LED Strobe Help

Greg

Greg

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Joined
May 25, 2014
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Corona, CA
I purchased a couple strobe light strings from Ray (below) to see how they worked.

I’m Using the Joshua1 ECG-P12S controller and I can get them to respond to the sequence, I can't figure out how to make the lights strobe? If I just turn them on they just stay on white? I played around in the strobe section on the controller config page but I don't understand it.

I don't see any documentation for the strobes for the controller?

http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/12mm-0-75W-WS2811-WHITE-strobe-pixel-string-DC5V-input-50pcs-a-string-IP68-rated/701799_1141331702.html

Thanks in Advance!

Greg
 
From memory I think Ray's white trobes are in fact controlled on the "green" channel.


The configuration for the ECG strobe effect menu is;



The first section sets up one or more control universes that can be used to change the configuration on the fly. Each strobe configuration will use 32 bytes/slots/channels of DMX information. You can use the same configuration block for multiple strings, share a single control universe over several strings using different starting slots (1,33,65 ... are recommended), or have a separate control universe for each string. The control universe is separate from the universe assigned to the string on the string configuration page. It is not required if you just want a static strobe flash pattern as defined by the defaults.

The second section sets up the default strobe settings that will be applied at reset. If the strobe effect is not active then the string will operate as normal with its string universe. If the strobe effect is active, either by default or be receipt of a control universe then it will be enabled or disabled and operate with the parameters until the device is reset or another control universe is received.

Strobe options are:

Active - True/False (T/F) strobe effect active
R - static Red color level (0-255) or maximum value if the random colors option is enabled
G - static Green color level (0-255) or maximum value if the random colors option is enabled
B - static Blue color level (0-255) or maximum value if the random colors option is enabled
OnMS - number of milliseconds each strobe pattern should be on or maximum value if random OnMS is enabled
OffMS - number of milliseconds each strobe pattern should be off/blank or maximum value if random OffMS is enabled
DensPct - approximate active pixel percentage during each strobe pattern (1-100) or maximum value if random DensPct is enabled
Rnd Col - T/F enables random colors. Each R/G/B will be independently varied from 0 to the maximum value for R/G/B
Rnd Int - T/F enable random intensity. Each R/G/B will be scaled by the same random value. approximates an intensity change subject to pixel color curves
Rnd On - T/F enable random OnMS. Varies the OnMS from 0 to the maximum value.
Rnd Off - T/F enable random OffMS. Varies the OffMS from 0 to the maximum value.
Rnd Den - T/F enable random DensPct. Varies the DensPct from 0 to the maximum value.
Each control universe should contain at least 16 bytes/slots/channels of information. for future compatibility to Compiler Object Oriented Lighting (COOL) options we recommend allocating 32 bytes/slots/channels.
The first two bytes must contain a signature and complement. Uses the values 85 and 170 or 0x55 and 0xAA in hex.
Slot 1 = 85 (0x55) – strobe signature
Slot 2 = 170 (0xAA) – strobe signature complement
Slot 3 = Strobe Active (0 = off, 1 or more = on)
Slot 4 = R (0-255)
Slot 5 = G (0-255)
Slot 6 = B (0-255)
Slot 7/8 = lo/hi millisecond ON. For simple 1-255 you can just use Slot 7 and set Slot 8 to zero. Otherwise you need to learn how to do lo/hi splits!!
Slot 9/10 = lo/hi millisecond OFF. For simple 0-255 you can just use Slot 9 and set Slot 10 to zero. Otherwise you need to learn how to do lo/hi splits!!
Slot 11 = Density Percentage (1-100)
Slot 12 = Random Color (0 = off, 1 or more = on)
Slot 13 = Random Intensity (0 = off, 1 or more = on)
Slot 14 = Random ON Duration (0 = off, 1 or more = on)
Slot 15 = Random OFF Duration (0 = off, 1 or more = on)
Slot 16 = Random Density (0 = off, 1 or more = on)
Slot 17 - 32 = unused – for expansion – fill with 0
 
If I understand correctly the strobe needs to be set up on the controller config page? If I'm using LOR sequencer, do I just set up DMX universe like normal and just turn on the universe (in the sequencer) to see the strobe effect? Is it set up as rgb?
 
The string needs to be set up in the controller configuration page as a WS2801 (Same as WS2811) pixels, with the correct data universe and number of pixels. The same as connecting any pixel string to a P12S.


If you had an RGB Pixel String then this can be controlled with an RGB (3 DMX Channels) per pixel from LOR, as per the data universe set in the configuration of the controller.


In the strobe section of the controller, if the output is active this will override the universe data input on reset of the controller (Reboot). With your string from Ray you have to set the intensity on the "Green" channel for the white strobe to work. You can however, also have a control universe to externally control the strobe on this output. This control universe needs to be different from the data universe for this output, so say the data universes could be 101-112 and the control universe could be 201-212. If the control universe is active this will override the data universe and control the pixel string as strobe as stated above.


You need to add a DMX device in LOR with 32 DMX channels (Not RGB), the starting slot (Channel) is as per the strobe config. When the LOR sequencer output is active for each of the DMX channels, then the strobe will be controlled.


Please note, Ed is aware of a bug in the code where the control universe is not flagged as multicast in the controller. This means if you set the strobe control universe output of LOR to multicast the P12 will ignore it for the strobe control. There are 2 workarounds for this until Ed fixes the problem.


1. Set the control universe in LOR as Unicast.
2. If LOR is multicast, you need to send strobe control to multiple controller. Set a "fake" universe in the string config of the controller on a spare output to the same control universe for the strobe, if you have spare one. This will then set the multicast filter for the controller and the strobe control sees the multicast.
 
The pixel strings from Ray are WS2811 not WS2801. They are 3 wire whereas WS2801 is 4 wire.
 
Ooops, Thanks Alan. Brain fade.... ::) I was thinking WS2812B when tying and talking to somebody else at the same time. That just shows we can't do 2 things at the same time. LOL.


Good pick up tho.
 
WOW! I'm a newbie and seems like a lot of work to get these strobes working properly? :(

Thanks for all the info but I'm still having problems taking it all in:

Do I have to set up the strobes in the controller config page to the get the strobes to work or can I control it thru LOR?
 
You can do it both ways.

Directly in the controller:-
Using the bottom section of the strobe page, just set up the parameters you want for each output, save,and reset the controller. It will strobe until you go into controller and change settings and reset.

Through (insert favourite sequencer) :-
Using the top section (and only the top section) of the strobe page, set up which universe and channels you want to control each output with. You don't set any other below to control from a sequencer. Now in your sequencer you can input all the same parameters that you can in the controller to strobe.

Cheers,
Rowan
 
This may seem like a stupid question but do I need to control the strobe by turning on/off in the sequencer or when I turn on that universe will I get the strobe effect?
 
Hi Greg, not a stupid question at all. This subject is confusing for a lot of people. As Battle79 said.


The steps are.


1. Connect your strobes to an output and configure the output within the controller for string type, speed and starting pixels etc. Say for example this can be configured to Universe 101


2a. The strobe effect can be configured "manually from" the strobe effect page within the controller. Set the output to active in the second section and when you reboot the control the string will strobe to the settings made. A test function for better word. Turn the active off and reboot and the string will stop.


2b. If in the first section you set this control universe for example U201 to active. When your sequencer outputs on this universe it will control the strobe on the defined output in the controller. The setting for slots 1-32 are shown above. Slot 1 being the staring DMX channel you have chosen in the control universe. You need to fill all 32 for it to work correctly.


Just remember the strobe string needs to be assigned a universe in the string config page, example U101 as a data string. This universe in the sequencer does not do anything for the strobe. The control universe must be different from the data universe, example 201. It is the control universe from the sequencer that controls the strobes.
 
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