Enttec open usb/FS giving me a tumor!

[Johnson Unit]

Help please- Noob about to lose it!

So here's the story:
Brand new Enttec Open USB, 5 pin to 3 pin adaptor, real DMX cable and first install of FS, installed software, drivers, fired up, set addresses and was able to control my LED 64 pars, 2 Intimidator 1.0's and a 4 channel dimmer. This is my first FS experience and it's going fine. Figure out how to save scenes set up a cue, all is good. Show my kids and girlfiend, thumbs up..

Then I screw something up. I buy another pair of intimidators, same model, everything works on them. When cabled together they all sync up and do the random pattern until the dmx is plugged in. At the same time I get the correct fixture files from a friend for my ADJ B64 pars so I can use all the features and for my ADJ Color 250's which I haven't been able to control with any other similar 4 channel profiles. Thinking I want a fresh start with all my fixtures added in order, I delete the old fixtures, then add all the new ones and I lose everthing at first. So I start the process of elimination. I plug in one LED to the DMX box and set the address to 1. It works. Try the Intimidator, no go. Try the color spot, no go. So then I unistall FS and reinstall everything, including the drivers for the enttec and still can only get the LED to respond. I was able to fully controll the intimidators and the dimmer before with no problems, so I try another idea. I borrow my girlfriends laptop (same exact model) thinking some files on mine didn't get overwritten correctly and downloaded FS to it, installed the drivers, fired it up and same thing happened. I can only controll the LED's. I've reset the box in setup, reloaded the software 2x now and still can't control 1 single intimidator with a direct cable and a terminator on it. What could have possibly changed?? Can anybody shed some light. I'm usually pretty good at trouble shooting by process of elimination, but nothing has worked... Is it a bad Enttec box, could my profiles be causing conflicts even when the fixtures are removed?
I have a couple grand worth of gear ready to become a boat anchor here

Any suggestions greatly appreciated-

[LJ_krede.dk]

Try to open the output window in FS and see if the channels for the intimidator are chaning when you try to control it. This should show if it is a FS issue.

I dont know the intimidators so maybe a stupid question. are they configured to receive DMX and not run in master/slave mode?

[Shannon D]

@Johnson,

You mentioned ADJ B64 pars and ADJ Color 250's. Are you using the same fixture file for the two different lights? I looked at the ADJ Color 250D manual and it only has 3 channels. Not sure if this is the same light.
Have you checked which DMX mode each light is setup to (in the light itself)? The ADJ par64 has 3 different DMX modes (3, 6 or 7 channel modes). Does your fixture file in FS match the DMX mode of the light?

[Johnson Unit]

Yes the fixture files are different, they were made for me by BigJD from this board. I have the par 64's set in 7 channel mode and the'yre the only fixtures I can control now. I was able to save scenes with them.
The ADJ 250's have never reacted to the controller using any profile, even the one JD made for me. The intimidators worked fine and the output does show in the window when I move the blue ball around, so signal is being sent but nothing is happening with the fixture. I tried removing all the fixtures and installing just one intimidator profile and plugging it in directly, and nada....

Could the box have gone bad? Can it be reset physically? It seems only the pars are receiving data. I even tried plugging my 4ch dimmer in directly and it wont work either. If NOTHING worked, I'd know I had a bad box, but it's selective.
Last night I completely reinstalled FS stock and didn't load the new fixture profiles, thinking they may be causing conflicts. Loaded the intimidator profile, set channel 1 and nothing still.

[LJ_krede.dk]

if you could try another DMX interface you could quicky find out if it is the enttec open or not. Also try to replace the DMX cables to make sure they are working.

can the intimidator indicate when it receives data? if yes, do you get a indication when you connect the intimidator to your interface?

[Johnson Unit]

I don't have another DMX interface and I just bought 5 new DMX cables that work fine on the LED's.
Don't know how to tell if the intimidator is receiving other than it works. The DMX light is flashing when connected though. I'm going to try a different USB cable The enttec one is pretty cheapo.

[Johnson Unit]

Still nothing. I can plug in the LED and control it fine, even with the wrong profile. The intimidator's, 250D's and dimmer will not resond at all, and all did work earlier...

[Johnson Unit]

Do LED's recieve data a different way than the conventional fixtures? Could i have sent a signal that "blew out" the dmx control to the rest of my fixtures? Nothing works except the par 64 leds. The 3 other type of fixtures all responded fine at one point....
Getting pissed here.

[Shannon D]

Here's something to try. I don't know how many led pars you have, but sounds like you have atleast two. Since your using the 7 channel mode, address one of them to 1 and another 8. Now address on of your original intimidators to 1 and the other 8. Daisy chain all four lights and setup Freestyler to match the 4 fixtures. By controlling the first 4 channels of the pars, the intimidators should respond as well since they are 4 channel fixtures. If both pars respond, but nothing from the intimidators, I would say something is now wrong with the intimidators.

The Enttec Pro dongle has •1500 V full isolation (data & power lines to protect your computer from surges). Evidently the Enttec Open does not. It says protect your computer, but I'd imagine that a surge from any one light could go down the daisy chain and hurt other lights as well. Maybe someone at Enttec can tell you if a possible surge damaged your lights. When I purchased my Enttec dongle, I decided on the Pro for this one reason alone, extra protection. I hope this is not your case.

The intimidators should go into auto mode when dmx is not present. I think you said this is correct. Maybe contact Chauvet and ask if the dmx link could be damaged, but the auto mode still work. Here's their tech email address: tech@chauvetlighting.com

Here's something else to check. I know your pars have a digital lcd read out for addressing the fixture, so kinda hard to get that wrong. The intimidators have the dip switches. Are you sure you setting the dipswitches correctly? It's a long shot, but in the "add / remove fixtures" window of Freestyler, there is a lil picture of dipswitches and it shows how to set your dipswitches when you click on a certain fixture. The white dipswitches that are in the down position are the ones you suppose to set to the ON position on the light. This has confused others, including me in the past.

If you had a dmx controller (board), you could test the lights with that to rule out problems with the Enttec as well. Maybe you can go to a local music store that would possibly have a controller to let you test your lights.

[Johnson Unit]

That's it!
I figured it out with the help of a Freestyler forumite BigJD. He had me switch all the dip switches to the on position on the fixtures and turn them to off to address them. It worked!
Have you ever heard of the polarity changing like that? I had to change all 4 intimidators and the 2 color spots I had, but the dimmer pack worked the normal way with switches down and turning them on.
The wierd thing is I don't remeber reversing the switches unless when I went to reload the fixtures and reset the addy's I flipped them all the wrong way.

Anyway, thanks for the help, most everything is working right. few profile errors to fix. I was so stoked I popped a breaker in my garage with all the fixtures on!

[Shannon D]

Cool! Glad your all fixed up now. Now time for some fun!

Enjoy!

SD

[LJ_krede.dk]

Are you sure you setting the dipswitches correctly? It's a long shot, but in the "add / remove fixtures" window of Freestyler, there is a lil picture of dipswitches and it shows how to set your dipswitches when you click on a certain fixture. The white dipswitches that are in the down position are the ones you suppose to set to the ON position on the light. This has confused others, including me in the past.

It has confused a lot of people including my self. That's why I have made this modification request of the Dip Switch image to avoid mistakes in future versions of FS:

http://www.freestylersupport.com/bugs/view.php?id=29

[Johnson Unit]

Thanks everyone. I was almost positive all the dipswitches were supposed to be in the down position for off, like a regular light switch. The numbers were all at the top too. Just happy I figured this crap out. Now on to sequences, cues, and subs!