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Hardware utility issue


DownTown

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Running hardware utility to troubleshoot some DMX issues I've been having since about Halloween. My DMX controllers are at D0 and E0. When I refresh the controllers to have it see what it can see, I get the error below. Any ideas?

Thanks,

D.T.


Attached files 185599=10527-errormsg.JPG

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Taking a somewhat educated guess I have an idea. Are these controllers manually addressed? Just to be clear, do these controllers have switches that allow you to address them? If so, try this. Lower the address of the E0 unit to say D8 and try again with the hardware utility. As I remember it, the last 16 addresses are reserved and not for us to use. So we are only allowed to address controllers 1 - 240. I know, E0 is 240 if I remember correctly. But just maybe it does not like that number either. So, for S & Gs lower it and see if that works.
Error messages at times and at best are cryptic, but that bit about out of range just rings bells in my head that says that E0 might be to high for some strange reason.

Good luck and hope that this is the meaning behind the error message.

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No, the iDMX is configured through the hardware utility, and E0 is the default address for it as it ships from LOR. Also, while I am a bit rusty at this one, it seems to me that if FF is 255, then F0 would be 240..

I can't remember seeing anything about this error in the past. Hopefully Bob or someone will have an idea.

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As Bob asked, what version of software do you have. Also do you have any controllers other than the 2 iDMX controllers attached? If yes, what type are they and what are their Unit IDs?

Thanks
Dan

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It was happening with 2.5.6, and now with 2.6.0. I upgraded hoping the problem would go away in the newer version. I do not currently have any other controllers connected, but did have some fishy stuff happening when I did have controllers 0B and 01 on the network for Halloween. They were a 1602W (01), and a CTB16PC (0B). All had been working fine at Christmas time, and the 0B/E0 controllers had been working just fine up until just before Halloween (of course... )

Any assistance would be appreciated.

Thanks

D.T.

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-klb- wrote:

No, the iDMX is configured through the hardware utility, and E0 is the default address for it as it ships from LOR. Also, while I am a bit rusty at this one, it seems to me that if FF is 255, then F0 would be 240..

I can't remember seeing anything about this error in the past. Hopefully Bob or someone will have an idea.

Giving myself the V8 slap on my forehead. Well if your rusty, I hate to think what I am in counting in hex.

Thanks klb.
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We cannot reproduce the problem....

What type of LOR adapter are you using (USB485, USB485B, SC485)... Do you have any repeaters, ELLs, etc in the network...

Does it happen with just one of the iDMX controllers attached?

Thanks
Dan

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I think I might have a lead on this.

Do you always get this message, or does the hardware utility work for you for a while when you first boot up?

My Dell laptop has always been a bit finicky with the usb adapter, and I have not figured it out in the last three years. But it has not been all that big a deal, because I don't run a show from it. I use it for troubleshooting, and testing, and such.

This weekend I was upgrading firmware on 30 controllers, so only getting 1 to 4 controllers between reboots was a problem. Sometimes things would just lock up, and other times, I would get this, or one other message. What I finally figured out yesterday was that applying, or removing power to the Dell power supply would cause the com port to lock up, sometimes with this message. I have not tried it yet, but the next step for me is to switch to one of the filtered USB cables, and see if that fixes the issue.

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A second thought here. If this always happens, has your com port number changed? Is it now com16 or higher? The hardware utility will not function with higher com port numbers.

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Hello all. Thanks for your suggestions. I finally had a little time to play with the problem some more. It seems that the problem stemmed from one of the iDMX1000 controllers. Once I took it off the serial line, the other controller worked fine, and all was well. I will have to do a reset on the "bad" controller and see if the problem persists.

Thanks again for your time.

D.T.

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