Universes & Start Channels

[Beacy]

Having watched DMoore's video has prompted a couple of questions in regards to set up of Universes and start channels


1. When using multiple universes with multiple controllers the first universe start channels for 3 x 48ch boards would be 1, 49 & 97. As LSP does not have the ability to select universe 2 in order to get the the second string of 3 x 48ch boards to commence with the same channel numbers as universe 1, am I correct in assuming that the start channels for this next string of 3 x 48 ch boards would be 513, 561 & 609 and the 3rd universe would be 1024, 1072 & 1120?


2. If I am correct in the above assumptions are those start channels only applicable for the LSP "virtual" channel numbers or do the start channels that we set on the boards need to be the same?

 

[David_AVD]

The start channel on the actual DMX controllers are always in the 1..512 channel number range.

The way I understand LSP and E1.31 :

If you had two 512 channel controllers in LSP, each could be it's own output (and universe #) on a DR4. The logical channels in LSP would be 1..512 and 513..1024

The controller plugged into DR4 output 1 would have a start address of 1. The controller plugged into DR4 output 2 would also have a start address of 1.

The start channel on the DMX controller hardware is relative to the start of the universe it's connected to. Make sense?

 

[David_AVD]

A bit more:

Think of the multiple universes in software as being blocks of 512 channels, stacked end to end. Once those channels are split up by the DR4 however, each physical DMX output is only one block (universe) of 512 channels.

The DMX controllers know nothing about multiple universes. They only see the one they are connected to, so they only need to know the offset from the start of their universe. That offset is called the start channel.

So, DMX controllers on different outputs (universes) of a DR4 can have the same start channel, but respond to different logical channels in the software.

 

[fasteddy]

Ill try to give a few examples here, but with E1.31 and LSP controllers in LSP really mean nothing as its the channel numbers themselves that makes the difference, Yoy can have say channel 1 on one controller/element and then have channel 2 on another controller/element and because its the E1.31 app in LSP that allocates the channel ranges into DMX universes those channels from both controllers would be in the same universe and would be 1 and 2. Here is an example below of a mega tree setup in LSP using E1.31 but set up 2 different ways

A mega tree done in 4 sections

150 pixels used per section x 4 which equates to 450 channel x 4 = 1800 channels

so in LSP we may create our tree into 4 managable sections of 150 pixels with the channel layout as:

section 1 = start channel 1 to 450
section 2 = start channel 501 to 950
section 3 = start channel 1001 to 1450
section 3 = start channel 1501 to 1950

So now in the LSP E1.31 app we now allocate those channel numbers to DMX universes

Universe 1 = start channel 1 size 450
universe 2 = start channel 501 size 450
universe 3 = start channel 1001 size 450
Universe 4 = start channel 1501 size 450

So now we have allocated the our channel start numbers and sizes into universes

The next step is to tell the DR4 or any other E1.31 device what outputs we want those universes on

So now the same tree done a different way and in sequential order

mega tree done sequentially

600 pixels = 1800 channels

mega tree = start channel 1 to channel 1800

In the LSP E1.31 app you can then divide that up into the universes

Universe 1 = start 1 size 512
Universe 2 = start 513 size 512
Universe 3 = start 1025 size 512
Universe 4 = start 1537 size 512

You then allocate those universes in the e1.31 device to the appropriate outputs


The mega tree can be setup any way as far as channels are concerned as long as you allocate the correct channel range to the appropriate DMX universe you want your E1.31 device to see.

The great thing about this is that you dont actually have to plan your outputs on your devices until everything is connected if you desire to do it that way

What you must do with LSP sequencing with E1.31 is to not think in controllers but instead think as in elements. This is a hangover from LOR. This way you then can unlock the power of using E1.31

 

[kane]

The amount of confusion that this area causes certainly makes me think that things could be done a lot easier from within LSP.

It would be easier if there was a e1.31 type of controller, and in the configuration, you simply specify universe number, start channel and number of channels.

The output configuration area would then simply be used to specify which universes need to go out which interface (whether unicast to a set IP, or multicast)

Would certainly be easier to manage and keep track of channels

 

[Superman]

You could actually set a DR4 up like that in LSP. However LSP doesnt recommend doing it this way

 

[fasteddy]

The reason there is so much confusion is because of the flexability of E1.31 setup and a lack of understanding of the way the channels are mapped from LSP into universes. Many people still think in terms of controllers where i prefer to think in terms of elements. E1.31 allows you to setup you elements in many many ways. For example i have an 8 pointed star but i have a controller/element created for each leg of the star as this enables me to easily control each point of the star instead of having the whole star defined in the one controller