Can't configure/communicate with LOR160xW g3

[kevinc]

Hi, I'm Noob Kevin and glad to join the community! I just bought a LOR160xW g3 2nd hand (although reported to have never been used before, came in original box and wire tires still on the input plugs, so i believe that to be true). I'm planning to use it for my halloween show. 

I have downloaded the latest LOR software 5.6.8 and purchased the advanced license. For communication i bought this Amazon USB RS-485 adapter (i bought from amazon since i thought this is generic device not specific to LOR, and wanted the fast shipping to start using it right away). 

I installed the drivers it came with, and also tried installing the ones from the LOR support page but i think they're the same anyways. When i plug in the adapter it appears under device manager ports "USB Serial Port (COM4). I restarted my computer a few times since. I then plug the RJ45 cable into the USB adapter and into the LOR RJ45 port. 

I then open the LOR hardware utility and click auto configure, "unable to locate the light-o-rama port". If I manually choose COM4 and then click refresh it doesn't find it either. 

I tried another cable and same result. LOR controller display just flips through the 4 idle messages. I don't have any other LOR programs open (like the sequencers, or scheduled shows). 

Should there be any lights on the RJ45 cable/ports? Do i need the LOR USB adapter ? Any other suggestions? 

[Steven]

One problem is that the LOR network connection uses a non-standard pin-out, which is probably different from the generic USB RS-485 adapter you purchased.

The LOR 8-pin connector has D+ and D- on pins 4&5, ground on pin 6, and AUX power on pin 3. The generic adapter may use the DMX pin-out which is D+ & D- on pins 1&2, and ground on pin 7.

[TheDucks]

Additionally, LOR may expect the driver to behave a certain way that a 'common' device does not.

Can LOR HU even find the adapter?

[PhilMassey]

To my knowledge there is no third party adaptor for LOR that works. You need to get it from LOR.

[kevinc]

Thanks for your feedback.  I’m not sure how to confirm if the LOR HU can find the adapter. 
 

I decided to order the LOR USB adapter today. Hopefully it comes in soon and works! 

[Steven]

The LOR HU doesn't locate the Light-O-Rama port directly by detecting the adapter. Instead, it opens the COM port and sends a query to any LOR controllers that are connected and powered up. If it doesn't get an answer, it assumes that this COM port must not be a Light-O-Rama port and tries the next one. It uses this logic because 2 decades ago when Light-O-Rama started, it was common to have computers with serial ports instead of USB ports, and you can't tell what's at the other end of a serial port without communicating on it.

Even if you have an actual LOR adapter, if you try the auto-configure without having a controller connected and powered up, you will get the "unable to locate Light-O-Rama port" message.

As I said above, I think your problem is that your generic adapter uses a different pin-out. That problem can easily be fixed with a jumper cable that switches the pins: Pin 1-2 on the generic (DMX) adapter will go to pins 4-5 on the Light-O-Rama controller. Pin 7 on the adapter will go to pin 6 on the controller. Other pins are left unconnected.

[kevinc]

Hi Steven, my Light-o-Rama adapter shipment has not ETA so I’m impatient and considering trying the pin swap/jumper cable as you suggested. I’m wondering is there any suggestion on how I could confirm your theory about the d+/d- on pin 1 and 2 on the generic adapter? Or if that’s not easy to do, is there a big risk to damage my LOR controller by mixing the pins up? 

[TheDucks]

24 minutes ago, kevinc said:

Hi Steven, my Light-o-Rama adapter shipment has not ETA so I’m impatient and considering trying the pin swap/jumper cable as you suggested. I’m wondering is there any suggestion on how I could confirm your theory about the d+/d- on pin 1 and 2 on the generic adapter? Or if that’s not easy to do, is there a big risk to damage my LOR controller by mixing the pins up? 

Flip the wires.  (you can use a telephone 'X' cable. The red green will be reversed when held side by side)    The Network status light should go solid

[Steven]

50 minutes ago, kevinc said:

I’m wondering is there any suggestion on how I could confirm your theory about the d+/d- on pin 1 and 2 on the generic adapter? Or if that’s not easy to do, is there a big risk to damage my LOR controller by mixing the pins up? 

Use the Hardware Utility to open the COM port for the generic adapter. This will make it send heartbeat signals. Then put a voltmeter, set to AC, across pins 1 and 2. You should see an AC voltage in the order of 12 volts. If you have a scope, that would be even better, because you could then see the digital signal.

The typical way of causing damage is by plugging a LOR controller into an Ethernet port. If you do that, the +10VDC AUX power on pin 3 of the LOR network will usually destroy the Ethernet transformer. In your case, you're connecting RS485 to RS485 so there's no Ethernet transformer involved. But don't connect pin 3 from the LOR controller to anything, because you don't need to send +10VDC.

If you get d+ and d- reversed, the controller will see an inverted signal. I'm not sure if it can handle that. If it doesn't, then it will behave as if there is no connection. It will not cause damage. The way to test is to connect it while running the Hardware Utility. If it works, then the light on the LOR controller will stop flashing and go solid.

[kevinc]

Thank you both for you feedback. I’ll try it out tonight!

[kevinc]

Success! Well actually I didn’t both trying to modify the wiring with the adapter I originally bought. I just returned it and bought a different generic adapter which allows you to insert your own wires. So the I cut a cable I had and wired per your original post Steven.