Brettlws Posted December 2, 2021 Posted December 2, 2021 I am trying to add a controller to our existing light show for the middle school that I work at. We purchased the TSO starter package last year with the TSO sequences and 3 controllers. The guy at light o rama told me that the TSO sequences were written to run on 4 controllers. I have tried to add in this controller and it does not play in the show. I have used the hardware utility to change the controller id to 04 and I can turn the lights on in the hardware utility, but when plug it in to the mini director with the other controllers the stuff plugged into the new controller does not work at all. I get a comm port error every time I open up the hardware utility and it says that it can't locate the controller. I tell it to ignore errors and then change the controller id and it seems to work because I can work the lights using the hardware utility, but nothing when the show runs.
TheDucks Posted December 3, 2021 Posted December 3, 2021 32 minutes ago, Brettlws said: I am trying to add a controller to our existing light show for the middle school that I work at. We purchased the TSO starter package last year with the TSO sequences and 3 controllers. The guy at light o rama told me that the TSO sequences were written to run on 4 controllers. I have tried to add in this controller and it does not play in the show. I have used the hardware utility to change the controller id to 04 and I can turn the lights on in the hardware utility, but when plug it in to the mini director with the other controllers the stuff plugged into the new controller does not work at all. I get a comm port error every time I open up the hardware utility and it says that it can't locate the controller. I tell it to ignore errors and then change the controller id and it seems to work because I can work the lights using the hardware utility, but nothing when the show runs. First: turn all the switches OFF, then use HU. Or use the chart in the back of the book to set the LOR ID with switches . CAUTION: Unplug Both cords (if 2) from the Wall/Extension cord. Lethal voltages are present near the switches
k6ccc Posted December 3, 2021 Posted December 3, 2021 Just to make sure I have it right, you are playing the show from a director, but moving the Cat-5 cable to a USB to RS-485 adapter connected to your computer in order to run the Hardware Utility. Correct? What kind of controller is #04? Does it have DIP switches that can be used to set the ID? If yes, the DIP switches will be read at controller powerup and overwrite the setting done in the Hardware Utility. In order to retain settings of Unit ID that are changed in the Hardware Utility, the DIP switches must be set to ID 00 (an ID that does not exist). TheDucks beat me to it...
Brettlws Posted December 3, 2021 Author Posted December 3, 2021 18 hours ago, k6ccc said: Just to make sure I have it right, you are playing the show from a director, but moving the Cat-5 cable to a USB to RS-485 adapter connected to your computer in order to run the Hardware Utility. Correct? What kind of controller is #04? Does it have DIP switches that can be used to set the ID? If yes, the DIP switches will be read at controller powerup and overwrite the setting done in the Hardware Utility. In order to retain settings of Unit ID that are changed in the Hardware Utility, the DIP switches must be set to ID 00 (an ID that does not exist). TheDucks beat me to it... Thanks for the answer, the controller does not have dip switches it is a 3rd gen controller. I have been able to controll the lights using the hardwire utility and my principal got a sequence to run using my computer but when we put it back into the show running off of the mini director everthing plugged into controller 4 doesn't work at all. The TSO sequences were written for 4 controllers and I have changed the ID to controller number 3 just to check and still nothing works. I have even run straight from controller 2 to the new controller and then over to controller 3 and everthing works except the 4th controller. I am at a total loss, any help is greatly appreciated.
TheDucks Posted December 3, 2021 Posted December 3, 2021 JP3 is in the wrong place (reset) . See P9 for proper location
dibblejr Posted December 4, 2021 Posted December 4, 2021 I still do not see the OP stating what controller he has. OP we don’t need just G3 we need to know what type the controller is. If you find it IN HU write down the entire description and type it in here. Unless I am missing something. The TSO peach’s have more than 4 controllers written but if it’s not the correct controller in the line you will have issues If you have a pixel controller connected to unit 4 you will get about 16 lights or less to light on a pixel controller JR
Orville Posted December 4, 2021 Posted December 4, 2021 From what I can gather from the OP, it sounds like an G3 CTB16PC 16 channel AC controller. If so, it may require the FW to be updated to the latest version, as he may be running the 4th controller at Enhanced, 500K and if the FW isn't the latest in it, it's not going to function under those settings. That's the only thing I can figure out that's left, that could be causing the OP's issues. Only other thing could be that it's not configured within the sequence itself. Other than that, I couldn't say what the issue could be.
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