Larry Drum Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Can 2 or more controllers have the same unit ID?The reason would be to sequence 16 channels, assign it to Unit ID 09 then have 3 controllers set to 09. They would all work the same if the network allows shared ID's.ThanksLarry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Hertig Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Larry Drum wrote: Can 2 or more controllers have the same unit ID?The reason would be to sequence 16 channels, assign it to Unit ID 09 then have 3 controllers set to 09. They would all work the same if the network allows shared ID's.ThanksLarryI believe they will work as you wish (16 channels, each of which controls 3 'outlets').But why would you want to do this? Unless each of those channels is going to control a LOT of current, wouldn't it be cheaper to plug all the stuff you want to control with 3 separate channels into one channel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-klb- Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 I believe it will work as long as you are not configured for interactive triggers on that controller ID. However, from personal experience, I can tell you that the hardware utility won't correctly identify the unit. It tells that unit ID to identify itself, and they both talk at once resulting in general confusion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Drum Posted July 30, 2009 Author Share Posted July 30, 2009 Thanks guys... Maybe a bit more splainin is in order.I want to trigger identical events on 3 controllers. Each one is at a different house, so I can't run upwards of 800 feet of extension cord for each channel.The other reason is sequence speed... If I only have to sequence 16 channels and I've done 3 (or more) houses I'm happy. Plus the sequence is smaller, less commands to send and a lot less up and down scrolling in the editor. I can see 80 channels at once but it's still a lot of mouse work.Now right now these 3 controllers are in the sequence with different unit ID's... if this works I could delete 32 channels. I've only done 3 songs so far but I wanted to do about 8 plus a couple medleys.ThanksLarry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ponddude Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Hmmm...How do you plan on triggering them? Do you plan on using the DIO board or the input trigger header?I think if you use the header that could cause an issue, but I think it would be ok with the DIO board.This sounds like a job for Dan...LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Drum Posted July 30, 2009 Author Share Posted July 30, 2009 Ponddude wrote: Hmmm...How do you plan on triggering them? Do you plan on using the DIO board or the input trigger header?I think if you use the header that could cause an issue, but I think it would be ok with the DIO board.This sounds like a job for Dan...LOLI don't even know what you asked? Really!Three PC controllers set to Unit 09. 16 channels in the sequence set to Unit 09 channel 1-16. Run the show... . I am not an electronics guy at all...Larry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-klb- Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Sending the commands to three controllers instead of one is not that big a deal. You would have to have a pretty good sized display, and be trippling all of it before I think it would be an issue.Since you have already started them separately, here is what I would do. Pick one of them to be your primary. Make a new track. Copy your primary one of these three to the new track. Move the other two controllers to the new track. Now, you only have your primary in the main track you are sequencing. Once you have your sequence completed, go to that new track, and copy the primary controller sequence. Then past it into the other two controllers in that track. It should be as easy as selecting the first cell at the start of the first channel, shift scrolling down through the sixteen channels, then shift-end. ^C to copy it, then go back to the start on the first channel of the second controller and past, then the first channel of the third controller and paste.Also, you are now in a situation where you can elect to customize each of them after they have been copied and pasted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max-Paul Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Ok, I think I understand. He has 3 different houses that he wants to control. And he wants each house to basicly put on the same show. Although what is connected to each controller might be different. A blow mold here at one house and maybe a small wire frame present at another. But for all pratical purpose all 3 controller will turn on and off the same channels on all 3 controllers. And he is asking will there be any problems by putting all 3 controllers on the same address ID? I believe that someone said that each controller will try to respond with either a "data received" or input 1 is still off, reply message back to the PC or master controller (depends if he is using a controller in "stand alone"mode). So the meat of the question is will there be any communication problems with this configureation.AS for me, I do not know. But I suggest that the op put 3 controllers all on the same ID and do a dry run in his back yard, basement, or garage. I do not believe you will need any lights installed to do this. Just watch your PC (presuming that you are going to use a PC to control) and see if any error messages pop up. And if you are still concerned that this might have a problem. Add a few channels worth of lights and see if it all works as planned.Good luck and please report back your findings so we all can learn from your experiment.Max Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ponddude Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Disregard my question...I thought he wanted to use input triggers...I miss read it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-klb- Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 I think that came from my mentioning it as something that would not work in that configuration.It does occur to me that connectivity troubleshooting will be a pain with all three set the same. To test that one of the three controllers can be seen in the hardware utility, you will have to power down the other two, test, then power that one off, power on one of the others, test, and then continue to the third. Then power them all back up. And you won't be able to tell if one of the loads on the other two controllers is impacting communications to the third.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowardShank Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 just my 2 cents...The multiple controllers on the same channel sounds good, but it the ONLY reason is to avoid programming all the different channels on different controllers, I'd suggest using cut/paste ... create the show using the necessary channels, then just duplicate all the channels. Would definitely help to eliminate any troubleshooting issues that may come up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zman Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 Larry, 3 controllers same ID no problem, same channel behavior, maybe different feature items at one house vs. another. I have done that in the past in my show.What I have not seen is how you are going to communicate the 3 boxes at the 3 houses. ELLs? Cat5E? You just have to be aware that the ELLs work best line of sight, and are only 900mhz. I use ELLs, and I have one that I went hardwire Cat5e at a distance of 175', granted it was sort of around a corner, because it started to intermittently have comms problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max-Paul Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 I think a few from your replies think that Larry only wants to do this to not have to scroll or do all of that programming. One point that has been lost by some is that his thinking is that if I do not have to repeat the command 3 times via the "Network" that the loading on the network will be lighter, hence less chance to drop a bit here and there. This is a major consideration for in the future and he is thinking ahead. I do not think he is just being lazy as a few have hinted.If it will work per Zman's post. Then think of it gents, in some ways the network load has been reduced to a third of what it would have been if Larry had to send out a command to each of the 3 boxes. YMMV depending on how many controllers you have, and how many of them are doubled, tripled or quadtripled on the same unit ID#.Well Larry after much discussion. Looks like you might have your answer. Good luck and please reply later after you have given it a shot. I for one do not know for sure one way or another other than what others have said here in this thread.Max Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmoore60 Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 To anwers the original posters questions. YES it can be done.Chuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Drum Posted July 31, 2009 Author Share Posted July 31, 2009 This is looking like a test is in order.To answer a few nagging questions...It's not all about lazy sequencing. The network is one point as I am mindful of packet traffic. I will be using ELL's to two houses and direct cat5 to the closest one.The real reason for the idea was excited neighbors wanting to get in on some of the action late in the game. Not just new neighbors but even the ones I already have saying... WOW, those arches are really cool. I got an extra 4000 lights I'm gonna wrap some pipes and have LOR overnight a couple controllers. That scenario makes cloning controllers very attractive. Absolute plug and play for any late season adds.Yes given the time I would and will use unique ID at each house so I have total flexibility... Doing it with clones would not allow me to properly chase from house to house... Thanks everyone. I think we can poke a fork in this one. I'll let ya all know after a test run.LarryHey, don't any of us have real jobs?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Shelby Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 This year I'm over 700 channels and using a track for each house sounds like the way to go. If someone added something new to a yard, it would be easy to make changes to that track/yard. The fewer out-of-the-norm changes the better in a big display, trust me, it will make your life so much easier when something is not working right. It also makes it harder for the LOR family to troubleshoot, it took three years for mine to work flawlessly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparky741 Posted August 2, 2009 Share Posted August 2, 2009 This topic reminds me almost exactly of a project I just did at work. We had a motion controller sending commands (via RS-485 nonetheless!) to two drives setup with the same address to move two different motors in the same fashion. I would agree with the previous posts that as long as those 3 controllers with the same ID are not using any triggers, it should work. I think there was a similar post in the DMX area a while back about almost the same thing. I believe the answer was pretty much the same; multiple units set to the same address will all respond identically in a sequence. I have my controllers out right now. If this horrible weather (BIG thunderstorms) ever passes, I'll give this a shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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