Mini Tree Wiring across Ports

[Mischka]

Hi Everyone,
Another quick question in regards to Channels that flow across Ports. I've got my F16v3 (Awesome piece of kit too!!) and I've got 6 Mini Trees (100Nodes per tree) they start on Port 2 - Universe 3 - Channel 1021 and finish on Port 3 - Universe 6 - Channel 2820. So the first two Mini Trees are good as they fit nicely into Port 2, but Mini Tree 3 also start in Port 2 and finishes in Port 3. (see Table Below).


Xlights Model Layout for Mini Trees:


So my question is when wiring the Mini Tree #3 up on the F16v3, do I just add it to the end of the Mini Tree #2 and the F16v3 will work it out how to send the other channels on port 3, or should I reconfigure the Port Mapping to just make them start evenly at the beginning of a new port (in the instance Port #3) and just waste the remaining channels on Port 2?

Hope that makes sense!

Cheers
Geoff

 

[ezellner]

If I understand correctly, the output from one port needs to be continuous to the elements it feeds. With the 1020 channels on Output 2, you can feed Minitrees 1, 2, 3 and part of Minitree 4 (through pixel 40) in a continuous series connection. You would have to cut the data line between pixel 40 and 41 on Minitree 4 and begin feeding data from output 3 to pixel 41 of Minitree 4 through to the rest of the minitrees. For this reason, I'd expect most people start at a first pixel on an element from an output. I am not familiar with Falcon controllers but I don't think you have to have whole universes for one output (i may be wrong on this). In your case you could have Universe 3 and part of 4 (through channel 1920) on Output 2 (whoch would feed minitrees 1-3) and then have universe 4 channel 1921 through universe 6 channel 2820 feed minitrees 4-6. Someone more familiar with the Falcon controllers needs to check me on this.

 

[uncledan]

Why not just use one output for all 6 trees? My mini trees are 100 pixels each. I have as many as 10 mini trees (1,000 pixels) off a single port/output of F16v3. F16v3 is capable of 1020 pixels per output.

 

[scamper]

What uncledan said, the f16 is 1024 pixels per output, so you can fit them all on one output as long as you power inject.
1024 pixels = 3072 channels.
in saying that for future reference, what I do is run however many props I have, in this case mini trees, then take a note of left over channels so I can use them for future expansion. Say I used all but 50 channels on that port in the mini trees, later down the track I may add some low level fire stick which uses a small channel count, I could just tack it to the end of that lot of trees. ( if I was running low on ports/channel counts that is.)

 

[Cranzy]

Why not just use one output for all 6 trees? My mini trees are 100 pixels each. I have as many as 10 mini trees (1,000 pixels) off a single port/output of F16v3. F16v3 is capable of 1020 pixels per output.

True, and if you are sequencing at 20fps then it is fine. If you plan to sequence at higher framerates then you can't have this many pixels per port.

 

[djgra79]

The downside of fully loading a single port with pixels is if (worst case) there are any issues with the port, the WHOLE output will be dark, so that's all your mini trees. No big deal to change to a new port and be up and running but I'd rather 3-4 trees out than all of them if the weather is too bad to go and swap cables and troubleshoot.

 

[Mischka]

Thanks everyone for you helpful comments, much appreciated!