Falcon F48 with Raspberry PI 4 Model B question

[bjdj45]

Ok...I'm about 4 weeks into this.  Ordered Falcon F48 and smart differential receiver. Makes the most sense the way my display is set up, particularly with my 5 volt pixels.  I'm putting 12 v on my house however.

Can I just plug my Falcon F48 via Ethernet cord to my computer and play sequences from xLights from that?  Or do I need a Falcon Player?  Or is the Falcon Player only when you want to use a Raspberry PI 4 model B as the computer?  Is the FPP only a software that tells the Raspberry PI what to do??  So if you go straight ethernet from your PC and xLights, to the F48, you don't need FPP or a Raspberry PI, or FPP, or do you still need one of those.  So what I am assuming is, if you want to run through your wifi network to your Controller, you need a Raspberry PI to connect to wifi and your Falcon F48, and you use the software FPP to control the PI, but you interface at your PC running xLights.  Or can you "dump" the sequencing to a PI from your PC on the wifi network and the PI runs the sequences so once you have downloaded them you don't need to run it off your computer?  And is xLights scheduler used to have a playlist of sequences and schedule times for the performances???

As you can see, I have absorbed a lot in 4 weeks, but it can get overwhelming to understand when you don't have a computer networking background.

Is my thinking correct?  Or where am I wrong??

[Poporacer]

Can I just plug my Falcon F48 via Ethernet cord to my computer and play sequences from xLights from that? 

Yes, but you will have to configure your Ethernet adapted on your computer to be in the same subnet as the F48. If you can connect it to your router, it is easier.

Or do I need a Falcon Player?  Or is the Falcon Player only when you want to use a Raspberry PI 4 model B as the computer?  Is the FPP only a software that tells the Raspberry PI what to do??  So if you go straight ethernet from your PC and xLights, to the F48, you don't need FPP or a Raspberry PI, or FPP, or do you still need one of those.

You need some sort of player to schedule and play your show. You can use xLights or FPP (unless you are on a Mac)

So what I am assuming is, if you want to run through your wifi network to your Controller, you need a Raspberry PI to connect to wifi and your Falcon F48

Using a Pi as the Wi-Fi connection usually works the best. But be careful what you are actually using the Wi-Fi network for. It doesn't take much for your Wi-Fi network to get congested with E1.31 data. But if you are using Wi-Fi for the web GUI access and letting the FPP handle the direct E1.31 communication then no problem.

Or can you "dump" the sequencing to a PI from your PC on the wifi network and the PI runs the sequences so once you have downloaded them you don't need to run it off your computer? 

Yes, that is very common.

And is xLights scheduler used to have a playlist of sequences and schedule times for the performances???

You only need one player, either xSchedule or FPP.

[bjdj45]

Thank you soooo much!

I was on the right track but you REALLY cleared some things up for me...and thank you for answering each one individually.  I think I will go with the Raspberry PI and use xLights as the scheduler. But if I use the scheduler in xLights will I need my computer to run the sequences still, or does the Xscheduler load to the Raspberry pi also? 

Just so I am clear, the FPP is something I would load on my PC to speak to the PI, but I can do the same thing with xScheduler.  Correct? So once I dump the sequencing data to the PI, it includes the xSchedule information as well, so I can run the controller from the PI without my PC on or connected??

[Poporacer]

But if I use the scheduler in xLights will I need my computer to run the sequences still, or does the Xscheduler load to the Raspberry pi also?

If you are using xSchedule as your player, then yes you will need your computer to run the show, but if you are already getting a Pi, why not use that as your scheduler?

Just so I am clear, the FPP is something I would load on my PC to speak to the PI

No, FPP is the software that you load onto the Pi. That software has a TON of functionality.

So once I dump the sequencing data to the PI, it includes the xSchedule information as well

No, the player is where you create your schedules. Either on your computer using xSchedule or on the Pi using FPP. 

so I can run the controller from the PI without my PC on or connected??

That would only be the case if you are using FPP as your Player.

[bjdj45]

Damn..you are so patient and helpful.  I feel like a dweeb!  lol

Just really love learning this.  

So FPP is download and my computer from a the Falcon Website, onto a flash drive or micro SD and then plug it in either port on the PI and download?  When you download the FPP by using one of those slots, does the OLED on the PI show the status?

[Poporacer]

So FPP is download and my computer from a the Falcon Website, onto a flash drive or micro SD and then plug it in either port on the PI and download?

You download the FPP image from Github onto your computer. Then you need to "burn" the image onto an SD card using special software that you will probably have to download as well. There is only one SD slot on the Pi.

There is an FPP manual that might help, it has a ton of screenshots and step by step instructions with links to all the files you will need. https://falconchristmas.github.io/FPP_Manual(4.3).pdf