Having trouble getting com ports straightened out🤬

[Biff]

I keep getting on the LOR monitor: shows cannot be enabled because of an error. Open serial port has failed. I’m not even sure what to ask help with…. I have two controllers that I want to set on one port and a pixel with the high speed adapter on another. I believe this is my only sticking point now that the shoes are sequenced and I’m showing no conflicts. But I can’t get the ports figured out… please help… Thanks

[k6ccc]

Here is my standard advise.  Unplug all of your USB to RS-485 adapters.  Open the Windows Device Manager and expand the section for Ports.  Plug in ONE of your USB to RS-485 adapters and you should shortly see another Com Port show up.  Note which adapter that is and what Com Port number is assigned.  Repeat for each additional RS-485 adapter.  Now you can go into LOR Network Preferences and assign your Regular, and Aux A networks to each correct Com Port number.

 

[Biff]

Ok. I’ll give that a try. Do you know if I have to install any drivers for the pixel tree? A disc came with the high speed adapter but I wasn’t sure if I needed to install the Pixel 5.2.4 for that or not. Thanks 

[k6ccc]

The driver would be for the high speed adapter, not the tree.  As far as I know, the driver is the same for both the high speed (red) and lower speed (black) adapters.

 

[TheDucks]

12 minutes ago, Biff said:

I keep getting on the LOR monitor: shows cannot be enabled because of an error. Open serial port has failed. I’m not even sure what to ask help with…. I have two controllers that I want to set on one port and a pixel with the high speed adapter on another. I believe this is my only sticking point now that the shoes are sequenced and I’m showing no conflicts. But I can’t get the ports figured out… please help… Thanks

That message says you have more adapters assigned in Network preferences than attached to the PC.

Follow K6ccc advice and see which you really have and make the Network assignments correct (get rid of extra-unused assignments)

[TheDucks]

1 minute ago, k6ccc said:

The driver would be for the high speed adapter, not the tree.  As far as I know, the driver is the same for both the high speed (red) and lower speed (black) adapters.

 

If you install from the disc BEFORE attaching the dongle. You are good for ALL future attached  LOR adapters .

[k6ccc]

And NEVER press the Auto Configure in the upper left corner of the Hardware Utility.

It works OK IF you only have one network, but is REALLY good at messing stuff up if you have more than one.

 

[Biff]

Just now, k6ccc said:

The driver would be for the high speed adapter, not the tree.  As far as I know, the driver is the same for both the high speed (red) and lower speed (black) adapters.

 

Awesome. 

 

6 minutes ago, k6ccc said:

And NEVER press the Auto Configure in the upper left corner of the Hardware Utility.

It works OK IF you only have one network, but is REALLY good at messing stuff up if you have more than one.

 

Ok… I think I’m getting it😁

[Biff]

23 minutes ago, k6ccc said:

Here is my standard advise.  Unplug all of your USB to RS-485 adapters.  Open the Windows Device Manager and expand the section for Ports.  Plug in ONE of your USB to RS-485 adapters and you should shortly see another Com Port show up.  Note which adapter that is and what Com Port number is assigned.  Repeat for each additional RS-485 adapter.  Now you can go into LOR Network Preferences and assign your Regular, and Aux A networks to each correct Com Port number.

 

Ok. I have in network preferences: regular com3 57.6k and for the pixel tree Aux A com 4 57.6k. I made a note which port is for each. Sound right? 

[TheDucks]

11 minutes ago, Biff said:

Ok. I have in network preferences: regular com3 57.6k and for the pixel tree Aux A com 4 57.6k. I made a note which port is for each. Sound right? 

I assume those COM # were what you found assigned by Windows.   Windows assigns unused COM#'s (and remembers the Adapters it used).

BTW Set the RED adaptors port to 115 or 500K

Use HU to check. ONLY select COM# from the pulldown, NEVER again use 'discover'

Select Com 4, then use the Refresh button (assumes a controller is attached to the Red). Did it find that controller. You have a match: Write (Aux)A on the adapter

[k6ccc]

For a pixel tree, you will want higher speed than 57K.  Assuming it's a Pixie controller, go for 500K Enhanced.

 

[Biff]

17 minutes ago, k6ccc said:

For a pixel tree, you will want higher speed than 57K.  Assuming it's a Pixie controller, go for 500K Enhanced.

 

Ok. Just tried and no lights. I’ll check through Everything again after dinner. Thank you

[k6ccc]

Are you trying to play a show, or trying to play a sequence from the Sequencer?  And do you have the Control Panel running (which starts the Comm Listener)?

 

[Biff]

24 minutes ago, TheDucks said:

I assume those COM # were what you found assigned by Windows.   Windows assigns unused COM#'s (and remembers the Adapters it used).

BTW Set the RED adaptors port to 115 or 500K

Use HU to check. ONLY select COM# from the pulldown, NEVER again use 'discover'

Select Com 4, then use the Refresh button (assumes a controller is attached to the Red). Did it find that controller. You have a match: Write (Aux)A on the adapter

I did write it all down. Just tried it but no lights. Got music and schedule is enabled. I’ll check everything again after dinner. Thanks 

[Biff]

2 hours ago, k6ccc said:

Are you trying to play a show, or trying to play a sequence from the Sequencer?  And do you have the Control Panel running (which starts the Comm Listener)?

 

Sorry… Had to take a break because of frustration 😩. I was trying to play a show. I got the coms figured out (I hope). I cleared all the conflicts that I had on the sequencer from adding the second controller. I updated the songs on the scheduler and had the control panel running. Something is not communicating 

[Biff]

2 minutes ago, Biff said:

Sorry… Had to take a break because of frustration 😩. I was trying to play a show. I got the coms figured out (I hope). I cleared all the conflicts that I had on the sequencer from adding the second controller. I updated the songs on the scheduler and had the control panel running. Something is not communicating 

Just checked the com listener and it’s saying error opening com port: com4 (code2)

[TheDucks]

8 minutes ago, Biff said:

Just checked the com listener and it’s saying error opening com port: com4 (code2)

AGAIN, with the show shut down. WHAT COMS does HU LIST. (NOT what some forum says to set it at. FWIW I use 11-13 wit 14 as my test . My Modem is COM3. )

[Biff]

6 minutes ago, TheDucks said:

AGAIN, with the show shut down. WHAT COMS does HU LIST. (NOT what some forum says to set it at. FWIW I use 11-13 wit 14 as my test . My Modem is COM3. )

What is the HU and I’ll check

[TheDucks]

2 minutes ago, Biff said:

What is the HU and I’ll check

Hardware Utility. That is where most controllers are ALSO configured.

DO NOT click 'Auto Configure'

Just check Manual select (pull down) for COM #'s).  You could also select the COM, then click Refresh and see if your controller gets found.

You can even run a basic light test from here.

 

IMHO this is the 2nd step a new LOR user should do

(Step 1 is unbox, and assemble if not a RTG unit) This (sanity 🙂) test the Hardware setup.

Now you can sequence knowing the ID Number and Network name are good

[Biff]

1 minute ago, TheDucks said:

Hardware Utility. That is where most controllers are ALSO configured.

DO NOT click 'Auto Configure'

Just check Manual select (pull down) for COM #'s).  You could also select the COM, then click Refresh and see if your controller gets found.

You can even run a basic light test from here.

 

IMHO this is the 2nd step a new LOR user should do

(Step 1 is unbox, and assemble if not a RTG unit) This (sanity 🙂) test the Hardware setup.

Now you can sequence knowing the ID Number and Network name are good

Had the coms backwards. Going to go give it a try.