WS2811DC2-30 - xLights Configuration

[powerfix]

Hi All,

It's getting to the crunch time now and I'm scrambling to put everything together.

Does anyone have any advice/setup guides/suggestions for configuring the Hanson Electronics WS2811DC2-30 in xLights? I have 15 strings of 250 LEDs 31VDC "Bunnings" LEDs and would like some guidance on how the configure these in xLights for on/off/dim.

I have researched Shadow Models based on previous searches, but it's all a little vague - would love some direct guidance and I'll more than likely document the process as I'm doing it and post back to Alan and the ACL community.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Craig.

 

[Notenoughlights]

One string takes 2 channels on the DC2 boards, i.e you have an orange and red channel, and then a blue and green channel for a single set of lights, so each light prop you add to xlights needs to be done twice (at least this is how I did it) then just assign each prop to the controller as you create them one a time till you have filled the board, or used all your lights up. I find it helps to set the string colour as well, that way you don't forget what one is what (too easily) when sequencing or in the future.

 

[Skymaster]

I agree with NEL, this is how I have mine set up too (although I use the DMX board, the concept is the same)

 

[Kim_H]

I have just set up the same board, this is what I did and it seems to be working ok.
I have the DC2-30 connected to port 1 of a HE123.

I hope this is useful.
Kim

Edit: After uploading from Xlights to FPP, in FPP go to Channel Outputs, the start channels of the DC2-30 will be overlapping (highlighted orange), click in Start Channel and Press F2 to adjust the port numbers.
If you have the DC2-30 in Port 1 you will have to do the whole lot, I now have it connected on Port 16.


Add a string model.
In String Properties: change string type to Superstring, Colours to 2, Colour 1: Red, Colour 2 Green.




Using a Color Wash with a count of 20 in a 3 min sequence and the Red & Green colours gives a nice twinkle pattern to both channels of your led.

 

[powerfix]

You guys are legends, thanks for the advice! All sorted.

 

[powerfix]

I have just set up the same board, this is what I did and it seems to be working ok.
I have the DC2-30 connected to port 1 of a HE123, it didn't work in port 16 for some reason, probably some setting I was missing.

I hope this is useful.
Kim

Thanks Kim,

How did you address each channel on the board - 1st string is fairly easy, then 2-15, etc? Are they separate strings with an offset like regular pixels?

i.e. I have 10 strings of 250 LED's to a string, each on a different port on the DC2-30 - how would I address string 4, for example?

 

[Notenoughlights]

Thanks Kim,

How did you address each channel on the board - 1st string is fairly easy, then 2-15, etc? Are they separate strings with an offset like regular pixels?

i.e. I have 10 strings of 250 LED's to a string, each on a different port on the DC2-30 - how would I address string 4, for example?

You would turn on the outputs 7 and 8.


for example:

String 1 outputs 1+2
String 2 outputs 3+4
String 3 outputs 5+6
String 4 outputs 7+8
String 5 outputs 9+10

 

[Kim_H]

I was just thinking about this today.
in xlights each model takes up 2 channels but in FPP it shows 3 channels.


String 1, FPP Start channel 1, Wires to Terminals 1 & 2
String 2, FPP Start Channel 4, Wires to Terminals 3 & 4
String 3, FPP Start Channel 7, Wires to Terminals 5 & 6

I don't fully understand it and have only done limited testing but this seems to be working.

Kim

 

[Notenoughlights]

I was just thinking about this today.
in xlights each model takes up 2 channels but in FPP it shows 3 channels.


String 1, FPP Start channel 1, Wires to Terminals 1 & 2
String 2, FPP Start Channel 4, Wires to Terminals 3 & 4
String 3, FPP Start Channel 7, Wires to Terminals 5 & 6

I don't fully understand it and have only done limited testing but this seems to be working.

Kim

View attachment 23846

What you want to do is instead of using an individual port for each prop, you want to set a single port with the number of channels you'll use for the entire board (or set of boards, how ever many you have connected) and then set the props up in xlights, as FPP is expecting a light count in pixels (per 3 channels) where you are using 2 channels per output. In Xlights, you can set your props to the start channel and controller of your choice, this way you don't have a 3rd channel for each prop that does nothing.

 

[Kim_H]

I've got them setup on one port, xlights is saying each prop takes 2 channels, FPP is showing 3 channels, I would have thought they should be the same but it seems to work, is it possible to tell FPP to only use 2 channels, I've tried uploading from xlights but it doesn't seem to change FPP.
Each prop in turn takes the next set of connections on the DC2-30.
Below is my controller setup
Is this correct ?

Thanks,
Kim

 

[Notenoughlights]

If that way works, then I don't see why you can't use it. I don't set my controllers up that way so am not very familiar with the xlights channels/controller visualiser.

 

[powerfix]

Thanks for all the input guys. I've managed to get it working both ways suggested above, but do like the single port and mapped 2 channels - for me it's a little cleaner.

Regardless of the setup above, I'm still having one issue:

1. When the 2 channel lights are configured as a superstring with red and green for the colours, the lights do the colour wash nicely as per @Kim_H setup above. However, due to my relative inexperience with xLights, I'm having difficulty working out how to activate _both_ channels concurrently and achieve a full "on" status for both channels.

I thought to use the "On" function in xLights, but again, it will only activate the first channel and not both. I then thought to setup the string as an RGB pixel (just a single pixel of 3 channels, and ignore the B channel, using only the R + G channels for on/off) and then colour the string an orange colour to activate both channels concurrently. This has limited success.

Is there another function to use to have both channels lights up together? I believe my trial and error method has hit a dead end and any setting I try gives me only 1 out of the 2 channels lit up at any time.

Thanks.

 

[Skymaster]

Red + Green = Yellow -> So put a yellow effect across and you'd probably have the most success.

 

[Skymaster]

is it possible to tell FPP to only use 2 channels

Not easily as far as I'm aware, no. It assumes 3 or 4 colour pixels for 2811 outputs. I have worked on someone elses before where I just hard coded the configuration. Set up all 30 channels/15 "pairs" in xlights(whether using them or not) and that way the block of channels was allocated
The configuration in FPP was manual setting the start channel and 10 pixels (for 30ch) on that particular 2811 output.
Was messy, but it worked.

 

[powerfix]

Thanks, I'll give it a crack.