running LOR AC lights in 2018.6

[mikebaldwin154]

Hi, I'm a complete rookie with syncro light displays, this is my first year! Bought my LOR AC controller and pixel controllers over here in the UK. Started sequencing in LOR S4 and quickly found flaws due to LORs disjointed approach to sequencing AC and pixels separately. So, I'm thinking I'd like to start using xlights but also incorporate my LOR AC controller. Have been reading online about upgrading firmware to run in DMX mode but this seems a bit scary and might render my controller useless or not compatible with LOR software (should I ever go back). I noticed in xl 2018.6 there's a AC mode so I wanted to gauge opinion on this to see if this works well without having to change AC controllers to DMX mode? i.e. does the latest xlights version handle AC much better now?
So, I'm in limbo, either wait to see if LOR S5 is the answer to my problems or start sequencing now using xlights while I still have time to get my 2018 show ready.
Thanks guys in advance for any replies / advice.

[Gilrock]

I'd be surprised if you LOR hardware doesn't already work in DMX mode since it's fairly new.  The AC mode in xLights is purely a convenience for sequencing AC channels in a way that looks closer to how it does in LOR sequence editor.  Whether you run DMX mode or not depends on what hardware you want to use.  Everything is just easier with almost no chance of lag if you run in DMX mode.  But you could still just use the LOR USB dongle and I just improved the LOR output so that it will handle more channels than it used to.  Use the "Add LOR" button instead of the old way of using the "Add USB" button.  You could just hook it up in the house and test things since xLights is free and not have to pay for S5.

[mikebaldwin154]

I only currently have 16 AC channels on a LOR ctb16pcg2, 3 x LOR CMB24 DC controllers and 2 x SAN device E682 16 channel pixels controllers. The CMB24s I bought to control the dumb RGB props that were sold to me, I believe these Will only daisy chain from the AC controller, in which case will that be too many combined channels over the USB dongle for xlights?

[mikebaldwin154]

Or, I can sequence just my pixels in  xlights and convert the sequence to lms, import into S4 to run with my AC and dumb RGB sequences already in S4. Decisions, decisions, this is giving me a head ache!

[Gilrock]

Just tell me how many channels you want to run from the LOR USB dongle.  You're just listing a bunch of board numbers and I don't have everything memorized.

[mikebaldwin154]

16 AC plus 72 DC. I may be buying another 16 ch AC in the future

[Gilrock]

I don't know the limit with my new LOR output but I thought I ran close to 900 channels so what were you worried about?

[mikebaldwin154]

ok, that's good to know. So when you said you improved the LOR output do you mean the baud rate?

[Gilrock]

Nope I mean I reverse engineered the LOR protocol or a good portion of it.  I created a completely new output option for LOR.

Just watch my video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2SwpHNjpHc

[K-State Fan]

Or, I can sequence just my pixels in  xlights and convert the sequence to lms, import into S4 to run with my AC and dumb RGB sequences already in S4. Decisions, decisions, this is giving me a head ache!

I did this my first year when I added pixels to my display I would not recommend it and would just program all in x-lights