Version 5.6.6 - E1.31 Control lights issue from Sequencer

[k6ccc]

I would like to see if anyone else can confirm this issue I am seeing.  Summary:  Version 5.6.6 for all portions of these tests.  I am unable to control E1.31 lights from Sequencer - works fine from the Show Player.

Details:  I am finding from my sequencing computer, if I select Control Lights and de-select my three LOR networks (no USB adapters on this computer), but leave the 115 DMX Universes enabled, the sequencer is only sending E1.31 idle packets to the E1.31 devices - my P5 and P10 panels in this case.  I have restarted LOR several times.  Next test was to confirm that the Show Player on my server (what normally runs the landscape show off-season), could play a show including the E1.31 devices.  Loaded up the Christmas Network Preferences configuration, restarted the LOR Control Panel, and the file server played a show including the E1.31 traffic just fine.  I expected this since the server has been playing my landscape show (includes E1.31) from 5.6.6 since the day it was released.  I am unable to try the Sequencer on the file server because the not upgradable video on the server does not support OpenGL 1.5.  Next test was to delete the comm ports on the Sequencing computer (remember, no USB adapters on this computer) leaving only the E1.31, and play a show from the sequencing computer.  The P5 and P10 panels worked just fine. 

After lunch, I will fire up the show computer and update it to 5.6.6, move the USB cables from the server to the show computer and try both a show and from Sequencer.  I may also try the laptop...

From Sequencing computer:  Unable to control E1.31 from Sequencer, but works from Show Player.

From Server:  E1.31 works fine from Show Player, unable to test from Sequencer due to OpenGL issue.

 

[PhilMassey]

As I write this, the show player is playing my inside show. Miip test.

Includes 3 E1.31 controllers and two lor DC controllers. Low speed plus one more black adaptor running DMX heads and laser.

Haven't run the Sequencer today, but did yesterday, all fine.

5.6.6

 

[k6ccc]

Show player is fine.  Confirm that Sequencer could control E1.31 lights?

 

[MattBrown]

I'm controlling 3 PixCon16's at the moment via E1.31 with 5.6.6. Tested this configuration on 2 separate computers.

Matt

[MattBrown]

I should clarify that I am using the 5.6.6 Sequencer to control those PixCon16's.

[k6ccc]

Can either of you test by disabling all your LOR networks on the Control Lights tab - leaving only the E1.31?  I can't test that until I get back from lunch and fire up the normal show computer (or swipe a couple of USB adapter from the server and plug them into the sequencing computer).

 

[PhilMassey]

Show Player. Control lights off, No E1.31 No LOR

Show Player LOR Reg nw Disabled in NP.  No LOR playing. E1.31 playing, DMX head Aux A playing.

Sequencer. Control Lights ON. NP LOR disabled. No  LOR playing No E1.31 playing

Sequencer Control Lights Off. LOR enabled in NP. No lights LOR No lights E1.31

Sequencer Control Lights On. LOR enabled in NP. Had to restart Sequencer To get lights back.

This Is on actual lights. Low speed LOR adaptors.

Preview works in all cases.

Ran Show player again after above . All working.

Forgot to add. LOR is DC card. E1.31 is Sandevices, (2) and Falcon (1)

Edited September 20, 2021 by PhilMassey

[k6ccc]

2 minutes ago, PhilMassey said:

Sequencer. Control Lights ON. NP LOR disabled. No  LOR playing No E1.31 playing

Sounds like we may be getting somewhere.  If I read that correctly, with LOR networks disabled (I gather you did it in Network Preferences), but E1.31 enabled, the E1.31 did not play from Sequencer.  Correct?

That lets me know what to test when I fire up the show computer...

 

[PhilMassey]

4 minutes ago, k6ccc said:

Sounds like we may be getting somewhere.  If I read that correctly, with LOR networks disabled (I gather you did it in Network Preferences), but E1.31 enabled, the E1.31 did not play from Sequencer.  Correct?

That lets me know what to test when I fire up the show computer...

 

Checked again to be sure.

Control Lights OFF Reg NW enabled No LOR lights, No E1.31 Lights.

Control Lights ON again NP STILL enabled. All lights on.

Control Lights OFF. Reg NW set to com None.  No Lights.

Control Lights OFF Reg Network Enabled Com3  Sequence restart. No Lights.

Control Lights On Reg Network Enabled Back To Square one. Lights Play

[k6ccc]

I figured out a common parameter.  Fired up the show computer, updated it to 5.6.6, and moved the three LOR network USB connections from the server to the show computer.  This show computer could run a show or run Sequencer.  I have three networks

Com 3 - Regular Network (Year round - InputPup, 6 non-light channels to a not connected ServoDog, and ELL not RF connected to anything - 57.6K normal)
Com 4 - Aux A Network (Year round - 3 CMB16D, 1 CTB16PC, 1 CTB08D3 - 115.4K enhanced)
Com 5 - Aux B Network (Christmas only - 3 original CCPs - 500K enhanced - no controllers connected)

150 DMX Universes - 108 universes going to P5 &P10 panels, and 1 to a SanDevices E6804 - others not hooked up.

The sequence I was using for the test included traffic on all 3 LOR networks, and all 150 universes.  I could watch one AC channel on AuxA via a camera, and the P5 & P10 panels are in the room with me..

What I found with 100% reliability was that the light I was watching on camera and the P5 & P10 panels operated correctly.  HOWEVER if the Regular network was disabled from the "Control Lights" tab in Sequencer, lights on AuxA worked, but DMX did not.  After turning the Regular network network back on using the "Control Lights" tab in Sequencer, neither the light on AuxA nor the DMX would work until the Sequencer was exited and reloaded.  The last part appears to be consistent with what Phil posted a few hours ago:

4 hours ago, PhilMassey said:

Sequencer Control Lights On. LOR enabled in NP. Had to restart Sequencer To get lights back.

Enabling or disabling the AuxA or AuxB network on the "Control Lights" tab of the Sequencer did NOT affect the DMX.

As a test, I copied the preview and edited the copy to remove the six channels on the Regular network.  This did not have any effect on the above described condition.  Then I removed the Comm port assignment for the Regular network, and tested again.  With the Regular network having no comm port, of course there was no option to enable or disable the Regular network from the "Control Lights" tab in Sequencer.  I did not do extensive testing, but it appeared that turning either Aux network on or off did not effect the DMX.

During the time when DMX was not working, there were only the about once per second heartbeat packets going to the DMX controllers.

Can any of you replicate this condition?

One more thing Matt for you to put on you list of things to think about.  On the "Control Lights" tab in Sequencer, the list of networks that can be controlled only shows three networks.  In order to see any other networks, the "Control Lights" checkbox must be unchecked, then you can scroll the list, and then check the "Control Lights" checkbox.  It's a real nuisance.  Can that box show more networks.  I'm sure with pixels becoming far more common, there are lots of people running more than 3 networks.

 

[MattBrown]

1 hour ago, k6ccc said:

Can any of you replicate this condition?

Yes I can. It looks to me like that is a bug that has existed in the S5 Sequencer for a long time. It is triggered when you enable, then disable output for an LOR network that is not enhanced.

Matt

[k6ccc]

Glad to see it's not just me!  As I recall, I had seen symptoms of this a couple revs ago, but had not followed up on it.

Talk about a quirk of a bug!

Thanks Matt.

 

[PhilMassey]

That's pretty tricky.