CTB 16 D flashing red light

[Mecca Lights]

Hi I need some help. We got all sequences done the boxes are set up to the ports we try to run the show the CMB 24d plays the flood lights perfectly but the 16 channel CTB box just flashes red. I am trying to help my husband who is about ready to throw the box out at this point. We have rebooted and assigned the units correctly. What else is wrong? 

[Orville]

9 hours ago, Mecca Lights said:

Hi I need some help. We got all sequences done the boxes are set up to the ports we try to run the show the CMB 24d plays the flood lights perfectly but the 16 channel CTB box just flashes red. I am trying to help my husband who is about ready to throw the box out at this point. We have rebooted and assigned the units correctly. What else is wrong? 

Check the Cat5 Jacks on the board in the CTB16PC, they should NOT be very loose, if they are, it could be the cat5jack assembly has broken loose from the soldering joints.  If it is very loose, moves a lot when you lightly jiggle it to check, then you'll have to take the CTB16PC electronics board out, requires disassembly of the board, as in removing all dangles connected to the board, and removing the board from the case, you will also have to remove the screws and nuts from every Triac {all 16 of them} from the board so you can get to the underside of the board, then resolder the cat5 jacks by reflowing and adding a little more solder to the jack assembly to reseat it and make a valid connection.

Another possibility is the cat5 cable that is going to the CTB16PC is bad, try using a different cable and see if that works first.  If not, check the pins inside the jacks and see if any have gotten bent, yu may need to try and straighten them out with a very small tool and bend then upwards just a little bit.

When you reset the controller, did you also remove the jumper, then plug the controller back in, unplug and then replace the jumper and pug back in?  If you don't remove the jumper completely and reboot using this method, the controller won't reset properly.  I haven't done this in a while, but I think it's the topmost jumper near the cat5 jack that has to be removed to do a reboot/reset of the controller.

I'm having to resolder one of my circuit boards at the cat5 jack assembly, because I had one of my controllers cat5 jack assembly come loose and it was causing the controller to blink the red LED.

Another possibility, it could be the firmware has gotten corrupted, if it's that, you'll need to update/replace the firmware in the controller.   Can the HU {Hardware Utility} locate this controller if it's the only one connected to the computer without any other controllers?  Does the red LED go steady?

If so, you would be able to update the FW, but I'm thinking it's more or less, a bad cat5 cable, an incorrect reboot/reset of the controller, bent pins in the cat5 jack, or a loose cat5 jack assembly.  These are usually the main culprits in most cases.

Oh, one other thing to check, almost forgot, check the fuses, it could be the fuse that supplies power on {I think} channels 1-8 could possibly be blown.  Been awhiile since I've had to replace fuses in my controllers, but seem to recall one of the fuses, if blown may also cause the red LED to blink.

That's about all I can think of that could be causing the issue, but there is a communications chip, not sure where or which one it is, but if that has gone bad for some reason, you'll also get a red blinking LED, since there is no communication to the other circuitry on the board.  I believe it's a small IC, that is easily replaced, as it is in a socket.  But not sure how you can test for a bad comm chip without some kind of test equipment.   But if everything else checks out, that would be a last resort, you can get the comm chip from LOR.   You'll need to know what generation the controller is, and version, as there are Ge1 Version 1 and Version 2 boards that have the red LED, newer versions have a green LED, the info is stamped on the circuit board and should be easily readable.

Good Luck getting it working.

[Mecca Lights]

OK I check the jacks all ok swapped the cat 5 to a direct cable for now, fuses are good, slowed the connection from 500k to 115.4k, Now the light on the board is solid but still no lights. controllers have been rebooted and firmware updated. Should there be a jumper on the 18 pin header top right next to LED light?

[Orville]

12 hours ago, Mecca Lights said:

OK I check the jacks all ok swapped the cat 5 to a direct cable for now, fuses are good, slowed the connection from 500k to 115.4k, Now the light on the board is solid but still no lights. controllers have been rebooted and firmware updated. Should there be a jumper on the 18 pin header top right next to LED light?

The jumper should be on the 2^nd row of pins.  That is the normal position for the controller to function.  And should be the ONLY jumper on that bank of pins.

Can you get any lights to work on the controller in the HU?  If yes, and they are not working in the sequencer, then it is probably a sequence error where the controller is possibly misidentified, that is an incorrect ID for that controller.  It could be you may have put in the same ID # on 2 different controllers on the same network or the controller ID used in the sequence does not match what it shows in the HU for your CTB16 controller.

It's an easy fix if incorrectly identified with a wrong ID in the sequence itself.

I don't know enough about the newer versions on how to correct it in anything above 4.4.16, but would think it should still be an easy correction.  But you'd need to ask someone with experience with the version of the software you're using currently. on how to fix the ID of the controller, if it is incorrect.

Otherwise, it could be some type of configuration error somewhere else in the newer versions, as they are a lot more complex than the version I am still using.

Good Luck, at least you do have a solid red LED now!  So it should be working.

p.s. the older RED LED CTB16PC controllers won't work on anything above 115.4K.  You may need another HS adapter {or older style lower speed adapter for the CTB16} adapter and add a 2nd network for your CMB24 controller if it requires 500K speeds to operate.  As some of the controllers that require or need 500K will not play well with an older CTB16   But an HS adapter will still work with older CTB16 controllers as long as you keep the speed setting at 115.4K or less.  I run all my CTB16 Controllers at 115.4K and require a separate HS network for everything else to work correctly {HS adapter at 500K for all my RGB Controllers}.

Edited October 7, 2022 by Orville

[Mecca Lights]

The jumper should be on the 2^nd row of pins.  That is the normal position for the controller to function.  And should be the ONLY jumper on that bank of pins.

Can you get any lights to work on the controller in the HU?  If yes, and they are not working in the sequencer, then it is probably a sequence error where the controller is possibly misidentified, that is an incorrect ID for that controller.  It could be you may have put in the same ID # on 2 different controllers on the same network or the controller ID used in the sequence does not match what it shows in the HU for your CTB16 controller.

Lights work perfect in HU are boards are set to 01 and 02 after being res set and the dial turned according to LOR instructions.  0 1 and 0 2. I an only using one board for Halloween and in my light list in sequence those 16 ch's are UNIT 01

It's an easy fix if incorrectly identified with a wrong ID in the sequence itself.

Maybe I should try changing from 0 1 to something else, but I tried resetting both boxes and just running it separately I even switch to the other board and reset the ID and still nothing.

I don't know enough about the newer versions on how to correct it in anything above 4.4.16, but would think it should still be an easy correction.  But you'd need to ask someone with experience with the version of the software you're using currently. on how to fix the ID of the controller, if it is incorrect. 

I'm not completely new to this but I am new to this software, I even removed it from my PC and re installed and rebooted the PC to see if that would help.

Otherwise, it could be some type of configuration error somewhere else in the newer versions, as they are a lot more complex than the version I am still using.

Your not lying at all i swear its setup for IT guy or software programmers I wish they had made it a little bit easier for the average joe.

Good Luck, at least you do have a solid red LED now!  So it should be working.

Thanks for all your help and info we greatly appreciate it and I have another board I scored on eBay coming just incase.

p.s. the older RED LED CTB16PC controllers won't work on anything above 115.4K.  You may need another HS adapter {or older style lower speed adapter for the CTB16} adapter and add a 2nd network for your CMB24 controller if it requires 500K speeds to operate.  As some of the controllers that require or need 500K will not play well with an older CTB16   But an HS adapter will still work with older CTB16 controllers as long as you keep the speed setting at 115.4K or less.  I run all my CTB16 Controllers at 115.4K and require a separate HS network for everything else to work correctly {HS adapter at 500K for all my RGB Controllers}.

I am running them on 115.4k but I also tried a lower speed and nothing yet the floods still worked. I am just using there RS485B adapter. I also tried running the ctb16 by itself with neither of the other controllers hooked up and still nothing. 

Thanks again its greatly appreciated.

[Steven]

2 hours ago, Mecca Lights said:

Lights work perfect in HU are boards are set to 01 and 02 after being res set and the dial turned according to LOR instructions.  0 1 and 0 2. I an only using one board for Halloween and in my light list in sequence those 16 ch's are UNIT 01

If the lights work in the HU, then it is not a hardware or network problem. Since you are running S6, the problem is probably in the Preview.

First, while the show is playing, is the red light on the controller on solid? If it's on solid in the Hardware Utility, but flashes when running the show, then the show is probably switching the network to 500K.

If it's solid (but no channels are working) when the show is playing, then the props in the Preview are probably set to the wrong unit number or wrong network.

The S6 Control Panel has a new tab "Test Lights". Go to this tab, select your Preview, and test the troublesome channels. If they don't work in the Control Panel, but the red light is solid, then the problem is the Prop definition in the Preview. If they work in the Control Panel, but not in the show, then the problem is the sequence.

[Mecca Lights]

FIXED thanks to everyone for there help!!!!!!

The Com speed was to fast and we had it set to enhanced.

Turned off enhanced and set network to 57k

[TheDucks]

29 minutes ago, Mecca Lights said:

FIXED thanks to everyone for there help!!!!!!

The Com speed was to fast and we had it set to enhanced.

Turned off enhanced and set network to 57k

Great. Had to be something simple, IMHO cuz dumb controllers are way easier to get going that (out)Smart ones

[Orville]

On 10/7/2022 at 7:01 PM, Mecca Lights said:

FIXED thanks to everyone for there help!!!!!!

The Com speed was to fast and we had it set to enhanced.

Turned off enhanced and set network to 57k

The CTB16 should be able to function at 115.4K.  All my older CTB16's are set at that, have been for years, never a problem with mine.  But if the 57K works, that's good, that is usually the default for the CTB16 controllers.  But a little extra speed does help for complex sequences that have a lot of different light changes/effects in them.  So I found 115.4K worked out well for me.  My sequences have a lot of varying and assorted light changes and effects, and I was having a slight issue with lagging in between the lighting changes/effects flowing smoothly.  Changed to 115.4K, and that solved the light's lagging issue.

So you might want to try resetting it back to 115.4K non-enhanced and see if everything still functions well.  If so, I'd leave it at that setting.

Edited October 9, 2022 by Orville

[Mecca Lights]

Orville 

Good advice I will give it a try and see what happens, They are kind of glitchy at the moment.