Pixcon 16 - Light-O-Rama
Contents
1. No Status or Power LEDs is On Ensure that the outlet you are plugged into is active Check that the logic fuse has not blown Ensure your power supply is supplying voltage correctly Controller does not appear in Find Pixcon 16 list First ensure you have the latest version of the LOR Showtime software installed Ensure you have connected the board to a LAN and not to an LOR Network USB adapter Ensure the controller is in normal operating mode as per the LED codes If you still cannot see the controller directly connect the controller to the computer s Ethernet jack Ensure there are no other networks active on the computer including any wireless networks Reboot the computer and then power up the board One final thing to check is your firewall Ensure that it is not blocking network broadcasts from the utility You may even need to disable it altogether while troubleshooting to ensure it is not causing an issue Page 41 Light Outputs Not As Expected If the lights are not turning on at all then double check all power connections fuses and light connections Check the 5A mini blade logic fuse and 4A mini blade fuses on each output If the lights turn on but are displaying colors you are not expecting ensure the string s itself is not faulty by comparing to other known working strings if possible Then verify the controller can be discovered using the utility Ensure the string s has been programmed correctly in th2. 107 Should you experience data transmission problems when using the Pixcon 16 on an LOR network you may want to move this jumper from OFF to ON Most networks will not require this Page 17 Hardware Configuration Unlike other controllers in the LOR family the Pixcon 16 MUST be configured via the Ethernet connection It is not configured using the standard LOR Hardware Utility but instead uses the Pixcon 16 configuration in the LOR Network Preferences program Using DHCP Normal Operation Your network will typically have a DHCP server It is the job of the DHCP server to assign an IP address to any device on the network that requests one DHCP mode is always enabled by default on the Pixcon 16 so it should work with any network out of the box However it is recommended that you assign a static IP address once communications have been established via the configuration utility If the controller is in DHCP mode and is not assigned an IP address by a DHCP server it will timeout after 15 seconds and default to a static IP of 192 168 0 50 lf DHCP mode is enabled both LEDs will flash together until the controller receives an IP address at which point the power LED will remain on solid and the status LED will flash slowly indicating it is in run mode and ready for use Page 18 If a static IP address is assigned to the board then the power LED will be solid from power up Typically the controller is connected to a netwo
3. Find Configure Pixcon 16 and once the desired controller appears in the main window click on it 2 A configuration window will appear Click on the Misc tab and then locate the Upgrade Firmware button and click on it A firmware update window will appear Click browse to locate the firmware file you wish to download 3 Click on the OK button 4 Once the download is complete a message box will pop up saying it has completed successfully The controller will automatically reboot itself and then start running the new firmware application immediately I Page 35 If there is something wrong with the upgraded firmware repeat the process again if it is still visible in the configuration utility Otherwise refer to the troubleshooting section for further information Page 36 Operating Specifications The table below specifies the recommended operating conditions for a Pixcon 16 controller Current Max PARAMETER VALUE RANGE UNITS TOLERANCE Eeer 5 30 VDC 5 Input Voltage Max Capacity 5 Per Power Bank SS A KE Logic Current Consumption 150 mA 10 5V DC Operating 40 to 60 C 5 Temperature 40 to 140 E 3 Individual Output 4 A NA Page 37 Troubleshooting Generally troubleshooting requires looking at the LEDs on the controller There may also be a high voltage power supply connected to the board so extreme caution must be
4. mode and will display red green blue and white sequentially in a repeating pattern on all pixels on each of the 16 outputs Pressing the button while in this mode will then cycle through each of the four colors successively on all outputs simultaneously before returning to the current pattern again To exit the test mode press and hold the Factory IP button down again for 3 seconds and then release Page 33 Firmware Upgrades The controller is capable of having its firmware upgraded An upgrade is typically performed to fix any bugs that may have been overlooked in previous revisions or to add new features Physical Setup To perform a firmware upgrade ensure that you have your Pixcon 16 controller connected to the LAN network Obtaining New Firmware Only use firmware that has been supplied by LOR for this device Using any other firmware may damage the device or render it inoperable requiring it be sent back to LOR for service The newest firmware will always be available on our website http www lightorama com Page 34 Performing a firmware Update WARNING Ensure that NO OTHER programs are currently sending data to the Pixcon 16 including LOR programs like the LOR Comm Listener or LOR Tray Failure to close all programs that may be sending data to the Pixcon 16 could put the board into a state that can only be recovered by using the Bootloader button 1 Open the Network Configuration program Click
5. maximum rating of the board is 64A 32A per bank 4A per pixel port Each port is protected by a 4A pink blade type fast blow fuse Unless supplied with an LOR Ready to Go Prop it is the user s responsibility to ensure that the power supply used matches the voltage of the pixels they are using and that it can supply the correct amount of current NOTE The board provides NO protection if you accidentally reverse the polarity of the input power Reversing the polarity WILL damage the board Be sure you have properly connected the power supply BEFORE powering on for the first time Page 11 Aux EEN oe A e AUX OUT F i S EZ La ste she EE P 2 1 SD The Aux Out connector supplies power for an optional case fan The fan s speed can be varied by temperature and is set by the Configuration program Please note that the power for the fan is taken from Bank 1 You should select a fan that has the same voltage as Bank 1 Page 12 Pixel Ports LOR PixCo j D Connect up to 340 pixels to each port in E1 31 DMX mode and up to 170 pixels to each port in Enhanced LOR Mode The board can support several different pixel types but all ports MUST have use same pixel driver type For example you cannot mix WS2801 and WS2811 pixels on the same Pixcon 16 Each port can supply a maximum of 4A and is protected by a 4A pink blade type fuse Page 13 Each port has a removable connector with 4 screw term
6. port 170 Se Number of Zig Zags 0 Se Cancel Starting Channel of Port 1 TE Group 1 Se End of Port Universe 1 Channel 510 Max Intensity 100 Se Triplet Channel Order RGB Reversed node order highest pixel is nearest controller These buttons can be used to quickly configure this port as well as all ports higher You can choose to set all the parameters and automatically update the starting Universe Channel of each higher port or only automatically set the starting Universe and Channel of the higher ports If you only wish to update THIS port use the OK button Update Port One ID per Port Minimum Number of IDs for board Update this port only Ignore starting channel and number of nodes Instead use one Unit ID per pixel port and Pack pixels tightly and OK Update This Port and automatically Update This Port and automatically assign ascending Universes for all compute Universe Channel for all higher ports higher ports Update This Port and all higher ports Update This Port and all higher ports with these parameters and with these parameters and automatically assign ascending automatically compute universes Universe Channel This allows for advanced configuration of the 16 pixel ports Each port can be individually configured for its start universe start channel number of nodes or pixels null pixels zig zag and reversing While the advanced configuration permits an extremely flexible channel setup
7. we recommend that you try to keep things as simple as possible and use a single Universe or Unit ID per port The controller is capable of connecting Page 26 the beginning of an output to any channel within any universe Outputs can be connected to the same universe data as each other be sequential to each other or even be separated by hundreds of universes if required The key is to correctly match the universe outputs of your sequencer to the channel outputs you have configured for your controller This can quickly become confusing The Advanced Configuration can also quickly configure all higher ports on this device using the update buttons on the bottom Again LOR recommends one of the One ID per Port options Null Pixels Null pixels allow the controller to ignore or skip a specified number of pixels at the beginning of a given string or strip This is useful when you want to extend your fixture as the data signals in pixel strings and strips are not designed to travel over long distances Each pixel has its own IC which actually re buffers the entire data signal before passing it on to the next pixel For example by inserting some null pixels into a given length of cable before you get to the first pixel of the actual fixture the digital signal will be buffered several times allowing it to reach the actual fixture some distance away with the null pixels being skipped or ignored Page 27 The other use for nu
8. 2 J5 Port 3 Enabled DMX 3 J7 Port 4 Enabled DMX 4 J8 Board Config Loaded Here you can specify the static IP address and subnet mask that the controller will operate on as well as the type of IP connection Use DHCP to instantly see and configure the controller on any existing LAN To use the board with an ELOR Enhanced LOR network rather than in E1 31 mode select the J3 J4 checkbox Selecting this box will allow the board to be connected to a LOR Enhanced network at 500K speed and be controlled like all other LOR controllers Each pixel port on the board should be given a unique Unit ID to avoid confusion Page 22 Please note that while you can run the board in ELOR mode even when connected properly it will not appear in the Hardware Utility if you search for controllers The Auxiliary DMX ports allow for up to 4 E1 31 to DMX bridges These are not enabled in ELOR mode Please see the help documentation for the software for more information Pixel Port Setup A LOR PixCon 16 Configuration 192 168 1 252 e Unit Name BL 2801 U1 U16 d OK Network Configuration Pixel Port Setup Misc Pizel Type Ww52801 X V High Speed Apply Universe and Channel Settings Settings apply to all ports on the board To change settings on a port by port basis select Advanced Configuration One Universe per Pixel Port Ze Pack Pixels Tightly Cancel Starting Universe of Board Uni
9. Light Rama ridi T Lie T luo cz Raf 4 es ED Vi i Light O Rama LI uu ama com ife Biv tar ez ci e S i fer e GIS TL EEEE Pixcon 16 E 1 31 16 32 Universe Pixel controller with 4 E1 31 to DMX ports User Manual August 6 2015 V1 2 Copyright Light O Rama Inc 2015 Table of Contents Jee te HOM GE 4 What s in the BOX _ ccccceecseeeceeeceeeeeeeeeaeeeae esse essa eeeaes 6 PAO DIIGAUOINS EE 6 Hardware Fundamentals 7 Factory IP Bootloader switches 7 Power Connechors 10 Aux Out Fan EENEG eege egene 12 BK OMS usted 13 Ethernet EE IESSE 15 LOR in out and DMX Outputs E1 31 mode only 15 Beitrag E ie le 16 Terminator JUMPE eeneg eels ts lana aaa 17 Hardware Confguraton 18 Using DHCP Normal Operation es 18 Forcing the Pixcon 16 IP Address aensannneenneennannn 19 See WO E 20 Kiel E ER PrelPort Sciuprrsc ll LL aa 23 Advanced Port Configuration 26 VIE 30 Sendng Datd eebe ER Hardware Test Pattern i 33 Firmware Upgrades dana 34 Ku ele E 10 EE 34 Obtaining New Firmware a nnnannnennnennnnnnnnnnnnennnennnenne 34 Performing a firmware Update nannnonnneannennnennnennnennn 35 Operating SpecificatiONS i 37 TFOUDIGSMOOUM BEE 38 Status E 39 No Status or Power LEDs is ON eens 41 Controller doe
10. e LOR Showtime software The DMX universe or LOR Unit ID must match the universe UID assigned to the port along with the channel numbers Be sure you have correctly set up your DMX universes using the Network Preferences program to use E1 31 or that you have set up the LOR network to use Enhanced mode at 500K Check the status LEDs for more information and refer to section LED Codes Page 42 Ensure you are using the correct voltage for the pixels that are in use If there is no fault indicated by the LEDs check that your wiring of the lights is in accordance with the Pixel Ports section Page 43 Light O Rama Inc Tel 518 539 9000 Fax 518 538 0067 info lightorama com
11. gerous DC voltages Some connections may be at line voltage and potentially lethal It is important that you have an understanding of electrical wiring Page 5 What s in the Box The Pixcon 16 comes with this user manual The latest version of this manual is also available at www lightorama com gt Support gt User Manuals gt Pixcon 16 manual The Pixcon 16 can be used in multiple configurations Additionally the Pixcon 16 can be purchased as a separate device or be included with an LOR Ready to Go prop Applications The Pixcon 16 can be controlled by an LOR G3 Show Director or a Windows PC While being an advanced controller the Pixcon 16 cannot be run in standalone mode and cannot be controlled by another LOR Controller in standalone mode The Picon16 board itself is not weather resistant and needs to be mounted in a suitable weather resistant weather tight enclosure The enclosure to be used must have adequate ventilation Connections are provided to Page 6 power a fan and overheating of the board will cause damage to the components Hardware Fundamentals Factory IP Bootloader switches Bootle KS Factory Reset Fy A factory reset should only be performed when absolutely necessary The reset will erase all configuration and networking information which may be time consuming to restore To reset the device back to factory defaults first remove power to the board Then press and hold BOTH bu
12. has been placed in the bootloader mode Turn on the computer and wait for it to fully boot Now start the LOR Network Configuration program and press the Pixcon 16 button You should be able to find the board now to configure it or to re install the firmware Page 9 Status LEDs STATUS 3 POKER Power Light Status Light Status Off Off Board is not powered or the logic fuse has blown On Flashing Board is powered on and running properly No data signal has been detected On On Board is powered on running correctly and is receiving data Alternating Alternating Board is in bootloader mode Flash Flash and needs to have firmware uploaded Synchronized Synchronized Board is powered and waiting Flash Flash for an IP address from the DHCP server On Off Board is powered however it is not running correctly Power Connectors Power to the board and the 16 pixel ports is supplied by the two sets of large screw terminals on the left side of the board Each terminal supplies power for 8 of the pixel ports Bank 1 1 8 or Bank 2 9 16 Power for the board Page 10 itself is taken from Bank 1 and is protected by a DA dark blue blade type fast blow fuse weg SLE Sa UNJ x L The board can run on any voltage between 5VDC 30VDC The voltage you use will be dependent on the type of pixel in use Power must be supplied from a stable DC source power supply The
13. inals With the screws facing towards you and the wire connector points at the top as if the connector is seated in the board and you are looking at the connectors from the outside of the board the pins are left to right 1 Power 2 Clock 3 Data 4 Ground You should consult the manufacturer of the pixels you intend to use for correct wiring For example not all pixel types use the CLOCK source Page 14 Ethernet Connector Use this port to connect the Pixcon 16 to your network or computer s network card All configuration is done while the board is attached to a network via this connector LOR in out and DMX Outputs E1 31 mode Page 15 The 2 RJ45 jacks labeled J3 and J4 can be used as an E1 31 to DMX bridge or as input output from a standard LOR RS485 network depending on configuration The remaining 3 jacks labeled J5 J7 and J8 can be used as additional E1 31 to DMX bridge ports if the board is not running in LOR mode LOR ESTA Jumpers fo Gel Cast Gi E 69 929GZ9 oS J iE DN Keaiie34 EA EEE erert F Whenever LOR equipment is in use on any of these RJ45 jacks the jumpers must be moved from the ESTA side to the LOR side LOR controllers even in DMX mode use a pinout that is different from other devices Moving these jumpers sets the correct pins Page 16 Terminator jumper oj s Le 5 E Gel a C EEJ 9Z3SZ3 J ie DN D eeh
14. ll pixels is when you may not want to use the entire string In this case you can simply tell the controller to ignore or skip the pixels you don t need Zig Zag Zig Zag allows pixel addresses to be allocated in a more logical order in the sequencer For example you may have a mega tree consisting of 16 strings of 50 pixels in your display Starting at the first string you would string pixels 1 50 from bottom to top and then pixels 51 100 from top to bottom in the 2nd string and so on zig zagging up and down all the way around When finished if you turned the pixels on in order from the lowest address to the highest you would see a pattern that started at the bottom of the first string and zig zagged up and down as you move around the mega tree When programming the pixels in the sequencer however it s much easier if the pixels light in a more intuitive order In our example we would use the zig zag feature to tell the controller that the pixels reverse direction every 50 pixels Thus lighting sequential pixels now produces the desired effect the first string lights from bottom to top then the 2nd string from bottom to top etc Page 28 Reversed Turning on the reversed option tells the controller to light the pixels in reverse direction on the fixture This means the first pixel to light will actually be the last physical pixel in the fixture instead of the first physical pixel RGB Order You can also change the RGB order
15. of the pixel output This is useful if the lights you are using are not physically wired in the standard red green blue order Page 29 Misc Co LOR PixCon 16 Configuration 192 168 1 252 xa Unit Name BL 2807 U1 U16 Network Configuration Pixel Port Setup Misc Firmware V1 46 Update Firmware Apply Color Correction Bed E ae EE Blue t Hardware Information Board Temperature 77 F 25 C 95 F Fan on 100 at temp ano a O Bank 1 Voltage DIV 35 IO Bank 2 Voltage MAC Address 40 D8 55 02 F3 33 Board Config Loaded Unit Name is available on all tabs This allows the user to assign a custom nickname to the controller The Misc tab allows you to perform a firmware update change color correction values set optional fan speed The board s current information including temperature and operating voltages are shown The Firmware Update buttons allows the user to update the internal code running on the board Please see the Firmware Upgrades section later in this documentation Page 30 Color correction is the method used for correcting the output of the LEDs so that they respond in a much more linear fashion when viewed by the human eye the spectral response of the human eye is non linear This is particularly important when the LEDs are being faded and also provides more accurate and vivid color representation The optional Cooling Fan speed is set with the
16. rk of computers controllers etc either though a switch or router You can however directly connect the Ethernet port of the Pixcon 16 to a computer network card This can be useful if for some reason your network configuration has changed or you are having some other issue with configuration Be sure to turn off any other network connections including wireless connections and then re boot the computer Forcing the Pixcon 16 IP Address In the unlikely event that a controller needs to be forced to its default IP a simple procedure can be employed on power up Hold down the Factory IP button Once the controller powers up release the button The controller s IP address will now be 192 168 0 50 You may need to re configure your computer in order to see this address Once the board is connected and powered on open the Network Configuration program and then press the Pixcon 16 button The board should appear in a window as shown If no devices are shown in the list click on the Search button The utility will then discover any Pixcon Page 19 16 controllers currently connected to the LAN Each controller will appear on its own row in the main window showing the following information Model IP Address Nickname Firmware Version and Current Temperature Double clicking on a controller in the list will then bring up a separate configuration window allowing you to configure that specific controller Pixcon 16 List To
17. s not appear in Find Pixcon 16 list 41 Light Outputs Not As Expected 42 Introduction The LOR Pixcon 16 is a member of the pixel controller line of Light O Rama products The Pixcon 16 can drive up to 32 separate 170 count strings of smart pixels in DMX mode or 16 170 count strings in Enhanced LOR Mode The board can also act as an E1 31 to DMX bridge for an additional 4 universes The 16 pixel ports on the device can be used to drive many of the most popular smart pixel strings on the market today including WS2801 and WS2811 Command data to the controller can be supplied in two different formats Via DMX over Ethernet E1 31 or Via LOR protocol Using E1 31 allows for very complex shows to be created while using the LOR protocol allows for easy integration into a network of existing LOR controllers When used in LOR mode the Pixcon 16 can also drive a modest pixel show from an LOR Generation 3 Show Director like the g3MP3 Director The Light O Rama Showtime software is used to design and build Sequences controller commands that may be choreographed to audio music These user created sequences and or pre programmed musical sequences Page 4 available from LOR and other companies are then arranged into Shows These shows are played by your PC or one of the LOR Show Directors Caution Although most applications for this product use low voltages this product may be used with dan
18. slider The position of the slider determines when the maximum voltage is sent to the fan For example if you set the temperature to 95 degrees F at or above 95 degrees the full will be on at 100 At temperatures below 95 degrees the fan will run at lower speeds Please note that the fan s voltage MUST be the same as the voltage used on BANK 1 Using an incorrect voltage fan could lead to failure or possible board damage Page 31 Operation Startup Upon applying power if you already have strings connected they may flash very briefly and then immediately turn off as the controller takes control of the pixels If no data is being sent to the controller then the pixels will remain turned off until valid data is received During normal operation the green power LED will remain on solid and the status LED will be on solid indicating the board is properly powered up and receiving a heartbeat from the Showtime Software Sending Data Data is sent from the host machine to the controller via the LAN using E1 31 or DMX over IP Please consult the Showtime Help File for configuration instructions etc Page 32 Hardware Test Pattern The controller features a built in test pattern to assist in troubleshooting during an installation To put the controller into this mode press and hold the Factory IP button for 3 seconds after the controller is already powered up and running The controller will then enter the test pattern
19. start the configuration of your Pixcon 16 start the LOR Network Configuration program not the LOR Hardware Utility Once you have started the Network Configuration program press the Find Configure Pixcon 16 button on the right hand side After a few seconds a list of the Pixcon 16 E1 31 devices found will be shown Page 20 If you do not see the board you are trying to configure try pressing the Search Again button A board may not have responded in time to be included Boards that are listed in RED cannot be configured Either these boards were not manufactured by LOR or they are at a firmware level the utility cannot understand If the board is in fact a Light O Rama board you may need to update your software to be compatible with the board revision shown Boards that are listed in BLUE are awaiting a firmware update You will need to update the firmware on these boards before they can be configured All other boards are listed in White To configure a particular board click it in the list Page 21 Network 7 LOR PixCon 16 Configuration 192 168 1 252 Ea Unit Name nei 801 L1 U16 Network Configuration Pixel Port Setup Misc IP Address Static 192 168 1 252 Subnet Mask 255 255 255 0 DHCP Cancel LOR or Ausiliary DMX Ports TT J34J4 DMX 1 are LOR R5485 Network IN OUT not DMX use board in LOR mode TT Port 1 Enabled DMX 1 43 TT Port 2 Enabled DMX
20. taken Beware of ANY bare metal as it can be at LINE voltage Unplug the power from the controller e Apply power again once the board is visible and the controller is in a safe position e DO NOT TOUCH the inside components of the controller while power is applied only look at the LEDs If you want to change a jumper setting or a fuse power should always be removed first e Power down as soon as you have finished troubleshooting e When in doubt assume that a connection is at LINE VOLTAGE Page 38 Status LEDs Power Light Status Light Status Off Off Board is not powered or the logic fuse has blown On Flashing Board is powered on and running properly No heart beat from the Showtime Software has been detected On On Board is powered on running correctly and is receiving data Alternating Alternating Board is in bootloader mode and needs to have firmware uploaded Synchronized Flash Synchronized Flash Board is powered and waiting for an IP address from the DHCP server Off Board is powered however it is not running correctly Reset the board to see if the issue is cleared If not reload firmware Page 39 Ethernet jack LINK LED DATA LED CONDITION GREEN YELLOW seni RAPID CONNECTED OK FLASHING RECEIVING DATA CONNECTED OK SOLID OFF nee NO LINK OFF OFF ESTABLISHED OR POWER IS OFF Page 40
21. ttons while re applying power Wait a few seconds then release the buttons The board has now been reset back to factory defaults Page 7 Since this is an E1 31 Ethernet device you may need to re set the IP address of the board to a known one Remove power to the board press and hold the Factory IP button and then re apply power This will reset the board to the default IP address of 192 168 0 50 Release the button If the firmware on the device becomes corrupted you can recover the board by placing it in bootloader mode The bootloader mode allows the board to accept a new firmware which should fix the issue Remove power to the board press and hold the Bootloader button and re apply power The Power and Status lights will alternate showing that the board is now in bootloader mode Release the switch and use the Showtime Software to load the latest firmware Should you need to reconfigure the board or reload the firmware in emergency mode the easiest way may be to connect the board directly to a computer s network card via a CAT 5 cable 1 Ensure no wireless network is active on the computer 2 Shut down the computer and disconnect any existing network cable 3 Power off the Pixcon 16 Page 8 Plug a CAT 5 cable directly from the adapter to the computer s network card A crossover cable is not required any standard CAT 5 cable will work Power up the board Ensure the board is running correctly or
22. verse e Starting Channel of Board 1 v Triplet Channel Order RGB Number of Nodes pixels per port 170 Board Config Loaded This window allows you to setup the pixel ports on the Pixcon 16 At a minimum you will need to select the type Page 23 of pixels you are going to connect if they are high speed or not starting universe unit ID and the triplet order If more specific control is needed for your application the Advanced checkbox can be selected For more in depth configuration information please consult the help file provided with the software LOR recommends that you assign a single DMX Universe or LOR Unit ID to a pixel port rather than attempt to Pack Pixels Using a single ID per pixel port will eliminate confusion Select the type of pixel IC you wish to control You cannot mix different pixel drivers chips on a single Pixcon 16 controller For example you can t run the WS2811 protocol on ports 1 8 and SM16716 on ports 9 16 All 16 ports must be of the same type Pixel Drivers Chipsets Supported The Pixcon 16 can currently support the following pixel drivers chipsets Page 24 WS2801 standard LOR Pixels Bulbs WS2811 WS2812 APA102 LPD6803 MBI6020 MY9221 SM16716 Stella TLS3001 TM1803 TM1804 TM1809 Page 25 Advanced Port Configuration LOR PixConl6 Port 1 Settings kE Starting Universe of Port Se Number of Null Pixels lo Number of Nodes pixels on
Download Pdf Manuals
Related Search