S5 - G3 MP3 Director - No Lights

[Dave Pursel]

I've reviewed hundreds of post with no luck.

After doing a new install of S5 V5.5.16 w/Pro License on a newer computer (not my S2 computer), creating a new preview by importing S2 channel config. 

I've converted 3 short sequences to test with using the following method:

opening a old S2 sequence, which uses the Upgrade Legacy Sequence process pointing to my newly created preview, and then

doing a file save with a new file name.

Then using hub to create my show on sd card with the option Create New SD card show

Using G3 MP3 Director and Net1 (standard 57k speed) (have tried net2 port also)

Director plays normally and music is heard over fm,

but no lights on CTB16PC controllers are being activated?

Any suggestions that I can look at?

Tx.

 

[Dave Pursel]

I've just run verifier and there seems to me to be a LOR issue here.

It's reporting that the sequence file does not exist.

It's looking at the users profile directory and I'm not sure why (maybe it's suppose to be)

as my sequences are stored else where.

I'm now searching some new topics this.

Edited December 29, 2020 by Dave Pursel
wrong words

[KYHI]

open Sequencer - select "Tools" upper left - select "Change User Data Directory"

or move your files to that Default Directory

[dibblejr]

2 hours ago, Dave Pursel said:

I've reviewed hundreds of post with no luck.

After doing a new install of S5 V5.5.16 w/Pro License on a newer computer (not my S2 computer), creating a new preview by importing S2 channel config. 

I've converted 3 short sequences to test with using the following method:

opening a old S2 sequence, which uses the Upgrade Legacy Sequence process pointing to my newly created preview, and then

doing a file save with a new file name.

Then using hub to create my show on sd card with the option Create New SD card show

Using G3 MP3 Director and Net1 (standard 57k speed) (have tried net2 port also)

Director plays normally and music is heard over fm,

but no lights on CTB16PC controllers are being activated?

Any suggestions that I can look at?

Tx.

 

What mfg of sd card? 

Always best to keep your files in the LOR directories, less confusing. 

Do your sequences play correctly in the preview window?

JR

[Dave Pursel]

KYHI - Tx for your help.   I confirmed that my seqs are in the user data directory specified by the "Change User Data Director" parameter ( which is what I specified at installation time).  The path in that entry is

C:\xmas_V5_seq

I have a subfolder that exists under that parent directory which contains my copied sequences from S2 and that folder is called sequences   

The name of the sequence I initially and randomly chose to test with is named C_20201202_AngryBirds.lms

After running through the initial upgrade legacy process I saved the file as does in fact exist:

C:\xmas_V5_seq\sequences\C_S5_20201229_AngryBirds.loredit

 

I'm new to verifier and just discovered this entry in the results tab to the right of the output log tab

red circle X Sequence file does not exist  Error 23   [Sequence}: C:/xmas_V5_seq\LORInternal\Playback\L\C_S5_20201229_AngryBirds.0000.16.play.lms   [Show]: show C:\Users\Kathy_2\AppData\Local\Temp\LORBC87.tmp

neither of these two files exist in their respective folders!

However, there are three entries named:

C_S5_20201229_AngryBirds.0000.16.card.lms

C_S5_20201229_AngryBirds.0001.16.card.lms

C_S5_20201229_AngryBirds.0001.16.card.lms.pe.lid

This is a problem from my perspective.  I have no idea what LOR is doing with these internal files at this point.

PS.  I had to retype the above entries as I couldn't cut and paste from the verifier

 

 

[Dave Pursel]

DibbleJR  Tx for your input.

Being new to S5 I hadn't even tried playing one in the preview.

But now that I have, it does display the sequence correctly.  And my timings are spot on.  Whew!

I have about 5 2GB cards made by PNY, a couple of SanDIsk 1.0GB, a couple of 500MB that I've been using for along time.  These have been used in various sd card reader/writers  The card running presently as we speak is a PNY 2GB that I overwrote the S5 sequences on.

I see the file suffix names have changed in S5.

 

Hold the presses.  In order to answer your question I just went down to get the sd card that I last created with the LORHUB utility

something is amiss.  It doesn't have the file suffixes I've been seeing. 

Ok.  Just figured out something else new.  It may or may not be related to my problem.  Won't know until I can test with both file suffix versions of a newly created sd card.

Turns out there are two options you can choose when creating the sd card.

Simple and Advanced.

I've been choosing advanced.

The last sd card I created later this afternoon, I had tried simple mode.

Problem is, it was show time and I didn't get a chance to actually test it.

Right now the card files suffixes match the old S2 format type of files  on the sd card. .cfg, .mp3. .seq

The Advanced option is putting file on the sd card with two new suffixes;

the old names of cfg, mp3 and now new ones named enh, and exh.

I don't know if this is related to the lights not functioning at this point.

 

[Dave Pursel]

Dibblejr.

Re-reading what I just wrote in answer to your question.

Something did hit me.

Since this is a different hardware platform for S5,  I haven't used this computers physical sd card hardware such that I know it is functioning properly.

So I'm going to bring the usb sd card reader downstairs on my "s2 production computer" up here and create the card with that to rule that possibility out.  Since it was playing the mp3 portions of the sequences correctly,  just not processing light commands, I hadn't thought of that possibility.  Tx.

[dibblejr]

8 minutes ago, Dave Pursel said:

Dibblejr.

Re-reading what I just wrote in answer to your question.

Something did hit me.

Since this is a different hardware platform for S5,  I haven't used this computers physical sd card hardware such that I know it is functioning properly.

So I'm going to bring the usb sd card reader downstairs on my "s2 production computer" up here and create the card with that to rule that possibility out.  Since it was playing the mp3 portions of the sequences correctly,  just not processing light commands, I hadn't thought of that possibility.  Tx.

Al of those cards you mention above DID work at one time. I know from experience. I have about 25 PNY cards that all worked for a few years. Until one day they did not. After troubleshooting my setup for hours I contacted the HD. Only to be asked one simple question. "What mfg is your card" when I answered PNY I was informed that they would not work. Even though they had in the past.

I quickly ran out and found a Kingston card. Wrote the show on it and guess what - It worked.

Not one of my SanDisk or PNY cards worked again.

You may need a new Kingston card. It is probably that simple.

And yes, the music played through the director and I had no lights. That same card has since been running my tune to sign matrix.

JR

Edited December 30, 2020 by dibblejr

[Dave Pursel]

NOTE:

I just found a post 53643 by Jim-k6ccc that talks about playback files and compression.  I have compression disabled presently due to my in experience with S5 and all the postings I've read over the years giving me the impression it wasn't a great thing to use.  Now trying to get smarter about compression such that maybe it's related to the issue.

[dibblejr]

Just now, Dave Pursel said:

NOTE:

I just found a post 53643 by Jim-k6ccc that talks about playback files and compression.  I have compression disabled presently due to my in experience with S5 and all the postings I've read over the years giving me the impression it wasn't a great thing to use.  Now trying to get smarter about compression such that maybe it's related to the issue.

99% possibility it is your SD card mfg. Fins a Kingston and it will probably solve your problem. It has been discussed several times in the past week or so. It gets discussed every holiday season.

JR

[Dave Pursel]

Thanks JR, I'm going to google Kingston cards shortly.

[Dave Pursel]

JR, what GB size are you using?

 

[dibblejr]

7 minutes ago, Dave Pursel said:

JR, what GB size are you using?

 

Mine is 32 but it is only playing a single remote matrix. Here is a good thread where i used to use PNY no long after that the PNYs stopped working.  Note the HD is the one that told the OP about the Kingston cards.

SD card - Newbies - Light-O-Rama Forums

[Dave Pursel]

I just found DevMikes posting which was echo'd by drmoon68 in the link you just put up.

Hardware/Software.  Can't live with it Can't live without it.  To the point I'm trying to make.

My G3 is located in my basement/server room.  Temperature runs nearly 70 all year long.

Just wondering.  We all know what temps due to electronics!

But because I'm willing to listen to you and all the other guys who are far more experienced than me and doing it longer, my Kingston 32GB SDHC's will be here Thursday!

I need S5 functioning to try and get my Felix going before the 45 temps (hopefully) get here next week which means tear down.

I wish I was down there where it's warmer and could tear down anytime......

Tx JR.

[dibblejr]

20 minutes ago, Dave Pursel said:

I just found DevMikes posting which was echo'd by drmoon68 in the link you just put up.

Hardware/Software.  Can't live with it Can't live without it.  To the point I'm trying to make.

My G3 is located in my basement/server room.  Temperature runs nearly 70 all year long.

Just wondering.  We all know what temps due to electronics!

But because I'm willing to listen to you and all the other guys who are far more experienced than me and doing it longer, my Kingston 32GB SDHC's will be here Thursday!

I need S5 functioning to try and get my Felix going before the 45 temps (hopefully) get here next week which means tear down.

I wish I was down there where it's warmer and could tear down anytime......

Tx JR.

If you need help with Felix let me know. I may know a little about the LOR Singing Quartet and other singing and moving props. I have a couple of them

JR

[Dave Pursel]

I just found Mikes posting which was echo'd by drmoon68 in the link you just put up.

Hardware/Software.  Can't live with it Can't live without it.

To the point I'm trying to make.

My G3 is located in my basement/server room.  Temperature are nearly 70 all year long.

Just wondering.  We all know what temps due to electronics!

[Dave Pursel]

I may be taking you up on that offer JR.

Need to get the lights working first though.

I just found a post from cbelt4 just before Christmas  that you had responded to.

He had what sounds like the same problem.

I just sent him off a PM to see if he resolved it.

[Orville]

16 hours ago, Dave Pursel said:

The Advanced option is putting file on the sd card with two new suffixes;

the old names of cfg, mp3 and now new ones named enh, and exh.

I don't know if this is related to the lights not functioning at this point.

 

I actually figured out what these files are:

.enh = Enhanced Network file and the .exh = Enhanced High Speed Network file.  

Depending on how many networks your Director has these will also show up as .en2, .en3, .en4 and .ex2, .ex23, .ex4 where the number at the end denotes which Network the item is on.   If he main Network 1 is a Regular LOR network and NON-Enhanced, NON-High speed, there will be no .en1 or .ex1, but if you are using all G3 and can use Enhanced and High Speed on Network 1, you will also have an .en1 and an .ex1 file.  

These files contain the network information that is in the sequence so that each controller on each network gets the proper commands, Aux A, 500K, Enhanced{.en#} and/or High Speed{.ex#} if used. If you have a G4 Director you could have Aux B and an Aux C along with a Regular to create 4 Networks.   I have 4 in use on my N4-G4 Director because of how and where I had to place my Controllers this year for 2020.

Since no one answered this question and I did some experimental writing and rewriting of show variations to my SD Card to figure out where these files came from, I was able to conclude what these files are for.

Edited December 30, 2020 by Orville

[Dave Pursel]

Thanks much for this Orville.

I have an edit session I started about 3 hours ago with what I found out last night but haven't finished that one, but I'll start my response to your post in this one.

Since these are enhanced, my understanding is,  that means 500k speeds.

Now for the life of me, I don't know why it would create these file if they are intended for only enhanced speed.

20 (all) of my controllers with exception of the new pixie2 Felix controller, are the old ctb16pc type so they have to run on 57.6 speed network.

My G3MP3 director has two ports.  I have them configured as regular ports so that means nothing faster than 57.6

My S5 sequences I'm testing with have regular speeds configured in them.

So based on what you discovered and shared, is somewhat puzzling.

I have another MAJOR issue I'm just about to finish writing about in the other post.

Since you've been around the block please read and let me know if you know may be causing that issue.

tx.

[Dave Pursel]

Update on my S5 conversion and no light issue.

I'm on to something that relates to creating the sdcard for my director in simple vs advanced mode.

I was really tired last night after working most of the day on the issue so I'm not 100% sure what I did and didn't do.

So I did get the lights to start firing after the last sdcard creation in what I believe to be simple mode.

But while waiting for some new sd cards to arrive tomorrow I moved on to the next phase.

And that is trying to get the new Felix tree functioning.

So in attempt to prove that it is functional ( It has been doing some blinking with my old S2 shows, so I know it's functional)

I cranked up the S5 Hardware utility.  I see a lot of new functionality here.

I've been searching posts in hopes of someone else with this issue but after 4-500 no luck.

I hooked up a easy light linker and fired up the S5 Hardware utility.

When I try to activate a channel, it energizes for about .5 of a second that goes back off.

I can do this on many of the controllers but haven't yet tried them all.

Which also means the new pixie2 controller and it doesn't respond at all yet.

Any ideas why they would only stay on for a split second.

I've used the S2 Hardware utility many times with no issues.