Help - All Pixels Start To Flash When Sequence Played on xschedule or FPP Player

[camguy52]

I have a video wall of 4 matrix displays at 480x270. (see photos)  I have a very basic 30 second sequence with Butterfly on each Matrix.  I render and use FPP Connect to distribute the fseq files to the Pi's.

1. If I run the sequence from xlights, all lights act as normal but of course, the matrix panels don't display because xlights does not operate as Master to the Pi Player (remotes).

2. If I run from xschedule, the Butterfly displays on the matrix displays BUT MANY OF MY LIGHTS FLASH.

3. If I run from an FPP Player, the Butterfly displays on the matrix displays BUT MANY OF MY LIGHTS FLASH or don't even turn on when they should.

4. What is the Channel Maximum for xlights?  Am I exceeding it with my Matrix 4 Display ending at 1,638,399 channels? (According to Daniel Kulp, the channel max for FPP's is 8M channels so I do not think I have an FPP Player problem.)

If I knew the upper channel limit, I could downgrade my Matrix Displays to fall within that channel boundary.

Thanks for your help,

Doug

[ozaz]

If lights are lighting up that shouldn't be, then it's possibly a channel overlap issue. Do a Check Sequence and that should show you where the overlap is.

[camguy52]

Sean,

I have done a "check sequence" and confirmed I do not have any channel overlap as well as I have gone over my Controller Channel Layout extensively.

I have been able to replicate the Flashing Problem as follows:

1. I create a Sequence with a number of lights and add "(4) Picture Effects" to my 4 Matrixes  and render and FPP Connect.

2. xschedule runs this sequence and ALL LIGHTS FLASH at beginning of the Sequence.

3. xlights runs this same sequence and no lights flash (no Matrix Displays because xlights doesn't control Player (Remote).

4. I remove only the "Picture Effect on Matrix 4" and re-render and FPP Connect.

5. xschedule runs my sequence without any flashing problems.

Matrix 4 is at the top of my channel list from channel 1,249,600 thru 1,638,399.  I have confirmed there is no channel overlap. 

It appears the simple act of adding an effect to my Matrix 4 creates this Flashing Problem.

I appreciate your help in trying to solve this problem.  Please let me know if there is anything else I can do to try to diagnose the problem.

All the best,

Doug Hurrell

[Ebuechner]

Go to the matrix 4 FPP output page and make sure that the only output that is enabled is for the led panels.
It sounds like you have competing data going out.

[camguy52]

Matrix 1 thru 4 are all VirtualMatrix Outputs (see attachment) and there is no other outputs are defined either Pixel Strings, Led Panels or E1.31 (see attached).

If I run the sequence from xlights the Whole House Preview also shows the flashing lights so it feels like a problem in xlights.

Doug

[Ebuechner]

If that's the case make up a test sequence that demonstrates the problem go to tools and package sequence and then post the zipped file so someone can take a look.

[camguy52]

Sorry for the delay in responding.  I had throat surgery and I have been out of it for a while.

Attached you will find a packaged zip file of a very basic sequence with Butterfly on 5 Matrix Panels.  There are no other lighting effects.

The interesting thing is that when you play the sequence in xlights, every light in the house flashes 1 second into the playback.  You see it both on the Whole House Display and every light in the house does indeed flash.

Hope someone can tell me what I am doing wrong.

Thanks for your help,

Doug

[keithsw1111]

This commonly happens if more than one thing is sending data to your controllers. Make sure you only use xlights or only use your show player.