Newbie looking for some Set-up help

[Mchedwards]

Hello all.   I am setting up on xlights for the first time.  Had one year of LOR.  Wanting to go much bigger and decided xlights and Falcon F16v3 with differential expansion board was a better plan to expand with. 

I have put together my controller, able to connect it to my laptop, and have built my Falcon controller into xlights.  Happy to say after several video's, I am able to control my lights and output a sequence. 

Now I am perplexed how to add in my LOR  one CTB16PC (AC) controller which has 5 CCB-100D RGB controllers daisy chained from it. 

Physically I am told I can just connect a Ethernet connection from the Falcon DMX port to the LOR set up.  (NOT using the LOR Dongle). 

If that is the case...  how do I build that in XLights?  I do have my set up as Unicast.  Only for the fact that I see most use that and that as I grow I do not need to change....   But that being the case,  is my IP address for the Falcon still the only one?  not sure I have IP addressed for the LOR controllers.   Really just need a little guidance on the best way to go about this. 

I see some information but most seem to be just on the AC LOR controllers

[Gilrock]

In xLights its just going to look like another E1.31 universe going to the Falcon.

[Mchedwards]

hum   so would I just add the additional universes to my original e1.31 network type or add a new one?   I thought I was going to have to add it as a DMX network.   I'm so lost.   need an xlights for dummies book to be published.   

[Gilrock]

The data going from xLights to the Falcon is not DMX.  It gets converted to DMX by the Falcon so like I said you send the data using E1.31 just like all other data that goes to the Falcon.

[keithsw1111]

Get yourself over to the official xlights Facebook group and ask there. Lots of people who have been there and done that who will help.

[Mchedwards]

Thank you Keith. I have this posted on FB as well. 

Gilrock,  I am sorry for being dense as I an not sure what to do with what you have stated.  Still lost.  I don't know how to define  my controllers.  In LOR the are set up in units.  1 for the 16 ac channels and the 5 rgb be are broken up in set of 50. 

[Gilrock]

The problem is thinking that you need to define controllers. You don't do that in xLights.  You just define outputs and in your case based on what you stated all you need to do is define a bunch of E1.31 outputs.  Then you will tell the Falcon which universes to receive and you will tell the Falcon which universe you want to go out the serial port(s).  Like I use universe 25 for my LOR boxes.  So I configure the Falcon to receive universe 25 and I tell it serial output 1 is using universe 25.  In xLights I have an output that has universe 25 and then my models that I use for the LOR boxes have start channels defined like #25:4 which means universe 25 channel 4.

[Mchedwards]

Thank you Gilrock.  I sort of get that.  And I think that would make some sense for a series of Ac boxes of 16 channels each.   I have one of those and 5 other rgb controllers with 100 pixels each.  So that is where I get confused.  First question in line with what you stated, I would be over the available channel count on one unit would not be.  So how do I differentiate is a he are on the same serial port?   

[Gilrock]

Not sure I get the question.  So with a serial DMX output you will be able to have up to 512 channels.  You can daisy chain the LOR boxes.  In xLights I told you to set the start channel to a universe/channel number.   xLights does not need to know which serial port you plan to use.  First thing is just create all your models in xLights.  The channel configs can all be corrected easily later.

[Mchedwards]

Thank you for taking your time Gilrock.   Love the versatility on xlights and Falcon but then overwhelming as well. 

What I am saying is that the e1.31 I add....   your universe 25 for example, is only 512 channels.  I will have 1,366 channels on this DMX serial port.  16 x 300 (100 pixels) x 300 x 300 x 300 x 150 (only has one strand of 50) So not just 512channels.   can that work.....   I just add say 3 universes  25 26 and 27.... all being directed to the DMX serial port?   

how would my say CCB unit 4 pixel 25 know the difference between say Unit 9 pixel 48.  Again,  so sorry for being dense...

[Mchedwards]

maybe this is a better example / explaination of my confusion...   in LOR I have unite 1 as my 16 ch controller.   unit 2 controls my first 50 pixels on my roof line from the left.  3 is the next 50 pixels and so forth all the way to 0A and 0B which are windows left and right....   

how am I to set these up in universes in Xlights when they are known as units in LOR.  And all on the same DMX serial port.

[Gilrock]

Sorry but I thought you knew that the serial ports on the Falcon are restricted to 512 channels (1 universe).  You will need to use multiple serial outputs if you need to run 1,366 channels.  All DMX serial ports only operate on 512 channels.

[Mchedwards]

well I guess I did but did not put 2 and 2 together....  Ugh   so I really do not have enough ports to run the CCB's.  Likely why I keep running into the fact that LOR on the Falcon is really just talking the 16 ch AC controllers which you can have many of those....

anyone know if I can run this via plugging in the LOR way...  meaning directly into my laptop USB port with the LOR Dongle and integrate it into my xLights set up?

[Mchedwards]

well I guess I will be changing some plans.   I do have a extra differential receiver board that I can use to run the far side of my C9 roof line builds.  I can double up some ports on my main board and other differential boards to make room to plug in my other roofline bulbs.   It will not be as clean but the falcon can certainly handle the amount of pixels.  56 strings of 50 pixels for total of 2,800.  only down side is that the LOR Cosmic Color Bulbs do not have a trailing pigtail.   the end bulb is sealed with wire to extend the string with.  so each string will have to take up a full port. 

anyone know the pinout set up on the LOR bulds.  I know they are 4 core but not sure how the pigtails are wired.

[Gilrock]

The Falcon board has like 4 serial outputs so what's the problem?