Starting with LOR ac box - doesn't work

[Texdentist]

I have the most basic of problems.  After getting my Falcon rgb boxes to work with xlights, I set out to try my old LOR ac boxes (CTB16PCG3).  I set it up on my RS485 port on COM5 of my computer.  If I use LOR's hardware checker, it finds the box and will light lights either solid or with a pattern.  I unloaded LOR, set up the simplest test I could think of - Xlights setup with one LOR box,COM5, unit id 1, 16 channels, and one model - a string of lights set to single color, and mapped to id 1 channel 1. I first tried setting up a simple sequence with the AC sequence tabs and turn on the string of lights mapped to unit 1 channel 1.  Nothing.  I then tried TEST and marked all 16 channels - output to lights checked. Status line shows it scrolling through the channels. Nothing.  I know there is communication, because if I do anything that should send a signal to the controller, the controller status light goes from flashing to solid.  As soon as I turn off the test, it goes back to flashing.  I'm an Xlights newb, so please tell me what I'm doing wrong.  I have a lot of ac lights to set up for my show as well as many RGB's.  I didn't think the ac's would be my problem, but I'm stuck.
Thanks!

[Ebuechner]

Depending on the age of the AC controller it may need to have a firmware update.
Use the lor hardware utility to update the firmware to the latest firmware that they have for that controller.

[Texdentist]

That sounds like a good place to start. I’ll give that a try.  Thanks!

[Texdentist]

I upgraded firmware to the latest and still no lights.  When I have XLights ping the controller, it says it finds it and opens it.  But still no lights.  Someone suggested that I connect to the F16v3 DMX output with jumpers in LOR position.  Tried that, reset the setup info to reflect it, and still no lights.  But I can go to LOR Hardware Utility while controller is hooked into my RS485 adapter, and all tests work.  I know I have a setup problem somewhere, but just can’t find it. Grrrrr.

[mklabunde]

You know the LOR AC controllers work with DMX?  Just have to plug them into the DMX ports of your falcon set the jumpers to LOR and plug them in.  The jumpers take care of not having to make up a LOR cable.  You did assign a universe to the DMX outputs and your sequence is set to that universe?  Is the LED on the controller on solid when hooked to the falcon if not if it's flashing it means that it hasen't synced to the falcon.  Just a few things to try.

Mark

[Texdentist]

Yes, someone pointed that out to me.  I set the LOR jumpers on the Falcon box and connected the LOR box to a DMX output.  There is communication because the light goes solid and running the Falcon internal test lights all of the lights.  I clearly am off on setup somewhere.  But I set up the simplest test - a single AC strand set to turn on and mapped to channel one of the LOR box. Still no lights.  I have changed the serial port setup numbers several ways in the Falcon box.  I suspect that could be my problem, but I haven’t figured out the right settings.  Or it could be some other area of setup.

[Ebuechner]

Are you sure about the starting Channel on those controllers?
What you're describing sounds like the channels are off seeing that you have communication but you can't operate them from xlights using the channels that you defined.

[Ebuechner]

Maybe you could pop on Zoom tonight to get some help.

[Texdentist]

I would really like that.  I'm not sure how zoom works or when people are on it.  But that may be what it takes.  Thanks!

[Ebuechner]

You can get to zoom through xlights.Org or Thru the help menu in xlights.
There's people in there most nights I either just chatting or helping people.
There's a number of things that you could have ben set up wrong causing your problems and it's just much easier on Zoom when you can share your screen and we can see what's going on.

[Texdentist]

That sounds great.  Thanks foe the info.  We had a neighborhood dinner tonight, so wasn’t able to get on.  I’ll see if I can connect tomorrow night.  Thanks again!
Steve

[chadskeys]

I agree, it sounds like a controller ID problem.  What is your controller ID number set to?  Channel 1 on Controller 1 is DMX channel #1 (for that respective universe); however, Channel 1 on LOR controller #2 is is actually DMX channel #17.  LOR controllers don't continue to run sequentially either.  They follow a hexadecimal system that includes 0A, 0B, 0C, 0D, etc in the controller numbers.  Make sure that your sequence is targeting DMX channel 1 and that the controller ID is set to #1.  It took me a long time to get this system down, especially since I am running 27 LOR controllers. 

[Texdentist]

Thanks for that Chadskeys.  I will double check, but I’m pretty sure the ID of the box I am testing with is 1.  Other than that possibility, after searching the video world, I’m thinking I may not have the e1.31 set up properly in Falcon.  Right now, it only has the 32 Falcon channels listed.  I think I need to add a line for the LOR box.  But it’s strange that the Falcon box will light the LOR box in it’s firmware test mode.

[Ebuechner]

When you set test mode in the Falcon controller it's triggering every possible Channel it can including the serial ports regardless if they're set up correctly.
This is why I wanted to help you on Zoom to see how you have things set up instead of guessing it all the possible scenarios.
I do believe your best possible setup would be to drive the Lor box from the Falcon but we need to make sure that you have the correct Universe set up and then have that mapped over to the proper serial port.

[Texdentist]

Success!  Thanks to everyone for the guidance. I changed two things.  One of them, I know had to  be done.  The other one, I think needed to be done.  I first was thinking of chadskeys information that the LOR box needed to  be unit id 1.  I had made an earlier attempt to do this, but had done it wrong.  In the Hardware Utility window, there are two boxes for changing ID. One of them is for a new unit that has never been assigned.  I incorrectly used this one - entered 01 and save.  But it obviously didn't change the ID.  I went  back on chadskeys advice and  finally realized it was set to ID 7.  I used the correct box and changed it to 1.  Then, in reading several threads last night, I saw someone mention the E131 setup in the Falcon setup.  I had never set up a new universe to point the serial port to.  I only had the 32 Falcon universes defined.  So I added universe 33 and pointed DMX output #2 to that universe.  Finally, I went back to the Xlights setup and removed the LOR box entry that I had in location #1 and made a new E131 entry at location 33, defining it with 16 channels.  I pointed my test AC lights to universe 33, channel 1 and it worked!  I also had an RGB channel populated with a frame and the marquee effect.   Both types of lights worked at the same time. 
   This was a real learning experience, but I expect I will find myself in a similar ditch down the road.  So, thanks to everyone for your input, and I'm sure I will be back
Steve

BTW - Ebuechner, my better half had set up a dinner event last night that I didn't know about.  That's why I didn't make it to zoom.  I want to sit in some time, even if I don't have a specific question at the time.  I know I could learn a lot.  Do people sign in just to listen and learn?