Still confused about controller IDs.

[bbig]

I had thought that when you set the base unit ID, for instance on a pixie8, that the system would then take the next 7 IDs.  However, when I added a new controller today, it set it to the very next ID number.  Or explained another way, i have 5 existing pixies a pixie2, pixie16, pixie16, poxie8, and a pixie8 at unit IDs 1, 3, 20, 30, 40, and 50.  When I added another pixie 8 today, it assigned unit ID 21.  Isn't the pixie16 already using that ID number?  The new controller is working even though I had not added the unit to the sequences.  

When I try to change the ID, say to 60, I get an error that the system cant find the controller to change.  

[TheDucks]

make yourself a HEX MAP

1,2 Pixie2

3,4,5,6,7,8,9,A,B,C,D,E,F,10,11,12 Pixie16

20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,2A,2B,2C,D,2E,2F Pixie16

30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37 PIXIE8

40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47 PIXIE8

It is best to only change ID with the target connected

 

[bbig]

I had drawn the hex map when I was trying to figure out what channels to assign.  At first I assigned them back to back but someone suggested starting each controller at the 10s like 20, 30, 40,etc.  Once I did that all of the controllers were working fine.  Today, I hooked up the new pixie to the computer by itself.  I changed the ID to 60 an then connected the rest of the controllers to the network.  The first time I ran a refresh in HU it set the ID of the new box to 41, refresh again 51, refresh, 21.  Each time I attempted to change the ID to 60 and the software says it can't find the controller even though I can run the lights using the initial Unit ID.  

[TheDucks]

8 minutes ago, bbig said:

I had drawn the hex map when I was trying to figure out what channels to assign.  At first I assigned them back to back but someone suggested starting each controller at the 10s like 20, 30, 40,etc.  Once I did that all of the controllers were working fine.  Today, I hooked up the new pixie to the computer by itself.  I changed the ID to 60 an then connected the rest of the controllers to the network.  The first time I ran a refresh in HU it set the ID of the new box to 41, refresh again 51, refresh, 21.  Each time I attempted to change the ID to 60 and the software says it can't find the controller even though I can run the lights using the initial Unit ID.  

HU can be a bit flaky when many controllers are present, which is a good reason to only change with one attached.

I just recommend using more natural HEX boundaries. for a Pixie 8: x0, x8 . A Pixie 4 cold be x0, x4, x8, xC  (But I recommend using the 8 boundry first.

Last year one of my Pixie4's Grew up (into a Pixie8 ), Since I had  left a gap, NO PAIN, just added 4 more device ports to my sequence

 

[bbig]

Tomorrow morning I will connect t it by itself again and see if I can correct the ID.  There are a bunch of people out front so I don't want to shut everything down to run the HU.  Thanks for the help.

[ItsMeBobO]

The pixie 16 controller has dip switches for address.  Set all off to change using hwu.   Even if on a different network, you can number controllers as if on the same network. This allows you to move them between networks easier in the future.

 

[bbig]

12 hours ago, ItsMeBobO said:

The pixie 16 controller has dip switches for address.  Set all off to change using hwu.   Even if on a different network, you can number controllers as if on the same network. This allows you to move them between networks easier in the future.

 

I forgot to set them at zero at first but did after it didn't work the first couple times.