ETC fixture not being picked up on RigSync

[alg]

I have recently reconfigured our S48 desk to use both Output ports for our single unverse desk. The two ports are configured as per FLX 48S Universe Outputs 

That is Port one serves our 30 channels of BetaPack dimming with no RigSunc enabled. Port 2 has RigSync enabled and feeds an 8 way Chauvet DMX splitter, this currentlysupports our existing four Coloursource fresnels. All appears good with this existing set up. However when I have tried to add an additional ETC Coloursource Junior spot, the RigSync is not picking this new fixture up, the desk is showing the following message "RigSync is processing 35 devices". The additional fixture would indeed be number 35 but it has not appearing in the fixture schedule. What does this message mean and why is the new fixture not being picked up correctly. I have used the "discover all fixtures " button but it still does not pick up the new fixture. In looking at the fixture itself it was showing one on its display, when the DMX cable was connected the display simply went blank.

This feels that it is probably something simple but offers no clue as to why it is not being correctly set up. Any thoughts. Over time we will be progressively adding more LED fixtures and the aim was that the use of RigSync would make this process a simple plug together task.

[kgallen]

Does your "8 way Chauvet DMX splitter" support RDM? Most "cheap" DMX splitters are unidirectional and will thus block RDM packets, so RigSync won't work for fixtures fed from that DMX splitter.

Do you have other fixtures fed from this splitter where RigSync works? (And to add, that these fixtures weren't previously connected directly to the console and then moved behind the splitter after their config was set by RigSync).

[Edward Z88]

1 hour ago, alg said:

Port one serves our 30 channels of BetaPack dimming with no RigSunc enabled. Port 2 has RigSync enabled and feeds an 8 way Chauvet DMX splitter, this currentlysupports our existing four Coloursource fresnels.

In Setup > Universes > DMX, can you doublecheck that RigSync is definitely disabled on port 1, and enabled on port 2...

https://www.zero88.com/manuals/zeros/setup/universes/dmx-2

1 hour ago, alg said:

I have tried to add an additional ETC Coloursource Junior spot, the RigSync is not picking this new fixture up

The RDM information for this fixture is included in the latest library, so ZerOS should automatically patch the fixture from the library when it is discovered.

[alg]

The Chauvet splitter does support RDM. I will recheck the port settings when next in the theatre.

[alg]

I have checked further this morning. It would appear that regardless of how I configure Universe 1 outputs the desk always reverts to Port 1 with Rig Sync enabled and the opposite for Port 2. Simply powering the desk off will reset to these settings. Why does the desk not retain the settings I input i.e Port 1 RigSync disabled and Port RigSync enabled?

In terms of the use of the Chauvet RDMX Splitter 8 it appears that if I connect the new fixture direct i.e. bypassing the splitter the desk will see it and configure it. However it simply allocates the fixture to DMX start address of 1 and takes the next 5 addresses. This means the first 5 DMX channels that should be driving the first Betapack only is now driving both dimmer and ETC fixture. Why is Rig Sync not using the first free DMX channel for this additional fixture as the start address in our case 59?? I thought that was the point of RigSync, does it not ensure that such DMX clashes are avoided? It certainly worked fine with the previously installed ETC Coloursource Fresnel V fixtures that simply the allocated channels following on from those already in use. I can recover this by deleting the fixture and realocating the DMX chanels back to the Betapack. But this means the new fixture is still not in service.

The next problem is why is RigSync not working via the Chauvet DMX splitter, as  noted previously the device is RDM compliant. Does RigSync not work via other manufacturers products? This is well used  by our supplier in his installations an hires and is made by one of the large lighting companies, surely it should be compatible.

More alarming whilst investigating the desk has taken umbridge and has now completly blocked all DMX ouput from the desk! All the Dimmers and previously installed fixtures will simply not respond to the desk. I have powered off and restarted but still no output. What can cause such a wholsale inhibit on the DMX outputs?

I am supposed to be starting to rig for our Christmas show and need a working system, how can  I at least get my existign rig back and working??

[kgallen]

If you're up against it at this time, then give them a call. I'm sure Keith will be around even if Edward or Jon aren't.

+44 (0)1633 838088

[Edward Z88]

Hi @alg

As @kgallen mentions, this may be easiest to troubleshoot over the phone.

52 minutes ago, alg said:

I have checked further this morning. It would appear that regardless of how I configure Universe 1 outputs the desk always reverts to Port 1 with Rig Sync enabled and the opposite for Port 2. Simply powering the desk off will reset to these settings. Why does the desk not retain the settings I input i.e Port 1 RigSync disabled and Port RigSync enabled?

Thank you for checking this. It sounds like you have encountered an issue we are aware of in ZerOS 7.14, where the RigSync settings per DMX port may not be saved. This issue has been fixed in the latest stable beta. If you would like access to the stable beta software that solves this issue, please let me know, and I can share this with you.

1 hour ago, alg said:

However it simply allocates the fixture to DMX start address of 1 and takes the next 5 addresses. This means the first 5 DMX channels that should be driving the first Betapack only is now driving both dimmer and ETC fixture.

If RigSync is enabled on the DMX port the Betapack 3s are connected to, RigSync may have readdressed the Betapack 3s, leaving the ETC fixture at its current address.

On 11/14/2023 at 1:43 PM, alg said:

Port 2 has RigSync enabled and feeds an 8 way Chauvet DMX splitter, this currentlysupports our existing four Coloursource fresnels. All appears good with this existing set up.

56 minutes ago, alg said:

The next problem is why is RigSync not working via the Chauvet DMX splitter, as  noted previously the device is RDM compliant. Does RigSync not work via other manufacturers products? This is well used  by our supplier in his installations an hires and is made by one of the large lighting companies, surely it should be compatible.

Based on your description my understanding is that RigSync DOES work via the Chauvet DMX Splitter with the ColorSource Fresnels? If so, the splitter is RDM enabled, and RigSync should be able to discover any RDM-compliant devices connected to the Splitter's DMX ports. I am not sure why the ColorSource JNR Spot is not being discovered, whereas other fixtures are. If you unplug the ColorSource Fresnels from the splitter, and connect the ColorSource JNR Spot instead, does RigSync then discover the fixture?

Some DMX splitters have the ability to switch off RDM on the output ports, so this would be worth checking.

1 hour ago, alg said:

More alarming whilst investigating the desk has taken umbridge and has now completly blocked all DMX ouput from the desk! All the Dimmers and previously installed fixtures will simply not respond to the desk. I have powered off and restarted but still no output. What can cause such a wholsale inhibit on the DMX outputs?

In Setup > Universes > DMX, confirm the DMX ports are indeed enabled. In Setup > Fixture Schedule, doublecheck which universes fixtures are patched onto. In Setup > Universes, scroll down to the Desk Universe the fixtures are patched on, and confirm the DMX ports have been added to that Desk Universe. Z/Shift > System Information > DMX Outputs will show you the levels of the DMX universes the console is outputting.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

[alg]

Thanks for this feedback. One or two points on clarification.

Re the saving of the port allocation, I guess in the short term I can simply swop round my use of the ports to take account of the fact the port 1 will always default to RigSync enabled and use that for my LED fixtures and use Port 2 with RigSync disabled for the Betapacks. So for now I will pass on your Beta S/W offer, thanks.

Re the DMX addressing, the Betapacks are not RDM enabled. I did try running with it on but found RigSync would insist on changing the DMX start address on each of the 5 packs making a nonsense of the labelling on the packs for patch purposes. What was happening was whilst the desk had reallocated DMX channels to the new Coloursource fixture i.e. 1-5 the Betapack was still seeing the DMX output and so I had the Betapack and Coloursource all running off the same channels on the desk.

Re the RigSync control of the Coloursource Fresnels via the splitter, since these fixtures were previously discovered and known to the desk I assume there was no RDM management going on and the DMX was simply taking the fixture up and down. So I cannot say RigSync was working only that it was possible to take the control the fixtures in terms of setting intensity etc.

Re the issue with the lack of DMX output, I will need to check this in the theatre when I can next get across, possibly tomorrow or Friday afternoon. If I still have problems I will phone direct as you suggest.

[Edward Z88]

14 minutes ago, alg said:

Re the saving of the port allocation, I guess in the short term I can simply swop round my use of the ports to take account of the fact the port 1 will always default to RigSync enabled and use that for my LED fixtures and use Port 2 with RigSync disabled for the Betapacks. So for now I will pass on your Beta S/W offer, thanks.

Makes perfect sense. No problem.

15 minutes ago, alg said:

Re the DMX addressing, the Betapacks are not RDM enabled. I did try running with it on but found RigSync would insist on changing the DMX start address on each of the 5 packs making a nonsense of the labelling on the packs for patch purposes. What was happening was whilst the desk had reallocated DMX channels to the new Coloursource fixture i.e. 1-5 the Betapack was still seeing the DMX output and so I had the Betapack and Coloursource all running off the same channels on the desk.

If the Betapack channels are patched manually, and RigSync cannot see them, upon discovering a new fixture RigSync should not patch the discovered fixture to an address which is already in use on the same universe. If the console has done exactly that, please email me a copy of your console's show file.

17 minutes ago, alg said:

Re the RigSync control of the Coloursource Fresnels via the splitter, since these fixtures were previously discovered and known to the desk I assume there was no RDM management going on and the DMX was simply taking the fixture up and down. So I cannot say RigSync was working only that it was possible to take the control the fixtures in terms of setting intensity etc.

So when you originally allowed RigSync to discover and configure the fixtures, you were not connected via the Splitter?

Now that the fixtures are connected via the Splitter, do you receive "Device not responding" errors at the top of the Output window? If so, this means that the console is not getting an RDM response from the fixtures via the splitter, even if they can still receive DMX.

18 minutes ago, alg said:

Re the issue with the lack of DMX output, I will need to check this in the theatre when I can next get across, possibly tomorrow or Friday afternoon. If I still have problems I will phone direct as you suggest.

No problem - let us know how you get on.