Moving to xlights advice

NickT

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Dec 22, 2020
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Hi all, I briefly outlined my setup in my welcome thread last year and I'm now thinking about what I want to do for 2021 and how to achieve it, and I'd love some advice.

Here's what I currently look like:
PXL_20201115_090906415.NIGHT.jpg

I currently run some custom software a friend wrote but it's really limited and laggy at the amount of LEDs I'm running. I'd like to move to xlights with my current setup, and add a mega tree in the grass area on the right hand side, props around the place (probably on the grass and where my poorly made arches are) and possibly even a pixel grid for the garage (is that what it's called?).

Currently my roughly 80 metres of strips are powered via 3x 12v power supplies and I have built a little box for each of them which has an ESP32 and a buck converter to convert the 12v to 5v. This means with 15 light strips I have 15 of these little boxes outside (still out there actually.. I really should take the lights down between christmases..)

I'm trying to understand the setup required to convert this to xlights so I'd love any links to videos or simple descriptions of how I would set it all up properly. I believe I'd need 2 or 3 F16V3's, maybe some more PSU's, my brother has a laser cutter so I can probably make my own props really easily. I'll also look at getting string lights (instead of strips that I've used so far) for the mega tree.

My main questions currently just so I don't leave them randomly throughout my post:

1) I currently run power to each strip box and the box has the ESP32 which connects to my controller via wifi, I assume with xlights you also send data with the cable that is being run. Does this mean I can switch to cat5/6 or is something else used?

2) Are there any suggested guides on how you would build and mount a pixel grid to a garage door that is in use? or do I have to stop using my garage for a month?

3) Are there any suggested guides on building a mega tree? I assume I'll have to get welding, and I'm going to remove a tree so I can have a pole in the ground to hold the tree centre.

or should I just watch Canispater Christmas's entire youtube channel? ;-)

I'm technically competent (Linux SysAdmin for 20 years), have a good home network and dedicated servers to run software, and have a licensed electrician friend who can help out, so hopefully the conversion to xlights isn't too difficult.

Thanks!
 

darylc

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@xelfer
If by chance you can make it up to Sydney this weekend there are a lot of sessions about the various aspects of the hobby Saturday/Sunday. See http://acl-mini.com If you're interested and it says registration is closed we can work around that.
 
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i13

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You would only need on F16v3 for a setup that size but you might want to wait for the F16v4 to be released. You might be able to keep your existing hardware; hopefully someone with ESP32 experience can chime in.

The most widely recognised term for the planned lights on the garage is "matrix".

I listed a few mega tree guides in this thread https://auschristmaslighting.com/threads/13452/
This one has been posted since https://auschristmaslighting.com/threads/13656/

xLights uses a regular Ethernet network with E1.31, Cat5 cables and usually a network switch. Wifi can be a bit patchy and that might explain why you currently get lag.
 

NickT

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@xelfer
If by chance you can make it up to Sydney this weekend there are a lot of sessions about the various aspects of the hobby Saturday/Sunday. See http://acl-mini.com If you're interested and it says registration is closed we can work around that.

Oh wow, I unfortunately can't get up there, but would love to watch the recordings. Will it be available to all?

and thanks i13 for the links, I wasn't really sure how the F16 works plug wise, is it one cat5 cable per light strip back to the device? I see there's also expansion boards. And yep, wifi is the issue with my current setup which sends like 1 packet per LED per second, it's saturating the network. I'd much rather run cat5 (especially if it does power too). My strips are just ray wu ones so most of it should be reuseable, i don't care if I have to get rid of the ESP32's.

Is there any ETA for the F16v4?
 

i13

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The F16v3 plugs into the network with a Cat5 cable. You can use whatever type of wires you want between the F16 and first pixel but some wire types allow this distance to be longer without the signal going corrupt.

The expansion boards connect directly to the F16 with a ribbon cable. If you get a differential expansion board, a Cat5 cable connects each receiver board to it. Each receiver board has four pixel outputs.

Adding expansions to the F16v3 doesn't increase the total number of pixels that are supported. You get more outputs with fewer pixels each. With the F4v3 and F16v4, it does increase the total number supported. The F16v4 is planned this year but I don't know the release date https://falconchristmas.com/forum/index.php/topic,13929/

Recordings from the Sydney mini will be available. It is a yearly event so keep an eye out for it next year. You can also watch recordings from previous years.
 

NickT

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Thanks i13! that's all really useful information, and I look forward to watching the videos.

I'm currently using these connectors between my lights and my outdoor boxes, then just a power cable out to those boxes from my PSU's. Is there a cable type which works best? as I'm starting from scratch I'm happy to get the best which will last outdoors in the weather.

I was also wondering if it's easiest for a mega tree to have its own F16 so I don't have to run cables too far back into the house from the front yard. Or are there better solutions to this? I saw F-Amp's exist but it would require a lot of them.
 

Srmorgan

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If you use a smart differential receiver with the f16 you can use 4 ports to run the tree and CAT5 cable to place the receiver up to 250 away. Then just place it in its own enclosure with a PSU and your ready to make magic.
 

NickT

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If you use a smart differential receiver with the f16 you can use 4 ports to run the tree and CAT5 cable to place the receiver up to 250 away. Then just place it in its own enclosure with a PSU and your ready to make magic.

ok that's awesome and exactly the kinda info i'm collating for my upgrade purchases. thank you! I might even do something similar with props around the place.

is 4 ports enough to run a 2400 pixel megatree? I've been looking at
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GY7P18ttlQA
but unsure if i'll go quite as big :)

also, any enclosure suggestions? I've been using crappy aldi lunchboxes ;-)

I think I need to re-read that 101 manual!
 

Srmorgan

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You could run that many pixels off of four ports but then you’re going to go from 40 frames per second to 20 I think the cut off is some around 580 I can’t remember the exact number. You’ll have to read up on differential receivers they have a few little caveats to go with them. they actually share ports with the F 16. So if you run pixels on say port one through four on the F-16 then assigned the different receivers To the same ports it will share the maximum pixels Per port between the F 16 and the differential receiver. I’m sure I didn’t explain that well you should check out the YouTube channel “Canispater Christmas” he has a really good video on them about how they work and how they’re set up.
 

TANSA

Sparky with Blinky Lights ;-)
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Always good to read in the hobby/madness
Check with your board first.
But I have 1600 on 4 ports with a PixLite 16MkII at 40fps no probs. (400 each) and have pushed 600 each no probs, but you will notice a slight difference.
Falcon is a little different but with the new V4 it may change.
All boards have their YING and YANG. PixLite max 1020 20fps? Falcon 1024 20fps?
Read the manuals. (Check out AAH site for local member equipment (Controllers, enclosures, etc.. great service. (http://www.hansonelectronics.com.au/))
make a choice and everybody has an opinion and there is no correct answer but what works for you.
There are a lot of great Guys and Girls in ACL.
 

i13

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2400 pixels from four ports is 600 pixels per port assuming that it divides evenly. You could have 40 frames per second if you're only using the one expansion board on an F16v3 to run pixels. If you use the ports on the main board alongside the one differential expansion board (which can have four receivers), the main board could have 80 pixels per port at 40 frames per second or 424 pixels per output if you're okay with the entire Falcon and expansion board running at 20 frames per second.

You may want to use more ports and fewer pixels per port. It can make power distribution easier if you're powering through the controller. Another reason is pixel failures; if you run 600 pixels per controller output and a pixel near the controller fails, it can take out an entire output's pixels because it stops passing on the data until you replace it. If you want to run large numbers of pixels per port, it is a good idea to have spare sections of pixels with connectors on each end so that you can quickly swap out a section if a pixel fails.
 

NickT

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Thanks! i've done a bunch more reading. At this stage 2 F16v3's could be easier as I think I'm looking at building a 3240 LED tree. Giving the tree its own F16 could save some headaches.

I've done a bit of design as well before I figure out everything I need and how to wire it all up... and I was looking like this:
bhtdM2x.jpg


Until I saw this exists: https://www.extremelightingdisplays.com.au/shop/christmas/australian-designs/bluey-and-bingo/

Now I need to figure out if I want them on the roof or garage.. anyone mounted stuff to a garage and still been able to use the thing? (similar question if I had a matrix there instead).
 

Cranzy

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Nice layout.
From the link, looks like the megatree is 20 strings of 162 pixels each at 1" spacing. (270 degree tree). With only 20 strings spaced out to make 270 degrees you won't really get graphics on the tree. (I have a 180 degree tree with 24 strands of 75 pixels each 2" spaced - and some graphics don't show well on mine because the strings are too far spaced). Meteors effect and running lines will look great on that. Do you need 270 degree tree?
 
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