Last Bullet Pixel in 270 pixel String Won't Light Up With Xlights But Will With Baldrickboard Software.

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Luckyphil32

New elf
Joined
Dec 23, 2015
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Hi Everyone,
I am currently setting up my first show and have encountered some issues. Suspected as much, as this is how we learn.
Have a Modern Star 500 From Ink Creations which holds 270 bullet pixels . I also downloaded the timing specifiactions from their site. Thanks again John. Also have a Baldrick 8 from Hansons. The bullet pixels are GS8208 From Ray Wu. String of 300 cut down to 270.
When I connect the star to the controller and test with the BaldrickBoard.Local software, all of the pixels light up for all colours.
When I use Xlights to run a sequence to make sure they work, the last seed pixel will not light.
Is there something additional I need to do in Xlights or is there a termination procedure for these lights, as I have purchased the same bullet pixels for 4 X singing trees (still building) and want to make sure I get this resolved.
Thanks to all.
Sean
 
Hey, when you say cut down to 270 did you physically cut them? It's not a problem but you can also just add null pixels to the end of props to cover the extra 30. That said you might need them for spares moving forward so you would cut anyway, just an option.
This sounds mostly like an xlights config problem. What happens in xlights when you use test modes?
manual.xlights.org

Test | xLights Manual

manual.xlights.org manual.xlights.org

It might be something like your prop has the wrong channel settings
 
Luckyphil32 said:
Hi Everyone,
I am currently setting up my first show and have encountered some issues. Suspected as much, as this is how we learn.
Have a Modern Star 500 From Ink Creations which holds 270 bullet pixels . I also downloaded the timing specifiactions from their site. Thanks again John. Also have a Baldrick 8 from Hansons. The bullet pixels are GS8208 From Ray Wu. String of 300 cut down to 270.
When I connect the star to the controller and test with the BaldrickBoard.Local software, all of the pixels light up for all colours.
When I use Xlights to run a sequence to make sure they work, the last seed pixel will not light.
Is there something additional I need to do in Xlights or is there a termination procedure for these lights, as I have purchased the same bullet pixels for 4 X singing trees (still building) and want to make sure I get this resolved.
Thanks to all.
Sean
Click to expand...
double check you have exported your layout to the controller.
Given they are lighting up in test mode, its something to do with how you have set it up.
 
JacksonHo said:
Hey, when you say cut down to 270 did you physically cut them? It's not a problem but you can also just add null pixels to the end of props to cover the extra 30. That said you might need them for spares moving forward so you would cut anyway, just an option.
This sounds mostly like an xlights config problem. What happens in xlights when you use test modes?
manual.xlights.org

Test | xLights Manual

manual.xlights.org manual.xlights.org

It might be something like your prop has the wrong channel settings
Click to expand...
Hi Jackson,

Yes, cut them off and added a pig tail for future runs. Hope this was a good decision.

The test function I use through the Baldrick website lights up all pixels. It is only Xlights that the last pixel is not on in both a sequence and in it's own Test Tool.

Channel settings, etc, were all automatically added and sent to the Baldrick board, so hoping that is not an issue.

Thanks

Sean
 
Update:

Pixel tester from Hansons shows all pixels working fine.
The software to talk directly to the Baldrick 8 bd when in test mode will also night light the last pixel in the 270 Star. I wnet to the edit screen and changed nodes from 270 to 271 and SUCCESS!! Tests works with controller perfectly.
In Xlights, I cannot see how to edit the Modern_Star_500 configuration, because it also has 270 nodes and I wanted to see if I could get this working as a test.
Videos on the internet show people just cutting off the unused pixels and sealing the wire or soldering in a plug.
No special terminations????
 
Update:
Connected my star_modern_500 270 node to the controller on a new port and in the configuration I told Xlights that it was a straight line with 270 nodes. Push play, last node did not light. Changed node quantity to 271, 272 then 273, but no success. Last node will not light up with Xlights, but will with other driving software. Bullet pixels maybe???? Anyone else use GS8208 From Ray Wu, recently purchased??
Thanks
 
As you have just started setting this up. I would very HIGHLY suggest you setup this star using the native star model in xlights and not the custom downloaded model you downloaded from the site.
I just checked the downloaded file and if you wanted to replicate this using a native star model in xlights, your settings will be:
Starting Location: Left Bottom-CW
Layers will be 6.
Expand Layers and set the values, 20,30,40,50,60,70

@Johnno When you have this setup in xlights as a star, when you export the model you have 2 options (Custom xLights Model, xLights Model), if you use the xLIghts Model option it will keep it as native star.
 
This feels like you might have connected to backup data instead of primary and have an off-by-one error.

Can you light up pixel 1 in RED, pixel 2 in Green, pixel 3 in Blue and then see how the first 3 pixels light up? I'm wondering if the red one will be missing - and thus when you get to the end of the string - it finishes one early.
 
thewanderingpine said:
This feels like you might have connected to backup data instead of primary and have an off-by-one error.

Can you light up pixel 1 in RED, pixel 2 in Green, pixel 3 in Blue and then see how the first 3 pixels light up? I'm wondering if the red one will be missing - and thus when you get to the end of the string - it finishes one early.
Click to expand...
That was my first thought.

Luckyphil32 said:
Changed node quantity to 271, 272 then 273, but no success
Click to expand...
Except increasing the pixel count to 271 would have "fixed" that.
 
thewanderingpine said:
But it did “fix” that when edited in the Baldrick Ui. (Assuming I read the message correctly)
Click to expand...
Indeed you did read it correctly. And it was something I misread.

So I concur - definitely sounds like its wired into the backup data in rather than the primary data.
Therefore pixel 1's data is being ignored, and pixel 1-269 are actually showing the data for 2-270
 
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