Introducing the FREE Falcon PI Player (FPP).

dpitts

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MykroFt and I have have been working on software that runs on the 35.00 Raspberry Pi. The software is called the Falcon Pi Player(FPP). We will be offering it for FREE to all. A small SD memory card and a cheap USB flash thumb drive are needed. Both are about $5.00 - $10.00.

Features of the software.
* Outputs at least 64 Universes of E131 (most likely software will support 128 universes still testing)
* Plays music files and outputs audio on 3.5mm jack.
* Plays at least two conductor files per sequence (Two are needed to output 64 universes). (most likely software will support 4 conductor files (128 universes) per sequence still testing).
* Embedded web page configuration.
Setup playlists, schedules, upload sequence and music files. Setup optional RDS feature.
* Uses a user defined NTP server to keep accurate time.
* FTP Server (Optional)
Can be used to transfer files to player. FTP transfers of 64 MB sequence files are averaging 5 seconds.
* Optional Server and Client operation by using inexpensive USB wireless interface in each.
Using USB wireless card in both server and clients will allow E131 data to be transmitted on hard wired interface
and have all sync information sent on wireless interface. Allowing for a small amount of data on the wireless sync network.
USB network interfaces are about $10.00.
* Optional RTC clock board if NTP is not available. (If needed, this is open for discussion).
* Optional RDS ASCII output.
* Real possibility to play video on 720p HDMI output. (This feature will be on slave mode only).
* Client and slave will be same software just a configuration change.

The user interface will allow up to 50 RDS messages to be programmed into player. Then user defined control channels will allow user the switch between the 50 messages by changing the value of the channels in the sequencer. The messages will be sent to RDS encoder.
Support for the encoder below is under way but we could support other encoders. This feature will be available soon also for Pixelnet using Falcon Pixelnet RDS board that is in design stage.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Micro-RDS-Encoder-Radio-Data-System-encoder-with-scrolling-PS-feature-/251258807424?pt=UK_Mobile_Phones_Communication_Radio_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3a80312480

We are also looking to support different sequence files such as Xlights and HLS. Ultimately a file format that can support 64 to 128 universes.

If you have any other feature requests let us know.

If you have any other feature requests let us know.
 
G

GoofyGuy

Guest
Now this is a great idea! Ive only seen the thread a week ago that this was being worked on. What files can this currently play. Is LSP on the list of things to do. The fact it can play audio as well the sequence is amazing. Cant wait to see this in action and cant wait till my whole display is all alone outside in the cold dark nights.
 

Skunberg

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Now I have a great excuse to buy a pi. The Xlights sequence converter should take some formats off your plate.

Brian
 

dpitts

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WilliamS said:
Now this is a great idea! Ive only seen the thread a week ago that this was being worked on. What files can this currently play. Is LSP on the list of things to do. The fact it can play audio as well the sequence is amazing. Cant wait to see this in action and cant wait till my whole display is all alone outside in the cold dark nights.

LSP will now export a conductor file (16384 E131 channels). We could make a merge utility to merge multiple conductor files. I am playing 128 universes and music off the USB thumb drive ($10.00) and only using 38% of CPU
 

dpitts

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Skunberg said:
Now I have a great excuse to buy a pi. The Xlights sequence converter should take some formats off your plate.

Brian

I was thinking about that. That is a great idea to help with the formats.
 
G

GoofyGuy

Guest
That's more than enough for me! Now I gotta find the best place to piece this together.
 

dpitts

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mykroft

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I am hopeing to have the configuration part of the FPP 100% GUI based so nobody will have to go to the CLI to do anything

Myk
 

SmartAlecLights

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wicked another great product/idea in the making.
i just wondered how long it would take someone to make the raspberrypi xmaslight's compatable
keep up the great work
 

fasteddy

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Wow this is exciting news, seems like you have been very busy. Any idea when this is looking at being released.
 

anon

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This sounds exactly like what I'm developing point by point! :)


Is it up and running?
 

DeeJai

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No longer in Radelaide
im intregied , 128 universes from a ras pi............... very interesting

wonder how much overclocking i can do on a PI now. :p

good news though
 

dpitts

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I have the music and 128 universes of e131 synced and outputting. We have defined and reading the playlists files. MyKroft has been working on the user interface and has made great progress. We will release master version first in two to three weeks.
 

dpitts

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The file format the FPP reads at this time is the conductor format. This is a format that LSP creates that was intended to run on DLA's conductor. This format is very limiting because the channel count is fixed at 16384 channels. We would have to load 4 of these files to output 128K channels. Also the file was created to output data to 4 channels of RS-485 (interleaved data). So we are proposing a new file format. All other formats (LOR, Vixen, Conductor (merging of multiple files), etc would be converted to this file format.

Please look over file format and give feed back. I am open to using an existing format but it needs to be straight binary.
 

Attachments

  • Proposed Falcon PI Player Format.pdf
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kel

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