Smart Receiver V4... 4th Channel all white?

[Bill - PVL]

I have an f48v4 that I am testing... 

for Ports 1-8 I have added a 150 pixel prop in Xlights and I have updated the controller so the outputs show that prop and the appropriate channels.

I then connected a smart receiver to port 1-4 and started doing testing directly from the controller... setting up a chase for port 1 and connecting the prop... chase works fine... port 2 chase works fine, port 3 chase works fine.  Port 4 goes all white... no chase.   Move the cable to the next port group on the f48 and tried again... Same for ports 5,6,7 (all work fine) and 8 is all white and bright.   

I then tried a test from the smart receiver itself... all ports seem to work fine when doing the onboard test... I get the appropriate ramp, etc...

Do I have a configuration set up incorrectly somewhere?

[rudybuddy]

Try a different CAT 5?

[Bill - PVL]

Same result... tried with both a premanufactured cable and with a cable I made.

[rudybuddy]

DIP switches set correctly on smart receiver?

[Bill - PVL]

They are all in the up (on) position.   There are no daisy chained receivers.

[rudybuddy]

I believe the Switch Mode dips should both be down in OFF for Normal Mode. Not sure if that would cause the problem you're having.

[Bill - PVL]

I grabbed another receiver... I think I must have a config issue somewhere else... it acts similar only the 4th channel is off not all white.   Are the settings supposed to be the same v4 as they are for v3?   I don't think there is a manual that I could find.

[pck]

Bill

I'm new at this as well. I had a similar problem. I didn't configure my props as a Smart Remote in Xlights. I did configure them properly in the controller but every time I uploaded my Xlights configuration to the controller it set the controller ports back to dumb mode (and I didn't notice). I kept playing with the rotary switch and was having some of the same results you are. The F16v4 manual is pretty close and meet all of my needs.

Here is what I received from PixelController Support:


It would be good to see your xLights setup as getting the setup to match the controller and the smart remote settings is key to getting them working.

Getting them to light with the test mode on the receiver board is an important first step. That tells us the pixels are wired correctly for the receiver to drive.
The next thing to do is to put the controller in "Smart Remote Number" test mode.

You don't need to worry about the rest of the controller configuration ... this configures the controller to send to smart remotes and sends out a specific pattern.

If nothing lights up then you have a connection issue between the controller and the smart remote. Check the 4 data leds are lit. Maybe try a different cat-5 cable.
If the first 2 pixels are blank then your receiver is in dumb mode ... this is ok but it means in xlights you must not have the port defined as smart.
If the first pixel is lit white then look at the first 6 pixels. The number of lit white pixels in the first 6 represents the smart remote number ... 1 is A, 2 is B up to F which is 6 white LEDs.
The next 4 pixels represent the port on the smart remote. One red is port 1, and 4 is port 4.
After that you will get a set of pixels colour washing blue/green ... these represent the controller port number. 8 would be port 8 on the controller.

If the smart remote number test mode looks as you would expect then your receiver is working fine and the controller is talking to it fine ... any problems are then with the configuration of the controller and how that matches xLights.

Outside of test mode to get the data leds to light and the pixels to behave the port has to be set as smart on the pixel ports page. By default all ports are in dumb mode. To make them smart you have to hit the blue + signs next to some of the ports which convert a block of 4 ports into smart. Hit it again and you get a second smart remote and so forth. If you don't have this correct then no data leds will light and the receivers wont do anything.

If you are still stuck your best bet is the xLights zoom room. These guys helps dozens of folks like you every day. If you would prefer to jump into zoom with me then as you are likely in the US it would need to be a timezone matching mine which is typically Friday or Saturday evening and I am in Australia.

Keith


Hope this helps you Bill. Good luck

[Bill - PVL]

So I am finally getting back to this after a much needed extended cruise vacation....

I tried again today to configure and I can not get any pixels to work except in a test on the receiver itself.    Here is what I tried based on the note below.

1.  Tested all 4 ports on the receiver using the receiver test button and all 4 work just fine.
2.  Connected the smart receiver to the F48 and all 4 of the data lights illuminate.   Test Mode on the F48 does not work
3.  Tried ever A-F, 0-8 dip up and dip down combination I could starting and stopping test mode on the F48 - no pixels light on any port on the smart receiver or any port on the f48
4.  Swapped 3 different ethernet cables thinking I might have had a bad cable.
5.  Checked my xLights Layout to be sure that each prop on the f48 was set to have Smart checked, uploaded to the f48 from xLights but this shouldn't matter at this point as I can't get the test from the f48 to work. 

I do not want to daisy chain the smart receivers... Each one will be on a port on the f48 and will provide only the 4 ports on the receiver for props.

[Bill - PVL]

anyone?

[darylc]

I see pixelcontroller suggested trying the zoom room, did you do that?