Easy Light Linkers with X-Lights and DMX

[CK57]

Has anyone switched over to Xlights by converting their sequences to Xlights, added the DMX cross-overs to facilitate the DMX  outputs to the LOR controllers, and then used any ELL's to communicate from one LOR controller to another?  I run several houses which get their commands from the ELL's and need to be sure what the impact would be. As all the controllers that are linked are assigned to one unit ID the signals still get boosted several times as one ELL resends to the next house etc.  Will this still be possible and each house will need to have an additional DMX crossover added?  Those cross-overs are added between the ELL and the LOR controller input?  It seems odd that once you change the data wiring from the first output of the LOR controller in the transmission sequence that it would not be necessary to keep changing it on every controller after it?

[MattBrown]

ELL's are not fast enough to transmit dmx. See the discussion here: http://forums.lightorama.com/index.php?/topic/21674-easy-light-linkers-and-raw-dmx/

[CK57]

We'll that is unfortunate. Guess going to Slave Pi might be alternative down the road?

[Steve Gase]

The DLA site offers a Wireless DMX transmitter/receiver kit.
Run DMX over the air -- instead of LOR -- and you'll have the faster transfer, and a more affordable option.

[CK57]

The DLA site says you need to run from USB port into a Lynx dongle then to the DMX trx/rec.  Not clear to me how to do this using Pi B+.  The new B+ has four USB ports but is the dongle really needed?  That setup requires a separate DMX receiver for every LOR controller?  There are times that I would prefer to daisy chain some LOR units and this does not look possible

[Steve Gase]

The FPP can use the FPD board to generate a mixture of 12 universes from 3 RJ45 jacks.  Any of those 12 universes can be made a DMX output.

...or, you can have FPP generate E1.31 and have another device (like EtherDonge) convert it to DMX.

...or, that EtherDongle can create PixelNet and a DLA smart hub can convert pixelnet to DMX.

There is also a Falcon Pixelnet to DMX board.

the point is there are many ways to obtain DMX from the FPP-generated channel data.

[jnealand]

The DLA site says you need to run from USB port into a Lynx dongle then to the DMX trx/rec.  Not clear to me how to do this using Pi B+.  The new B+ has four USB ports but is the dongle really needed?  That setup requires a separate DMX receiver for every LOR controller?  There are times that I would prefer to daisy chain some LOR units and this does not look possible

You do not need a separate wireless receiver for every unit.  Once you get the signal to a unit you can daisy chain thru the output cable port.