HELP - Need Some Assist with S5 and New G4 MP# with 4 ports

[machtoo]

I completed wiring my Halloween display which includes a 12 ribbon CCR tree.  I have tested the sequences in the S5 sequencer and all looks fine.  The CCR runs in Aux A at 500K and the Network 1 is 57K for the legacy A/C controllers.  I usually run a pixel test .las file to check the pixels on the CCR tree.  I create the show with the one file in the hub and select one director with 4 ports and set port 1 to 57k and port 2 to 500k which should be Aux A.  The show creates fine on the SD card.  When I plug the card into the new N4 G4 MP3, I see the init, all controllers go solid red led including the CCR ribbon controllers, but no colors on the CCR ribbons.   This single las file test is for the CCR ribbons only...solid color changes.  The old controller was a 1602W with N2 G4 controller...two ports/networks only.

Feeling a little anxious as I normally kick off the Halloween show the first of Oct.  Did not expect any issues as all works fine in the previewer in S5.  I did test the new controller with a new pixel tree this summer using the third port at 1000k.  It worked as expected.

Any advice on how to get the CCR ribbon tree working on Port 2?  Almost like it is not getting any communication from the new director.  I did use a new CAT 7 cable to connect the CCR tree to the MP3 director.

 

Thanks in advance,
Dean Taunton

[machtoo]

Additional note...checked all 64 legacy a/c channels with Hardware utility and all check out fine.  When I ran a test show sequence, controllers 3 and 4 were not lighting at all...none of the 32 channels were firing.    Not sure what is happening...  again all looks great in the previewer...checked channel assignments in the preview design and all look correct.

[machtoo]

Even though I am using the N4 G4 MP3 director the Halloween sequences only use 2 of the ports Net 1 and Net 2...my Christmas sequences will use Net 3 at 1000k for a new pixel tree.   Been running LOR shows for 13 years with MP3 director and SD card and no issues  until this year with S5.  Had seen it stated if it runs in the preview it should run for real...apparently not quite the case.

[machtoo]

This morning I am going to connect the laptop directly to the CCR tree network thru the USB adapter and see if I can control the ribbons. Then I will connect to the N4 G4 director and try the same thing.  The CCR tree test connecting directly and using the hardware utility was successful...all ribbons and CCR controllers are fine.  I connected the USB serial adapter to the N4 G4 adapter with the network cable to the CCR tree in Net 2 (all other network cables unplugged) and did a search with the utility and it found no controllers.  Maybe that is normal but would have expected it to find the connection on Net 2 to the CCR tree but I may be wrong.  So either the MP3 director is not talking on Net 2 or something in the software is not set correctly from a network standpoint.

I read a post about an MP3 director not reading the SD card and for that person it was a speed mismatch... however, I know my sequences use 57k for legacy controllers and tha is what is set on the Reg channel when creating the SD card using advanced mode..  The Aux A is set to 500k for the CCR tree.  Gotta be something simple I missed or a bad director...although I tested the G4 N4 with 1000k on Net 3 this summer.  No joy yet.

[machtoo]

Quote

I did a series of tests this evening and discovered the issue and the fix. However is creates a couple of questions that I have asked on a support ticket. My CCR tree is 12 original CCR controllers and ribbons.
1. I created a show using the 4.6.4 S4 software Hardware Utility. When creating the show I select 2 ports and on the screen regarding port speed there is a box that states output enhanced channels if available. It is checked by default. Left it checked and created the test show with ELOR protocol.
2. Played the show in my G3 N2 controller in the 1602W and the legacy side worked but no CCR activity .
3. I recreated the show setting the protocol to LOR and unchecked the box for enhanced instructions.
4. Played the show and it ran normally with CCR tree working.
5. I now created a show with the S5 version of the sequence. I selected 4 ports and set port 2 to LOR instead of ELOR but I noticed it limited speed to 115k. I backed up and selected 2 ports and set LOR protocol and speed to 500k. Finished creating the show.
6. It ran properly in the G4 N4.

So my questions to the Help Desk are...
1. Please confirm that the original CCR ver 1 ribbons and controllers can only use the LOR protocol setting as observed and you have to uncheck the enhanced channel output with 2 ports only? Are we losing any performance not being able to use ELOR with the ver CCR controllers and ribbons?
2. When selecting 4 ports, and only 2 are used by the sequence, why does it limit the speed setting for port 2 to 115k? You can't select 500k.
3. My Christmas sequences will use 3 ports. I edited the show and set the Aux A protocol to LOR instead of LOR/ELOR so the CCR tree will work correctly. Port 3 is set to ELOR and 1000k. Will this work properly? Port 3 will be running a Pixie16 with sixteen 100 pixel strings. I want max performance for the pixel tree.

Will share the answers to the questions.  What a drill, but apparently past the hurdle

 

[k6ccc]

3 hours ago, machtoo said:

1. Please confirm that the original CCR ver 1 ribbons and controllers can only use the LOR protocol

Only if they have very old firmware.  The original CCRs came out before ELOR protocol was invented - so of course they don't support it.  However a simple firmware update will correct that.

https://www1.lightorama.com/firmware-updates/

Can't help you on your Director questions as I have never used one.

 

[machtoo]

Jim, appreciate the hint on number 1.  My controllers were on ver 1.17 so had been updating along the way but updated all to 1.19 and it resolved the ELOR issue.  Was a tedious troubleshoot.  Thanks, Dean