Permatrack DigQuad FPP Licensing

[JonD]

I bought permanent lighting for my house this year (Permatrack).  I was just going to use the lights at xmas time, but am now considering connecting them up full time.  Running red/white/blue lights on July 4th and orange on Halloween would not be a terrible option to have. 

Originally, I was going to connect some Ray Wu cables to the lights and run the cable behind my gutters.  I could then just connect the cables to my Falcon controllers when I set out the display every year.  However, my Falcons were not designed to be left out all year long.  I am taking a closer look at the DigQuad controllers that Permatrack is selling.  They appear to fit within the track system and work with xlights.  In xlights you set them up as an IP based E1.31 controller.  Is this something that would need licensed in FPP now?  Anybody else using permanent lights year round and have any recommendations?

[dkulp]

No.   e1.31 outputs do not require licensing. 

[k6ccc]

Anybody else using permanent lights year round and have any recommendations?

I have been running computer controlled year round landscape lighting since 2011.  I have a combination of dumb RGB lights controlled by LOR DC controllers, a few AC lights controlled by LOR AC controllers, and a few hundred smart RGB strips controlled by a Falcon F4v3 with one smart receiver.  The AC controller is in my attic, and the DC controllers and F4v3 are inside a brick column in the front yard.  The smart receiver is inside a 8x8x4 PVC electrical box.  Pretty much everything is connected with PVC conduit that is buried under the lawn.  During the off season, the show is controlled by my Windows server, and from mid October to mid January there is a dedicated show computer.  I am using LOR software to sequence and control the show.

Other than some "minor holidays", I mostly run two sequences that slowly change the lighting between a few colors.  For the minor holidays, I run colors appropriate to that holiday.

[JonD]

It looks like the Dig Quad with Ethernet is not going to fit in the permatrack lighting track after all.  I am now looking at the Kulp K8-Pi.  Anybody using them yet?  I thought I saw somewhere they only do DDP?  I know DDP is better and I would want anything new to be DDP ready, but E1.31 is working fine for me and converting this year is not a project on my list for now.  I have considered the Falcon Pi Cap, but I have another project on the short list that an 8 Port controller is ideal for.

Also looking for the smallest controller box possible to mount on the house.  Anyone aware of small box for the Kulp K8-Pi?

Kulp K8-Pi
Falcon Pi Cap
Dig Quad

[dkulp]

Any FPP controller can do ArtNet,  e1.31, and/or DDP.   DDP is definitely the preferred protocol and the easiest to implement and configure, but the others will work.

[Poporacer]

I am now looking at the Kulp K8-Pi.  Anybody using them yet? 

Yes, they work great.

I know DPP is better and I would want anything new to be DPP ready, but E1.31 is working fine for me and converting this year is not a project on my list for now.

Converting is simple, just change a couple options.

[JonD]

Yes, they work great.

Thanks Rick!  You wouldn't happen to have the dimensions of the K8-Pi would you? 

[Poporacer]

The board itself is ~ 4 1/4 by 3 7/8 inches

[JonD]

The board itself is ~ 4 1/4 by 3 7/8 inches

Thanks!