Laser flashing when should be steady on...

[crmunro]

Hello,

I've just tried to use a red/green laser twinkle effect with freestyler. When I set channel 1 to value 192 (DMX Mode) the laser should start twinkling steadily. Instead it flashes on and off many times per second. If I do the same using a standalone lighting board (set Ch 1 to 192) it works as it should, and yet freestyler output seems to make it flash.

is there anything that can be done about this? I think it may have something to do with the speed of my USB to DMX device (uDMX).

Please tell me if you do not understand, I will try to explain better.

Thankyou

[Jan_K]

Hej crmunro

Please give a bit more information on the Laser. Usermanual, DMX table or so.

It is so that a laser normally uses more channels and what the laser does depend on how the other channels are set.
Your standalone controler may set the other channels to one set of values and FreeStyler can have some other values.
If you want to compare the vales then you have to do it for all channels that control the Laser.
In FreeStyler there is a "show output" and there you can see the values for all channels that your laser uses.
You have to compare these values with the stand alone controler.

It is most likely where the error are.

I don't think it is the speed to the uDMX because it then has to send a "on" and "off" dmx value.
The laser will stay on until it receives an off value and I don't think speed will change that.

/Jan

[Spirit]

Hej hello,

You issue also Looks allot like this one, can you verify if this is you issue?

http://www.freestylersupport.com/bugs/view.php?id=267


Greets, Spirit

[crmunro]

Hello,

Thankyou for your assistance!

Spirit, I have checked my language settings, everything is set to US English, so I do not see any problem there.

Jan_K - thankyou for your suggestion, I double-checked the DMX values outputted from Freestyler against those of my console, they all match up. When all values are set to 0, apart from Channel 1 at 192, the issue still occurs.

I have attached a fixture profile and a DMX Control Table. The laser is a cheap one I bought from a local electronics store - http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=SL3437

Thankyou for your help once more.

crmunro

[dmxlighting]

This could well be down to 'Refresh Rate' on your dmx device.
I had similar problems with some Chauvet Color Strips which behaved in a strange flashy mode.
After correcting the refesh rate within the firmware of the dmx device the problem was cured.

I was using an Enttec Pro device at the time.

It is now possible to change the refresh from inside FS in the same window that you select your device from.
Not sure how good this works but play with it. Im sure this will solve the problem.

Some fixtures have fairly crap DMX decoders on board and these problems can occur.

[Spirit]

Hello, again

As i see in the Dmx tabel, did you allready tried to Change the value from channel 6 because its a Speed controll.

but you need to make a .PFF file if you like to upload a Fixturefile instead of .FXT
Now i'm not able to see what you did.
But i assume that all the Channels are by default on Value 0.

i Would try to Change Channel 6 because its a Pattern Speed control and by default value 0 Means FAST.
and this can look like its Flashing on and off all the time.

?Spirit

[crmunro]

Hello,

Spirit, I just tried changing channel 6 value from 0 through 255, it had no effect This makes sense though because on the standalone board, the laser lit up well, even if channel 6 was at 0.

dmxlighting - this is what I was thinking too. Did you have to increase refresh rate or decrease it? Also, within freestyler, I can't work out whether "reboot" means to reset the output, restart Freestyler or restart my computer?

I've reattached a .PFF file this time - I am sorry about before, I did not realise this was the case.

[Spirit]

i have lookt at the Udmx, but i freestyler is see you can say if you like to have it on 96 Channel mode / 256 channel mode and 512 channel mode on Which mode do you have it?

But i would try it on 96Channl mode look if this works?

/Spirit

[crmunro]

Hi Spirit,

I tried 96 channel mode, still no luck. I do believe it is the DMX interface, I may buy and Enttec interface instead.

thankyou for your assistance

[Jan_K]

Hej again

Do you have an other sipmle fixture like parcan or so.

I think it is important that you try with an other fixture before you are running out and buying a new DMX dongle.


/Jan

[crmunro]

Hi Jan,

I have 2 basic RGB LED fixtures. They both work fine.

[Jan_K]

Hej again.

To me this looks like the DMX - USB dongle works meaning that this is related to the fixture.

You have ofcourse tried to adjust all 6 fixture faders in FreeStyler and seen that they have an effect on the laser. (It is the 6 faders in the right side of the FS window)

I am a bit lost here.

I have seen fixtures (Some Mac movingheads) that when the refresh rate was to high then the fixture crash and they maked a reset.

Have you tried to adjust this refresh rate.
It is set under Setup -> FreeStyler Setup -> interface setup -> Advanced.

It is my best suggestion at the noment.

/Jan