3 ring Star Help

B

bmh255

New elf
Generous elf
Joined
Dec 8, 2020
Messages
29
Good evening,

wondering if someone may have some input. Not sure what I did with years mega tree star but can only get the first 50 of 90 pixels working.
3 ring star, 40,30,20 layout.

lights stop after 50 pixels. Have plugged in other 100 node strings, tried other cables but still stop at 50 lights.
Setup is below. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
Brendan
 

Attachments

  • IMG_4318.jpeg
    IMG_4318.jpeg
    1.2 MB · Views: 38
  • IMG_4317.jpeg
    IMG_4317.jpeg
    1.1 MB · Views: 34
Hey Brendan, Can you post a screenshot of the F16 front page, as well as the Coontroller configuration in xLights?
 
Attached
 

Attachments

  • IMG_4322.jpeg
    IMG_4322.jpeg
    764.3 KB · Views: 26
  • IMG_4321.jpeg
    IMG_4321.jpeg
    566.7 KB · Views: 25
Not sure but it feels like your channels are not being calculated properly but I am far from an expert. I'd recommend switching the protocol over to DDP for the F16v4 as it's preferred plus this will also have the benfit of reloading your config and see if that fixes any channel issues.
 
Is it an old star/design that was changed for this year? Have you uploaded to the F16v4?
I changed some elements this year and couldn't get it all working correctly (only half the roof outline would light up). Then it finally twigged, I changed it in xlights and forgot to upload it to the controller.
 
Yeh last year had a 2 ring star. This year moved to a new 3 ring unit.
Have rendered, saved in X lights, uploaded to the controller from X lights to let it configure it.
Have also deleted the element and recreated, mapped and uploaded again but still no joy.
 
bmh255 said:
Yeh last year had a 2 ring star. This year moved to a new 3 ring unit.
Have rendered, saved in X lights, uploaded to the controller from X lights to let it configure it.
Have also deleted the element and recreated, mapped and uploaded again but still no joy.
Click to expand...
Using the controller test page, and/or the Tools-Test menu in xLights, can you get more than the 50 nodes to illuminate?
 
If the new star should be using the same exact name as the old one, go into the fpp output overlay and delete the file for the model there.

I also replaced a 2 layer star this year with a 5 layer star and the first layer would only light up 50 pixels instead of all 70s. I created the new star and then replaced the old one with the new one. This merged sub-models for the two which were the same names but added numbers to some. When I tested I was using the old stars sub-models and needed to sue the new ones.
 
Skymaster said:
Using the controller test page, and/or the Tools-Test menu in xLights, can you get more than the 50 nodes to illuminate?
Click to expand...
No. In test mode still only the first 50 nodes operate.
Have also tried to delete the star and make it just a single line of 90 pixels and still only 50 nodes light up.
Created a seperate new single line model on another port and it won’t light them Al up in test mode either.
 
Tried that also now. Also ran the firmware update too.

have ran the star off the roofline 298 pixel port and it all works fine, just seems like any new string I create stops at 50 pixels. Like I have hit an output limit.
 
bmh255 said:
Like I have hit an output limit.
Click to expand...
xLights is generally smart enough to notice this and let you know.
That being said, the F16v4 is capable of supporting 32768 pixels on it, which requires expansions to hit that limit.
With your current setup (1 board inc 2x smart receiver outputs) the best you can get is 1024 * 24 = 24576 pixels if every port was run at it's absolute maximum number, which it's clearly not in your screenshot.

What version of firmware are you now running? The previous screenshot showed v5, and now they are up to v30 - so it was a LONG way behind.
 
Yes that’s my bad I had never updated it since I bought it. Couple of years ago.
Updated to v30 tonight and all seemed to go in ok. Setup the network again and all working as it should.

Yes well below the 24k pixels used that’s for sure. I say not enough but the minister for war and finance disagrees haha
 
Well whatever is going on I will have to sit down and sort it out next year.

Added the arches to the display (5 x 32) and only 80 of those light up also. Always stopping on even numbers. 50 for the star and 80 for the arches.
Deleted my entire layout and started again. Wiped the controller settings and still ended up at the same result.

Funny thing, I changed the star for shirts and undies, to 180 nodes and all the star works. But when I push the setup to the controller, all the elements on the expansion boards get jumbled and show mixed patterns.

Ah Blinky lights were so much easier with solar haha
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top