Multiple Networks, trazillion lights, I'm gonna kill my spouse, loljk but really.

[dibblejr]

2 hours ago, Army Lights said:

I’m having similar issues and I want to make sure I understand the guidance correctly:

According to my HU, I have

1) 1xCTB16D (ver 4.40)

2) 3x16PC-G3

3) 2xCR150D

4) 2x CMB24D

5) 1xPixie8

I upgraded to S5 this year and am trying to get the enhanced network thing to work for my pixel tree as well. The question i want to clarify is:

Can I update my CTB16D’s firmware to make it work, or is the Gen 3 thing a hard wired aspect of it? 

If it’s not something I can fix, it sounds like I have to run 2 networks, but how do I do that? Do I plug in two separate USB cables using the dongle? I’m not completely clear on the physical nature of the wiring. 

Your license level is to low. You need at least advanced for pixels and Pro for enhanced. 

Start with that and then follow my guide.

Read and follow the steps in my pixie configuration step by step in the General Hardware section of the forums. It’s stickied at the top .

It is a huge learning curve from S4 to S5 can’t for the life of me figure out why some folks want to try to change mid Show season.

you will need two networks for the mere reason you have the one non gen3 CTB16. But until you upgrade that license the only thing you will get to work is 2 ctb16s

Pro is the way to go and then you never look back and S4 would be the best software version at this point in time. 

Once you have the license then I think that ctb16 May com well but if still just run 2 networks or at least be prepared to.

JR

Edited December 13, 2018 by dibblejr

[Army Lights]

My license level is already pro. Yes, there’s a learning curve, but I changed because I was told by someone I needed to in order to use this tree. I think I’m picking up steam on the software, but I still haven’t figured this issue out. 

What’s confusing to me is that it specifically says in the setup instructions that this thing can be used in Regular or Enhanced networks. It appears that’s technically true, but if you want to add Motion Effects, you must use Enhanced. What’s the point of having the tree without motion effects?!

I’ll take a look at the guide now and hopefully that will solve my problems. Please let me know if I’m incorrect in anything I said about. 

Thanks!

[Army Lights]

2 hours ago, dibblejr said:

Your license level is to low. You need at least advanced for pixels and Pro for enhanced. 

Start with that and then follow my guide.

Read and follow the steps in my pixie configuration step by step in the General Hardware section of the forums. It’s stickied at the top .

It is a huge learning curve from S4 to S5 can’t for the life of me figure out why some folks want to try to change mid Show season.

you will need two networks for the mere reason you have the one non gen3 CTB16. But until you upgrade that license the only thing you will get to work is 2 ctb16s

Pro is the way to go and then you never look back and S4 would be the best software version at this point in time. 

Once you have the license then I think that ctb16 May com well but if still just run 2 networks or at least be prepared to.

JR

Sorry, I meant to nest my response under yours. Please see above. 

[TheDucks]

6 hours ago, Army Lights said:

I’m having similar issues and I want to make sure I understand the guidance correctly:

According to my HU, I have

1) 1xCTB16D (ver 4.40)

2) 3x16PC-G3

3) 2xCR150D

4) 2x CMB24D

5) 1xPixie8

I upgraded to S5 this year and am trying to get the enhanced network thing to work for my pixel tree as well. The question i want to clarify is:

Can I update my CTB16D’s firmware to make it work, or is the Gen 3 thing a hard wired aspect of it? 

If it’s not something I can fix, it sounds like I have to run 2 networks, but how do I do that? Do I plug in two separate USB cables using the dongle? I’m not completely clear on the physical nature of the wiring. 

That Gen 2 CTB16 is the choke point. It is hardware limited. But that is only a small bump. You really need 2 networks. Pixels need bucket loads of data. At least put those (items 3, 5) on their own HS NETWORK.

All that other Dumb stuff will work at 115K on the older Black dongle

[Army Lights]

37 minutes ago, TheDucks said:

That Gen 2 CTB16 is the choke point. It is hardware limited. But that is only a small bump. You really need 2 networks. Pixels need bucket loads of data. At least put those (items 3, 5) on their own HS NETWORK.

All that other Dumb stuff will work at 115K on the older Black dongle

Yup, that’s what I’m doing. I’ve already ordered the red dongle so it should be here in less than a week. 

So, just to be clear: there is no way to make the Gen 2 compatible with the Enhanced network via firmware update, correct? As you said, this is hardware related, not software. 

I just want to reiterate one of the issues I see here: The Pixie8 trees are specifically listed as NOT needing to be on an Enhanced Network. It also explicitly discusses it on the last page of the instruction manual that comes with it. 

“The Pixie8 controller is Designed to be part of the Light-O-Rama network. It will run in a standard network or an enhanced network. The Pixie8 controller is daisy chained into the network like any other Light-O-Rama controller.”

[k6ccc]

3 minutes ago, Army Lights said:

o, just to be clear: there is no way to make the Gen 2 compatible with the Enhanced network via firmware update, correct? As you said, this is hardware related, not software

Correct.  Gen 2 controllers can not in any way, shape or form, operate on either an Enhanced network nor a network operating faster than 115K speed.

5 minutes ago, Army Lights said:

I just want to reiterate one of the issues I see here: The Pixie8 trees are specifically listed as NOT needing to be on an Enhanced Network. It also explicitly discusses it on the last page of the instruction manual that comes with it. 

“The Pixie8 controller is Designed to be part of the Light-O-Rama network. It will run in a standard network or an enhanced network. The Pixie8 controller is daisy chained into the network like any other Light-O-Rama controller.”

True - but...  I don't have any Pixie controllers so only going by what I have read.  I know LOR states that the Pixel controllers do not require an enhanced network, but some people here are disputing that statement.  In any case, unless it's a very lightly loaded Pixie, it's too many channels for a 115K network (regardless of Enhanced vs non-Enhanced).

 

[TheDucks]

Advertising Spin. Yes it works. Fairly slow changes can exist on a slow network. Synchonized stuff needs speed to happen in time

The folk who are saying Enhanced mode required are pushin Pixels hard. 

 

Edited December 13, 2018 by TheDucks
re worded

[Army Lights]

17 minutes ago, TheDucks said:

Advertising Spin. Yes it works. Fairly slow changes can exist on a slow network. Synchonized stuff needs speed to happen in time

The folk who are saying Enhanced mode required are pushin Pixels hard. 

 

No, here’s the thing (and please let me know if I’m doing something wrong): The LOR S5 Sequencer will not allow me to export the sequence if I have Motion Effects on a non-Enhanced network. 

By the way, props and gratitude to LOR. I just saw they upgraded me to overnight shipping for the dongle for free. 

[k6ccc]

13 minutes ago, Army Lights said:

No, here’s the thing (and please let me know if I’m doing something wrong): The LOR S5 Sequencer will not allow me to export the sequence if I have Motion Effects on a non-Enhanced network. 

I don't think that is a correct answer (sort of).  Motion Effects can only be contained within Intensity files.  Intensity files require an Enhanced network in order to control the lights.  However, it will create the intensity files regardless of your network settings, but they won't work unless you have an Enhanced network.  For example, this computer has never driven lights and likely never will.  I do have S5.2.2 Pro loaded and I occasionally do some sequencing on it.  I just verified that my Network Preferences is set to Com1 for Regular network at 56K non-enhanced, and no other networks defined (LOR or DMX).  I just opened a sequence that has over 55,000 channels of E1.31 that were created as Motion Effects and 10,000 channels of SuperStar Effects, and then created playback files.  It gave me a warning message that none of my networks are enhanced, but after clicking OK, it created the play.lms and play.lms.pe.lid files.

 

[dibblejr]

1 hour ago, TheDucks said:

Advertising Spin. Yes it works. Fairly slow changes can exist on a slow network. Synchonized stuff needs speed to happen in time

The folk who are saying Enhanced mode required are pushin Pixels hard. 

 

Advertising has nothing to do with it. It’s down to earth trial and error that counts.

Even some of the guys just starting out have to have enhanced! Beit 100 pixels or 10,000 pixels.

I have probably helped well over 200 people closer to 500 with pixies in one way shape or form. 

Both new users as well as seasoned LOR veterans and 90% have had to have enhanced to work.

There have been exceptions just the other day I helped a guy connect and run his pixie at 115 non enhanced with his Gen2 Director.

I do not know what the uncommon denominator is, but the majority do have to have the ELOR to run.

JR

[tlogan]

I got my Pixie II working with the help and advice of Jr (THANKS!). I can't say absolutely that the core issue was the use of an enhanced network as I had to flash the prior firmware before ANYTHING would work. The cost to upgrade to the second network is really negligible in the grand scheme of the cost of these displays...the new dongle and another run of cat5. Right now I'm only running that one Pixie II on that second network as this is my first year into RGB, but I have a pretty good idea that it won't take long start running up the count. So, based on JR's advice I went ahead and did it and have had no issues since. I think it took me 5 minutes to install the driver and set it up. I reckon I'll be saving myself a BIG headache in the future.

My advice; just do it.

Sorry JR, advertising DOES enter in to it! 

Edited December 13, 2018 by tlogan

[TheDucks]

JR My Advertising was referring to a data sheet Features list.

They always tell you what you CAN do without telling you the LIMITS you are tied to (at the low end)

[dibblejr]

35 minutes ago, TheDucks said:

JR My Advertising was referring to a data sheet Features list.

They always tell you what you CAN do without telling you the LIMITS you are tied to (at the low end)

 

35 minutes ago, TheDucks said:

JR My Advertising was referring to a data sheet Features list.

They always tell you what you CAN do without telling you the LIMITS you are tied to (at the low end)

Wired stuff with this forum posting today

I kind of hoping you was going to say something like that. LOL

JR