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Author Topic: LED Intensity via Artnet on B-Station  (Read 3983 times)

March 22, 2016, 09:34:14 PM
Read 3983 times

StageManager75

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Hello Forum.
What I want to do:
Control LED intensity directly via Artnet Input.

What I did:
Added an action triggered by Artnet-Input -> Intensity Control -> LED 1

What happens:
Artnet-Channel sends desired intensity (static)
LED shows that intensity.
After several seconds, the LED on the B-Station switches off and on again in irregular sequence.

I assume it has to do with the way the trigger is analyzed: As the artnet value is static, the trigger gets lost (either being "up" "down" or "change")

Is there a way to directly send the (static) Artnet-Value of a Channel in the Artnet Protocol to the LED?

For me, control via artnet is the most convenient way. Of course, I could use some tricks to make the value change regularly (without being recognized by the user), but I assume there is another way without those tricks.

March 22, 2016, 10:25:02 PM
Reply #1

StageManager75

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Just an addition to my observations:
No matter if the artnet value changes - the signal gets lost.
A parallel working artnet viewer shows that the controller software sends the values stable. The input monitor of B-Station shows as well the drop in the signal.
I assume a wrong configuration in the artnet protocol.

(I split the input and output universe, so I do not assume I got an unwanted loop in the artnet system)

March 23, 2016, 11:43:29 AM
Reply #2

Jurriën de Klerk

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Hello StageManager75,

I am not sure what you mean exactly with
Quote
in irregular sequence
but I guess that the frame rate the Art-Net is send out with is very low (low like 0.1 frames per second). This causes the B-Station to act like the Art-Net signal is timing out and thus trigger the change to "set to 0", causing the LED to turn off. Does your Art-Net viewer show the frame rate? And is it possible to increase the frame rate on the senders side? Or did I miss interpret the problem?
Hope this helps.
Best regards,

Jurrien
Jurriën de Klerk
Visual Productions BV

March 23, 2016, 03:20:48 PM
Reply #3

StageManager75

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Thank you for that reply.

There is no view of the framerate of the artnet protocol. but the other receiver follows blinking effects with less than 1 s frequency. So I assume there must be much higher framerate on the artnet than 0,1 frames per second.
As well, the LED of the B-Station fulfills soft dimm up and dimm down effects with a up/down ramp of 0,8 seconds without any visual steps. So I think the framerate is better than 10 frames per second.

Irregular sequence means that the LED dropouts do not have a rhythm I can recognize. I have access to my test bench this evening and will try to make a test.

Both artnet receivers are connected to the same switch. B-Station on a PoE-Output, the PC with the other receiver on a non PoE-Output of the same switch.
During writing that, I have the idea to make another test by placing both devices on PoE-Outputs. Probably there is an issue with broadcasted telegrams in that (semi-intelligent) switch.

I see, some testing this evening  :-)

March 23, 2016, 09:01:31 PM
Reply #4

StageManager75

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Some tests later.

What I did:
I made an effect that sets and resets the Channel of one of the LED in the B-Station.
I tried:
Jump to 100%, hold 0,2 s, jump to 0%, hold 0,2 s ...
rise to 100% in 0,1 s, hold 0,1 s, fall to 0% in 0,1s, hold 0,1 s....
rise to 100% in 0,2 s, no hold, fall to 0% in 0,2 s, no hold...
All the three worked and showed up as well in the LED as in the Artnet-Viewer connected to the same switch.
And I even recognized if there was a ramp or a jump in the value.
Another test was done with jumps to 100 and 0 with 0,1 s hold and ramps of 0,1 s up and down without hold. Even this signal with same frequency was transmitted and I could recognize by eye the different behaviour of the LED and the display of the analyzing tool depending whether I sent a ramp or not.

So I assume the artnet refresh rate is much better than 10 frames per second. And I am really sure much much better than the 0,1 frames per second you assumed makes B-Station think Artnet Signal is lost.

One thing changed: During that flickering, there was no dropout. LED followed the signal changes permanently.

Nevertheless, B-Station misses recognizing artnet signal when receiving steady signal other than 0%. I think I recognized some kind of rhythm: 0,5 s LED is brigt, 1,0...1,5 s it is dark. This is synchronous with the "monitor" display of the Web Frontend of the B-Station.

Concerning the switch: All possible functions (as QoS, Loop detection, broadcast blocking) are deactivated.
PC with analyzing software and B-Station now use both PoE-capable ports on the same switch and I even crossed them. No change in behaviour.

March 23, 2016, 10:01:02 PM
Reply #5

StageManager75

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I made some vids showing the value on the artnet chanel and the reaction of the B-Station LED. I could provide this if wanted.
The problem to me seems that a signal that does not change longer than 1,3..1,5 s makes the B-Station think there is no change. -> Trigger not activated -> Intensity not controlled by artet value.

Am I wrong or is it the way B-Station reacts to artnet signals that makes this effect?
In my opinion, I do not need to "trigger" anything but just forward the value received on channel X to the intensity of LED Y.
But there is no way to tell the B-Station to do this. Or I did not find.
B-Station waits for a "trigger" (here the change of the signal) to activate the "control Led intensity" command which then takes the value and forwards it to the LED as intensity. And if there is no "change" trigger activated, the intensity is not forwarded, so the LED switches off until the next change is detected.

March 29, 2016, 04:16:47 PM
Reply #6

Jurriën de Klerk

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Hello,

This doesn't sound like the Art-Net signal is timing out indeed. The only thing I can still come up with is that more than one Art-Net source is sending data to the B-Station. Maybe you can test this by deactivating the 'intended' source? In the web-interface of the B-Station, the 'Art-Net' text, in the bottom status area, should gray out after a couple of seconds.
If you ensured that there is only one Art-Net source, maybe you can send me the backup file and the video you made? (I'll send you my e-mail via a personal message). Then, I'll look into this.
Best regards,

Jurrien
Jurriën de Klerk
Visual Productions BV

March 29, 2016, 04:57:36 PM
Reply #7

StageManager75

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I can do another test where I ensure, that there is no other artnet-sender involved.
"No other"- does it mean that there may be only one sender (no matter which universe it provides) or is it limited to one sender in the universe B-Station is set to receive? How about a unicast sender that sends NOT to the IP of the B-Station?

I have to gather the equipment from the stock, so there will be some time passing prior to another test.

Thank you for your help!


March 29, 2016, 09:11:20 PM
Reply #8

StageManager75

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Wow. Now it works.
In deed the software I used as an artnet monitor interfered with the artnet protocol.
Now the light works as expected.

Thank you - it helped!

March 30, 2016, 10:03:19 AM
Reply #9

Jurriën de Klerk

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That's great news :-)! Just to give you an answer to the questions in your previous post; "other devices" reverts in this case to multiple devices, all sending to the same B-Station and to the same universe. The B-Station should only listen to the universe that is set as input in the settings of the B-Station (other universes are ignored). Uni-cast, not directed to the B-Station, should not even arrive at the B-Station and thus should not have any influence in the B-Station.
I think I have seen similar behavior once while translating Art-Net to DMX, I think this resulted similar distortion, that why I asked.
Good luck with the programming!
Best regards,

Jurrien
Jurriën de Klerk
Visual Productions BV

March 30, 2016, 01:23:21 PM
Reply #10

StageManager75

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This additional help is much appreciated.
For the test, I could generate a real "clean network". But for practical use, there is at least one other Artnet node involved. With that information, I can find a solution. In best case, checking again what can be done to mute the other node (it is used only to receive Artnet, but it is capable of sending either)

Great help! :)

March 30, 2016, 01:23:50 PM
Reply #11

StageManager75

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btw: see you in Frankfurt? Or a colleague?

 

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