New to dumb RGB and need help

[k6ccc]

1 hour ago, dibblejr said:

Singing faces. Glad it was that simple. My OCD drives me crazy sometimes esp with the faces.

It is great to see them in action.

Maybe I'll actually get some video shot of mine this year...

 

[Sharpsburg Lights]

I am trying to learn how smart nodes work and it is over my head. This is what I am thinking. I will compare it to the network in a house.  A house is wired with Ethernet throughout the house.  You have the data travel through the network and can connect a computer through that same data cable at any point. The power is separated so each computer is essentially limited to one plug each.  
 

DATA

I am thinking that it doesn’t matter how many nodes I connect together on the network. For instance, I can jump from one window to the next window if they are close together. I am limited by the power for that run.  And I guess the layout of the nodes is done on the computer?  
 

POWER

I don’t how many nodes one power supply can power   Do I push the power through the falcon pixel controller?  I am guessing that I will need several power supplies.   If I am pushing further down the line do I need to close a loop and create a new loop with another power supply or are you able to inject power on one line with different power supplies.  I know you will wreck anything if you cross alternate currents on an ac system but I really don’t know much about a DC system that is from different sources.  
 

 

 

 

[k6ccc]

Check you PM for my phone number.

 

[TheDucks]

2 hours ago, Sharpsburg Lights said:

I am trying to learn how smart nodes work and it is over my head. This is what I am thinking. I will compare it to the network in a house.  A house is wired with Ethernet throughout the house.  You have the data travel through the network and can connect a computer through that same data cable at any point. The power is separated so each computer is essentially limited to one plug each.  
 

DATA

I am thinking that it doesn’t matter how many nodes I connect together on the network. For instance, I can jump from one window to the next window if they are close together. I am limited by the power for that run.  And I guess the layout of the nodes is done on the computer?  
 

POWER

I don’t how many nodes one power supply can power   Do I push the power through the falcon pixel controller?  I am guessing that I will need several power supplies.   If I am pushing further down the line do I need to close a loop and create a new loop with another power supply or are you able to inject power on one line with different power supplies.  I know you will wreck anything if you cross alternate currents on an ac system but I really don’t know much about a DC system that is from different sources.  
 

 

 

 

You are stuck in the AC light layout rut. Long cords at 120V really were not a problem at 4A (500W) per port. Putting the controllers all together did not hurt (other than the heavy mass of cords to store )

Now you switch to Low Voltage. There are 2 common voltages in use: 5V and 12V.  Watts is Watts (P = I * E )/ Lower the voltage (E) and Amps (I) goes up/ more Amps = fatter wires to prevent I*R losses

When you need to cover distances, 5V is a pain because you can only run 50 nodes before you need to do other tricks (power inject). OTOH 12V can do 150 nodes (no gap jumps) (IIRC 170 is a DMX universe (port) limit)

Power (P = I * E) depends on the strings used AND controller power bus limits.  @12V 50 nodes runs about 3A (36W) all white. While a Pixie# port can do 100 nodes. the power bus CAN'T  do a whole BANK (800 nodes) all white (48A) (for some reason, the board layout designers decided to feed the power from  the End of a bank. The copper can only handle so many Amps. )    In many cases, small controller + PSU packages  is better for outlines (closer to the place of use), where bigger controllers for dense (many nodes) things like Mega Trees and Matrix. 

While 12V nodes are less efficient, I CHOSE to use a single voltage. I can grab just about any string, and a controller package (A CG1500  enclosure + Controller+PSU)  No OOPS!  #$%^ those were 5V nodes that I just powered from a 12V package.

K6CCC has part of his permanently installed. He just changes their show.  Sit down, scratch both ends 😛 and figure what FITS best for what you are lighting. IMHO buy a Falcon (or any other brand) and trying to make it WORK for your site, is backwards. Figure the Lights: Calculate the loads and node count: Then figure what controller(s) and power is needed.  CAT5 (the LOR/DMX data to the controller) is cheap. for most part 4000'  is the only RS485 limit (OTOH Ethernet has a 300' limit and can't be daisy chained (some controllers include a Ethernet repeater port)

BTW LOR's ELL can not do Pixel needed (500K) data rates, so don't think you can hang other than tour Ac/dumb controllers on that network and beat the length limits 

[Sharpsburg Lights]

I bought the Falcon F16 and I am currently trying to learn the system.  I have two strands of lights connected and I am trying to inject power at the end of the second and the second is not turning on.  I also am trying to do a color wash test and the green is illuminating as red,  blue is illuminating as green, and red is illuminating as blue.  I don't know why it is doing this wrong. 
 

Update:  I needed to change the addressing mode to universe/start channel.  That seemed to fix all of the problems.  I’m not sure why I had a color issue but it is resolved as well. 

Edited May 17, 2020 by Sharpsburg Lights

[k6ccc]

If you need any further help with the Falcon controllers, feel free to ask.