SRx2 Long Range Dual SmartReceiver

[bpratt]

Last couple of years I've been using my smart receivers as dumb receivers, mostly because it was easy, and didn't require any thinking on my behalf.

So this year, seeing the above smart ones, and that I've got a controller box with two of the older v1 smart receivers, I was hoping to actually upgrade, but that means I need to understand these things a whole lot better than I used to. I'm assuming I still have to run two lots of cabling from the f16v4 expansion board, or just 1 ?

This will be fed from my f16v4 if that makes any difference.


Basically what I have on the two smart receivers is per port, the following... port numbers are just more for reference than the actual port :-

Port 1 244 pixel
Port 2 257 pixels
Port 3 unused
Port 4 229 pixels

Port 5 400 pixels
Port 6 317 pixels
Port 7 and 8 unused

This year I plan on adding more props to this controller box.


So I'm wondering how should I go about it, as I can't quite get my head around things just yet, and I'm hearing various things on facebook.


I'm hoping that someone can type really slowly so that I can understand how to sort this out.


I've posted here, as any answers might help out someone else, as anything on facebook disappears too quickly.


Thanks for your guidance on this one.

 

[Johnnyboy]

If you have used receivers in dumb mode then you get the concept.

1 data cable from controller to receiver gets you approx 4x708(@40fps).

Hooking up a data cable from that first receiver to the second one. So two receivers in a chain gets you 8x350approx (@40fps).
So in your example above port 5 would have too many pixels and would require a second channel. If you’re running 20fps you will be fine.

If you take it to the extreme and have 6 receivers in a big chain, it’s still based off the capacity of one data line of 4x708. So 6 receivers would be 24x108pix(40fps).

The smart function just give more channels, not the ability to drive more pixels per data line.
Hope that helps

 

[Skymaster]

So two receivers in a chain gets you 8x350approx (@40fps).
So in your example above port 5 would have too many pixels and would require a second channel. If you’re running 20fps you will be fine.

This is not true. The pixels are not split equally across receivers. They can be mixed and matched however you like, as long as you stay under the maximum for the entire port.

Lets renumber @Bpratts example and call them by how they will be known to the falcon, assuming plugging into differential output 1 on it
1 = 1A, 2= 2A, 3 = 3A, 4 = 4A, 5 = 1B, 6 = 2B, 7 = 3B, 8 = 4B

Everything on the single line 1A, 1B, 1C.... needs to remain under 680
Likewise with 2A, 2B, 2C

So - using the pixel counts above
1 = 244 + 400 = 644 = OK
2 = 257 + 317 = 574 = OK
3 = 0 + 0 = 0 = OK
4 = 229 + 0 = 229 = OK

All are under 680, so at 40fps, there is no issues whatsoever.

 

[Skymaster]

As for the SRx2 -- it is exactly the same as two normal receivers connected back to back, with the second receiver set to n+1.
So where you would normally set the first to "A" and the second to "B", when you set the SRx2 to "A" the second set of ports automatically becomes "B".
An SRx4 is four receivers back to back - again, if you set the dial to "B", then the first 4 ports are B's, seconds are C's, third are D's and fourth are E's.

 

[Johnnyboy]

This is not true. The pixels are not split equally across receivers. They can be mixed and matched however you like, as long as you stay under the maximum for the entire port.

Thanks for the correction, i wasn't aware of this at all! Always thought it was an even split.

Apologies for any confusion @bpratt

 

[Loveinthebay]

To add onto this thread, perhaps folks may be able to glean some light.

I have a falcon f16v4 powering my front yard show. I have a diff controller connected to the f16v4, running a cat6 cable to a box in my backyard (less than 250 feet) that has a srx2

Channels are the following for the srx2:
-Channel 17 (matrix): 672 nodes with power injection
-Channel 18 (gutter): 117 nodes

I can successfully stest data via falcon controller, test data works locally on the srx2, but when I set up a show on x-lights and try to send data to the srx2, I get a row of less than 100 lighting up on my matrix and my gutter does not light up at all.

Granted I am 1st year into this, I’m a bit stumped right now.

 

[Pavle]

To add onto this thread, perhaps folks may be able to glean some light.

I have a falcon f16v4 powering my front yard show. I have a diff controller connected to the f16v4, running a cat6 cable to a box in my backyard (less than 250 feet) that has a srx2

Channels are the following for the srx2:
-Channel 17 (matrix): 672 nodes with power injection
-Channel 18 (gutter): 117 nodes

I can successfully stest data via falcon controller, test data works locally on the srx2, but when I set up a show on x-lights and try to send data to the srx2, I get a row of less than 100 lighting up on my matrix and my gutter does not light up at all.

Granted I am 1st year into this, I’m a bit stumped right now.

Can you share your controller setup page from xlights? Also, share the Falcon web portal for outputs.

What steps have you complete to push the configuration to the controller from xlights?
Is xlights in full control or you trying to do it manually?
Have you got all of the configuration showing in the Falcon web portal that reconciles from your xlights config?

 

[Loveinthebay]

Basically I will use the " upload output" from the controller tab when i make changes to channels and models. After i do this, i do see the updated models on the correct channels in the falcon web app. I have also ran the "FPP connect" to upload my sequence to FPP but same result i.e. not outputting correct.

Xlights is in full control per the falcon web portal, unless I am missing something beyond this.

Configuration in falcon web portal seems to match the xlight configurations.

I am using Bullet pixles in general and the matrix is the modular panels from Boscoyo

 

[Skymaster]

Where on the falcon is the smart receiver plugged into? The one of the two ports on the right hand side of the main board, or do you have the differenial expansion connected via a ribbon?

Edit: Also - what is the rotary dial set to on the smart receiver?

 

[Loveinthebay]

Plugged into a differential expansion board (probably don’t need to use this right now in retrospect), that is plugged via ribbon cable.

rotary dial on srx2 is set to “0”.

I can actually try to go straight into the f16 board and omit the differential receiver for now to see if that resolved things, but it doesn’t make sense.

 

[Skymaster]

Ok fantastic. That should be no problems keeping it how you have it.

So to confirm:
1. Testing from Falcon test interface works fine
2. Sequences are only playing on the first 100 pixels of the SR
3. You have pushed config, and run FPP connect.

Can you try two things:
1. In xLights, Tools / Test, Goto the Controllers tab, open up the F16, Open up Port 17/18 and test from there
2. Open your sequence, Render All, SAVE, and then FPP Connect to upload the sequence.

 

[Loveinthebay]

So... basically started a new sequence and now the back lights work?

Perhaps in my existing show that was running during Halloween there is something going on that I cant quite put my finger ok. That should be easy enough to make new sequences and copy things over.

@Pavle @Skymaster Thanks so much for the input! At the very least, i know I have things setup correct- just need to optimize and organize a bit.

Cheers and happy holidays!

 

[darylc]

With it set to 0 on an SRx2 only the first 4 ports will work

 

[dannyp]

Hi

With it set to 0 on an SRx2 only the first 4 ports will work

Thanks. What is the setting to get the whole 8 ports going?

 

[Skymaster]

The SRX-2 is two smart receivers in one. So you set the dial to one of the letters A-E (dont use F as it consumes both the selected letter and the following on)

Then if you do that, you need to tell xLights which receiver the props are on.

So, if you set it to A on the SR, you can then put props on 17A, 18A, 19A and 20A, which are the first four ports, and then 17B, 18B, 19B and 20B, which are the second four ports.
You right click the prop in visualiser, and there's a method to set the smart remote it's attached to.