New Mega Tree Setup Questions

[alphafilter]

So I will try to cover all my questions in one post and hope it doesnt get too confusing.  I am setting up my first RGB "Mega Tree" this year.  I will be doing a 10ft tall tree, 180 degrees, 16 legs on the tree. I am using ws2811 bullet style pixels. My controller will be at the bottom of the tree (Pixlite 16)

Tree Setup
1.) I am thinking about wiring 100 nodes at a time (2 legs), are there any issues with this? Sequencing or otherwise?
2.) Do I need to inject power in at the end of the strand?

I would like to do this as to not eat all 16 outputs so that I can use some for my arches that will be nearby

Controller Setup:
1.)  This will be the second controller that I am adding to my network.  In my current testing I have everything set to unicast with different IP's on each controller.  Will my second controller start at universe 1 or at the end of the universe count from the other controller (i.e universe 12)? Wasn't sure because of using unicast.

I appreciate the help offered here.  I was able to do a halloween sequence this year with RGB strips outlining the house and incorporating my LOR controllers.  This was my "test run" for Christmas.

Thanks

[scuba]

I'm not a Pixlite16 guy...what is the input  V+ voltage? 12v should not be n issue..5V 100 nodes will likely be an issues an require inject power...Xlights can handle very nicely long pixel strings that "wrap" up and down a mega tree.

good question on the universes: I use multicast and have 49 different universes, no issues.  I'd think in unicast you still need to keep the universe numbers unique.  But IDK...

[Gilrock]

I don't think you have to keep the universes unique with unicast but why cause yourself headaches.  You have like 64,000 universes just use new ones.

[alphafilter]

Thanks for the reply's

The pixlite can run in 5V or 12V mode per bank/side (8 outputs).  I am running mine in 12V mode and my pixels are 12V as well so looks like I will be ok with keeping the 100ct strands in tact and use less outputs which is great.

Gilrock thanks for the info on the universes.  I was unsure the maximum number but if that is the case then you are correct no reason in adding to the mess I can just start the new controller on the next logical universe count and go from there.

[jnealand]

I use 60 node strands in a 120 node 12v string of TM1804 with my mega tree and it works great.  I have 18 strands for 9 outputs plus one more for my 100 node star.

[danj]

I tested my WS2811 square nodes earlier this year and I found that, at full intensity, I needed power injection after about 125 nodes.   I think this is pretty common, based on various posts I have read.   I also recently checked them at 50% intensity and found that I will need to power inject roughly half as much, which makes sense electrically.  You should be good to go driving 100 nodes per output.

[keithsw1111]

Gil is right while the universes don't need to be unique you can avoid some pitfalls if you keep them unique. They also don't need to be sequential. You can just as easily jump to 100 or 1000

[plittmann]

I had a pixlite 16 running my mega tree and arches last year.  My tree is 12 feet high.  I run 16 strands of 50 ws2811 each in a zig zag of 200 nodes per string.I do power inject at the end of the 200 strand.  this allowed me to free up 4 additional ports on my pixlite.  This year the mega tree will be run by a F16v2 pl expansioin board as I have added a lot of new lights.

Pixlite ran like a champ last year with no issues. 

[markrvp]

On your Pixlite, set the Zig Zag to 50.  You won't need power injection with 100 node strings.  In xLights setup a Tree with 16 strings of 50 nodes.

Use new universes.  Make it easy on yourself and start on channel 1 of a whole new universe.

[alphafilter]

So I have my mega tree stood up and am trying to do some testing out of xlights direct (for now) and am running into an issue possibly a software bug (or more likely me doing something wrong)

So in xlights I have my tree built as a 16 strand tree 40 nodes each. I used individual start channels for each strand as I am using 1 output for every 2 strands. So strand 1 is the starting channel for the universe and strand two is just the next channel in order strand 3 is the starting channel for universe 21 strand 4 next channel at the end of 3 etc etc.

In xlight I have the network setup for 510 channels per output.

In my pixlite I have the my outputs set as individual universes starting at 20 on output 1  and 170 nodes per output (510 DMX channels) and so on (this is my second controller, the first one is universes 2-17)

So the issue I am running into is when I go to the "Test" section in xlights i scroll down to my models and select my mega tree however only half of my tree lights up.  Looking at this closer the test section shows channels 8161-10080 for my tree however according to how I have it setup it should go through channel 11771 (unless I am completely off here)

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[alphafilter]

Just found another thread with a user having the same issue but a good suggestion from Gil to just create a dummy sequence and test that way. 

Don't know why I didn't think of that earlier, cold weather getting to my brain.  Back outside in this lovely 35 degree weather to continue testing trying the sequence way.