Jump to content
Light-O-Rama Forums

Pixel color order is wrong - Why?


Aubrey

Recommended Posts

Today I set up my first physical Pixie4 and Pixie2, both brand new out of the box. For background information, my skills lie in software and not so much in hardware. The Pixie4 is set up to use four strands of pixel nodes from a vendor that is not LOR, and the Pixie2 is set up to use two LOR CCRs that were ordered at the same time as the controller. Someone else who actually understands how the connectors work hooked up the non-LOR xConnect pixels to the pigtails so they would connect to the controller.

When I tested the controllers (separately) in the HU, the color orders of the pixels were all wrong. The solutions to get the color order to match Red, Blue Green were different for each controller. For the Pixie4 (non LOR lights), I had go into the advanced Pixie settings and set it to RGB "Reverse" for each port. For the Pixie2 and CCRs, I had to change it to BRG and leave the "Reverse" checkbox blank. I understand the concept of the changes I was making and now all of the pixels work correctly with their colors, I'm just curious why I had to make those changes in the first place with new controllers/pixels and if anyone else has had this problem. Thank you!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The issue isn't the controllers it's the pixels. There are literally hundreds of manufacturers who make pixels and there are no standards for the color order. This is why most controller allow you to change the color order. Some controllers only allow the color order for the entire controller so you have to make sure all the pixel strings are the same order. Other controllers allow you to change the color order for each port so this gives more flexibility for pixel strings.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is very little consistency between pixels.  Some particular types from a single manufacturer are always the same, but other than that, assume that you will need to set the pixel color order.  That BTW is one of the hazards of buying pixels for one prop or controller in different batches.  Buy a batch of pixels and they are one color order.  Buy some more from the same vendor a year later and they MAY be different.  That is a real problem if the additional pixels were bought to use as individual replacement pixels.  Depending on the controller, you MAY be able to change the color order for each string, so you could use the later purchased pixels as an entire string and use the string that you pulled out as the replacements, but even that can become a problem.  The moral of the story is to always buy extra pixels in the same batch so that you will have spares WHEN (not IF) some pixels fail.  Put those in a box that is well labeled so three years from now, you will know which pixels to use a replacements.  The other issue is that even if the color order is the same between different batches of pixels, the colors sometimes are a little different.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When you buy pixels for say a 16 ribbon tree I always buy 20 ribbons from the same vendor. This way all pixels will be the same plus I have four spares for future repairs of the prop.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Mr. P said:

 

You set the color order using the HU.

Rule 1: A single Pixie can only have 1 color order (applies to all ports).  See posts 2 and 3. BUY spares (strings) if you use varied suppliers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 11 months later...

Similar problem:

I have 2 pixie 2 controllers. They came packaged with the CCR II kit from LOR. So - the controller and both ribbons are direct from LOR - no mix and match problems.

One works fine; the other will not change its order from BRG no matter what I try. They both came with v1.04 and have both been upgraded to v 1.06.

I have tried every configuration trick I could find from the manual and this web site. Beginning to think the controller is bad.

Before i send it back, does anybody have a definitive test I can do?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, alodine said:

Similar problem:

I have 2 pixie 2 controllers. They came packaged with the CCR II kit from LOR. So - the controller and both ribbons are direct from LOR - no mix and match problems.

One works fine; the other will not change its order from BRG no matter what I try. They both came with v1.04 and have both been upgraded to v 1.06.

I have tried every configuration trick I could find from the manual and this web site. Beginning to think the controller is bad.

Before i send it back, does anybody have a definitive test I can do?

watch my video below 

1- did you happen to put the jumper that came in the package where the note that came with it said? If so remove that jumper.

2- there are two different kwz ws2811 pixels, try the opposite of what you have now. They are in the HU in the pixie/ CCR Config/ advanced tab

3- if that does not work do a hard reset

with power to the pixie 

push and hold the white reset button

Continue to push it while unplugging the power

cintinue to hold and wait for the status light to go off

hold it for a few more seconds and plug the power cord back in 

once the status light starts flashing really fast Stop pressing the button and try The lights again

If you need help pm Me

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8/1/2020 at 5:05 PM, Aubrey said:

Today I set up my first physical Pixie4 and Pixie2, both brand new out of the box. For background information, my skills lie in software and not so much in hardware. The Pixie4 is set up to use four strands of pixel nodes from a vendor that is not LOR, and the Pixie2 is set up to use two LOR CCRs that were ordered at the same time as the controller. Someone else who actually understands how the connectors work hooked up the non-LOR xConnect pixels to the pigtails so they would connect to the controller.

When I tested the controllers (separately) in the HU, the color orders of the pixels were all wrong. The solutions to get the color order to match Red, Blue Green were different for each controller. For the Pixie4 (non LOR lights), I had go into the advanced Pixie settings and set it to RGB "Reverse" for each port. For the Pixie2 and CCRs, I had to change it to BRG and leave the "Reverse" checkbox blank. I understand the concept of the changes I was making and now all of the pixels work correctly with their colors, I'm just curious why I had to make those changes in the first place with new controllers/pixels and if anyone else has had this problem. Thank you!

It’s not a problem. It’s designed that way.

if you look at the drop down menu in HU where you set the color order you will know why.

they are set up for a lot of different pixels and MFG chip sets. There are chipsets that are not even defined in the list and A way to set theM but that is for very specific chip sets that 99.9% of the users will not have.

JR

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello

 

Thanks dibblejr for the info.  For your questions:

1. The jumper was not installed when I received it and I did not install it.

2. I had tried both WS2881 options in the configuration page - in fact, I tried every option - only the WS2811 800 kHz worked.

3. Did the hard reset with no change in status. Still ran BGR even though I selected RGB.

THEN - out of desperation, I selected GBR in the configuration and the colors were correct. . .Hmmmm.

Not one to trust it, I powered down everything and restarted. The thing still worked correctly. Configured it again with RGB and it still worked. I even plugged in two different ribbon strings and ran the original ribbons with another Pixie 2.  All works OK.

Cannot reconcile how it got fixed, but, it is.

 

Thanks again!

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, alodine said:

Hello

 

Thanks dibblejr for the info.  For your questions:

1. The jumper was not installed when I received it and I did not install it.

2. I had tried both WS2881 options in the configuration page - in fact, I tried every option - only the WS2811 800 kHz worked.

3. Did the hard reset with no change in status. Still ran BGR even though I selected RGB.

THEN - out of desperation, I selected GBR in the configuration and the colors were correct. . .Hmmmm.

Not one to trust it, I powered down everything and restarted. The thing still worked correctly. Configured it again with RGB and it still worked. I even plugged in two different ribbon strings and ran the original ribbons with another Pixie 2.  All works OK.

Cannot reconcile how it got fixed, but, it is.

 

Thanks again!

 

 

The factory reset may have worked. 

All that counts is that it is now correct.

JR

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Uh -

The problem is back. Let me tinker with it for another week or so before we discuss it again. I want to figure out what triggers its change.

I will post again in a week or so.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, alodine said:

Uh -

The problem is back. Let me tinker with it for another week or so before we discuss it again. I want to figure out what triggers its change.

I will post again in a week or so.

PM me a pic of the board, or pm Me and I will share my cell # and you can text me a pic. 
 

If you wish of course.

JR

Link to comment
Share on other sites

FWIW I had to use the Advanced color order section. That normally lets you set PER PORT.

For some reason, the basic (all ports) was not taking.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dibble and I talked & it looks like everything is fine. We cannot duplicate the color order changing on its own.

I did notice that the configuration page 'RGB order (set all ports)' is set to RGB but on the advanced page, the separate ports are set to BRG. This is the way the thing configures itself and it works fine. My guess is, I changed the advanced separate port settings to RGB and that started the problem. When I hard reset the thing and checked it on the HU, the colors tested correctly, the 'RGB order (set all ports)' was RGB and the Advanced page port settings were BRG - go figure.

I have 5 other controllers and they all come up this way.

So - I think I caused the problem by trying to help . . . I join the walk of shame.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Sorry if it says and I missed it, but what is the jumper actually for? I bought a Pixie 16 with RGB strips from Holiday Coro and I don't think I would use the jumper correct? I just kind of want to figure out what the jumper is doing just to know is all :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, jstein said:

Sorry if it says and I missed it, but what is the jumper actually for? I bought a Pixie 16 with RGB strips from Holiday Coro and I don't think I would use the jumper correct? I just kind of want to figure out what the jumper is doing just to know is all :)

I don't think you bought a pixie16 from HC. However in the chance you did or do have a pixie16 and your question is just worded wrong.

One Jumper needs to go on JP2 that is for the network port to allow data to pass down line. (daisy chain)

Do not put a jumper on JP5 - weird things will happen if you do. It is reserved for some other functionality that 98% of the users will not need. (98% is just a guess)

JP2 is the only place you will need to have a jumper other than what is installed by the factory. 

JR

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...