Trying to configure LOR CF50D Floods on FPP Pi Player with PiCap

[half.fast]

Struggling to get an LOR CF50D 50W Flood (with internal LOR Controller) working with FPP on Pi 4, FPP 6.3 with PiCap. 

Flood set as LOR Unit 01, with starting address as 01 in Xlights.

Using the Pi RJ45 connector (with proper jumpers set to LOR), there is no output at all.  Neither on Display Testing nor running a sequence from the Status page.

Using an LOR RS485 USB dongle on the Pi, the flood works for Display Testing but not when I try to run a sequence.

I had a CTB16PC running properly for my display this year from a Pi 3B+, FPP 5.5.  Rather than adding on to this configuration and making things more complicated.  I opted to make a "simple" configuration with just the Pi, PiCap and the CF50D.  Turned out to be not that simple.  Any help would be most appreciated.  Thanks.

[JonD]

I had some LOR CF50Ds working with Falcon F4v3 DMX ports in the past, but never on a PiCap.  Are you trying to connect using a LOR RS485 adapter, or are you using the CF50D in DMX mode?

I had both the CTB16PC and the CF50D on the same port/cable, but they convert to DMX differently.  Each LOR ID is 16 DMX channels on the CTB16PC, and 5 DMX channels on the CF50D.  Seems like I set the CTB16PCs at Channel 2-0E (DMX 17-224) and the CF50Ds at LOR ID 30-37  (DMX 236-275).  As long as you don't have two LOR controllers using the same DMX channel, it should not be an issue to have them on the same line.

[half.fast]

JonD,
Thanks  for the reply.  I have been an LOR user for years but know nothing about DMX.  In the connections I described above, I had the PiCap set to LOR using the onboard jumpers. When I could not anything to work using the RJ45 output,   I switched and used the LOR USB-RS485 dongle.  Connected via the dongle, I got the flood to work in Display Testing mode, but nothing when trying to run a sequence. 

 I DID get the CF50D to work in Display Testing mode via the PiCap RJ45 serial output (it was a bad cable) but still no joy when I try to run a sequence in any mode on the FPP/PiCap, either using "Sequence" in the Display Testing screen or trying to play a sequence on the main FPP Status Page, "Play" command.

In Display Testing, I set the channel range of 1 to 3, so only the three color channels of the CF50D are used and the last two "strobe" channels are not active.  I assumed that allowing only three channels (1-3) in testing mode would insure that only three channels of data got to the CF50D.  That appears to be the case a testing with just the three channels produces the correct test sequences in "Cycle Patterns".

I conclude that there must be some difference in the addressing or connection when trying to play a sequence versus when in Display Testing mode.  I don't understand that.

I'm not getting complicated by adding in my existing CTB16 at this point.  Just trying to get the floods to work first.

I really don't want to get involved with DMX if I can avoid it.  All that universe stuff confuses me.  Trying to stick with LOR connections.  I guess if all else fails, I'll try to learn the DMX thing.

Thanks for the response.  Any suggestions would be most appreciated.
Ron

[k6ccc]

I really don't want to get involved with DMX if I can avoid it.  All that universe stuff confuses me. 

Universes are EASY.  For a LOR person, the easiest way to think of Universes is the same as different LOR networks.  If you are using DMX over RS-485 networks that makes it essentially exactly like different LOR networks.  If you are using E1.31 (DMX over Ethernet) it adds a little more to it depending on how you are sending the data around.  You generally get to learn a little networking.
I have never run DMX over RS-485, nor have I ever used xLights (and have absolutely zero intent on doing so), so I can't help you at all on those parts.

[tbone321]

Did you configure a LOR output in FPP and if so, did you configure the correct channel numbers for it?  The jumpers on the PiCap for DMX/LOR do not set a protocol, they only set the signal to the correct pins on the RS485 for what you are connecting it to.  A screen shot of the LOR config may help up to see where the issue is.

[half.fast]

Thanks for responding.  Below are a couple screen shots that are, I think, what you suggested.  The CF50D is set to LOR Unit 1.  It is the only LOR device connected to the RS485 serial port.  Hope there's enough info here.  Thank You.
Ron

Here's the PiCap Serial Port ("Other")config:
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Xlights Layout:
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Xlights FPP Controller screen:
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[tbone321]

The FPP channel output for LOR appears to be set up correctly and if the lights are working in test mode, that confirms it.  How exactly are you sending the data to these lights?  Are you sending the show file to FPP to play or are you trying to test directly from xLights and sending the data from the xLights and making FPP act as a controller?

[half.fast]

TBone,
The sequence was uploaded directly to the FPP from Xlights using FPP Connect.  I created a one sequence playlist on the FPP.  I tried to run the sequence in several ways.

1) Using the "Sequence" command on the Display Testing page to run the sequence directly.
2) Using the "Play" command on the Status page of the FPP.
3)  Playing the sequence directly from Xlights by enabling Light control in Xlights.

No joy in all cases  I'm stuck.
Thank You,
Ron

[breese]

In xLights, Does the show up on the correct port in the Visualizer?

[half.fast]

TBone,
To me, it shows correctly in Visualizer.  Note, I'm only using one CF50D even though two are defined in Xlights.  Channel 4 and 5 on the CFs are used to control an oddball strobe function which I don't plan on using but thought it best to simply define the channels.  Here is the Visualizer screenshot.
Thank You.
Ron

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[half.fast]

UPDATE.  I cannot explain this.  Hopefully, someone on this forum can.

After all of the trials and configurations detailed above, none of which worked.  I tried one, last thing.

I created a schedule with the single playlist containing a single sequence with brief pauses before and after.  I loaded the Schedule but nothing happened. After a few failed tries at re-entering the schedule, I realized that the date and time were WRONG.  That's a new issue for me to learn about, later.  For now, I entered the correct date and time manually.

By some mysterious magic, a few minutes later, the sequence began to play properly on the LOR CF50D. I have no idea why putting the sequence into a playlist and scheduling the playlist caused it to play properly.

In any case ,thanks to Tbone and the others who helped.  Your comments guided my thoughts and actions.

Heh, FPP experts!  Can you please educate me on why I had to put the playlist/sequence into an operating schedule before it played properly??  Am I doing something wrong?  Are there such differences between the other "play" options and scheduled play?
Thanks, Again,
Ron in VF,Pa


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[tbone321]

I think that your problem is in how you defined the floods. I would stay away from using the LOR protocol unless you intend to have xLights directly control them with a serial adapter connected to a serial port on the PC that is running xLights.  From what I can see, xLights is not assigning these devices a standard channel number, it is assigning them to a LOR specific unit/channel number and I would bet those channels are either not being included in the sequence file being sent to FPP or FPP is simply ignoring them. 

I would change the controller for these from LOR to "Use Start Channel" and then assign them to a sequential set of open channels in your show.  You can change the protocol to something simple like DMX, PixelNet, or even WS8211 because FPP will be converting these to the LOR protocol when sending the data out on the PiCap's serial port.  Once you make these changes in xLights, then go to the LOR output definition in FPP and change the starting channel to the one you picked for your first LOR device and you should be good to go. 

In my setup, I still have some DLA DMX devices and have reserved the first 512 channels fin my show for them.  The nodes start at 513 and go up from there.  I don't currently have 512 DMX devices and will probably never use all 512 DMX channels but by doing this, it gives me the flexibility to add and remove DMX devices without having to keep shifting channel numbers and reconfigure all of my controllers.  My DMX output definition is set up for the full 512 so I don't have to make any changes there either if I add or take away anything DMX. 

[half.fast]

TBone,
Thanks.  I think I understand what you are saying.  I'll set up a separate SHOW folder and try the setup that you describe.  It makes sense to me.  Using the start channel option, I can define the start channels for the multiple LOR units that I will be using and let the LOR controllers just address sequentially, e.g.  CTB-16PC (16 channels, Ch 1-16, Unit 01),  CF0D (5 channels, Ch 17-21, Unit 02), CF50D (5 channels, Ch 22-26, Unit 02) for a total of 26 channels for the LOR controlled devices.

Thanks so much for your help.  Just an old geek trying to learn new tricks.
Ron in VF, Pa.

[JonD]

The learning curve of DMX is probably less than it will be to get the LOR USB RS-485 adapter to work.  If you use the LOR adapter, there is a good chance you are going run into timing issues once you start playing sequences.  Most are fixable, but you are going to know more about LOR baud rate settings than you wanted to know.  It is not a simple task to use the LOR adapter with xlights.  I think you would be happier moving to DMX, but the RS-485 adapter should work with some limitations.