Hardware Utility Works Every Controller and Playing a Sequence Only Works Half the Controllers

[T34 Flyer]

With the hardware utility, all the controllers are identified and controllable in it. However, when playing a sequence only half respond. Have I set something up wrong in preview. Am I missing something in S6? I’m really at a loss. Has anyone had this problem? Thanks in advance. 

 

Just discovered that same units that do work in sequence are also the only units that work in TEST LIGHTS in the control panel.

Edited November 24, 2022 by T34 Flyer

[Dennis Laff]

check the way you have the channels assigned in the preview

[T34 Flyer]

Thank you for getting back to me.

All controllers are setup the same way if they work or not.  At least as far as I can tell.  Also, the controllers that work are the furthest units in the daisy chain.

 

Just discovered that same units that do work in sequence are also the only units that work in TEST LIGHTS in the control panel.

 

Edited November 24, 2022 by T34 Flyer

[Capt Ike]

I actually just found mine are doing something very similar.  This is my first go round with S6 and in the hardware utility, I can control both of my LOR AC controllers, but the Control panel cannot control the lights in either the Test Lights tab or the sequencer.  The Control Panel can see the adapter and I have a network created that has a green check, but it doesn't work.

[k6ccc]

What kind of controllers, and is the network Enhanced, and what speed?

 

[T34 Flyer]

2 hours ago, k6ccc said:

What kind of controllers, and is the network Enhanced, and what speed?

 

The controllers are LOR160XW, LOR160XW-G3 and a CMB24D.   3G or not does not matter. Please explain enhanced and what speed.

Thanks

Brad N6QFA

[dibblejr]

9 minutes ago, T34 Flyer said:

The controllers are LOR160XW, LOR160XW-G3 and a CMB24D.   3G or not does not matter. Please explain enhanced and what speed.

Thanks

Brad N6QFA

G1 = Generation 1  G3= Generation 3 controllers. G1 and G3 controllers sometimes do not play well together. If you do not have any pixel controllers in the mix go to Network Preferences and try selecting the "Compatibility mode" box. Perhaps that may work for you. While there ensure if you do not have pixie series controllers that the NW speed is set to the slowest 57.6 and not enhanced.

If you have pixie series controllers you cannot use that G1 controller and must use a 500K Enhanced NW speed.

If it doesnt work, remove the G1 LOR160XW controller, do the other 2 work together?

Process of elimination if things dont play well together. Daisy chain working controllers until one stops or causes the others to misbehave.

If you do not have pixie controllers there is no need for a LOR Enhanced NW

Lets see how those tests pan out.

Best of luck

JR

[T34 Flyer]

14 minutes ago, dibblejr said:

G1 = Generation 1  G3= Generation 3 controllers. G1 and G3 controllers sometimes do not play well together. If you do not have any pixel controllers in the mix go to Network Preferences and try selecting the "Compatibility mode" box. Perhaps that may work for you. While there ensure if you do not have pixie series controllers that the NW speed is set to the slowest 57.6 and not enhanced.

If you have pixie series controllers you cannot use that G1 controller and must use a 500K Enhanced NW speed.

If it doesnt work, remove the G1 LOR160XW controller, do the other 2 work together?

Process of elimination if things dont play well together. Daisy chain working controllers until one stops or causes the others to misbehave.

If you do not have pixie controllers there is no need for a LOR Enhanced NW

Lets see how those tests pan out.

Best of luck

JR

Speed is 500K network is Enhanced.

Do have pixel controllers and DMX as well.  I have run the G1 and G3 togetther for years.  I tried old computer, and old show (created on S5) and all controllers work as designed.

Looking at possible tests for this configuration.

Thank you so much

Brad

Edited November 24, 2022 by T34 Flyer

[dibblejr]

A G1 controller CANT run at 500K Enhanced, not possible.

They are working as designed, therefore a G1 controller will not work with a pixie series controller or a pixcon16 at 500K Enhanced.

Possible test - remove the G1 controller(s) from the 500K ELOR network.

Also ensure your firmware is where it needs to be to run your controllers in S5. Look at the firmware update page and look at any asterisk there may be.

How Many Lights Can I Connect? | Light-O-Rama (lightorama.com)

 

Best of luck

JR

[T34 Flyer]

9 minutes ago, dibblejr said:

A G1 controller CANT run at 500K Enhanced, not possible.

They are working as designed, therefore a G1 controller will not work with a pixie series controller or a pixcon16 at 500K Enhanced.

Possible test - remove the G1 controller(s) from the 500K ELOR network.

Also ensure your firmware is where it needs to be to run your controllers in S5. Look at the firmware update page and look at any asterisk there may be.

How Many Lights Can I Connect? | Light-O-Rama (lightorama.com)

 

Best of luck

JR

Yes thanks,  I am going to remove the G1s in the morning and update firmware.  

I really appriciate your help

Brad

[k6ccc]

9 hours ago, T34 Flyer said:

Yes thanks,  I am going to remove the G1s in the morning and update firmware.  

I really appriciate your help

Brad

Brad, update firmware wont make a Gen 1 controller work at 500K and or Enhanced mode.  They older controller are not capable of it at all.  You need to add a second network that is run at a slower non-Enhanced mode to use the Gen 1 controller..

10 hours ago, T34 Flyer said:

Please explain enhanced and what speed.

JR answered part of this.  Here is a more detailed explanation.  LOR networking uses a RS-485 serial network with a proprietary data protocol running on it.  RS-485 is unlike RS-232 in that it is designed to have multiple devices on the network, and because it is bipolar, can go much farther distance.  The RS-485 spec allows up to 32 devices on the network and up to 4000 feet total length.  The LOR protocol sends data at one of several different speeds: 19.2 Kb/s, 57.6 Kb/s, 115.4 Kb/s, 500Kb/s or 1000 Kb/s.  When you set up a LOR network, you specify the network speed.  This is done in the Network Preferences if running the show from a computer, and some other process if running from a Director (I've never even seen a LOR Director - let alone how to set one up).  The faster the network speed, the more data that can be sent.  The older controllers max out at the 115.4K speed, and only Pixie and Pixcon 16 controllers can operate at 1000K speed. 

Under normal circumstances on a RS-485 network, all devices are allowed to send data (only one at a time).  This means that whoever is sending data needs to pause regularly so that some other device can send data.  Even if no other device has any data to send, the sending device has to pause to see if some other device might have some data to send.  All the pauses wastes over half the time.  For the application we are using, that is not very efficient because for show playing, only one device will have any data to send.  All the pauses wastes over half the time.  Enhanced mode solves this problem.  In simple explanation, in Enhanced mode, the show player sends a command that tells all other devices that they are not allowed to send data at all.  That means that the show player can send data continuously.  This substantially increases the data capacity without increasing the data speed.  Because only the show player is allowed to send data, you can not read input devices on an Enhance network, because those devices would never be allowed to send their data.  Note that when using the Hardware Utility, it ALWAYS operates in non-Enhanced mode because it does need to have two way communication.

 

[T34 Flyer]

On 11/24/2022 at 9:43 AM, k6ccc said:

Brad, update firmware wont make a Gen 1 controller work at 500K and or Enhanced mode.  They older controller are not capable of it at all.  You need to add a second network that is run at a slower non-Enhanced mode to use the Gen 1 controller..

JR answered part of this.  Here is a more detailed explanation.  LOR networking uses a RS-485 serial network with a proprietary data protocol running on it.  RS-485 is unlike RS-232 in that it is designed to have multiple devices on the network, and because it is bipolar, can go much farther distance.  The RS-485 spec allows up to 32 devices on the network and up to 4000 feet total length.  The LOR protocol sends data at one of several different speeds: 19.2 Kb/s, 57.6 Kb/s, 115.4 Kb/s, 500Kb/s or 1000 Kb/s.  When you set up a LOR network, you specify the network speed.  This is done in the Network Preferences if running the show from a computer, and some other process if running from a Director (I've never even seen a LOR Director - let alone how to set one up).  The faster the network speed, the more data that can be sent.  The older controllers max out at the 115.4K speed, and only Pixie and Pixcon 16 controllers can operate at 1000K speed. 

Under normal circumstances on a RS-485 network, all devices are allowed to send data (only one at a time).  This means that whoever is sending data needs to pause regularly so that some other device can send data.  Even if no other device has any data to send, the sending device has to pause to see if some other device might have some data to send.  All the pauses wastes over half the time.  For the application we are using, that is not very efficient because for show playing, only one device will have any data to send.  All the pauses wastes over half the time.  Enhanced mode solves this problem.  In simple explanation, in Enhanced mode, the show player sends a command that tells all other devices that they are not allowed to send data at all.  That means that the show player can send data continuously.  This substantially increases the data capacity without increasing the data speed.  Because only the show player is allowed to send data, you can not read input devices on an Enhance network, because those devices would never be allowed to send their data.  Note that when using the Hardware Utility, it ALWAYS operates in non-Enhanced mode because it does need to have two way communication.

 

Thanks Jim