Response Speed Limit?

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   ACx8 1.6...Off topic - how could the firmware be related at all to the load on the circuit?  I don't doubt it's happening, but I can't conceive how it can.  

Back on topic - I've wondered from time to time if it might make sense to send out a different kind of heartbeat.  Ie, send a duplicate command for every channel unless it's mid-ramp.  So for 100 channels, we'd send out 100 commands, one for the current state of each channel....and do it every X (configurable) seconds.  Maybe an option in scheduler??

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deweycooter Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Development Joined: 14 Oct 2007 Location: League City, TX Online Status: Offline Posts: 674	Quote Reply Topic: Response Speed Limit? Posted: 01 Jan 2008 at 9:12pm
	ACx8 1.6...Off topic - how could the firmware be related at all to the load on the circuit? I don't doubt it's happening, but I can't conceive how it can. Back on topic - I've wondered from time to time if it might make sense to send out a different kind of heartbeat. Ie, send a duplicate command for every channel unless it's mid-ramp. So for 100 channels, we'd send out 100 commands, one for the current state of each channel....and do it every X (configurable) seconds. Maybe an option in scheduler??
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LightsOnLogan Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Joined: 11 Oct 2007 Online Status: Offline Posts: 3187	Quote Reply Posted: 01 Jan 2008 at 2:50pm
	I believe this may be controller/firmware related as I have seen different firmware versions behave differently in this regard... ACx16 1.11 is really bad about this... about 10% of the time a 0% intensity is completely missed and gets stuck as on. Also, some durations of ramps will produce a trailing flicker after finishing. ACx16 1.13 improves the situation but doesn't fix it. Occasionally a 0% event is missed (5 or 6 times per night I've noticed) but it is certainly more rare. Occasionally a 100% event is missed. Ramps still occasionally flicker at the end (I've taken to calling it aliasing). ACx8 1.12 has never missed an event as far as I can tell. Ramps sometimes alias, but far less often than on the ACx16 1.13. You have to really be trying to find one. The ACx8 might sound more stable, but... I can't run less than 0.6A on a channel without it sticking on. On the humorous side, it makes it really easy to find a mini tree with a section out.... it is the one that never turns off. ACx8 1.6 renders everything perfectly even with less than 0.6A load (no lost events, no aliasing)... but it has a major firmware flaw in that it is suceptible to lost com from time to time requiring a power cycle to get the controller back to life.


dropforge Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Pre-Order User Joined: 21 Dec 2007 Location: Fort Wayne IN Online Status: Offline Posts: 8	Quote Reply Posted: 01 Jan 2008 at 9:19am
	I found my own problem on this issue. I can have a on/off event as small as .02 sec as long as it is not a ramp fade. Ramp fades on the D-light boards (I don't know about others) less than .09 back to back won't show when running . You get a solid on. The Aurora program will render and play them and show them in the visualizer but they won't display outside. On another note I have been running a show in Aurora now for 8 days and noticed last night that I was having some events stay on. Went and checked the sequence and it was correct but my snowflakes would not turn off until a major scene change came about. The correction was to place an on command set at 0% intensity for about .1 sec following each on event. This problem was not there originally. Chuck

LightsOnLogan Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Joined: 11 Oct 2007 Online Status: Offline Posts: 3187	Quote Reply Posted: 31 Dec 2007 at 10:12am
	I think what you suggested is what he is doing. Because intensity isn't yet an option for the twinkle tool he was attempting to render such by using a random series of intensity commands. I have had limited test time on the ACx16s since they are tied up in the show. My show ends tonight so I should get more controller test time soon. I do know that my ACx16s are handling .04 intensity events perfectly (I have a couple places where I am "fading out" a rapidly spinning mega tree by using a series of .04 intensities). This is part of my Faith Noel sequence which has some really wild fast stuff on the mega. Last night one of my ACx8s (#07) started behaving oddly though... it may or may not be related. This particular ACx8 controls 8 of my 48 mini trees. With certain patterns of animation all channels of this controller go completely dark (the other 40 minis continue to work). Other patterns don't affect the controller. As soon as the pattern ends the controller instantly comes back to life. Power cycling does not help. I am going to re-flash it today and hope for the best tonight. Edited by LightsOnLogan - 31 Dec 2007 at 10:14am


deweycooter Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Development Joined: 14 Oct 2007 Location: League City, TX Online Status: Offline Posts: 674	Quote Reply Posted: 31 Dec 2007 at 8:52am
	I know I've got some events going that fast - I'd be curious to see what happens if you turn those twinkles to 50% intensities....I bet they'd work. Btw - if you're flashing a twinkle for 0.05 at 50%, wouldn't it really be the same as a 50% intensity for 0.05?
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LightsOnLogan Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Joined: 11 Oct 2007 Online Status: Offline Posts: 3187	Quote Reply Posted: 23 Dec 2007 at 8:11pm
	Protocol wise what you did should have worked. The default frame size works out to about 1/69th second (0.012) precision. Whether or not your controller firmware could handle it is another question. I think I'm using some events faster than this on my ACx16 in my Faith Noel sequence without any issues. I will test what you described on an ACx16 1.13 soon and post back what I find.


dropforge Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Pre-Order User Joined: 21 Dec 2007 Location: Fort Wayne IN Online Status: Offline Posts: 8	Quote Reply Posted: 22 Dec 2007 at 12:37am
	I have my new Aurora software and was setting up for a new sequence to try. I have 4 ACX16 boards running 1.13 firmware. I have 9 small trees (on one board) that I wanted to twinkle but wanted it at 50% brightness. So I set my on command to 50% and started randomly plucking away at my 9 channels. I made my timing interval .05 sec. and sequenced about 15 sec worth. When I ran the output all I got was 9 trees steady on at 50% --- no blinky no flashy. Is there a lower time speed limit that I need to stick to in order to get a quick on to off transition? The visualizer shows them blinking. Thanks Chuck