Which Pixel Controller is Best?

[vincerules]

I'm happy with the E682 boards but kind of feel like I have to get a falcon board for next year to see why you guys love it so much.

[kentd]

The E682 handles 170 pixels per plug where as the Falcon is 680 plus the signal capability is so much greater. Like I mentioned in my earlier post, I have runs that are close to 40' to the first pixel with no problem having the pixels perform properly. Other controllers need null pixels to span that distance.

[Phrog30]

I don't have any sandevices, but I've seen a lot of threads where users were having issues with firmware. You don't see that with the falcon stuff. The sandevices might have been great, but they are 2nd fiddle now.

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[markrvp]

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the E682 only handle 12 universes total?  If that's correct, it makes it less than half the capacity of almost every other popular pixel controller. 

What is kind of neat about the E682 is that it looks like you can make it a bridge for up to 12 streams of DMX512 if you needed a bunch.

[vincerules]

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the E682 only handle 12 universes total?  If that's correct, it makes it less than half the capacity of almost every other popular pixel controller. 

What is kind of neat about the E682 is that it looks like you can make it a bridge for up to 12 streams of DMX512 if you needed a bunch.

The e682 at 100 bucks delivered (in kit) is a great deal I feel. I have several and very happy with them. But I have been convinced and will be getting in on the f16v3 presale when it happens. I'm excited to get them and play with them.

[stanward]

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the E682 only handle 12 universes total?  If that's correct, it makes it less than half the capacity of almost every other popular pixel controller. 

What is kind of neat about the E682 is that it looks like you can make it a bridge for up to 12 streams of DMX512 if you needed a bunch.

The e682 at 100 bucks delivered (in kit) is a great deal I feel. I have several and very happy with them. But I have been convinced and will be getting in on the f16v3 presale when it happens. I'm excited to get them and play with them.

I too build the kits as well.  Very simple to assemble and for a hundred bucks, they work.

I too plan to purchase a Falcon to see if it's worth the double price point.


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[Gilrock]

I think my time to solder up a board is more valuable than $100.

[stanward]

I think my time to solder up a board is more valuable than $100.

I actually enjoy soldering.  Have been doing it since 1989.


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[Gilrock]

I don't mind soldering I'm just saying folks act like their time is worth nothing when they brag about how much they save by soldering controllers together.  I can write code on the side for at least $60 an hour so if I took 2 hours to solder I could be ahead $20 buying the board premade.

[stanward]

I don't mind soldering I'm just saying folks act like their time is worth nothing when they brag about how much they save by soldering controllers together.  I can write code on the side for at least $60 an hour so if I took 2 hours to solder I could be ahead $20 buying the board premade.

Agreed.

I just love soldering PCBs.  It was an electronics class in high school that motivated me to become an electrical engineer. 

If I am doing something for myself, I consider my time as being free and not costing me anything.  I know, it's a weird way to look at it.  If I didn't look at it that way, I wouldn't have done all the massive repairs to the cars and trucks I own as well as installing a chain link fence.  I should've just paid someone else to do it.  But I actually enjoy doing most of these things.

Learning things is priceless.


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[Gilrock]

So just stick with the E682's.  I'm sure not being able to solder up a Falcon is just going to be a thorn in your side...lol.

[markrvp]

So a more apt comparison would be the E682 at 12 universes to one of the many 4 output boards that utilize at least 16 universes.  $100 for a 16 universe board ready to go compared to a $100 12 universe board that has to be assembled.

Lets compare apples to apples - fully assembled boards.  A Falcon F16v2 at 64 universes is $3.13/universe.  An E682 at 12 universes is $15/universe.  But lets say more realistically you only use 20 universes on a Falcon F16v2.  That's still $10/universe compared to $15/universe of the E682.

Now where you would save some $$ is if you committed one 16 output controller to a mega tree.  A 16x50 tree could easily be run by an E682 at a lower cost than dedicating a Falcon board... but you could add a differential expansion board to the Falcon and then put 16 more outputs up to 250 feet away in your yard for less than the cost of buying another E682. 

I'm not knocking the E682, it's what got a lot of people started in the game... I'm just saying better more cost-effective boards have come along.  The OP asked, "which controller is best?" and I don't feel the E682 is the answer to that question.

[Gilrock]

I have an E682...not sure if its any good cause its still in plastic bags for 3 years...lol.

[scuba]

I've got 10 E68X's:  6 E682's and 4 E680's..been buying them from Jim for years...great product and Jim has been very responsive.

[vincerules]

I'm not knocking the E682, it's what got a lot of people started in the game... I'm just saying better more cost-effective boards have come along.  The OP asked, "which controller is best?" and I don't feel the E682 is the answer to that question.

I agree that the E682 is not the best board anymore, but all people are saying is that it is still a solid board with great support that you can get for $100 bucks if you don't mind soldering it. For people just getting in to the hobby that are not sure they want to pay ~$200 for a f16v2 because they aren't sure if this hobby is for them or even know what advantages the f16v2 gives (because they are new) I feel it is worth mentioning the e682 to give them that option.

The funny thing is the people who said they use/like E682's are also saying they are planning on getting a f16v3 but the people who only use f16v2 are turning this into a e682 vs f16v3 thread.