Pixie 16 help

[Steven R]

I am new to pixels and need help I have went set up like it says in manual but can't get any lights to turn. What am I doing wrong. Help!!!!!!!!

[Orville]

Is this only is SE or both SE and PE?   I don't have a Pixie 16, but do know if you aren't getting any lights on, then chances are you don't have "Control Lights" checked off in the SE under the "Play" menu at the top of the SE in the toolbar area.   Also check the "Lights Off at End", this way when the sequence ends, all lights will go off and none will remain on.

In the PE, I have no idea if there is a setting in there that needs to be turned on or not.  I won't be messing with that myself until next year, too late in the year for me to try and figure out how to use the PE.

 

Edited October 1, 2018 by Orville
remove ? before Play and change to quote symbol ". Didn't catch that in the proof-read...*DOH!*

[dibblejr]

1 hour ago, Steven R said:

I am new to pixels and need help I have went set up like it says in manual but can't get any lights to turn. What am I doing wrong. Help!!!!!!!!

Follow this

Of course you must have the proper license level either "advanced or Pro" pro is recommended if you can afford it. 

I posted in detail how to resolve this issue as m a similar post last night.

1- if you have any other controllers and will add the pixie16 to your configuration you must first determine the unit ID you want to use.

pixie16 will use 16 unit ids based on the hexadecimal system.

All you need to concern yourself with is the first (starting) unit ID. So if you have 3 AC controllers already you need to select the unit ID higher than 3 - so let’s say 4

2- If you will be using the starting unit ID greater than 1- you will need to turn off the dip switch that is on. If you do not turn this off you can change the unit ID 1000 times in HU and every time you shut down HU it will revert to the factory default Unit #1

3- Open HU with only the pixie16 attached

4- Refresh the unit (center refresh) not the comm port refresh on the left.

5- It will probably say “found one unit, pixie16 01 version ...”

6- to Chage Unit ID use the bottom left corner box Old Unit ID 1 to whatever the new one is. It will say - Unit ID has been changed

7- I always ask everyone to confirm by closing HU and repeating the search to ensure the unit ID took

8- Exit HU

9-Open SE

10- Open a sequence (if you have one from a previous year) hopefully it is yours and your config, if not open “new musical sequence) select the song

11- if old sequence right click on the controller last channel button. So if you had thise 3 AC controllers you would scroll to unit 3 circuit 16

12 - Right click

13- Add/ insert device

14- above / below 

15- If assigning as sample you would select below

16- the next box will allow you to 

 a- name

b- select device pixie 2/4/8/16

c- add as group

d- select color order triples or RGB RGB rgb

e- set the unit ID same as you set in HU

g- select network LOR Regular for most people

add

17- your pixie will

now

show

up

innthe sequence. 

The next thing I ask people to do when I help them on phone is

1- open Network Preferences

2- LOR tab

3- if you don’t see 3 tabs LOR/ DMX/ MISC click on the advanced button on right- now you should see what appears to be a spreadsheet- green and white lines

4- In the LOR Regular tab click “speed”

set the speed for the regular at 500k

tou should also see a little box to check that says “enhanced”

click that and Apply and once it sets it and the box goes away click

”ok”

now if you have a sequence to copy paste into those channels in your pixie portion of the sequence you will have lights!!!

As long as you have lights connected - yep seen that happen more than once

Tty that and if you get lost shoot me a

PM with cell # and I good time to call. I am CEntral Time Zine

That should get you up and running. Leave that dip switch off from here out.

Note I missed 2 things- while in HU after you set the unit ID and you verified it stuck.

Click on the pixie/ ccr config button - about bottom center

Ensure your pixel model is selected WS2811 .... or whatever you are using

Color Order RGB RGB RGB Tripples

If you notice color problems this is where you play around until you get it right. Test in HU and if green is red you need to fix it here.

Pixels per port 50/100

The pixels per port will also be a question when you set the pixie up in SE as I instruct above.

Setting up

for Halloween so types this on the fly but it should get you going 100%.

If you follow these instruction step by step you will have lights. If you get lost shoot me a PM and good time to call. I always text first to ensure the person I am helping is available and by their hardware. 

JR

Edited October 1, 2018 by dibblejr

[Mr. P]

Update your profile so we can see software version and license level. Pixie 16 has certain requirements you must meet.

[dibblejr]

8 minutes ago, Orville said:

Is this only is SE or both SE and PE?   I don't have a Pixie 16, but do know if you aren't getting any lights on, then chances are you don't have "Control Lights" checked off in the SE under the ?Play" menu at the top of the SE in the toolbar area.   Also check the "Lights Off at End", this way when the sequence ends, all lights will go off and none will remain on.

In the PE, I have no idea if there is a setting in there that needs to be turned on or not.  I won't be messing with that myself until next year, too late in the year for me to try and figure out how to use the PE.

 

Orville, most people get lost with simple setting up the pixie series controllers. They attempt to set it up in PE or SE manually and think of it as a 1-16 device. Not only that but they don't set the "correct 500K speed and Enhanced" in NP.

They rely on HU but I tell them HU is like a back door.

They also fail to turn the factory dip switch off that sets it at Unit ID # 1 from LOR. This only applies if they have controllers before the pixie.

JR

[Orville]

54 minutes ago, dibblejr said:

Orville, most people get lost with simple setting up the pixie series controllers. They attempt to set it up in PE or SE manually and think of it as a 1-16 device. Not only that but they don't set the "correct 500K speed and Enhanced" in NP.

They rely on HU but I tell them HU is like a back door.

They also fail to turn the factory dip switch off that sets it at Unit ID # 1 from LOR. This only applies if they have controllers before the pixie.

JR

Like stated, I don't own a Pixie 16, just the older CCB-100 controllers, so I was only giving advice on how to turn the lights on inside the SE.   If it's mot on, they still wouldn't get lights from the Pixie 16 as that controls how the SE sends out info to the controllers to do all those effects with the lights attached.

Unless the Pixie 16 bypasses this in SE, but I wouldn't think that would be possible and have light working if the Control Lights isn't checked.

Doubt I'll ever go the Pixie route, but you never know in this hobby.   Never thought I'd ever go to using RGB lighting either, but I did.

But I'll file this info for later perusal just in case I ever do get a Pixie controller.

[Mr. P]

13 minutes ago, Orville said:

Like stated, I don't own a Pixie 16, just the older CCB-100 controllers, so I was only giving advice on how to turn the lights on inside the SE.   If it's mot on, they still wouldn't get lights from the Pixie 16 as that controls how the SE sends out info to the controllers to do all those effects with the lights attached.

Unless the Pixie 16 bypasses this in SE, but I wouldn't think that would be possible and have light working if the Control Lights isn't checked.

Doubt I'll ever go the Pixie route, but you never know in this hobby.   Never thought I'd ever go to using RGB lighting either, but I did.

But I'll file this info for later perusal just in case I ever do get a Pixie controller.

The Pixie controllers will work in the HU whether it is setup in SE or not. When the Pixie controller works in the HU and not in SE then that is a sign your configuration is wrong.

Personally, I will never use Pixels on a LOR network and will stick to keeping them all on E1.31

[Orville]

8 hours ago, Mr. P said:

The Pixie controllers will work in the HU whether it is setup in SE or not. When the Pixie controller works in the HU and not in SE then that is a sign your configuration is wrong.

Personally, I will never use Pixels on a LOR network and will stick to keeping them all on E1.31

I wouldn't even know where to begin or how to set up an E1.31.   Is that even possible with LOR CCD {CCB-100} Controllers?

[dibblejr]

1 minute ago, Orville said:

I wouldn't even know where to begin or how to set up an E1.31.   Is that even possible with LOR CCD {CCB-100} Controllers?

That makes at least 2 of us my friend.

I like the K.I.S.S. method, all LOR protocol. 

JR

[Orville]

13 minutes ago, dibblejr said:

That makes at least 2 of us my friend.

I like the K.I.S.S. method, all LOR protocol. 

JR

I agree with that J.R.   When I wrote documentation for folks to work from, I always made it as easy and as simple as possible. 

Yes, sometimes to the engineers and other techie guys complained it's too wordy, but the supervisors on the floor and those that worked from my documentation preferred the long winded explanations on how to do it over the short ones.  That they always said led to wrong conclusions or the wrong way of doing the job, just the opposite of what was intended.  

When most folks worked from my documentation when I was doing that kind of thing, there were very minimal mistakes made, if any.  Unlike the short descriptions/documentation of how to do the same job, most assemblers couldn't really understand it, and when working from them, made a lot of mistakes in wiring and wrong components on the board, they made close to 5-7 times more mistakes with the "brief" documentation, but less when it was explained in fuller {long winded} details.

Unfortunately that's why sometimes my comments/replies get to be a bit long winded at times around here.   Just a habit I got into on a job years ago, although I've been doing a little better on trying to keep it shorter, if and when I can.

Unfortunately the K.I.S.S. method does at times require extended commentary. LOL

 

Edited October 2, 2018 by Orville

[Steven R]

Doing another run through now. Where is the dip switch located

[dibblejr]

46 minutes ago, Steven R said:

Doing another run through now. Where is the dip switch located

There should be 8 little switches (white in color) on the board itself. From the factory you will see all off except for one. Change that to the off position

They are located pretty close to the power input terminals, labeled as ID/ Address

JR

Edited October 2, 2018 by dibblejr

[Steven R]

Got like 4 of a 50 string to work but not the others.?

[dibblejr]

22 hours ago, Steven R said:

Got like 4 of a 50 string to work but not the others.?

I/ We Need

1- Your Version of Software S-4 or S-5?

2- Your License Level (basic, basic plus, advanced or pro)

Also, what controller? 

Did you build it or was it LOR assembled.

How many controllers?

How are these 4 nodes on a strand working? 

I can talk you through it on the phone but not having those answers up front would just be spinning my wheels.

This is a very busy time of year but I am always willing to use some of it to help.

 

JR

 

[Steven R]

running it on a pixie 16. I am only using a total of 16 strings of 50 5v on props. I  am using computer and have 4 controllers besides this one. I have pro licence I finally got lights on in HU using Pixle console but on 5 bulbs when running sequence. I am only using super star to create sequences  vs pixel editor. S4 and already put together by lor. Getting close. 

Edited October 3, 2018 by Steven R
Needed to add more.

[dibblejr]

5 hours ago, Steven R said:

running it on a pixie 16. I am only using a total of 16 strings of 50 5v on props. I  am using computer and have 4 controllers besides this one. I have pro licence I finally got lights on in HU using Pixle console but on 5 bulbs when running sequence. I am only using super star to create sequences  vs pixel editor. S4 and already put together by lor. Getting close. 

If you follow my instructions step by step above you WILL have lights.

Do not rely on HU as a means to your lights. It just means you controller and HU are communicating, nothing more than that.

If you miss a step in my instructions you will not have lights.

Who built the controller? You never answered that question.

Your strings also have to work. Im not sure how many strings you have attached to the controller.

JR

[Steven R]

I am only using 1 light string but will try more than one to see what happens and go back through the steps.

[dibblejr]

28 minutes ago, Steven R said:

I am only using 1 light string but will try more than one to see what happens and go back through the steps.

Set you a pm with my # so we can get you up and running instead of posting back and forth here.

JR

[tlogan]

2nd post so I can't update my profile yet....

SE version 4.3.36 Advanced 

Pixie 2 White case

In HU:

 I went through the setup instructions above. Set the Pixie2 to Unit Id 3. Refresh confirms and shows 2 ports. I select all ports and test and only one string seems to respond (Port 1). Port 2 just continually flashes and seems to be running on a test pattern.

In SE:

I open an existing sequence. When I try to Add Device, It won't let me select Pixie2/4/8/16. Everytime I select it, it reverts to CF50D and I can't change the Unit to 3...it reverts back to 1.

 

Any help idea are greatly appreciated.

[dibblejr]

10 minutes ago, tlogan said:

2nd post so I can't update my profile yet....

SE version 4.3.36 Advanced 

Pixie 2 White case

In HU:

 I went through the setup instructions above. Set the Pixie2 to Unit Id 3. Refresh confirms and shows 2 ports. I select all ports and test and only one string seems to respond (Port 1). Port 2 just continually flashes and seems to be running on a test pattern.

In SE:

I open an existing sequence. When I try to Add Device, It won't let me select Pixie2/4/8/16. Everytime I select it, it reverts to CF50D and I can't change the Unit to 3...it reverts back to 1.

 

Any help idea are greatly appreciated.

When you set the pixies up it will use the number of units equivalent to your pixie model. Therefor a pixie 2 will use 2 consecutive unit numbers in your case starting unit ID 3 so it will auto assign 3 & 4

HU refresh only confirms you set it as HU sees it. Once you close the door all bets are off. You need to set the dip switches to ALL off. From the factory it is set as unit 1. There fore  even while HU will let you set the unit ID as you want, as soon as you close HU it automatically reverts to unit 1. That is why you have a blinking light

My bets you got so excited you missed a step or two.

Open SE

Open A sequence

Right Click a unit or channel button

"Insert Device" above or below

Pixie 2 is in two drop down lists

If you need further help let me know

JR

 

JR 

Edited October 24, 2018 by dibblejr