Esp32 with ethernet for a stand alone prop.

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everettdale

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Nov 18, 2022
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What I'm currently running are 2 CTB16PC a/c controller's for a small display to entertain guests while they wait in line for my haunted house. I want to build a singing pumpkin head using stings of rgb pixel lights.

Is there a way to attach an ESP32 w/Ethernet to these older controllers and run them with xlights?

making the singing head is simple enough. Running a string of WS2811 leds with an ESP32 is also something I've been able to do, both with WLED and straight programing. Where I'm having trouble is how to use the ESP32 with the display I already have.

I've watched a few YouTube videos but I'm a little lost. Can anyone point me in the right direction?
 
Mark_M

Mark_M

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everettdale said:
What I'm currently running are 2 CTB16PC a/c controller's for a small display to entertain guests while they wait in line for my haunted house. I want to build a singing pumpkin head using stings of rgb pixel lights.

Is there a way to attach an ESP32 w/Ethernet to these older controllers and run them with xlights?
Click to expand...
WLED can run on an ESP32 and from the install page it appears to support Ethernet. Another feature of WLED is DMX capability.
Other than WLED, ESPixelStick firmware also supports DMX. However, it appears ESPixelStick does not support ESP32 boards with Ethernet (tagging @Martin Mueller ).

Good news:
It appears your LOR controller may be able to run in DMX mode?

Switching CTB16PC's over to DMX

Ok to keep things a little more simpler for me I am going to be using two CTB16PC controller off one of my pixcon16 dmx outputs. The CTB16PC's are currently set for LOR Unit 1 channels 1-16, and LOR Unit 2 Channels 17-32. I want to keep them those numbers for dmx channels. Do I have to anything t...
forums.lightorama.com
So you could be able to run a WLED on an ESP32 with Ethernet and use a cheap TTL-RS845 converter (This AliExpress listing is a 12 pack).

You will need to make an LOR specific cross-over Ethernet cable for the DMX , as it is not standard DMX over Ethernet pinout.
 
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MikeKrebs

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You wouldn't attach the esp32 to the other controllers. You would just run a esp32 with either wled or espixelstick and send e1.31 or ddp to the esp32. Likely you have a pc running xlights doing the controlling for your CTB? Then add a cheap access point and connect your PC to the access point with an ethernet cable. Let you access point talk to your ESP32. If you wanted a wired solution, Wasatch pixels sells a esp32 based wired Ethernet connected controller. https://wasatchpixels.com/home/
 
Martin Mueller

Martin Mueller

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Ethernet is supported on at least have a dozen ESP32 based platforms. V4 can drive DMX devices directly. The Wasatch controller mentioned above is on that list.
 
merryoncherry

merryoncherry

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Cherry St., Hudson MA USA
Mark_M said:
Good news:
It appears your LOR controller may be able to run in DMX mode?

Switching CTB16PC's over to DMX

Ok to keep things a little more simpler for me I am going to be using two CTB16PC controller off one of my pixcon16 dmx outputs. The CTB16PC's are currently set for LOR Unit 1 channels 1-16, and LOR Unit 2 Channels 17-32. I want to keep them those numbers for dmx channels. Do I have to anything t...
forums.lightorama.com
So you could be able to run a WLED on an ESP32 with Ethernet and use a cheap TTL-RS845 converter (This AliExpress listing is a 12 pack).

You will need to make an LOR specific cross-over Ethernet cable for the DMX , as it is not standard DMX over Ethernet pinout.
Click to expand...
Correct. The LoR there will run DMX, but the pinout is different (they did theirs such that you could plug in a phone cord instead of 8 conductor).
www.wiredwatts.com

Connecting a LOR Controller to a Kulp Controller

If you want to connect your Light-O-Rama controller network to a Kulp Controller, take a look at these steps.
www.wiredwatts.com www.wiredwatts.com
 
E

everettdale

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Nov 18, 2022
Messages
56
MikeKrebs said:
You wouldn't attach the esp32 to the other controllers. You would just run a esp32 with either wled or espixelstick and send e1.31 or ddp to the esp32. Likely you have a pc running xlights doing the controlling for your CTB? Then add a cheap access point and connect your PC to the access point with an ethernet cable. Let you access point talk to your ESP32. If you wanted a wired solution, Wasatch pixels sells a esp32 based wired Ethernet connected controller. https://wasatchpixels.com/home/
Click to expand...
ok, this looks like a good option, if I'm understanding it correctly. let me paraphrase and see if I've got it right.

Run Xlights off my laptop to control the show (this is what I'm already doing with the LOR equipment)
Plug the LOR stuff in like usual. With the usb dongle.
Run an ethernet cable to a router (access point) plug the ESP32 into that
Run WLED on the Esp32 setup as a e1.31 controller, then add it to xlights and go from there?

Does this sound right?
 
merryoncherry

merryoncherry

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everettdale said:
Does this sound right?
Click to expand...
Yeah, that'd be one perfectly good option. The DMX stuff people mention is only useful if you want to get rid of the separate LoR network coming out of the PC. (Which I did want to do, having a whole second network around the yard for a couple of LoR boxes was a pain compared to just plugging the LORs into the DMX of the nearest controller.)
 
E

everettdale

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Nov 18, 2022
Messages
56
merryoncherry said:
Yeah, that'd be one perfectly good option.
Click to expand...

So maybe this is outside the scope of this conversation, however.

I bought the HiLetgo CP2102 USB 2.0 to TTL Module to connect my wt32-eth01 to my computer so i could load WLED onto it. And the WLED install page can't find the wt32-eth01. I installed all the drivers and such (as far as I know anyway) and still no luck. so I went into the device manager and tried to look at the CP2102 to see if maybe the driver wasn't installed correctly and it comes up as a " verifone to usb printer " device. That seems odd yes? anyway I bought some new CP2102 USB 2.0 to TTL Modules to see if they work. Any Idea what's going on here? or who to ask?
 

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