help with alphapix 4

[bassnbuck]

i was wondering if anyone could give me help trying to figure out why i cant get my alphapix 4 working correct.
1st output 600 pixel 300 next 600 and 450 at the end(26 strips 75 pixels high).  i get everything setup and when i start to output to it it starts to do the effect and starts random light flashing.  holiday coro thinks it is a firewall or something like that but i amusing the same computer i ran my show on last year.  if i then hit stop the effect stops and the random flashing keeps on.  I have been wasting a lot of time with this and hoped someone had ideas i can try.  If not my next move is to pay $40  to see if holiday coro can fix it.

[flyinverted]

How many pixels until you start the power injection?

When you hit stop, what are you hitting stop on? Is this in the Nutcracker sequencer or is there a test pattern on the alphapix page. 

[bassnbuck]

I have power injection every 75. And the stop is the stop button in xlights

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[Phrog30]

i was wondering if anyone could give me help trying to figure out why i cant get my alphapix 4 working correct.
1st output 600 pixel 300 next 600 and 450 at the end(26 strips 75 pixels high).  i get everything setup and when i start to output to it it starts to do the effect and starts random light flashing.  holiday coro thinks it is a firewall or something like that but i amusing the same computer i ran my show on last year.  if i then hit stop the effect stops and the random flashing keeps on.  I have been wasting a lot of time with this and hoped someone had ideas i can try.  If not my next move is to pay $40  to see if holiday coro can fix it.

Anything else running like another sequencer, Vixen, lor, etc? This can happen if xlights and lor, for example, are running simultaneously.

Does the alphapix have a test mode you can run? If so, does it work?

Paying $40 for support is nuts, that's almost half the price of the board.

James

[Phrog30]

You may try doityourselfchristmas.com, there are some threads on there about the alphapix.

[bassnbuck]

as far as another sequencer running i have uninstalled LOR and i dont think vixen is running in the back ground.  i just tried the test mode and it appears to be running correctly.  i wonder if my virus protection or firewall is somehow doing this.

[RaZZlo]

FYI, There was an issue awhile back with the AlphaPix (and LOR) which HC identified as a firmware issue, and  released a Firmware update to the AP. 

[bigstott]

BASS when you run the test mode from the alphapix does it do the flash too??
If it does then you have a ground or signal issue with how it is wired. Check to make sure you don't have anything crossed.

Unplug all connections but output one. Also isolate the power injection so it is just to the controller and output one. Then test it. If it works fine then add the second output. So on and so forth. This is process of elimination.

IF it works fine in test then it is with either the PC/ router or a signal issue. Easy things to try at that point is try a different cat5 cable for signal from PC to router to device or straight from PC to device

[bassnbuck]

Bigstott if I fire it up in test mode it seems to work fine no flashing and I have switched Cat5 cables to see it that was it.  Unfortunately the thing I am the worst at is probably what is the problem the network

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[HolidayCoro]

Paying $40 for support is nuts, that's almost half the price of the board.

James

We are more than happy to provide support for the controller without the purchase of the support - the optional support is ONLY for PC configuration - Firewalls, IP Addressing, sequencing app configuration etc. 

Since we provide such hands on support for customers, it can easily take 15, 30, 45 minutes with a customer to work through a whole host of issues that customers who do not even know what an IP address is, to get them up and working.  The reality is - this cost money since it costs us a minimum of $36 per hour to provide this support.

So, any issue covered under the optional support has zero to do with the controller - it has to do with items outside such as the sequencing application, anti-virus applications, firewalls, wireless networks, etc.

For any customer that has hardware controller issues - wiring, getting output from the controller, configuration of the web interface, etc - this is 100% FREE and included with the purchase of the controller.

For more information on what is covered and what is not, please see our website:  http://www.holidaycoro.com/product-p/support1.htm

[HolidayCoro]

Bigstott if I fire it up in test mode it seems to work fine no flashing and I have switched Cat5 cables to see it that was it.  Unfortunately the thing I am the worst at is probably what is the problem the network

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I'm not sure if you've open a ticket but random flashing is a result of the following (assumes you are not using LOR S4):

* A second application is outputting data to the controller at the same time.  If you have more than one PC configured for E1.31 output (more so for LOR S3/4), make sure by unplugging the PC from the network when the problem happens

* Anitvirus and Firewall application that are performing packet inspection and delaying packets going to the controller.  This is the #1 cause we've seen.  Try another PC and/or disable the firewall/Anti-virus for testing.

* Networking issues such as wireless networks can result in a vareity of issue - we recommend if you have problem and have the controller receiving data over any part of the network that is wireless, make a direct connection

* Its rare but we have seen cases where multiple network interfaces on the PC can produce the odd output issues.  Try disabling all but the interface used for testing the output of E1.31.

[bigstott]

Bass are you running it through a router and or switch or is your Alpha pix going from the Ethernet port on the  PC??

IF you run the test mode in XL are you getting the same flashing??

[bassnbuck]

bigstott i am running it directly from my computer. i am still trying different things i have tried to shut off the virus protections and it seemed better but now my channel are messed up.  I need to do more test tonight and tomorrow. and i will update what i find.  Thank you for everyone that has come up with suggetions.

[bassnbuck]

i changed a couple of my network settings and turned off my norton virus protection and i havent had the flasing.  now i just cant get the channels layout correct.  my first output is 600 pixel 75 up 75 down for (8 total strips of 75 connected together.  output 2 is 300 pixels the same way  output 3 is 600 pixels and output 4 is 450 pixels.  i have a total of 26 strips that is 75 pixels high.  the problem is the the alpha pix 4 cant reverse 75 ea time for the whole 600 pixel, it only allows a one time reverse.  so i try 13 string w/150 pixels and 2 strands per pixels, and when i look at the node layout it is correct but when i try an effect like bars they are not doing the correct thing.  any suggestions.

[Phrog30]

Not doing the correct thing in preview or actual lights or both?

I'm sure glad I didn't get the alphapix controllers. Only one time zigzag is crazy.