Loose all DMX in the yard

[bdwillie]

I am sure this is related to my WIN 10 computer, not LOR itself.  I am intermittently loosing my DMX network output.  I have 1 DMX universe in addition to my enhanced LOR network, about 171 DMX channels used.  All items on the DMX are dumb RGB.  Adapter used is an actidongle.  Either the show will start without any DMX components working, or some time into the show the DMX components will just freeze, and no longer respond.   This has happened 4 times now since Thanksgiving.  All I have to do to get them back up and running is to unplug the USB cable from the computer, and plug it back in.  Then it will run for days without happening again.  When I loose the DMX I still have 2 green networks in the 6.1.6 control panel networks, both the main LOR and the DMX.  All 9 DMX controllers in the yard are still showing they are receiving a DMX signal. The enhanced LOR network has not had this problem at all.

I have tried - replacing the USB cable to the actidongle - removed and reinstalled the driver for the actidongle - tried my backup actidongle - added a reboot in task manager to reboot the computer approx 1 hour before the show - checked to make sure that USB isn't powered off  or sleeping in window's power settings.  The USB's are connected directly to the computer, not through a hub.

Thanks in advance!

[PhilMassey]

I have always used a LOR  adaptor with a crossover cable to run my DMX devices, also about 170 channels in a single universe. Never had a single show issue in 5 years. I did test an Actidongle this year but could never get it to work.

[Dennis Laff]

I'm running DMX flood lights from DMX ports on Falcon controller for years with no problems.

[k6ccc]

Check your windows setting for that dongle and make sure Windows is not allowed to turn off the adapter to conserve power.  Many USB devices default that way.

 

[bdwillie]

Never did figure this out, checked the power settings for the usb, set to never turn off.  I still think it is computer related, not LOR related as now it is doing odd other things as well that aren't related to LOR at all.  I think the computer will be replaced in the very near future!

[k6ccc]

The reality is that a show computer does not need to be all that powerful, and can be bought for about the price of the cheapest Director and give FAR more capability.

 

[bdwillie]

1 hour ago, k6ccc said:

The reality is that a show computer does not need to be all that powerful, and can be bought for about the price of the cheapest Director and give FAR more capability.

 

Yup!   Got my eye on a refurbished HP business desktop on Amazon.  Going for 130 bucks and some change.  Went looking for one at a local thrift shop and the "newest" they had was 3 windows 7 machines (according to the stickers on them anyway) going for 100 bucks, no warranty, and no idea if they would even power up, and no way to test them.  Kinda laughed as I went out the door!

[k6ccc]

Every personal use type computer I've bought in the last 20 years has either come from the Dell Outlet, or TigerDirect.com.  Most of them were lease returns, and I've never head a problem with any of them.  My current show computer was bought from TigerDirect.com in Sept. 2017 for about $175 - and is far more capable than needed as a show computer (and it's controlling almost 70,000 channels).

 

[TheDucks]

 My last 2 were refurb Dell Optiplex from Walmart (online). They came with a fresh HD (and the last also had a SSD) The only issue was the HD was not enabled, nor 'OS mounted'. I enabled in the BIOS and extended my Users folder (I could not find good advice on what way was better to do this) Oh and Pro level Windows

IMHO avoid Dimension, there was not even a spare power plug for another HD  (or a addon USB3 card)