6 Layer Star with 270 nodes wiring

[Capt Ike]

Hey there, I think I'm on the right track, but wanted to confirm this before I continue.  My goal is to have a 6 layer nested star (70, 60, 50, 40, 30, 20) using 100 node strings sit atop my pixel tree (So, 2-100 node strings and a third with only 70).  I have a Pixcon 16 (running in E1.31) driving both the tree and the star.  Can I connect all three strands of the star together and be able to assign all of the channels properly? I'd like to end up with one cable coming down the tree from the star.  These are 12v WS2811 pixel strands.  The actual star isn't quite finished yet, so I can't physically put the pixels in the prop just yet to test them.  But I wanted to get a jump on the concept.  I've tried building the prop in the Preview and I think I've got the universes and channels right, but when I look at the wiring view, it shows 6 separate strands (one for each star layer) instead of one long, 270 node strand.  Is that just how the Preview shows it? Thanks in advance for your help!

[k6ccc]

Here is what I did.  I ran three strings of 90 with one string being rings 1 (70 pixels) and ring 6 (20 pixels).  String 2 is ring 2 (60 pixels) and ring 5 (30 pixels).  String 3 is ring 3 (50 pixels) and ring 4 (40 Pixels).  I use three ports on the controller, with 90 pixel strings at 5 volts, I had to run power injection.  Off hand, I don't remember if the PixCon16 can drive 270 pixel strings.  If it can, you could run it as a single string, but you will very likely need to add power injection unless you run a fairly low intensity percentage.

You can build it in the Preview Editor almost any way that you want.  It just needs to be physically built the same as it is moddled in the Preview Editor.

 

[Capt Ike]

From what I've read on the specs for the Pixcon 16 is that in E1.31 mode, each output can handle 2 universes.  Which, with my math, would equate to 1024 channels.  At 270 nodes, I get a total of 810 channels.  My hangup right now is with the build in preview.  With the preset Nested Star it only asks for how many "exact nodes" on each star/layer, not how many nodes on each strand.  Or any options for using one strand on more than one layer.  I'm new to S5 this year, so it may just be me not knowing how to build it in the preview.  For the tree, I'm using 100 node strands with 1 fold in each that makes 50 nodes on each run up the tree.  I was able to model that exactly how it will be wired in reality, but I didn't see any similar options for the star.

[k6ccc]

23 minutes ago, Capt Ike said:

With the preset Nested Star it only asks for how many "exact nodes" on each star/layer, not how many nodes on each strand.

Strings of lights is totally irrelevant.  About the only thing you can't do without using a custom layout (no need to for this) is to have a single ring of the star broken between different strings of lights that are on different ports on the controller.  If you build it as a single string of lights from a single port on the controller (as you originally proposed), it is one string of lights as far as everything is concerned.  It makes no difference if that 270 pixels is made up from one string of 500 pixels that you cut down, a custom length that Ray Wu made for you with 270 pixels, five separate strings of 50 pixels plus one more that you cut down to 20 pixels, or two dozen scraps and tails from different strings that you solder together.  270 pixels in one string is 270 pixels in one string.

BTW, one note is that pixels from different batches can look somewhat different, so it is HIGHLY recommended that for any given prop, all the pixels (plus spares) be bought together.  Label the spares so in a few years, you will know what those spares are for.  Also note that different batches can have a different color order and you CAN'T have that in a single string of lights.

23 minutes ago, Capt Ike said:

From what I've read on the specs for the Pixcon 16 is that in E1.31 mode, each output can handle 2 universes.  Which, with my math, would equate to 1024 channels.  At 270 nodes, I get a total of 810 channels.

Correct.  I thought the Pixcon16 could handle strings that long, but did not remember well enough to say so without looking it up.  Personally I don't like using long strings like that however because WHEN (not IF) a pixel fails, it will often leave the remainder of the string either dead or worse, solid white.

 

Edited September 15, 2021 by k6ccc

[Jimehc]

" The LOR PixCon16 is a member of the pixel controller line of Light-ORama
products. The PixCon16 can drive up to 340 pixels in DMX/E1.31
mode (using 2 DMX Universes per port), or 170 pixels in Enhanced LOR
mode (using 1 LOR Unit ID per port)."

[Capt Ike]

42 minutes ago, k6ccc said:

Strings of lights is totally irrelevant.  About the only thing you can't do without using a custom layout (no need to for this) is to have a single ring of the star broken between different strings of lights that are on different ports on the controller.  If you build it as a single string of lights from a single port on the controller (as you originally proposed), it is one string of lights as far as everything is concerned.  It makes no difference if that 270 pixels is made up from one string of 500 pixels that you cut down, a custom length that Ray Wu made for you with 270 pixels, five separate strings of 50 pixels plus one more that you cut down to 20 pixels, or two dozen scraps and tails from different strings that you solder together.  270 pixels in one string is 270 pixels in one string.

Ok, that makes sense.  So, to match that in the preview, would it be correct to leave it as it is with the default selections? My only concern/thought was that when you looked at it in the wiring view it shows it as 6 different strings.  I know I could simply test this, but my star isn't quite done yet, and I was just trying to get ahead of the game.  Thanks again for all your help.

[Jimehc]

If you update to S5 v5.6.4 you can "Add" the Boscoyo ChromaStar 36 6 ring with the node count you are wanting... Boscoyo Studio (Online)

[Capt Ike]

2 minutes ago, Jimehc said:

If you update to S5 v5.6.4 you can "Add" the Boscoyo ChromaStar 36 6 ring with the node count you are wanting... Boscoyo Studio (Online)

I'll take a look at that.  I actually have that version, I just haven't updated my avatar. :) Thanks for the info.

[Capt Ike]

So, I figured this out for anyone who comes along later and reads this.  I used the Stars-Nested prop and added 6 stars in the usual configuration (Star1-70 nodes, Star2-60 nodes, Star3-50 nodes, Star4-40 nodes, Star5-30 nodes, Star 6-20 nodes).  I then assigned the channels to the Universes that were next in line after the ones being used for the tree.  For me, it started on Universe 13.  So Star 1 got Universe 13, Channels 1-210, star 2 got channels 211-390, star 3 got 391-510 with a carryover of 30 channels to Universe 14, and so on.  I then assigned those universes to the appropriate outputs in the Network Preferences and then made the physical connections.  It worked perfectly! And for anyone wondering, there were no power drop issues.  The Pixcon 16 drove 270 nodes on one strand at full white, at 40% power, with no power injection with no issues at all. 

[k6ccc]

8 minutes ago, Capt Ike said:

And for anyone wondering, there were no power drop issues.  The Pixcon 16 drove 270 nodes on one strand at full white, at 40% power, with no power injection with no issues at all. 

The 40% part was the key to that working.  One note on long strings (and why I don't use them).  WHEN - NOT IF a pixel fails in a failure mode that results in either all downstream pixels off or far worse stuck on full white, with long strings, the impact is potentially far greater.

12 minutes ago, Capt Ike said:

I used the Stars-Nested prop and added 6 stars in the usual configuration (Star1-70 nodes, Star2-60 nodes, Star3-50 nodes, Star4-40 nodes, Star5-30 nodes, Star 6-20 nodes).  I then assigned the channels to the Universes that were next in line after the ones being used for the tree.  For me, it started on Universe 13.  So Star 1 got Universe 13, Channels 1-210, star 2 got channels 211-390, star 3 got 391-510 with a carryover of 30 channels to Universe 14, and so on.

I have mine physically built as three strings of 90 pixels - Star 1 and Star 6 for one string, Star 2 and Star 5 for the second string and Star 3 and Star 4 for the third string.  Each string is a separate universe for convenience - although I have pixel packed in the past when controller limitations forced it.  I'm running 5V pixels and have the controller set for 100%.  I do run power injection (and need it).