Hinks Pix Pro Smart Long Range Receiver Setup problems

[lenchuckd]

Hi there, I have run a HinksPix Pro 16 output received with an 8 SPI smart long range receiver this past year. For 2021 I have purchased 2 16 SPI smart receivers (Still in Transit) for 32 more outputs.

My question is how do I add the new receivers to xlights so I can add my new models to the layout tab and associate them to the new controllers. Currently I don't have enough open ports on the "visualize" tab and can't figure how to add more. When I try and add a new controller, it adds a completely new one and looks for another IP address, which isn't the case for the HinksPix Pro as they will all work together.

Any ideas? Or do I have to wait for them to physically arrive and then use the "discover option" in the Controllers tab?

[allknowing2012]

So you have vendor as HinksPix and model as Pro -- that should show 48 ports in the visualizer.

[lenchuckd]

So you have vendor as HinksPix and model as Pro -- that should show 48 ports in the visualizer.

Absolutely I do, but I have my 16 main HinksPix Pro with a long range 8 added on from this year which equals 24 SPI's.  I'm adding an additional 32 (2 X 16 SPI long range receivers) which would equal 56 outputs.  not the 48 I can see on my controller tab now.  Not sure how to add more.  The long range receivers should be able to add more than 48 in total I believe.

I know how to add them into the HinksPix Pro setup page, that I can find videos for, but I don't know how to add them in xlights.

[allknowing2012]

Are they similar to falcons in that they are done as A B and C remotes? In that scenario you still only show 1-48 but 48 for example might have a 48a, 48b, 48c. That is done via a right click on the port. If the hinkspix web ui shows more than 48 then post that and Keith & Scott can update xlights accordingly.

[lenchuckd]

I just spoke with Joe Hinkle, who is  the designer of the HinksPix series.

He said Scott is currently working on a xlights update for the HinksPix smart receivers, no release date yet.

Scott can you advise if you see this or if somebody has his information can you ask?

In the meantime can anyone think of a work-around so that I can assign all my models for sequencing within xlights and then re-assign them to the proper controllers once the update is released..

[allknowing2012]

Add a second controller for now .. and just move them over in the visualizer after the update.

[lenchuckd]

Add a second controller for now .. and just move them over in the visualizer after the update.

Thanks, that's what I did... just used a blank controller.... thanks for your help.. I hope the update comes  soon! Very excited to get my show in order!

[Gilrock]

Yeah modeling controllers in xLights is just a nice to have.  Prior to a couple years ago we just setup a block of E1.31 outputs then started modeling.  Some people thought it was a huge deficiency not being able to "patch" controllers but its actually what I thought made the program great.  You didn't need to worry about hardware to setup and program your show.  You basically rendered a block of data that every controller could pick apart whatever pieces they wanted from that data.  The burden for setting up controllers is about the same its just instead of going to the controllers webpages you do it inside xLights but with that came a lot of complexity trying to deal with all the hardware variations.

By the way you can still do it the old way.  Forget about controllers and just create a block of universes.  Then in your controller map the universes to your ports.

[lenchuckd]

Yeah modeling controllers in xLights is just a nice to have.  Prior to a couple years ago we just setup a block of E1.31 outputs then started modeling.  Some people thought it was a huge deficiency not being able to "patch" controllers but its actually what I thought made the program great.  You didn't need to worry about hardware to setup and program your show.  You basically rendered a block of data that every controller could pick apart whatever pieces they wanted from that data.  The burden for setting up controllers is about the same its just instead of going to the controllers webpages you do it inside xLights but with that came a lot of complexity trying to deal with all the hardware variations.

By the way you can still do it the old way.  Forget about controllers and just create a block of universes.  Then in your controller map the universes to your ports.

So If I just set it up as any kind of controller in xlights and then associate the correct universes to the controllers software when I output to lights it should work?  I was unaware that you could do the 2 seperately. 

[Gilrock]

I'd have to get the program in front of me for exact steps.  You should just be able to add an output that is a block of E1.31 universes.  I don't believe you are required to even specify a controller.

[lenchuckd]

I'd have to get the program in front of me for exact steps.  You should just be able to add an output that is a block of E1.31 universes.  I don't believe you are required to even specify a controller.

I put in 2 extra Hinkspix 16 output controllers for now and I can run my shows on xlights... so that's working

So just so I have it correctly, I use the universe allocations that xlights gives me, as it automatically maps them and put that into my controller software and it should work!  I hope!??

[Gilrock]

You still need to make sure the models end up assigned to the universes you want.  That's done many ways.  You can hard code the universe/start channel on each model.  You can daisy chain models to other models.  You can specify it be assigned a port on a controller you defined in the outputs.  There are ways to have xLights automatically assign stuff.  I haven't used the auto stuff since 2 years ago so I'd have to play with it to figure it out again.  I was a pro at the manual method.

[lenchuckd]

You still need to make sure the models end up assigned to the universes you want.  That's done many ways.  You can hard code the universe/start channel on each model.  You can daisy chain models to other models.  You can specify it be assigned a port on a controller you defined in the outputs.  There are ways to have xLights automatically assign stuff.  I haven't used the auto stuff since 2 years ago so I'd have to play with it to figure it out again.  I was a pro at the manual method.

Perfect thanks for all the info... I've managed to program them into a main large controller and had xlights assign the universes.... (this is a great feature that I used last year and it worked great!)  Now I will go into the HinksPix software and use the universe numbers assigned by xlights to program the HinksPix controllers.  Fingers crossed it should work seamlessly!  (Just like all of my soldering jobs from last year    

Once again thanks all for the help and donate a few $$ to xlights!  great program, great community and great ppl!