Controllers Setup Help Needed

[ttwiss]

I'm very new to this and trying to setup everything for my first year.

I feel comfortable using the xLights software and have created some animated musical sequences.  Now I need to make sure I can connect all of the hardware correctly.

I am trying to figure out how to connect all of my controllers together.  I have one E682, one LOR CMB24 and one LOR CTB16PC.  My plan is to have the ethernet output from my Raspberry Pi go to my E682, then output to the CMB24 and then to the CTB16.

I currently have the E682 set to the default address (192.168.1.206) and the lights work no problem.  But I can't get the CMB24 or CTB16 to connect.

I set the J22 active on the E682 with a DMX output for 4-1 then the ethernet cable out to connect to the CMB24. 

On the CMB24 I put changed the pins to operate in DMX mode instead of LOR mode.  I set the dip switch in binary for Universe 3 (don't know if this is correct or not).

Can someone more knowledgeable tell me where I've gone wrong? Any and all help would be greatly appreciated!

[markrvp]

SanDevices is the one Pixelcontroller I don't own, so I'm going to make an educated suggestion:

In the E682 setup, for simplicity's sake, I would change the starting channel for the LOR devices 4-1 to:  Universe 4, Starting Channel 1

Your xLights Networks configuration is not correct.  I've attached a picture of how it should look (if you take my suggestion on moving LOR to start on Universe 4).  This assumes the E682 rolls over universes at 510 and not 512

Please understand that you do NOT set a universe number on the CMB24D.  It only accepts 24 channels of ONE universe.  What the dipswitches set are the 1st channel number within whatever universe it is receiving (in your case, universe 4).  Since your floods are the first channel on Universe 4, then set the dipswitches for channel 1:  0 0000 0001

Be advised that for the CMB24D board, the DMX + signal should be on Pin 1 and the DMX - signal should be on Pin 2.       But also be advised that for the CTB16 controller, the DMX + signal is on Pin 4 and the DMX - signal is on Pin 5. 

Are you daisy chaining out of the CMB24D to the CTB16D?  If so, you will need to make a crossover cable that has pin 1 at the CMB24D side go to Pin 4 at the CTB16 side, and Pin 2 to Pin 5.  HolidayCoro sells one if you need one premade.  What you could do that may be easier is run a second ethernet cable out of your E682 4-2 port that you can wire pins 4&5 to your CTB16.  In that case, I would dedicate all of Universe 4 to the CMB24D and make Universe 5 be for your CTB16 connected props. 

[ttwiss]

Thank you!  This has been a great help!  I redid the channels like you setup.  But, I think the channels are still messed up.  My wreaths have 100 nodes each, thus 300 channels on each one. So I had to put Wreath 2 and Wreath on separate Universes.  See attached.

For the output from the E682 to the LOR CMB24 I have the output from 4-1 setup from the following:

This wiring was set on one of the euro-plugs that comes with the San Device controllers.  I cut one end off the CAT 5 cable and wired Orange/White as Data + , Orange as Data - and brown/white as ground. The other RJ45 end connects to the CMB24 (Pin 1 is Orange/white and Pin 2 is Orange.)

I do get one flood to come on, but it seems random- and doesn't follow my test sequence. So some signal is reaching the CMB24 (but the circuit board light still flashes red.)

I've attached my current xLights Network Setup.

[markrvp]

FIRST:  your wreaths will work the way you had them.  It's not a problem for a prop to span two universes.  Set it back the way you had it (see spreadsheet image below)

I find when trying to troubleshoot things like this, it is best to isolate them.  I want to put the CMB24D board on its own universe and the CTB16D board on its own universe.  MAKE SURE EACH BOARD IS SET TO UNIT ID 01.   

E682 setup:   I have attached an image showing the way you need to setup the E682.  The changes from what you had originally are in RED.  First I want to direct your attention to Page 24 of the E682 manual.  Make sure you have enabled jumper J22 for the 4-1 thru 4-4 cluster to output 2 line balanced DMX.  On the CMB24D make sure the jumpers are set to DMX and connect an ethernet cable from CMB24D to the E682 board port 4-1.  On your ethernet cable, the orange/white wire goes to the DATA Pin and the solid orange wire goes to CLOCK Pin.

CTB 16 setup:  Connect an ethernet cable from the CTB16D to connector 4-2 on the E682.  The solid blue wire will go to the DATA pin and the blue/white wire will go to the CLOCK pin.

I have attached images below showing the xLights network setup and Layout setup.  Make sure all your channel numbers match.

[markrvp]

I've also attached the xLights files if you want to load them up and see what I did

[ttwiss]

Mark- thanks for all of the help!  I've never felt so stupid on this kind of stuff before. 

I reset everything and I now have the channels setup exactly like you mapped out- both in xLights (Network Setup and model layout) and the E682.   I have the J22 jumper correct, and I have the 4-1 and 4-2 outputs to the CMB24D and CTB16PC thru the ethernet cable correctly.   I ran the test sequence and a musical sequence and its basically the same.  I get Flood 1 and LED 1 (CTB16PC) to work randomly for the test, but none of the other floods or LED strings. The arches and wreaths seem to work okay.

BTW, did I mention I'm running this through FPP on a Raspberry Pi?  I honestly think my channel outputs on the Falcon Player are screwed up which may be messing everything else up.  Here's the picture of the channel outputs:

[markrvp]

I had to look twice, but your FPP E1.31 setup is incorrect.  I've attached a screenshot with the settings you should use in red.  I always make the FPP networks match exactly with the xLights networks.  This isn't the fix, though, for the LOR controllers not working - their network info was setup correctly.

I would take the Pi out of the equation to test.  Use the Test function of xLights (TOOLS->TEST).  Light up Universes 1, 2, and 3 and verify that the arches and wreaths light up.  This will confirm xLights is talking to the E682.  Once the arches and wreaths are on, light up the channels for Universes 4 & 5 and see if the floods and LEDs come on. 


Once you can get xLights to light up the floods and LEDs, I would also re-render your sequences.  Delete the old FSEQ files off the FPP/Pi and upload the new FSEQ files to the Pi.  If you changed channel/network assignments since creating the FSEQ files, then you won't get the right results.


It's a (frustrating) process, but hang in there!!  I'll help any way I can.

Also just want to verify that both LOR controllers are set to UNIT 01?

[Gilrock]

I haven't looked at an FPP setup for awhile but what seems confusing is why would you need to specify the universe # if the channel number is an absolute number.  Are you sure that channel number isn't supposed to be relative to the universe where it starts back at 1 for each universe?  I know the Falcon has absolute and universe relative addressing but can't remember if the FPP has the same thing.

[Gilrock]

Oh nevermind I forget the FPP needs to send to the other controllers so that tells it what absolute number to use for the offset for stuffing data out to the universes.

[ttwiss]

Just to clarify from earlier- the Unit IDs on the LOR controllers are at Unit 01. Ok, so I'll redo the E1.31 settings in FPP.  And like you said, I'll take the Pi out.  I had to bring home a computer from work to do this since I don't have one with an ethernet output (MacBook Pro).  So I'll set this all up on there and retry directly from xLights.  I had re-rendered the test sequence I'm using and re-loaded it to FPP but that didn't help.  I'll take the Pi out of the equation now and let you know.

[ttwiss]

Redoing the E1.31 setup on FPP worked for aligning the channels correctly. 

I tested directly from xLights and the E682 works with no problems.  When testing the CMB24D and CBT16PC i get channel 1 to come on both controllers but it doesn't seem to follow the test pattern.

So I still can't get the Floods or LEDs to come on.

[markrvp]

Redoing the E1.31 setup on FPP worked for aligning the channels correctly. 

I tested directly from xLights and the E682 works with no problems.  When testing the CMB24D and CBT16PC i get channel 1 to come on both controllers but it doesn't seem to follow the test pattern.

So I still can't get the Floods or LEDs to come on.

Did you use the TEST function of xLights?  Where you can individually turn on each channel?  I'm up if you want to try and troubleshoot a bit.

[ttwiss]

Suck-cess!!  I tested everything from LOR Hardware Utility and the controllers worked great (what a pain in the butt to install the RS485 driver software).   Still nothing from the E682 outputs to the LOR controllers.  I went to take pictures of the 4-1 and 4-2 outputs and lo and behold- I had the wires backwards!! (  Switched those wires on the ethernet cables and voila everything now works.  That's my doh! moment!!  I even ran everything from the Pi and FPP so now I think I'm in there.  Now on to finalizing my sequences and finish building my arches/wreaths.

Mark you've been the biggest help with the channels and setup! Got it all fixed in xLights and in the FPP E1.31 setup thanks to you.   I checked out your FB page and your lights are amazing.  Once I have everything up and running I'll upload some pictures and videos of mine.

[markrvp]

Suck-cess!!  I tested everything from LOR Hardware Utility and the controllers worked great (what a pain in the butt to install the RS485 driver software).   Still nothing from the E682 outputs to the LOR controllers.  I went to take pictures of the 4-1 and 4-2 outputs and lo and behold- I had the wires backwards!! (  Switched those wires on the ethernet cables and voila everything now works.  That's my doh! moment!!  I even ran everything from the Pi and FPP so now I think I'm in there.  Now on to finalizing my sequences and finish building my arches/wreaths.

Mark you've been the biggest help with the channels and setup! Got it all fixed in xLights and in the FPP E1.31 setup thanks to you.   I checked out your FB page and your lights are amazing.  Once I have everything up and running I'll upload some pictures and videos of mine.

I'm so glad to hear that it's working!