Author Topic: Advantages?  (Read 17252 times)

Offline JonB256

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Re: Advantages?
« Reply #15 on: October 25, 2014, 07:33:03 PM »
Wow, surprising! I thought they weren't really interested in supporting (the bloated) LOR protocol. Cool.

The LOR Protocol is not bloated. It is actually very well thought out for using limited bandwidth (it started with telephone line, not CAT5) to control multiple, daisy-chained controllers. By only sending the "changes" out to the controllers, it reduced the amount of data being sent.

Then, people started using more channels and more commands and more controllers and it ate up the bandwidth. Then you needed multiple controllers. It worked GREAT for my first 3 years. When I added a few RGB devices with rapid changes, it began to "miss" commands.

DMX doesn't miss commands because it sends EVERY command EVERY time. If something is ON, it keeps getting told to be on, 20 to 40 times per second.
Very simple command set but nothing ever misses commands.

Offline Santa

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Re: Advantages?
« Reply #16 on: October 25, 2014, 07:43:16 PM »
We'll just have to agree to disagree. Compared to an xseq an LMS is grossly bloated, IMO.

Offline sean

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Re: Advantages?
« Reply #17 on: October 25, 2014, 08:22:32 PM »
Wow, surprising! I thought they weren't really interested in supporting (the bloated) LOR protocol. Cool.

I know the LOR protocol has more overhead than the DMX protocol. Having your controllers doing things like shimmer takes cpu cycles.

I think the point is the majority of LOR users , i think, are less than a few hundred channels. If they have hardware configured for the LOR protocol, they can drive tehir show and use e1.31 for rgb. If they are going toincreases channels on their ac stuff, probably converting over to dmx is wise.

I think this is all about trying to be as encompassing as we can to all types of uses.
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Offline CaptainMurdoch

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Re: Advantages?
« Reply #18 on: October 25, 2014, 10:20:16 PM »
We want FPP to be usable for all and adding LOR protocol support was an easy addition so I went ahead and added it.  FPP v1.0 will actually have several new output methods that v0.4.0 did not have.

The LOR protocol and the LMS file spec are two different things.  I agree with Sean, the protocol is efficient for low channel counts or low amount of change because it does only send changes.  If you are changing lots of channel values then the efficiency is lost and your max channel count quickly goes down due to the overhead of the protocol.

Offline Santa

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Re: Advantages?
« Reply #19 on: October 26, 2014, 06:04:15 AM »
Sorry, yes, I was confusing the LMS file with the protocol. The LMS file is what is bloated. But considering that LOR has to read the LMS and render their protocol in real-time I guess it doesn't make a whole lot of difference where the bloat lives. I assume you will have pre-rendered LOR protocol being served by FPP (i.e. we won't be uploading LMS files to the Pi, right?).

Offline ranjanpa

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Re: Advantages?
« Reply #20 on: October 26, 2014, 07:49:59 AM »
Lor protocol has just been added to the FPP. The raspberry pi , model B+ has 4 USB ports and one e1.31 port. Show show, as described, will work on the FPP no problems.

Thank you. How would I output to a Falcon Pi Player.

Do I have to bring in the LMS file(having LOR and NC RGB models) into NC as an xseq and then convert it to fseq

Thank you.

Offline sean

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Re: Advantages?
« Reply #21 on: October 26, 2014, 08:50:58 AM »
Make sure u have the setup tab defined, next go to convert tab. If you don't want any nutcracker effects u convert lms into fseq and go then to FPP. If u will be adding nutcracker effects, convert lms into Xseq, add nutcracker and then convert Xseq into fseq
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Offline ranjanpa

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Re: Advantages?
« Reply #22 on: October 26, 2014, 09:28:11 AM »
Sean,

Not yet sure of the steps to add NC models into converted LMS file. I have taken the NC models to LOR then them sequenced in LOR. I do understand it is better to sequence once for all in NC but havent got the hang of it.

Now if I have a LMS file which has NC models incorporated, I guess i will convert them back to xseq and then fseq for output on the FPP.



Thank you.

Offline JerryPlak

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Re: Advantages?
« Reply #23 on: October 26, 2014, 10:26:16 AM »
I ran my show all season in 2013 using the Falcon Player.  Ran good the whole time.  I never power off anything in my show and the show runs rain or shine every night whether I am home or not.  I did have a laptop configured with xlights sitting next to the Pi for a few nights, but the Pi ran so well I moved the laptop back to my basement workbench.

What is the interface to the Falcon player.

I have a LOR network with 50 channels - is connected to my computers USB port
I have a Dumb RGB network with 50 channels - via DMX Dongle connected to my computers USB port.
e 682 with 2400 pixels connected to my computers ethernet port.

Does the Pi player have two USB and one ethernet port and do I have to connect all three just like in the show PC.

Do I have to convert LOR to DMX with a crossover cable.

Any video showing these instructions.

Thanks

crossover cable
this is from Fasteddy presentation that was used at the Sydney and Brisbane minis.

as a side note lor GRN/WHT (3) has +9V on it and just trim this wire off as it's not needed and you don't the +9V shorting out ;-)


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Offline CaptainMurdoch

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Re: Advantages?
« Reply #24 on: October 26, 2014, 09:54:27 PM »
Yes, FPP only plays .fseq files but it can output to controllers using multiple protocols including LOR.

Offline ranjanpa

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Re: Advantages?
« Reply #25 on: November 01, 2014, 08:42:26 PM »
Lor protocol has just been added to the FPP. The raspberry pi , model B+ has 4 USB ports and one e1.31 port. Show show, as described, will work on the FPP no problems.

Got the Pi player flashed the FPP image and did all the settings required.

There is no option to chose LOR. They have either e 1.31 or pixelnet/DMX. How do I set up LOR
All loaded, sequence shows playing on the web portal, audio output is there but lights dont come on.

What could be wrong. Please help.

Regards

Offline JerryPlak

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Re: Advantages?
« Reply #26 on: November 01, 2014, 10:07:03 PM »
Regards,
First shut down the FPP
then hook up your LOR dongle
now power up your FPP
and after you have fully boot up
you will have option to chose LOR dongle

Offline ranjanpa

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Re: Advantages?
« Reply #27 on: November 01, 2014, 10:36:37 PM »
Thank you. Will try that.

Cheers!

Offline CaptainMurdoch

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Advantages?
« Reply #28 on: November 01, 2014, 11:15:43 PM »
LOR output is only available in the FPP v1.0 beta or by switching a v0.4.0 SD image to the 'stage' code branch which contains the v1.0 beta code.

Offline JerryPlak

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Re: Advantages?
« Reply #29 on: November 02, 2014, 07:36:35 AM »
more info on the FPP v1.0 beta or by switching a v0.4.0 SD image to the 'stage' code branch which contains the v1.0 beta code  check out this link   http://falconchristmas.com/forum/index.php/board,8.0.html