ECG-P2, ECG-D2, XCG-X2A preview ....

AussiePhil said:
zman said:
Ed,
Any update on the availability of the ECG-P2 and X2 hardware?
I plan on building a 16 universe RGB Tree this year. If I have understood everything correctly, to accomplish this, I would need 3 of the P2 and 2 or 3 the X2? That would give me some head room to spare. Can you clarify? Thanks.
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Z,


One thing to consider is the trade off between the number of pixels you control and the risk of losing that entire string in the display due to a pixel failure.


Typically we have seen in the past a controller output controlling 50 to 100 pixels with some people running maybe 150.
Now as pixels are a repeated serial protocol the failure of a pixel early in the string would take out that string of 50/100/150 pixels, with maybe not a noticeable lose on the night.


Now drive 600 pixels from the same single output on a ECG-P2 because we can then the failure of a pixel could take out a 1/4 of 2400 pixel megatree.... this you will notice.


Now if you have confidence that pixels won't fail and accept the risk then all's good, just wanted to flag the risk.


Cheers
Phil
Click to expand...

I would think that the ECG-P12R or the ECG-PIXAD8 would be the best choices for a mega tree, you get fused protection and easy distribution. I reakon these controllers are ideal for mega trees and matrices.

The reason for my thinking is for a localised element like a mega tree or matrix then using multiple outputs eliminates the potential issue that Phil mentioned above and gives you fused protection. But on saying this there is nothing stopping you using the P2 or the X2
 
Great input everyone, I appreciate it. I originally put in an order for the ECG-P12R and Ed mentioned the new announcement coming up and for me to hold off and see. I was appreciative he did that. Now that I have this input, it sounds like it makes sense to build the tree on the P12R platform.

The new P2/X2 could serve other purposes for growth possibilites into 2013.
 
I see the ECG-PIXAD8 and the ECG-P12R used for more centralized elements like mega trees and matrices, the P2 or X2 is more for distributed items like a whole heap of candy canes, mini trees or several elements hooked up together in a chain.
This doesnt mean though you cant use one for the other as these controllers are very flexible in their use.
 
ɟɐsʇǝppʎ said:
I see the ECG-PIXAD8 and the ECG-P12R used for more centralized elements like mega trees and matrices, the P2 or X2 is more for distributed items like a whole heap of candy canes, mini trees or several elements hooked up together in a chain.
This doesnt mean though you cant use one for the other as these controllers are very flexible in their use.
Click to expand...
True, but I like the fact that the P12R has inline fuses to protect the pixel strings, even if I have to run 2 of them to get my 16 universes.
 
Hi,
As i read in this post, Artnet seems to run in Lab.
Is there a chance to get this Ethernet protocol up and running soon on Ed's devices?
Any scheduler on it?

Cheers....
Henri
 
Whilst artNET may well be desired what actual requirement or benefit does the community get from having this implemented except a possible price increase due to the extra code base to be supported.

All the common software used by the community supports sACN (E1.31) Vixen, LSP, LOR(pending), Lightfactory, HLS, etc.

Multicast performance issues with very very large displays is not an issue for 99% of users again and the 1% who can afford the 20,000 pixels + can afford to install a IGMP aware network switch to manage the multicast traffic.

So the Questions are:
Business Requirement for artNET support?

Benefits from having artNET support?

Cheers
Phil
 
Hi Phil,
I agree with your comments.

However, the fact to have Artnet on ECG series (as it seems to be yet done internally in Lab as per my reading) is to get more benefits from these devices, not only for christmas or halloween use, but also for DJ and party animations. (Means also more ECG sales and optimisation and more functions and benefits for all users).

A real example is to open the use to other kind of software like 'lightjams' who use in standard 16 DMX Universe for less than $100.

As we have also the benefits today of a lot of protocols for our RGB Leds, building big Matrix at low cost. These Matrix can also be used for different applications all over the year.

This is a real an concrete justification from my point of view.

Cheers... Henri
 
Henri is spot on
Art-net is not required for what we do becuase we have embraced the sACN world, however the real world have not and are strictly using art-net. Implementing Art-net is definitly a wise business case choice.
 
ok :)
I love leds and matrix ...
Here just wanted to get the benefits of Lab testing as seems Artnet was done for ECG product line. So just requested an official upgrade and that's it. Makes sense as it was announced...
No worries, as i'm confident on WS2801/03/11 chips for the community lights, even if i'm not located near you, I like to be part of the forum members to provide my thoughts and share my experience and get the benefits from all members 8)
I convinced the developper of this new software to implement sACN and it's ok.
So,i will share with you this experience in the next comming weeks...
For moment, even if I'm not too active here (official work is mandatory for home budget), I'm workink on flood lights, matrix and spot lights around these new chips as hobby of course...
So I will share all of that from my side ...
Cheers... Henri
 
Henri and Neil

The requirement to support artNET because some software developers have not yet decided to code sACN support into their products is a somewhat tenuous argument.

I do however see the point that in doing so it may open the door to more sales. I would respectively suggest however that the hardware developers would be better served from a business perspective to make a slightly more commercial product with a greater margin that builds in artNET support for use in those more commercial environments.
Those could be complete turnkey products that the DJ world loves to buy.

I have Lightjams and a number of other software products in the same genre and yes they seem to have stalled in developing sACN protocol support but is this due to lack of talent, lack of demand, lack of hardware.... much of it chicken and egg... you have "low price" products that the developers are unlikely to want to spend time coding protocol support into without demand.

The heavy weigths in the industry such as ETC / LF etc have very solid sACN support in place.

Please don't get me wrong, i'm not against this occuring, but every feature or line of code required can have a cost impact to what everyone admits is a price sensitive market place.
This includes all the various pixel protocols being requested, everything adds to code maintenance and overhead.

As Neil so rightly points out, we have embraced sACN, and it is my opinion that the only reason to add artNET to the products targeted to this hobby is either bragging rights or a desire to sell the products into other market areas... in the second case an alternate product line may yeild better returns.

Cheers
Phil

PS... Henri, always pleased to here from you and for the benefits to be sort.... I am truly glad to hear the software vendor is going to implement sACN support and this can only increase their market penetration.
 
Lightjams seems to be a useful software, especially the ability to do asymmetric matrixes. I've done some of this sort of programming on other sw, but that one didn't have so much effects and not the ability to do new ones.


I wonder if this feature is available in Vixen or if anyone used Lightjams to do this?



riri7707 said:
A real example is to open the use to other kind of software like 'lightjams' who use in standard 16 DMX Universe for less than $100.
Click to expand...


//Tommy
 
This is wildly off-topic but it is quite usual for Pro Level software to be able to deal with asymetrical matrices as they work by patching fixtures (channels) into the matrix grid. LightFactory Personal and pixelToy can both also do this.

LFP allows the same fixture to appear in multiple matrices and this can be very powerful

Cheers
Phil
 
any news on availability date of the ECG-D2?

Hanging out to get one, as one of the non pixel guys here :p
 
Assuming all goes well, formal announcement will be made at and as part of the Brisbane mini on the Weekend of the 16th and 17th.

Cheers
Phil
 
j1sys said:
doing a search on ebay for "passive poe" shows many different models. i probably won't bother making one.

phil and i have been looking at some of the $25 8 port units as the best cost effectiveness. one guy in texas sells them with the power transformer. there are also wall-wart unit that supply the power and do the injection in a single unit.

-Ed

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=passive+poe&_sacat=See-All-Categories
Click to expand...


Do you have an update on the 8 port units mentioned here?


Kev :)
 
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