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Homer911

Homer911

New elf
Joined
Jul 24, 2023
Messages
29
Hey All,

I created a mega tree last year and just made it in time...😆

I have now created a star for the top of the tree. For the life of me I cant remember anything from last year. o_O

I have managed to get the tree and star working but only on WLED auto boot mode.

I cannot connect them to Xlights.

I now have a second Quindor DigQuad for the star.

See below screen shots of the Xlights setup.
Screenshot 2024-12-07 at 2.19.47 pm.png


Screenshot 2024-12-07 at 2.20.40 pm.png


Screenshot 2024-12-07 at 2.22.27 pm.png

I have 2400 pixels on the tree and 250 on the star. Not sure that I have the chanells or universes correct. Cant really remember how they work.

I just cant seem to connect the Digquad to XLights. I cannot get the green light. Both IP address are correct in Xlights and they are on the same WiFi network.

Any suggestions would be amazing....
 
A couple of things from your screenshots :
Untick "Keep Channel Numbers" this is not supported on WLED
Set "Active" to "Active" not xLights only - or FPP / xSchedule will not be able to send it data.

Homer911 said:
Not sure that I have the chanells or universes correct
Click to expand...
No concept of universes in DDP, so that's simplifies things, and Channel is always "1" when you untick the above option - WLED doesn't use the big numbers.


Homer911 said:
I cannot get the green light.
Click to expand...
Does the other one come up with a green light?
Can you ping the WLED controllers correctly?
 
Skymaster said:
A couple of things from your screenshots :
Untick "Keep Channel Numbers" this is not supported on WLED
Set "Active" to "Active" not xLights only - or FPP / xSchedule will not be able to send it data.


No concept of universes in DDP, so that's simplifies things, and Channel is always "1" when you untick the above option - WLED doesn't use the big numbers.



Does the other one come up with a green light?
Can you ping the WLED controllers correctly?
Click to expand...
No, both are red

How do I ping the controllers
 
Skymaster said:
A couple of things from your screenshots :
Untick "Keep Channel Numbers" this is not supported on WLED
Set "Active" to "Active" not xLights only - or FPP / xSchedule will not be able to send it data.


No concept of universes in DDP, so that's simplifies things, and Channel is always "1" when you untick the above option - WLED doesn't use the big numbers.



Does the other one come up with a green light?
Can you ping the WLED controllers correctly?
Click to expand...
I have Unticked "Keep Channel Numbers and still the same.

I already have them set to Active on Xlights only.
 
Unreachable

I'm finding it difficult to set up as the tree is in the front lawn and outside the home wifi signal. So I have a booster in the garage. So to set up in the home office I have to use the home wifi then when I go outside I have to switch to the extender. Not sure if this is the issue or not.

I'm pulling my hair out now...😡
 
Ok so if it's not pinging, and xLights isn't seeing it, it would suggest they are not on your network correctly.
I'm guessing the booster isn't doing what you think it is.

I would suggest cabling them in if possible, because even if you do get it working, streaming lighting data over wifi will probably not give great performance and will negatively impact all the other devices on your network.
 
Shouldn't I still see the green light if I have the ESP32 connected with a USB to the computer? Of is the green light only for wifi connection?
 
No, the USB is only for programming the ESP32 - it has nothing to do with the way xLights communicates to it and is not used for day-to-day stuff.

The Green light is basically "can I connect to it over the network" - whether that be wifi or ethernet.
 
OK, thanks. That's what I thought. I only connect it via USB as the DigQuad is not portable.

I have checked my router and that is pickeng up the WLED IP address. I'm thinking it might be the wifi extender???

But if that's the case, XLights should still be able to communicate with the controller on the house network after I assign it to the controller. But no Green light.
 
I have re-installed XLights and I noticed that I got the green light on for about 60 seconds. Then dropped out. I'm thinking that I is my extender dropping out.

How do I connect them physically without wifi? Do I need an ETH connection? As my ESP32 only have a USB C connection.
 
I just asked ChapGPT the same question and this is what I got in return....


Connecting your ESP32 with a USB-C port to xLights using a wired connection is possible. Here's how you can set it up to communicate directly over USB:

What You'll Need​

  1. ESP32 Board with a USB-C port.
  2. USB-C to USB-A Cable (or USB-C to USB-C if your computer supports it).
  3. A computer running xLights.
  4. xLights Software (installed and configured).

Step-by-Step Guide​

1. Connect the ESP32 to Your Computer​

  1. Plug your ESP32 into your computer using the USB-C cable.
    • Ensure the board is powered on.
    • The USB connection will also act as a data interface.

2. Install Required Drivers (if necessary)​

  • Many ESP32 boards require drivers to enable communication over USB:
    • CP210x USB to UART Bridge VCP Drivers (common for ESP32 boards).
    • CH340 Drivers (used by some ESP32 boards).
  • Download and install the appropriate driver for your board:
    • Silicon Labs CP210x Drivers
    • CH340 Drivers
  • After installation, check that your computer recognizes the ESP32 as a COM port (Windows) or a serial device (Mac/Linux).

3. Configure the ESP32 Firmware​

  • The ESP32 must be running firmware that supports serial communication with xLights:
    • WLED Firmware: Compatible with xLights, and it supports USB connections.
    • Use a tool like esptool or the WLED web installer to flash WLED firmware onto your ESP32 if not already installed.

4. Configure xLights​

  1. Open xLights and go to the Setup tab.
  2. Add a new controller:
    • Click Add Serial (since USB will be treated as a serial connection).
  3. Configure the Serial Settings:
    • Select the COM port corresponding to your ESP32.
    • Set the baud rate to match your ESP32 firmware (e.g., 115200 baud for WLED).
    • Set the correct number of channels:
      • Each RGB pixel requires 3 channels.
      • Ensure the channel count matches the number of LEDs connected to the ESP32.

5. Connect Your LEDs to the ESP32​

  • Connect your LED strip to the ESP32’s GPIO pins (e.g., GPIO 2 or GPIO 4) based on your setup.
  • Power your LEDs appropriately:
    • Use an external power source for long LED strips.
    • Ensure common ground between the ESP32 and the power supply.

6. Test the Connection​

  1. In xLights, enable Output to Lights.
  2. Send test patterns to verify the LEDs respond.
    • If using WLED, you can also test the connection via the WLED web interface.
  3. If the LEDs do not respond:
    • Check the COM port and serial settings.
    • Verify that the ESP32 GPIO pin configuration matches your LED strip.
 
Your ESP32 should have wifi. If it's dropping out, you would be better to solve that issue than try shoe-horning in something else which would require you to have your computer right next to the ESP32 and on the whole time.
I would imagine the above is totally untested and theoretical. It would be next to useless for a show anyway - as at 115200 bps rate on serial, you'd be able to push out enough data to drive only 96 pixels at 40fps.

I would suggest stopping by the zoom room. There seem to be some fundamental issues with your setup, which is difficult to diagnose over forum posts.
 
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