Just added smart receiver and some lights wont turn on

[robledjl]

I went ahead and worked on xlights and then uploaded the configurations into my falcon controller(FV16v3), it does look a lot more organized but i still had issues lighting up my snowflakes and part of the window. I looked at the visualizor and i saw that everything was were it's supposed to be, now when i went into the actual controller wepage, you can see how they are just all in port 18, front eaves, window 1 and snowflakes should all be in one string(virtual strings) . I am not sure if they are supposed to be broken down manualy as virtual strings? I am very limited on the "bank" knowledge, I can kind of figure out banks of batteries but not my thing.    It seems like im getting closer to everything coming together but still some tinkering around.You cannot view this attachment. You cannot view this attachment.

[tbone321]

You can click on the black + sign to see if any virtual strings have been defined.  They do not need to be defined because the controller really doesn't care.  As long as the starting channel and the channel count are correct, that's all that matters to the controller.  Just make sure that you have defined your props in the correct order to how they are connected to the port.  

[robledjl]

OK, that's where I was getting stuck... I thought that the controller had to have virtual strings defined so that it could match xlights. I'll double check. Thanks once again 

[Poporacer]

I am not sure if they are supposed to be broken down manualy as virtual strings?

It will only need to be virtual strings IF there is something different from one string to another. The V3 has a limitation on the number of virtual strings so if they are not needed, it won't create them.

I thought that the controller had to have virtual strings defined so that it could match xlights.

The controller's Channel numbers needs to match the models in xLights. xLights knows nothing about virtual strings. Your channels in xLights do match your controller's configuration.

I am very limited on the "bank" knowledge

On the V3 controllers, there is a maximum or 1024 pixels per port and that is for 16 ports (Bank A). If you use the Expansion Board setting, it adds ports 17-32 but also adds a Bank (Bank B). The port in Bank A with the most pixels will define the size of Bank A and the port in Bank B with the most pixels will define the size of bank B. The size of Bank A plus the size of Bank B cannot exceed 1024 pixels. In your case, Bank A is set at 202 (port 2) and the rest is allocated to Bank B (822) and you can see this from the Slider at the top of the window
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Also, since you are not daisy chaining the receivers, you are NOT actually using them as Smart Receivers and do not need to identify them as smart receivers....Whichever method you use, the Receiver Mode and Termination switches need to match the definition in xLights and the controller.

You can click on the black + sign to see if any virtual strings have been defined.

Actually clicking the Black + sign will add a virtual string, probably not what you want to do. If the controller has a virtual string, it will show up on the ports as another line.

[robledjl]

It will only need to be virtual strings IF there is something different from one string to another. The V3 has a limitation on the number of virtual strings so if they are not needed, it won't create them.

ok, so on port 2 of the smart receiver I have one string of 534 pixels that are broken down into front eaves, window and snowflakes. That's why I had origianlly used virtual string in the controller, I was using start channel for everything but now I am having Xlights take care of all that, that's why I had thought that I should also see virtual strings on the controller configuration page.

On the V3 controllers, there is a maximum or 1024 pixels per port and that is for 16 ports (Bank A). If you use the Expansion Board setting, it adds ports 17-32 but also adds a Bank (Bank B). The port in Bank A with the most pixels will define the size of Bank A and the port in Bank B with the most pixels will define the size of bank B. The size of Bank A plus the size of Bank B cannot exceed 1024 pixels. In your case, Bank A is set at 202 (port 2) and the rest is allocated to Bank B (822) and you can see this from the Slider at the top of the window

This makes much more sense, i did read up on one of the tutorials and understood just a bit and that's how I ended up using the slider to remove the red highlight on my pixels, I wasnt sure why that was happening but the way you explained it makes way more sense to me. Thank you. 

Last thing is the chaining of the controller, so if I am understaning correctly, this will not be considered a "smart receiver" more of an expansion board? again, since this is my first year using these "smart receivers" I followed the instructions listed but maybe that's where my problem is...I have to look at the Dip switches and see what they are set to. 

[Poporacer]

ok, so on port 2 of the smart receiver I have one string of 534 pixels that are broken down into front eaves, window and snowflakes.

Since all of the models have the same attributes, there is no need for a virtual string. But let's say that your eaves you want to run at 40% brightness and the window and snowflakes at 30% brightness, that is when you would need a virtual string, just 2 strings,  one for the eaves and one for the window and snowflakes.

so if I am understaning correctly, this will not be considered a "smart receiver" more of an expansion board?

Not exactly. You can use the Differential Receiver as a redirected port of the 1-16 ports (avoiding the Bank issue) or configure the controller as having an expansion and then using any of the 32 ports as redirected.

[robledjl]

ok, so on port 2 of the smart receiver I have one string of 534 pixels that are broken down into front eaves, window and snowflakes.

Since all of the models have the same attributes, there is no need for a virtual string. But let's say that your eaves you want to run at 40% brightness and the window and snowflakes at 30% brightness, that is when you would need a virtual string, just 2 strings,  one for the eaves and one for the window and snowflakes.

so if I am understaning correctly, this will not be considered a "smart receiver" more of an expansion board?

Not exactly. You can use the Differential Receiver as a redirected port of the 1-16 ports (avoiding the Bank issue) or configure the controller as having an expansion and then using any of the 32 ports as redirected.

Wow! 🤯... Once again learned more about this hobby... I will take all this information to my computer and see what happens lol I can see how all that works together, like you mentioned having virtual strings for different brightness would make sense, but they could all be in one string, same brightness and have them doing different effects would be taken care of by xlights configuration.

UPDATE:  Well after doing more reading and searching through the forums to see if I could figure something out....I decided to check all the physical ports and all to include getting my Multimeter out....I check that there was 12V coming out from the PSU but when I checked the power at the first snowflake It was 9V at that"s with power injection! I dont think the  run is too crazy with just 535 pixels and power injection at the end. Even when using the pixel voltage drop calculator it shows that I should be all good. Im not sure if it'll be the wiring now or something else, but at least I am happy that I got the hole Xlighst and controller on the same page. Tommorrow i'll be putting just the snowflakes by themselves on the 3rd port of the receiver and see what happens.