Multiple controllers

[sweatyjock]

I have 3 controllers CTB16PC. My question is do I have to assign them numbers, like controller 1, controller 2 etc. And if so what's the best way to do it. 

 

Thank you 

[TheDucks]

With PRO level, any unique number would work...

If you were Basic up to Standard, You need to start at 1, as there is a  limit, starting from 1.

My personal opinion is to grab a copy of LOR's sequence store channel/ID assignments and use that as a basis 👍  just in case you want to use some of them with little effort.

As to SETTING. If given the option (by design), I prefer using the HU to set ID (if there are switches, those need to be set to ID0 (Sw 1-8 OFF)

LABEL your controllers with their ID (type and placement) eg LOR 03,CTB /LOR 20, Pixie8 ! Corner  << yes, I have both in 1 box https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BjuuMb1R5x0u-NmzX4J3vtB6zNKjtqf5/view?usp=drive_link

[Jimehc]

 

[sweatyjock]

Do the controllers "need" to have a number to work. I have 3 controllers and wanting to get one or two more. So far most of my sequences are from lor and are rgb plus sequences. 

[dgrant]

2 hours ago, sweatyjock said:

Do the controllers "need" to have a number to work. I have 3 controllers and wanting to get one or two more. So far most of my sequences are from lor and are rgb plus sequences. 

All controllers need some form of identification for the communication. Let's say you wish to turn on an AC string of lights at a certain moment in a song. Without some form of guidance from the software, just any controller won't know what to do. It needs an "ID #" and a "Channel Number", in the software, so that when it communicates to the controller, the specific controller, channel who is listening for any commands will recognize it, turning on that string. When it comes to the CTB16PC, you have 16 AC output plugs hanging from it. Each of those AC cords hanging are assigned a channel number, 1-16. When you program it via the hardware utility, you assign a controller ID number to it. Its in a hexadecimal number format. In this format AND the type of communication protocol (RS485) you could literally have 64 different controllers on one communication cable, daisy-chaining to each controller. Each of them, listening for commands to their ID # and channel number commands. So the first controller is always "01" and the first plug hanging from it, would have a number taped to it, showing "1" and the next plug being "2" and so on through the 16 plugs. So to turn on that first plus, you would address Controller 01 and channel 1. If you wanted controller 03 and channel 14 to turn on, you would have to insure the third controller has that ID set in it.

Without going farther on this, I want you to understand that RGB is another area that "might be different" depending on what kind of RGB you are using. Yes, some is still RS485 therefore those commands and so on, remain the same. There are also E1.31 LED's which are considered intelligent. This is where each and every LED can be individually turned on, color changes and more. E1.31 does NOT use RS485 so if you buy them, DO NOT connect a RS485 cable to it unless it is specifically designed to accept it. Same type of cable (Cat5,6...) but a different communication protocol. Cross connecting E1.31 and RS485, you will fry something. Do your homework.

[TheDucks]

3 hours ago, sweatyjock said:

Do the controllers "need" to have a number to work. I have 3 controllers and wanting to get one or two more. So far most of my sequences are from lor and are rgb plus sequences. 

Can UPS deliver a package without a street name and house #? 

The LOR ID is the Street name (say 30th 😀), (The LOR Network is the route to get there:like 145th) The Port/channel is the house#

[sweatyjock]

So after I set a controller number, on the second controller do I have to change the plug numbers. Like the first controller is #1 with 1 to 16 plugs, then controller #2 17 to 32 plugs and the controller #3 33 to 48 plugs? Or do changing the controller ID number let's the controller know there are 17 to 32 and 33 to 48 plugs? 

[TheDucks]

Each controller is a separate unit.  Ports are room numbers. , so every controller has a Port 1 (plug 1)

For setup ease. you could label   extension cords with ID# - port#  (ID is only needed if multiple controllers are in close proximity).

FWIW I use colored cable ties, following IEC resistor colors, Most Significant digit near connector.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_color_code

 

 

[k6ccc]

8 minutes ago, sweatyjock said:

So after I set a controller number, on the second controller do I have to change the plug numbers. Like the first controller is #1 with 1 to 16 plugs, then controller #2 17 to 32 plugs and the controller #3 33 to 48 plugs? Or do changing the controller ID number let's the controller know there are 17 to 32 and 33 to 48 plugs? 

Neither.  The following discussion relates exclusively to LOR networks.  DMX is similar, but different.

Each 16 channel controller is channels 1 - 16, but the controller Unit ID is different.  There are three parts of each channel identification.  First is Network.  That tells which network the channel can be found on.  Most people start with the "Regular" network.  The controller knows nothing about what network it's on.  Second part of the identification is Unit ID.  That is the ID set with either switches (might be rotary or might be DIP switches depending on the controller) or can be set with the Hardware Utility.  That will be a number in hexadecimal between 01 and F0 (240 possible controller Unit IDs).  The last part of the channel identification is the Channel number.  That is the channel on that particular controller..

So for example, a channel identification of: Regular, Unit 04, Channel 14 would be the 14th channel on a controller with a Unit ID of 04 that is plugged into the "Regular" LOR network.

 

[Mr. P]

Go back to the address explanation once again. The LOR network is the name of the street, Main Street. The controller ID is the number on the building, 01 and the port is the apartment in that building 1-16. You have a package to deliver, the data, and need the address of where to go and I am the computer/director telling you where to go, so if I tell you to go to 01 Main Street apartment 4 then you know exactly where to go. The second controller is the next building on the street, 02 Main Street and it also has 1-16 apartments, following?