Display stops when playing schedule

[bpducman]

My 2 cents

I am running the x-lights scheduler. The computer is dedicated to to show and NOT on the internet. Twice now in different sequences it just pauses for a moment that I can notice, probably no more than 1 second and then just keeps going. I don't watch it all of the time I just make sure things are working and then go about my life.

The task manager does not show any extreme use of resources.

I hate intermittent issues.

Brad

[Gilrock]

I think you guys are learning why most of us have migrated away from using PC's.

[bpducman]

Hi Gil

 I am using the sandevices controllers E682 and E6804.

What do I use for a scheduler? The PI device?, I know nothing about this and what software it uses.

Brad

[Gilrock]

All the xLights developers use a Pi.  Here are the instructions for how to set one up.  It's free software:
http://falconchristmas.com/forum/index.php/topic,483.0.html

The nice thing is it's running with a Linux OS and is dedicated to only running your show and not a 150 other processes like a PC.  It's really inexpensive to get one setup.  A lot of external devices like network drives and routers are using a Linux kernel because of its reliability and closer to real time performance.

I'm just not familiar at all with the xlights scheduler code.

[bpducman]

Perfect

Thanks

[danj]

Learning how to use a PI is on my early spring "to do" list in regards to 2016 Christmas display.
Good point on the "dedication" of the PI--not running a bunch of other stuff...  Hadn't really thought about that.

[thevikester]

Got 2 of them in the mail yesterday...once this season is over...I will work on figuring it out...thanks for the link Gil...
I personally do the same thing..leave the lid on the laptop shut...it is only up when the show is running , 3 to 4 hours a day..have not looked at the resources being used, but not on the internet, pretty much just the show running.

[logandc99]

I've used the Pi this year running the show on its own network and have been very happy with it. However, I did have the occasional sequence do a slight 1sec pause a few times. Audio smooth but lights pause and then catchup ok. Always occurred at different times ( not that often though). Had two occurrences where the audio and lights ran out of sync and I had to do a stop and restart of the sequence. Admittedly did occur when I manually started the sequence early before it was scheduled to start. But only happened twice out of multiple times I did it. Love being able to access everything on the Pi from the iPhone while outside.


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[Gilrock]

Well Logan aren't you using 25ms sequences?  I know the one I copied from you was 25ms and it caused a problem on my slave FPP.  I don't think you would have problems at 50ms.

[logandc99]

Good to know. In that case I'll go back to 50ms. In the end I don't think there was any appreciable difference in the way the timing of my 50ms vs 25ms sequences looked on the display.


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[danj]

Ok--I re-loaded both files that were acting up on me and all is well now.   On an unrelated note, I had another one that I had recently re-loaded that had "lost" some of the channel assignments, so I re-rendered & re-saved and it worked correctly after all of that....  Just in case, I also cold re-booted my laptop in the event there was some "additive" thing going on....

[JonB256]

Well Logan aren't you using 25ms sequences?  I know the one I copied from you was 25ms and it caused a problem on my slave FPP.  I don't think you would have problems at 50ms.

Gil, thanks for noticing that. I had used Logan's base sequence and didn't notice the 25ms timing. I was getting some "misses" on some of my older DMX boards. They get their DMX from an FPD and the 25ms may have been too much for them.

Edited the xml file to 50ms. Deleted and Re-saved to get the new FSEQ file. No more "misses" on the DMX controllers.