PSU ( I think ) affecting xlights sequence

K

Kaite

New elf
Joined
Mar 8, 2022
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Hi All,
I have 4 x props made with seed pixels than run off 1 @ 360 W PSU
Problem as follows
1. Run Sequence in Xlights.
2. Props 1 / 3 / 4 are working OK according to Sequence data.
3. Prop 2 has only about 1/3 of pixels working.
4. Unplug pigtail from PSU to Prop 2.
5. Re-plug pigtail back into Prop 2.
6. Prop 2 now works OK as per other 3 Props.
7. Stop Xlights & Sequence.
8. Re-start Xlights & Sequence.
9. Back to same problem. Prop 2 only 1/3 working.

Hoping for some guidance.
 
is there something at the start of the sequence that is full white pulling a lot of power?

if the voltage drops the control ICs in the pixels can crash.

try injecting power at the end of your strings and see if that helps.
 
Well, it is not "xlights" or the PSU if everything else is working.

I will start with things that are less likely to help but easier to check. (Generally, not sure how thorough you mean by "working", if that means "lighting up" or exactly right in a complex case.) And apologies if you already did some of them.

1. Make sure the sequence looks the way intended. Some effects don't light all the pixels, etc. Or "render all" to refresh. What we're trying to do here is separate the sequence problem from a lights problem.
2. Make sure you've uploaded your outputs to controller and put the right props on the right ports. Otherwise data from the props gets mixed up, and you might see a "seam" at 1/3 of the way down a prop because models don't align with the data. Yeah, if this is it, a lot of other things would look wrong too, but whether you'd notice or not has a lot to do with the sequence effects, and not stated what they are.
3. Try a different prop (with a similar number of pixels) on that port and see if it also has the issue.
4. If none of these things reveal anything wrong (or if in #3 another prop on the same port always lights all the pixels), it might be an electrical issue with the prop itself... that's pretty much all that is left, unfortunately. Different parts of the sequence can affect the prop differently in these cases, as they cause more or less voltage drop, and unplugging and replugging the prop restores it. (Classic symptom for 12V pixels used to be "locks on white", but seeds have a new variety of issues.)

If you are still stuck, a video might help.
 
Can you post a pic of your xlights visualiser screen. There may be a channel number issue.
If you just put an effect on prop 4 will all of it light up?
If that's a yes then it's possibly a data integrity issue that can be caused by voltage drop.
If it's a no then is it the same portion as before? A yes suggests a channel issue.
When an effect is on prop 4 only is it only prop 4 that is lighting up? You could have a pixel number missmatch.
 
Had seed prop problems last year, to see if same type of issue can you clarify couple things.

when you say:
“4. Unplug pigtail from PSU to Prop 2.
5. Re-plug pigtail back into Prop 2.
6. Prop 2 now works OK as per other 3 Props.”

Are you doing that with psu still on?

And with

“
7. Stop Xlights & Sequence.
8. Re-start Xlights & Sequence.
9. Back to same problem. Prop 2 only 1/3 working.”

Are you turning power off and back on? And it stops working when powered up again?
 
Hi Guys,
Just an Update on my original issue.
I tried some off the suggestions in the thread to no avail.
No matter what I tried, I was still having the same problem outlined in my original post.

1/3 of seeds working,
Unplug the pigtail ( from PSU to Prop ),
Plug pigtail back in,
All seeds working fine.
I tested this about 6 times with the same result.

Affected Prop was working OK in Test Mode both from Advatek Controller, and in Test Mode in Xlights.
I did not have another prop with the same quantity of pixels to Test and compare with.
.
Given that all the seeds were working to the X lights sequence, ( after unplugging the pigtail, and plugging it back in to the Prop ),
I assumed all the seed pixels were OK.
As a Last resort, I decided to replace the seed pixel , directly after where the 1/3 of the seeds were working.
This has resolved the issue.

I have very limited electrical knowledge, but what I think has happened is,
that when I unplugged the pigtail between the PSU and the Prop, and the plugged it back in,
there may have been some sort of a "Power Surge" through the Data Line in the "damaged" seed pixel ( which I subsequently I replaced )

This may have been the reason why, when I first started the X lights Sequence,
only 1/3 of the seeds were working,
then when I unplugged, and plugged back in the pigtail from the PSU to the Prop,
it activated the rest of the seed pixels, which worked perfectly according to the X lights Sequence.

For those out there far more knowledgeable than me, I would love to know if this situation is actually " a thing ".

This is a great Forum.
Thanks for all the advice.
 
Agree. If it happened to you, it's a thing.

A pixel that flakes out after a while, or after the voltage drops due to the other pixels being lit, takes out the part of the string that follows. It happens, different details for some kinds of pixels than others.

One recommendation... if you replace a pixel, replace at least two, the one that is acting dodgy and the one before it, in case the one before is not sending data properly.
 
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