E1.31 mixing multicast and unicast

[PlanetChrismas]

I started with two E1.31 pixel controllers.  Each controlled props on opposite sides of a large display.  I wanted the two pixel controllers to do the exact same thing so I set them up for multicast in the LOR control panel.  Made sequencing easier because all sequence effects were automagically duplicated on each controller.  All worked fine.

Now I've added a third E1.31 pixel controller.  I added it to the LOR control panel and set it up for unicast.  It works fine after I tweaked the above sequence and added effects to the new props on this new controller. 

But... the multicast controllers do nothing.  I set them to unicast and they work but I need to do a bunch of copying/pasting in the sequence to duplicate effects for each of the controllers.

Lots of words to ask: can you mix multicast and unicast on the same network in a display?

 

[k6ccc]

As far as I know, you can mix DMX universes with some multicast and some unicast.  However I have never used multicast - so this is an educated guess...

Might be able to do a test, but it will be almost a week before any chance to do so.

 

[dgrant]

Truly its a good question and no, I don't know the answer either. I've always used unicast too. You might be better off using unicast in that in the future, you may wish to alter the effects on one side as opposed to both. As a simple example without E1.31, I have two megatrees. Originally, I fabricated 32 extension cords to connect one tree to the other, therefore duplicating effects from the controlled tree to the other. But, then I decided to add two more controllers therefore allowing me to alter the effects to either tree. Effectively, this gave me the ability to make them dance to each other.

So back to the E1.31 controllers, using unicast instead, will give you the capability you might wish to have. I can't say multicast and unicast together stopped working so I suggest a PM to Matt and see what he has to say. It might be that you've discovered a software glitch!

[PlanetChrismas]

I heard from Matt.

The sequence player can certainly send out both unicast and multicast. I doubt your mixed configuration is something many hardware vendors test so even if an EI.31 controller could theoretically do it, there might be bugs in the firmware implementation.  For reliability, it is best to stick with unicast.

I can take a hint.  Unicast is the way to go.