Enttec USB DMX Pro

Hello,
I programmed the output plugin.

The problems you explain seem to be very strange. Especially the second problem.
The dmxsignal can't get slower on the way from the first device to the last.
The speed of the data transmission is controlled by the interface and my outputplugin has no function to change it.

Yesterday I improved the outputplugin.
Maybe it works better.

Just move the old DLL to a subdirectory and extract the new one from the archive.

Here is even a newer version.
Now I set the baudrate to 256000 I don't know if this really has an effect on the speed of the com-port because its a virtual one, but faster is not possible
Please test it.
If you find any bugs please report them to mee, so that I can fix them.

I made some additional changes.

Now the Interface is identified via the serialnumber not the com-port.

Neue Ausgabeplugins für Enttec DMX USB PRO und Soundlight USBDMX-ONE

I seem to be having the same problem even if I install the newer DLL. For example with my OPEN DMX adapter I can actually select 500 channels of DMX and they were dim smoothly and fine. If I try the same thing with my DMXKING adapter (which runs as an Enttec PRO) it very choppy. I have about 15 RGB flood lamps that I try and change color all at once, and you can actually see each one delayed after the other when they are suppose to switch.

I have tried it on 2 different computers and get the same result.

Hi Richardh,

i´ve had the same problem with my dmxking ultraDMX RDM Pro (3-pin) last friday (gig with 300-400 people) ...
When i started movements on my 6 Scanners and 2 Movingheads the 12 channel dimmerpack lags a lot.

I don't know where I could improve the outputplugin.
The only way where the performance could be better is to use the direct FTDI API.
But for this I have to completely rewrite the outputplugin.
Because I have to use VB6 its not so easy as in C# for example.

When I have sometime maybe I will try to rewrite it.

Thanks for all the work that you have done with the driver. I know it takes a lot of time to do these things and is greatly appreciated by many of us.

I don't know if this helps but you can select all 512 channels in Channel View in DMXC and when you move the slider you can see how it lags as it updates the window. With the OpenDMX driver it goes nice and fast so I am not sure if it is the driver itself or something else.

Thanks again!

I have a similar problem to the one described here. I am using some Pixel Tape (a long string of WS2812 GRB LEDs - so it is like having 150 RGB LED fixtures. They have their own protocol which is driven from DMX by a driver) together with 24 dimmers. In am using DMXControl 2.12 with EnttecPro output plugin ver 1.0.0.68 and an Enttec USBDMX Pro.

The LEDs near the end of the string with some DMX patterns will flicker randomly - this happens particularly with changing patterns. I have tried different hardware combinations and am now thinking it might be the (DMXControl 2) software.

A few questions..
What is the latest version of the EntecPro output plugin? [there are several versions on this page]
What data rate is DMXControl sending over USB? [Enttec suggested it might be different from the 44Hz standard that their dongle is using by default]

Do you have any other ideas about what could cause this problem?

Thanks very much

Hi,
I think, the one on Neue Ausgabeplugins für Enttec DMX USB PRO und Soundlight USBDMX-ONE is the newest. DMXControl 2 sends some times with even more than 44Hz. The reason forr this is, that some sort of dongles are poor programmed and need a framerate "as fast as posible" to keep the DMX-framerate over 20-30Hz I don't know if the Enttec Pro is one of this interfaces but when it is, there is no other solution (the those interfaces drop many frames sended by DMXControl and we don't know why).
Regards
JP

But I suppose flickering problems with WS2812 probably are not caused by the DMX interface. I think it is more likely a timing issue of the LED controller (you probably can't change that) or a power problem. Do you feed your supply voltage from both ends of the string or just one?

Stefan

The Pixel Strip made with WS2812 in in strips of 1.5, 1 and 0.5m. Each strip has 5v fed from the top; data is daisy chained from bottom to top of each strip. At first I though it was a power/load issue - but measuring the voltage at the end of the first longest (1.5m) strip it is 4.2v and that works fine. It is the two strips at the end of the daisy chain which are affected by the flicker, and it is DMX pattern dependent - which is why I suspect it is data problem. I have tried reducing the length of the data cabling between strips and adding power to the bottom of the affected strips but this has no effect.

The WS2812 has a supply voltage of 3.5-5.3v and every voltage measured at the top and bottom of each strip is between 4.2 and 5v. I thought if the voltage was lower at the bottom (where the data signal is regenerated by the WS2812) than at the top of the next chain that might cause problems, but this does not happen on the second strip in the chain, despite the voltage at the bottom of the first strip being 4.2v (it is the longest strip at 1.5m).

The timing of the LED controller (Enttec Pixel Driver in this case) is fixed by the WS2812 specification. The test patterns while sent via USB direct to the driver (rather than via DMX) work flawlessly. [I can't use USB in the theatre as the distances are too long and I need to be able to program cues/effects in DMXControl or some software].

They are Enttec Pixel Tape and an Enttec Pixie Driver; the problem does not occur if I used the test patterns sent via USB direct from the Enttec utility program (Pro Manager) - there is no flicker even with high load/fast patterns. That is why I now suspect it is a software problem - and Enttec Support though it might be because DMXControl sends data at a non-standard rate - which is what JPK said.

As I understand it the USBDMX Pro interface generates the DMX signal via onboard mirocontroller, compared with say the Enttec OpenDMX interface which is more of a level/protocol converter. I don't have a DMX analyzer so can't really investigate this.

JPK - is there a way to fix or change the rate at which DMXControl sends frame out to USB? (to limit to the 44Hz standard). Perhaps it could be an user option in the driver config?

I only know of two speed settings that you can try - This might help

1) Dmxcontol (Upper-Pic) is the Output speed of the Software
For me. If it was to fast things will Flicker or to Slow

2)Windows Com Port Settings- in Device Manager You will have to find the port that you are using (if it is using a Com Port)
I turn the Com Port Baud Rate (BPS) As Fast as possible (Lower Pic) it was set to 9600 don't know about the other setting?

Com Port - Some Speed listed Ms
9600=104Ms
19,200=52Ms
57,600=17ms
230,400bps =4.3ms

[Blocked Image: http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn297/steve-kds/Port%20settings%20sezise.jpg]

Dmxcontol (Upper-Pic) is the Output speed of the DMX Software
What is the Default Setting?

at one time was this Side Bar listed as Milliseconds instead of Fps?
so Faster would be is to the Right?

This speed is only for the configured plugin (Enttec OpenDMX). It has no effect on other plugins or DMXC itself.
DMXControl 2 does not have a fixed output timing. It processes channels as they change and forwards them to the output plugin.
If the update rate should be limited, the output plugin in responsible.

Stefan

Hmm (Enttec OpenDMX) I Looking for the speed for this Transmitter (looks like 250 000 baud)

So what does it do the Side Bar ?
& what should it be Set for? BPS?

DMX uses EIA-485 serial protocol at 250,000 bits per second. A DMX frame is made up of 512 "bytes" of 10 bits (1 start, 8 data, 2 stop)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DMX512#Protocol

So that gives 5120 bits per frame, which at the data rate of 250 kpbs gives a MAXIMUM DMX frame rate of about 48 frames per second. Hence, I think this is why the standard DMX frame rate of 44 Hz.

Of course USB is a different serial standard (more complicated to allow PnP etc) but if you send more than 48 frames of DMX data over USB to any interface where is that data going to go? It will probably get lost or corrupted! Now some equipment sends shorter frames (of less than 512 channels) - but this is non-standard (as I understand it) and may cause problems with some equipment. I'm slightly confused about the USB VCP speed thing - I didn't think that was relevant if you are using the FTDI drivers.

Today I bought an Enttec Open DMX USB interface - which does not have buffering (generating the DMX frame internally, like the Pro version does). I want to try this, as there will less likely of confusion over frame rates. I will let you know the results.

Paul