New setup with lor and renss24

[jeholla]

This is my second year running x lights but just located a problem that showed up when I set up a mega tree this year.

Here is my hardware setup"
LOR usb 485 dongle attached with straight cat 5 to lor16 -

LOR16 controls 8 small Christmas trees (all incandescent) with 2 separate color lights on them - (green is lor 1-8 and red is lor 9-16.

lor connected to the ren ss24 Daisy chained with crossover cat 5

Ren ss24 (pics are dmx) controls a mega tree (all led), 6 segments, 4 colors in each segment - Segment 1 is as follows: red channel 1, blue channel 2, green channel 3 white channel 4. So red is channels 1, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, blue is 2, 6, 10, 14, 22 and so on.

I have used lor sequence editor to create a nice sequence that has the lor 16 as dmx universe 1 channels 1-16. The renard is dmx universe 1 channels 17-40. All looks good in the lor visualizer.

To eliminate conflicts I put this one sequence along with the music file in one folder.

I used the x lights setup (using version3.6.9), I chose the show folder with the one sequence and one music file. I set up with an open dmx on com6 (dongle and drivers are up to date) last channel is set up to channel 40.

My issue is that when in the test mode the lor channels do light up as channels 1-16, but the renard is also lighting up as channels 1-24. I cannot get the system to see the renard as channels 17-40. Consequently the mega tree does light up but does not behave correctly because it is seeing two commands. Channels 25 - 40 do not light up anything.

I have tried putting the lor as channels 25-40 in the sequence and the mega tree does behave properly but then the lor two light trees do not behave properly because they are not getting a signal from channels 26-40.

Any assistance in getting the system to see all 40 channels properly would be greatly appreciated.
Jess

[rando1957]

Jess
Have you tried running your sequence from LOR first?  When I switched to DMX, I set up the Network Preferences in LOR for DMX and test it there first before I went to XL.  I know it may look ok in the visualizer but try running it right out of LOR SE to your lights.  Don't forget to select 'control lights' in SE.    because I did.
Randy

[jeholla]

For some reason I cannot get the LOR Sequence editor or the LOR hardware to see the renard.  If you can give me a little more guidance on how to set up the network preferences in SE I would appreciate it.

I did upgrade to advanced license to be able to control everything with LOR SE this year but not setting up something right so any help there is appreciated.

Also, do you have any suggestions as to why the xlights wont assign the channels correctly.
Jess

[rando1957]

Jess,
In LOR SE, network preferences, set LOR tab to 'None' in the regular line.  In the DMX tab, go to Universe 1 (if that is where your LOR controllers are assigned), select use adaptor on the left and in the pull down, it should find your RS485 adaptor (mine starts with 'A1...'). Leave protocol as 'Raw DMX'.  Assuming your channel configuration in LOR SE has universe 1 and DMX assigned to each channel, you should be able to run your sequence directly to your lights.  Don't forget to select, 'Control Lights' in the Play menu.
That will at least ensure you have your sequence configured correctly. If this works, then be sure and use that sequence file in XL, convert it to xseq.  Setup tab should be what I mentioned above.
Let me know how it goes.
Randy

[jeholla]

I tried the setup you just described but still no control of lights. The lor controller does not show communication (light in controller is blinking). I did see the 485 dongle on the dmx tab.

I ran the hardware utility and it does not find any controllers (I am on com6) but the light indicating communication is now on. Problem is when I go back to the se, the network preference is back to com 6 for the lor.

I must be missing something simple and can send some screen shots if you think that will help diagnose what needs to be done next.

Your help is much appreciated

[CoasterBP]

Do you have the LOR Control Panel open when trying to run sequences from the SE?

-=CoasterBP

[jeholla]

When you say LOR Control panel I am assuming you are talking about the control panel that is within the LOR Hardware Utility. If so the answer is no. I just opened the hardware utility just to see if I could let it see the controllers and at least turn on lights from the utility. I close the Hardware utility program before trying to operate lor se.
Jess

[jeholla]

I tried something else this morning just to make sure I had communication and did not have a cat5 cable problem.

I removed the renard from the system, connected the lor dongle straight to the lor controller and ran the lor utility. It found the lor controller and operated the lights. I then ran a sequence that I had programmed for lor regular network unit 1 ch 1-16 and it operated the lights perfectly.

This same sequence has my mega tree programmed for dmx universe 1 ch 1-24. I then daisy chained the renard controller to the lor controller and ran the sequence. The lor controller is controlling the lights but the renard is not.

I then went back to an lor sequence that is programmed to all dmx universe 1 channels 1-40 of which the lor are channels 1-16 and the renard is 17-24. I reset the network preferences on lor to none and the dmx to A1014XZV (the dongle shows up as this).  I get no lights operating at all.
Jess

[rando1957]

Did you update your channel configuration for the sequence to DMX and assign each 'circuit' to the DMX address 1-16 for the first controller and continue for second controller (17-32)?

[jediknight2]

You need to run your first LOR in DMX mode, this means a crossover from your computer to the first lor, otherwise your lor isn't in dmx mode and isn't sending a dmx signal to the renard

[rando1957]

FYI - I was told many times to get a crossover cable for my LOR to DMX.  After buying one, I ended up not needing it.  I only have RS485 adaptor and the LOR controllers will recognize both LOR and DMX protocols.  The key is 1) update your sequence channel configuration to DMX; 2) update network config to DMX recognizing RS485 (remove the LOR config). That should be enough to drive your LOR controllers. And like was said above, you need to have the Control Panel open and Listener activated.  Watch the text in the listener and it should recognize the DMX channels.
Mine worked and then I set up Xlights with OPENDMX and it worked fine.

[jediknight2]

^^^ is ONLY true when using the LOR usb dongle, which isn't the best option, for DMX output.  I'm also thinking the LOR OUTPUT still put out the dmx on the lor pins, which need to be swapped as they go to dmx from the lor box to the renard.  If your using the LOR usb dongle. It will output dmx correctly to the lor with no changes other than setting up the dongle as DMX.

So you need to first set the dongle up in outputs as DMX.  Then no change from dongle to lor.  Then crossover from lor to renard, just use a normal cable and cut/splice in the middle. IF you were running multiple LOR boxes in DMX mode with the LOR usb dongle. No crossovers needed.

http://www.holidaycoro.com/kb_results.asp?ID=46

[rando1957]

You are correct - I was only thinking of the LOR controllers, not the Renard. Thanks for catching that.

[jeholla]

I think I have it setup as you suggested attached are some screen shots to show how I have things setup. This is all from LOR Sequence editor.
First is the channel configuration (dmx config.jpg) that shows channels 12 thru 26. All are dmx universe 1. The channels 12- 16 are operating the lor controller. channels 17 thur 26 (shown but they go to 40 ) are the Renard controller.

The next attachments are how I set the network preferences under the edit tab of SE. The first is the dmx network and the next is the lor network.

I am using an LOR 485 dongle with a straight cat 5 cable to the lor with a crossover cable from the lor to the renard. The crossover cable is made by a straight cat 5 on one end (lor end) and switching the blue to pin 5 and the white/blue to pin 4 in the rj45.

What I think I am understanding jediknight2 say is that I need a crossover cable ( pin 5 blue and pin 4 white/blue) going to the lor controller first then a straight cat 5 going to the renard. Is that correct?

A couple things I do not understand??

First:
"So you need to first set the dongle up in outputs as DMX" - Other than the setting of the network preferences in SE as the attachment shows is there something else I need to do to set up the dongle as an "output as dmx"

Second:
"And like was said above, you need to have the Control Panel open and Listener activated.  Watch the text in the listener and it should recognize the DMX channels." - I do not know what control panel you are speaking of other than the control panel inside the LOR Hardware utility. Please explain.

I am only two years into this and still a lot I do not know or understand so please bare with me. All the assistance is greatly appreciated. You and others helping me with these questions have gotten me to being able to display some fun light shows, just trying to get better so the shows can be as programmed.

Jess



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[rando1957]

Go to your Light-O-Rama listing of applications in your Start menu. You will see option for Light-o-rama Control Panel  (it is first on my list).  That will put a red light bulb in your tray. That automatically will bring up a dos-looking window for the listener.  The listener will look for your COM port and DMX adaptor. It should find that you have the DMX set up.