ukoberon Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Hello Everyone!STarting to play with my lights (much to my families amusement in July) and have hit a problem that im hoping to get some advice on.I have set up some basic sequences which run fine on my string led lights, however if i use my rope led the system hangs whenever a ramped fade up or down is used - the network seems to crash and the red indicator leds flash on the boards (CTB16PC). At the same time the sequence editor software hangs.If i pull the usb network connection from the pc the sequence continues and if i put the usb back in the pc the sequence continues hapily so long as there are no ramped up or ramped down sections on the led rope light. the rope seems to cope with all other effects no problem.would welcome your comments and experience if you have come across this - it may be that i just cant use ramped fade on rope lights??thanks allRob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-klb- Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 It sounds like those lights are causing some electrical noise that is messing with the USB connection. Do you have the USB cable with the ferrites cast into both ends? If not, based on your description, that sounds like the place to start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmoore60 Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Rob,As I read your thread, I first thought does your rope light have transformers/ power supplies. Then I looked and saw your located in the UK. I am thinking most all of your lights contain transformers. This is not saying that the rope light supplies could not be a problem. They may just be noisy. Are you using a standard USB cable? LOR sells a USB cable with a filter that has been proven to help with loss of communications.Chuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ukoberon Posted July 9, 2009 Author Share Posted July 9, 2009 wow - i love this forum - thanks for the megga quick replies!!!ok im using the usb cable that came with the software and controller pack i bought from LOR. The rope light does still have a multi effect controller on it but this does not seem to caue a problem on the other effects.I dont know how to bypass the ropelights chaser unit if this is causing the issue:?. I just tried using a different set of LEDs that also have a controller unit on them and that worked fine with ramp ups and down.All part of the fun i guess - but I gess i may just need to avoid ramps on the rope lights - fortunately only got 3 of them as majority of lights are the static strings from lightsforfun.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-klb- Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Depending on when you bought your USB adapter, it may have come with an unfiltered cable, or a filtered cable. The filtered cable has very evident cast in lumps a little ways from both ends of the cable. I don't have one of the LOR supplied ones at hand, but the one I have here, the cast on ferrites are larger than the connectors. There is no way you would miss them. The filtered cables are recommended in cases with symptoms very similar to yours.Separately, some power supplies/transformers, and a lot of controllers do not do well being down stream of phase angle dimmed power. I would consider any dimming on strings with chasers, or other controllers to be a purely at your own risk kind of deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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