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Pixels flickering when playing directly from XLights

Started by efiten, October 09, 2024, 12:43:04 PM

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0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

efiten

Without FPP, playing a sequence (or even a single effect on a prop) with "output to lights" on works perfectly.
With PFF in between, sequences play, with the correct layout & colors, but everything flickers fast.
When I upload the sequence to FPP, it plays perfect, without flickering.
Running latest version (8.1) on an Rpi 4

Erwin

Poporacer

Quote from: efiten on October 09, 2024, 12:43:04 PMWithout FPP, playing a sequence (or even a single effect on a prop) with "output to lights" on works perfectly.
Can you explain what this means? How is everything connected before and after you "have FPP?

Quote from: efiten on October 09, 2024, 12:43:04 PMWith PFF in between,
Explain what FPP in between means?

Quote from: efiten on October 09, 2024, 12:43:04 PMsequences play, with the correct layout & colors, but everything flickers fast.
How are you playing the sequences? From xLights, from FPP itself?
What version of FPP?
What other controllers do you have? Type and model.

Quote from: efiten on October 09, 2024, 12:43:04 PMWhen I upload the sequence to FPP, it plays perfect, without flickering.
And where are you playing it from? FPP or xLights?
If it plays perfect from FPP, then it is working!! ??
If to err is human, I am more human than most people.

algerdes

Check that you are NOT using both FPP in play mode at the same time you have it set to play (output to lights) from xLights.  Both hitting the controller(s) have the capability to cause a "fast flicker".  
Sequencers: Vixen3 and xLights
Players: FPP and xSchedule Controllers:  Renards - SS24/SS16; E1.31 - San Devices E682 - Falcon F16, F4, F48 - J1Sys - DIYLEDExpress E1.31 Bridges.  Much more!

Poporacer

Quote from: efiten on October 09, 2024, 12:43:04 PMWith PFF in between, sequences play, with the correct layout & colors, but everything flickers fast.
After thinking about it, I think that problem is that you have the Inputs enabled on FPP when you are testing from xLights. 
If you have the inputs enabled, when you send data to your controller, FPP will pass the data directly to the controller AND because FPP is configured to send data to the controller, it is receiving double data just milliseconds apart
If to err is human, I am more human than most people.

efiten

Quote from: algerdes on October 09, 2024, 03:28:06 PMCheck that you are NOT using both FPP in play mode at the same time you have it set to play (output to lights) from xLights.  Both hitting the controller(s) have the capability to cause a "fast flicker". 
FPP is stopped at that point.

efiten

Quote from: Poporacer on October 09, 2024, 08:22:57 PM
Quote from: efiten on October 09, 2024, 12:43:04 PMWith PFF in between, sequences play, with the correct layout & colors, but everything flickers fast.
After thinking about it, I think that problem is that you have the Inputs enabled on FPP when you are testing from xLights.
If you have the inputs enabled, when you send data to your controller, FPP will pass the data directly to the controller AND because FPP is configured to send data to the controller, it is receiving double data just milliseconds apart
This could be, i have to check that later today. I think inputs are enabled. Isn't it necessary to see the sequences when starting them in Xlights with "output to lights" on ?

Poporacer

Quote from: efiten on October 10, 2024, 01:50:41 AMIsn't it necessary to see the sequences when starting them in Xlights with "output to lights" on ?
Yes, that is true. But if you have Outputs enabled at the same time, then you are sending dual data.
Let me try to explain.

FPP can be in Player mode (the person telling the rest what to do) or in Remote mode (waiting for instructions on what to do)

Both of these modes need to be configured for the type of data that they are supposed to listen to and what data to send to others as there are multiple scenarios that people use.

Any mode can be configured to output data to other devices (that is the E1.31/DDP Outputs section) and when it receives data in the channel ranges that it is configured to output, it will send that data accordingly.

Any Mode can be configured to "listen" for input data, that means that you want to allow it to receive E1.31/DDP data from other devices and process that data.

Your main Player is typically going to be the "Boss", so you do not want inputs Enabled when playing a show, but if you want to test from xLights, then you need to Enable your Inputs, but you also want to disable your outputs....

Testing from xLights is more to see if the controllers are configured correctly, not for previewing sequences. You should really preview sequences from FPP.
If to err is human, I am more human than most people.

JonD

If both xlights and FPP are playing at the same time, your lights will have issues playing, but even if you turn the xLights light output off, you may need to reboot your computer after.  In the past, if I ever turned on the xLights light bulb to play directly to the controllers, even when I turned off the light bulb, I would still get ghosting when playing from FPP.  I would have to reboot my xlights workstation to correct the issue.  It seemed like xLights would not properly release resources after directly outputting.  They may have fixed that issue by now, but if you are still seeing the ghosting issue after using both methods, you might trying rebooting everything and see if you still have the issue.  

t2lights

I will share my 2 cents.  I experienced this same thing a while ago and I did some digging around in the code and also used a serial data monitor program (Accessport).

My sequences were created with a 25ms refresh rate  (40 FPS) and I am using DMX Open as my protocol.  My version of XLights was running on Windows and the timing for the break and mark after break was 1ms each.  When you add in the 2ms for the BRK and MAB along with the channel data, another 22.676ms you get 24.676ms which is very close to the 25ms refresh rate.  Using the data monitor program I was able to see that occasionally the previous data had not been completely sent before new data needed to go out causing invalid data and hence the flicker.

Code from XLights OpenDMXOutput.cpp
            _serial->SendBreak();  // sends a 1 millisecond break
            wxMilliSleep(1);      // mark after break (MAB) - 1 millisecond is overkill (8 microseconds is the minimum dmx requirement)
            _serial->Write((char *)_data, 513);


FPP runs a version of Linux and it has more control over the timings.  The BRK is set to 0.2ms and the MAB is 0.02ms.  Because of this the software is able to keep up with a 25ms refresh rate.

Code from FPP USBDMX.cpp
    if (m_dongleType == DMX_DVC_OPEN) {
        SerialSendBreak(m_fd, 200);
        usleep(20);
    }
    write(m_fd, m_outputData, m_dataLen);


The reason that XLights does not flicker when using Tools->Test is because that uses a 50ms refresh rate.

Hopefully I am correct on my observations.

tom.

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