Setting unit # for a pix on 16?

[nortonz]

I have a pix on 16, a pixie16, and 2 cosmic color controllers I know how to set the pixie16, and the cosmic color unit #, but how do iset the pix on 16 unit number. I would like to make the pix on unit 01, the pixie 16 unit 02, and the cosmic color unit 03, unit 04. How do I set the pix on unit number?

I bought the pix on by mistake, ment to just get the pixie 16, didn’t realize it was a commercial controller. I have it set up, I’m running all smart pixels.

 Thanks 

[nortonz]

1 minute ago, nortonz said:

I have a pix on 16, a pixie16, and 2 cosmic color controllers I know how to set the pixie16, and the cosmic color unit #, but how do iset the pix on 16 unit number. I would like to make the pix on unit 01, the pixie 16 unit 02, and the cosmic color unit 03, unit 04. How do I set the pix on unit number?

I bought the pix on by mistake, ment to just get the pixie 16, didn’t realize it was a commercial controller. I have it set up, I’m running all smart pixels.

 Thanks 

Sorry it’s a pixcon 16

[k6ccc]

OK, first of all, the Pixie 16 will use 16 Unit IDs, so if you set it to Unit ID 02, it will actually take IDs:  02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 0A, 0B, 0C, 0D, 0E, 0F, 20, and 21.  The Cosmic Color controllers will either use one or two Unit IDs depending on what you really have and how they are configured.  The Pixcon 16 will also use 16 Unit IDs if you are operating the Pixcon 16 via LOR networking (as opposed to E1.31 networking).  So what all that means is that you need to re-evaluate your numbering plan.  Since you have a Pro level software license, there is no problem with leaving gaps in numbering.  So one of the standard recommendations is to start each Pixie 16 (or also Pixcon 16) with a Unit ID of x0 - for example, 10, or 20, or 30.  That makes it use (for example with an assigned Unit ID of 10), Unit IDs 10 - 1F.  Makes it easier for us humans (the equipment does not care).  The other thing to keep in mind is how heavily are you loading those pixel controllers.  What I mean by that is with two 16 port pixel controllers, you could easily max out a single LOR network.  You may need to split the Pixie 16 and the Pixcon 16 onto separate LOR networks.

As for configuring a Pixcon 16, I have never played with one.  Read the manual - it does explain it.

 

[nortonz]

10 hours ago, k6ccc said:

OK, first of all, the Pixie 16 will use 16 Unit IDs, so if you set it to Unit ID 02, it will actually take IDs:  02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 0A, 0B, 0C, 0D, 0E, 0F, 20, and 21.  The Cosmic Color controllers will either use one or two Unit IDs depending on what you really have and how they are configured.  The Pixcon 16 will also use 16 Unit IDs if you are operating the Pixcon 16 via LOR networking (as opposed to E1.31 networking).  So what all that means is that you need to re-evaluate your numbering plan.  Since you have a Pro level software license, there is no problem with leaving gaps in numbering.  So one of the standard recommendations is to start each Pixie 16 (or also Pixcon 16) with a Unit ID of x0 - for example, 10, or 20, or 30.  That makes it use (for example with an assigned Unit ID of 10), Unit IDs 10 - 1F.  Makes it easier for us humans (the equipment does not care).  The other thing to keep in mind is how heavily are you loading those pixel controllers.  What I mean by that is with two 16 port pixel controllers, you could easily max out a single LOR network.  You may need to split the Pixie 16 and the Pixcon 16 onto separate LOR networks.

As for configuring a Pixcon 16, I have never played with one.  Read the manual - it does explain it.

 

I have read the manual 3 times, I have all the controllers on separate unit numbers, the pixcon 16 is unit 1-16, then the pixie 16,  the cosmic color manual says I can set it to one unit ID, then the second cosmic color. I have the all on a regular network.In the sequencer everything works perfectly.

I guess what I was asking is how does the controller know what lights it is suppose to control? With my ac controllers, I have 2, I started out with them a few years ago. But with them the first controller was unit 1, and the second controller was unit 2. The pixel controllers are different, each pixel string is a different unit number. I’m hoping that this is the way it works, it comes off my director, to the pixcon 16, it handles light string 01 - 16 that’s all the light on my house, then it daisy chains to my 2 cosmic color controller for the arches, then pixie 16, for my mega tree. So will it send the signals for the pixcon 16 for all the house lights because its the first in line. Then the arch’s to the cosmic color controller because there next in line. And finally to the pixie 16 .Is that the way it works?

[Jimehc]

Each controller on the assigned network has to have a separate Unit ID and they can not be duplicated..

Start to Pixcon at Unit ID 10 (thus the Unit ID's assigned to the Pixcon are 10-1F)  which is 16 separate Unit ID's

Start the Pixie16 at unit ID 20 ((thus the Unit ID's assigned to the Pixie16 are 20-2F)  which is 16 separate Unit ID's

So far with the 2 AC Controllers you have 34 separate Unit ID's - plus the two cosmic controllers

[nortonz]

Not using the ac controllers this year. So how do I tell the pixcon to use  unit 10 -  1f, is that just through the sequencer? Or do I need to tell pixcon controller itself to use those unit numbers? That’s where I’m confused!

[Jimehc]

Unlike other controllers in the LOR family, the PixCon16 MUST be
configured via the Ethernet connection. It is not configured using the
standard LOR Hardware Utility, but instead uses the PixCon16
configuration in the LOR Network Preferences program.

Open the LOR Network Preferences program - Click Find/Configure Pixcon16

Select the PC Network Adapter that the Pixcon16 is connected to..

Then follow the Manual (Page 19)

To use the board with an ELOR (Enhanced LOR) network rather than in
E1.31 mode, select the ‘J3/J4’ checkbox. Selecting this box will allow the
board to be connected to a LOR Enhanced network at 500K speed and be
controlled like all other LOR controllers.

Select Pixel Port Setup Tab - Set Starting Channel on Board = 10

 

Edited August 2, 2021 by Jimehc

[nortonz]

Ive done all that, and past it.. I’m trying to figure out how the pixcon knows what lights are assigned to it. The pixcon is set to a reg network, do I need to set the pixie 16 to  the next network?

Edited August 2, 2021 by nortonz

[TheDucks]

5 minutes ago, nortonz said:

Ive done all that, and past it.. I’m trying to figure out how the pixcon knows what lights are assigned to it.

Your sequence does that.  LOR-Network, ID, node For Pixies you use the actual (even if it is inherited from the base) ID

Port 2 is 11 (assumes the Bord was set to 10), port 16 is 1F. First node is 01,02,03 (the 3 colors), 04,05, 06

But when you create the Prop, you will state what the Network, port ID, start and end nodes  are

[Jimehc]

When you create the prop - in your Prop Definition - you need to configure the controller that will be used too...

[dibblejr]

6 hours ago, nortonz said:

Ive done all that, and past it.. I’m trying to figure out how the pixcon knows what lights are assigned to it. The pixcon is set to a reg network, do I need to set the pixie 16 to  the next network?

I would suggest updating to 5.6 though its very stable.

JR 

[k6ccc]

Also, unless the Pixcon16 and the Pixie 16 are fairly lightly loaded, you stand a chance of chocking the network.  The Cosmic Color controllers max out at 500K speed, so if they are on the same network as the Pixie and Pixcon, you could easily run out of bandwidth.  If you split the Pixie and Pixcon onto their own network, at least you can run those at 1000K speed and they will have a chance.

 

[nortonz]

On 8/2/2021 at 8:44 PM, dibblejr said:

I would suggest updating to 5.6 though its very stable.

JR 

I’m already using 5.60

[nortonz]

On 8/2/2021 at 9:04 PM, k6ccc said:

Also, unless the Pixcon16 and the Pixie 16 are fairly lightly loaded, you stand a chance of chocking the network.  The Cosmic Color controllers max out at 500K speed, so if they are on the same network as the Pixie and Pixcon, you could easily run out of bandwidth.  If you split the Pixie and Pixcon onto their own network, at least you can run those at 1000K speed and they will have a chance.

 

Ok I decided to change, and put all controllers on there own network. The pixcon is on reg network, the cosmic color’s are on aux1 and 2, and the pixie 16 is on aux 3! That should solve the problem, now I can run the pixcon, and the pixie 16 at1000k, and keep the ccr at 500k. My director is the new version, so it will do multiple networks. That should solve my problem right?

[k6ccc]

1 hour ago, nortonz said:

Ok I decided to change, and put all controllers on there own network. The pixcon is on reg network, the cosmic color’s are on aux1 and 2, and the pixie 16 is on aux 3! That should solve the problem, now I can run the pixcon, and the pixie 16 at1000k, and keep the ccr at 500k. My director is the new version, so it will do multiple networks.

Not a bad idea putting the Pixie 16 and Pixcon 16 each on separate networks (especially if heavily loaded), however you could easily put the the Cosmic Color controllers on one network at 500K.  That will leave you one free network for future expansion (you know you will need it one of these days 😀 ).  Now you will need to update your preview(s) with the new network assignments.  Note that Unit ID 01 on the Regular Network and Unit ID 01 on the AuxA network are NOT the same, so you CAN do that.  However it tends to be confusing for us poor humans.  Personally I have allocated Unit IDs 01 - 0F (only one in use) to my regular network, Unit IDs 10 - 1F (seven currently in use for Christmas) to my AuxA network, and Unit IDs 20 - 2F (six IDs in use) to my AuxB network.  Everything else is E1.31.

 

[nortonz]

2 hours ago, k6ccc said:

Not a bad idea putting the Pixie 16 and Pixcon 16 each on separate networks (especially if heavily loaded), however you could easily put the the Cosmic Color controllers on one network at 500K.  That will leave you one free network for future expansion (you know you will need it one of these days 😀 ).  Now you will need to update your preview(s) with the new network assignments.  Note that Unit ID 01 on the Regular Network and Unit ID 01 on the AuxA network are NOT the same, so you CAN do that.  However it tends to be confusing for us poor humans.  Personally I have allocated Unit IDs 01 - 0F (only one in use) to my regular network, Unit IDs 10 - 1F (seven currently in use for Christmas) to my AuxA network, and Unit IDs 20 - 2F (six IDs in use) to my AuxB network.  Everything else is E1.31.

 

I have already updated my sequences.  A question about the e1.31, does it use the sequencer the same as the lor network?, or do you have to use super star?. I bought the super star, but found out it is too expensive. I can only use it on 200 lights, to add more light it gets very expensive., so I guess I won’t be using it.

[PhilMassey]

Straight S5 works fine with E1.31 controllers. I have 10 E1.31 controllers being sequenced with S5. No Superstar.

Incidentally, as I understand it, you only need to buy the SS licence for your biggest pixel prop and do them one at a time.

[k6ccc]

59 minutes ago, nortonz said:

I have already updated my sequences.  A question about the e1.31, does it use the sequencer the same as the lor network?, or do you have to use super star?. I bought the super star, but found out it is too expensive. I can only use it on 200 lights, to add more light it gets very expensive., so I guess I won’t be using it.

Yes, E1.31 controllers are sequenced no different than LOR network controllers.

I use SuperStar for almost all of my sequencing (and have since 2013).  I have a 24,000 channel SuperStar license.