How to show DMX output from playback unit

[Haggis2020]

We have a DMX playback unit which is becoming very unreliable. It runs a complex light show over 147 channels and there is no documentation as to what the sequence is. Is there any hardware that I can connect to the output which will show the channel levels step by step.

[pscandrett]

We have a DMX playback unit which is becoming very unreliable. It runs a complex light show over 147 channels and there is no documentation as to what the sequence is. Is there any hardware that I can connect to the output which will show the channel levels step by step.

 

Lots of devices will allow you to view the output of a DMX line - eg a Swisson XMT120(/A) will show you what's happening at a basic level. Many modern lighting desks will also allow you to input the DMX in and they'll be able to capture it for you - even the old Pearl 2000 used to allow you to include static data into a playback on that desk.

 

Are you looking to duplicate the current setup to another more reliable playback unit? Or recreate what you've already got (even though you're not sure what it's outputting)? What playback unit is it? You might be able to get the program/scenes/cues out of that another way...

[Haggis2020]

Thank you for the quick reply. The system is connected to a LanBox LCX which is being sent data via artnet which has been deeply embedded into a much larger content management system. The company that wrote the CMS went bankrupt many years ago and we have no paperwork as to how the system can be edited. We want to get the chase sequence and possibly edit some of the steps. Then transfer it to a simpler DMX playback device as we no longer need the complexity that the CMS has.The Swisson seems like something we need in our tool kit but as the chase is fast I can't see how we would be able to see each individual scene as it is running.

[pscandrett]

Thank you for the quick reply. The system is connected to a LanBox LCX which is being sent data via artnet which has been deeply embedded into a much larger content management system. The company that wrote the CMS went bankrupt many years ago and we have no paperwork as to how the system can be edited. We want to get the chase sequence and possibly edit some of the steps. Then transfer it to a simpler DMX playback device as we no longer need the complexity that the CMS has.The Swisson seems like something we need in our tool kit but as the chase is fast I can't see how we would be able to see each individual scene as it is running.

You're right, the Swisson wouldn't be an ideal tool for this job - it was just a vague illustration that devices to exist to sniff what's actually happening on the DMX line.

 

I'm not familiar with the Lanbox - but it seems there's software (that's still maintained) that allows you to connect to the box to configure it, LCEdit. Have you tried using it? It looks like you can connect to the device if your computer's on the same network, or alternatively via USB.

 

http://support.lanbox.com/

 

Scanning through the manual, there do appear to be ways of exploring the way it's been programmed (eg the cue list editor) and perhaps understanding how your showfile has been constructed. At the very least, it'd allow you to export your show and restore it to a new box if the hardware is failing; once you've worked out how it's programmed, you should also be able to edit it. I'd give that a go in the first instance, and have a look around (without editing anything). The manual seems reasonably comprehensive. If you can't log in to it though then you're going to have to look at recording the data stream by an external source, however.

 

Hope that helps. Let us know how you get on!

 

PS Do you really work at Buckingham Palace?!

[Brian]

Do you know if the LanBox is just acting as an Artnet to DMX converter? If it is then you might find it easier just to monitor the ARTnet stream. Plenty of free PC based tools to do that which don;t need any special hardware.

[henny]

The Lanbox is a fairly powerful controller when you get you head around how it works

 

Are you 100% short that it is running as an artnet node and not running its own cues being triggered by the cms ?

 

Is there any chance of you connecting a laptop running LC edit to the USB port on the lanbox and getting a few screen shots of the artnet config and possibly even sharing a backup of the box

[Haggis2020]

Thank you for all your help. I purchased a Swisson XMT120 which has allowed me to start working through the system eliminating components one by one. I have now worked out that a set of 3 LED uplighters is causing the problem, I now have to work out why. The installation has 8 objects which are each lit by 3 led uplighters and 6 LED RGB panels. With the Swisson controlling the lights (LanBox Disconected) when one set of 3 uplighters (which have individual DMX addresses) are lit all of the other LEDS in the entire display randomly flicker and flash even when their DMX Chanel is set to zero. I am assuming that the controller for these uplighters is faulty and somehow corrupting the DMX signal to the other fixtures. The objects are difficult to move and I am not sure where the controllers or ballasts are situated in the structure. So I have a lot of digging about to find everything before I can even start swapping out components. Wish me luck and thanks again for all the help.

[gyro_gearloose]

It would help to know the brand/model of your uplights are. Its possible that the three 'faulty' lights have some sort of master/slave mode for when they are used in situations where no DMX controller is used or even needed. One fixture would act as the master and create the DMX signal to control the other fixtures. This type of setup is useful if you just need the lights to come on as soon as they are turned on, and run a simple sequence or effect such as colour-fades, etc.

[Haggis2020]

I have found the problem. All of the LEDs where daisy chained using Eldoled POWERdrive 90D controllers powered by Mean Well 60W 24V drivers. The second driver in the chain appears to be faulty as when the LEDs powered by this one are faded up all of the LEDs after it start to flicker and flash randomly. Replacing the driver has fixed the problem. I assume that the driver was no longer able to supply sufficient current for the LEDs which was causing the controller to start sending out corrupted DMX to all of the other controllers down the chain. Edited February 8, 2020 by Haggis2020

[gyro_gearloose]

Are you using Meanwell LED drivers or Meanwell power supplies? If you've got Meanwell LED drivers, then use something else! You only need to supply DC volts to the EldoLED unit, not a current-limited LED supply. The EldoLED unit does the current limiting for you.

[timsabre]

If its a "24v" supply, it is a psu rather than a driver.

[gyro_gearloose]

It depends on exactly which Meanwell supply/driver the OP is using. Meanwell name their drivers by their rated wattage, and maximum output voltage, so a 60W/24V supply/driver supplies 60W constant current at up to 24V. Just to confuse things, some of their drivers can operate either in constant current or constant voltage mode. Heres the data sheet fit the first 60W/24V Meanwell I found on Google. Since the OP is using an EldoLED unit to actually drive their LEDs, they can do away with a current-limiting power supply as the EldoLED controller will limit the current for them.

[timsabre]

Well ok, but normally constant current drivers are referred to by their drive current or wattage rather than output voltage so I reckon there's a good chance he's got a 24v constant voltage supply. You are right that if it was a constant current supply bad things would happen, but since this was previously a working install that sounds unlikely

[Haggis2020]

The faulty unit was a ELN-60-24 replaced with a LPF-60-24 I think. The main question is why was the faulty Driver/PSU causing the EldoLED to output corrupted DMX.

[timsabre]

The faulty unit was a ELN-60-24 replaced with a LPF-60-24 I think. The main question is why was the faulty Driver/PSU causing the EldoLED to output corrupted DMX.

Sorry for going off the topic. You'd have to analyse exactly what was coming out of the bad PSU to know for sure but if it was an intermittent or noisy output that could easily get onto the DMX line and cause the symptoms you were describing.