapix, one for each port, then all 16 universes will fall under the one ip address. you will match the ip address with the universe in the network config.

Edited December 6, 2017 by Mr. P

[Capt_Bill_USMC]

2 minutes ago, Mr. P said:

The color order of the lights will depend on the manufacturer, some are RGB some are BRG etc.

As far as the ip addresses the Alphapix16 will be assigned one ip address and each universe under that Alphapix will fall under that ip address. So if you have 16 universes on the Alphapix, one for each port, then all 16 universes will fall under the one ip address. you will match the ip address with the universe in the network config.

Thank you!  That makes sense.

I have the HC pixels that came with their 16 CCR tree.  The color order is not RGB I know that much. 

Thanks again!

 

[Mr. P]

Just now, Capt_Bill_USMC said:

Thank you!  That makes sense.

I have the HC pixels that came with their 16 CCR tree.  The color order is not RGB I know that much. 

Thanks again!

 

HC pixels are normally BRG, at least all the ones I have ever received from them.

[Capt_Bill_USMC]

1 minute ago, Mr. P said:

HC pixels are normally BRG, at least all the ones I have ever received from them.

Thank you.  Huge help!

[Mr. P]

2 minutes ago, Capt_Bill_USMC said:

Thank you.  Huge help!

Here is a sample of how the ip address would be assigned to an Alphapix16.

 

[Capt_Bill_USMC]

10 minutes ago, Mr. P said:

Here is a sample of how the ip address would be assigned to an Alphapix16.

 

Awesome!  Thanks!

[arnolddeleon]

The Alphaphix has a configuration web page (IP address should be on the display). Make sure you can reach that from your computer (e.g. http://192.168.0.50).  If that works we know we are almost there.   You will configure your preferences very similar to what Mr. P shared.

  arnold

[Capt_Bill_USMC]

10 minutes ago, arnolddeleon said:

The Alphaphix has a configuration web page (IP address should be on the display). Make sure you can reach that from your computer (e.g. http://192.168.0.50).  If that works we know we are almost there.   You will configure your preferences very similar to what Mr. P shared.

  Arnold

Thanks!  I got all that, but I may have to start over on a different computer because I still can't make this darn USB to Ethernet adapter work.  I've checked youtube, I googled it and I got nothing!

 

[arnolddeleon]

239.255.0.1 was what the IP address that was showing on the USB Ethernet adapter on the computer?  That's a MultiCast address, should have recognized sooner.  Your IP addresses most likely will be from the RFC1918 space so it will something

10.x.x.x 

172.16.x.x to 172.31.x.x

192.168.x.x 

When you look at the Ethernet Properties for the USB Ethernet adapter it should have a section checked for "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4).  If you go into that setting most likely you will want "Obtain an IP address automatically" 

  arnold

[Capt_Bill_USMC]

12 minutes ago, arnolddeleon said:

239.255.0.1 was what the IP address that was showing on the USB Ethernet adapter on the computer?  That's a MultiCast address, should have recognized sooner.  Your IP addresses most likely will be from the RFC1918 space so it will something

10.x.x.x 

172.16.x.x to 172.31.x.x

192.168.x.x 

When you look at the Ethernet Properties for the USB Ethernet adapter it should have a section checked for "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4).  If you go into that setting most likely you will want "Obtain an IP address automatically" 

  arnold

Thanks, yeah I fixed that.  I watched some youtube vid that said to use multicast, but I fixed that.  Now I am on a different computer have everything set up as above and per the other vids and I cannot make the LOR Hardware utility talk to the lights.  I got my computer to ping the controller and it comes back good.  But, I cannot use LOR hardware utility to control the lights.  What am I doing wrong?

 

[Capt_Bill_USMC]

Ok, I think it is a comm listener problem.  What/where is the comm listener?  I have the computer talking to the controller.  Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Mr. P]

3 minutes ago, Capt_Bill_USMC said:

Ok, I think it is a comm listener problem.  What/where is the comm listener?  I have the computer talking to the controller.  Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Make sure you activate the LOR Control Panel which will in turn activate the Comm Listener.

[Capt_Bill_USMC]

4 minutes ago, Mr. P said:

Make sure you activate the LOR Control Panel which will in turn activate the Comm Listener.

Thank you!

[Mr. P]

Just now, Capt_Bill_USMC said:

Thank you!

Also ensure that you assign the comm port in the HU.

[arnolddeleon]

Then make sure you configure the DMX screen on the network preferences on the control panel.  It should look like what Mr. P posted earlier.

[Capt_Bill_USMC]

Everything appears to be working the way it should, minus to pixels on output 16.  In blue, there are 2 pixels out completely.  In red, those same 2 pixels are yellow.

Now to run a sequence.

Thanks to all who helped get me to this point!  Could not have done it without you!

Bill

 

[arnolddeleon]

I would swap string on output 16 with another output (e.g. 15) see if the problem follow the output or the string. 

The other thing you can do is use the AlphaPhix test util on the board to see if the string works with local control.  That will rule out hardware versus configuration issues.