Renard DMX

[Larry Hazeltine]

Christmasinshirley.com has the .asm code for DMX (beta) but my software only imports .hex
kostyun.com has a broken link for the .hex version.

Does anyone have the .hex version of the DMX firmware?

[RPM]

I've attached the hex code for you.

[RavingLunatic]

You really need to be able to do your own conversion. The DMX start address is currently hard coded in the firmware.

Check this thread for info on how to program PICs (including converting from .asm to .hex):

http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=490

[lakewood]

Hi Larry Hazeltine

I downloaded MPASMWIN from http://www.melabs.com/support/mpasm.htm and use it to convert asm code to the hex code required. It's free and works just great. WayneJ has a video tutorial (http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=490) that shows you just what you need.

Hope that helps.
-Robert

[Larry Hazeltine]

You really need to be able to do your own conversion. The DMX start address is currently hard coded in the firmware.

Check this thread for info on how to program PICs (including converting from .asm to .hex):

http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=490

I know nothing about programming. How do I adjust the DMX addresses? I have 4 LOR controllers (currently set as units 1-4) and am adding 2 Renard 24 controllers (for now).

[Larry Hazeltine]

Hi Lazy...
No need to be rude.

I haven't programmed my own chips before, so I came here for help. It may have been intuitive for you to find that particular software, but not everyone has the same experience. That webpage doesn't look like it fits my needs, so even if I had searched longer to find it I probably would have skipped it anyway.

[lakewood]

No need to be rude.

I haven't programmed my own chips before, so I came here for help. It may have been intuitive for you to find that particular software, but not everyone has the same experience. That webpage doesn't look like it fits my needs, so even if I had searched longer to find it I probably would have skipped it anyway.

Sorry Larry - that wasn't meant to be rude. I'm a little dyslexic sometimes and get my letters and words messed up. Sorry. :)

[RavingLunatic]

I know nothing about programming. How do I adjust the DMX addresses? I have 4 LOR controllers (currently set as units 1-4) and am adding 2 Renard 24 controllers (for now).


The DMX address is set in the firmware in this line:

#define DMX_START_ADDRESS 1

You can edit the .asm file in any text editor and just change the value to what ever you want it to be and save it. Then follow the instructions for converting .asm to .hex in the post supplied before.

[RPM]

I've attached the hex code for you.

FYI, this hex file has a DMX start address of 1.

[Larry Hazeltine]

Thanks for the help!

[RavingLunatic]

BTW: In case you don't already know and I'm sure it will come up if you don't. Only the first PIC on each Renard board gets an unique DMX address, all other PICs on the Renard board get DMX address of 1.

So as an example, if you want your Renard 24 to be at DMX address 10. Then you program the first PIC to DMX address 10 and the other 2 PICs get DMX address 1.

[Larry Hazeltine]

BTW: In case you don't already know and I'm sure it will come up if you don't. Only the first PIC on each Renard board gets an unique DMX address, all other PICs on the Renard board get DMX address of 1.

So as an example, if you want your Renard 24 to be at DMX address 10. Then you program the first PIC to DMX address 10 and the other 2 PICs get DMX address 1.

heh...I was actually just coming back in here to ask about that. My 4 LOR controllers supposedly don't need special firmware for DMX. They're already set to controller numbers 1-4. If I read the LOR site correctly, that means the first controller will be DMX channels 1-16, the second 17-32, third 33-48, and fourth 49-64.

I'm going to want to set my Renard 24s to DMX channels 65-88 and 89-112. How should I set the DMX addresses in the code? Just as boxes 5 and 6 (DMX addresses 5 and 6)?

[RavingLunatic]

I'm going to want to set my Renard 24s to DMX channels 65-88 and 89-112. How should I set the DMX addresses in the code? Just as boxes 5 and 6 (DMX addresses 5 and 6)?

Before I answer that question, I need to know how you are going to hook-up your Renard boards. Will each board be getting its own CAT5/DMX input direct or will one Renard be daisy-chained off the first?

Either way the first Renard will need its first PIC programmed for DMX address 65.


If each Renard gets its own CAT5/DMX input (from a splitter of some sort) then the second Renard would have its first PIC set to address 89.

If you daisy-chain the second Renard off of the first Renard, then the second Renard would just be set to address 1.

Clear as mud?? ;)

[Larry Hazeltine]

These will likely be daisy-chained since I don't have a DMX splitter at this point. I'm going for simple this time around (well, besides mixing LOR with Renard, of course).

It's interesting that only the first PIC out of all the controllers gets an address where on LOR each controller gets one regardless of how they are connected.

[BF210]

I thought that was strange, too, but I think I have it now. (I'm sure the Sacred Masters of Blinky-Flashy will correct me if not. :) ) This is probably more than you personally need, but the question might become a FAQ, so...

The addresses are like that because you're dealing with hardware built to the Renard specs but talking the DMX data stream. Renard hardware expects to daisy-chain devices, with each one stripping off the channels it needs and transmitting only the remaining data down the line. The physical order determines the address. In fact, a 24-channel Renard dimmer is usually physically implemented as three 8-channel dimmers on a single circuit board. See the DIYC wiki (http://www.christmasinshirley.com/wiki/index.php?title=Renard) for details.

Each regular DMX device expects to get the full broadcast from the controller, so it needs an address to locate its data within the stream. The two jacks on a DMX device are usually just wired together, so the output is exactly the same as the input. When you mix DMX and Renard, the first Ren/DMX chip needs to know its address so it can ignore earlier data and grab the 8 channels it wants, but it then outputs whatever follows as though it were the controller, with the trailing data now in the first position. If it didn't do this, the Renard24 would need three addresses, one for each of its PICs, and the Ren64 would need eight!

Here's an example: You have a mix of DMX (LOR, American DJ, Martin, whatever) and Renard/DMX devices. You daisy-chain the DMX devices, plug the DMX-Renard adapter cable into the end device, and start adding Renard/DMX units. The first is a Ren24, the second and third are Ren8, and the last, by another adapter cable, is a DMX fog machine. (We'll pretend it was easier for you to hook it up that way.)

Your DMX devices, except the fog machine, get their own addresses as usual. You assign a block of addresses for the chained Ren/DMX boards -- 24+8+8=40, so you treat it as a single 40-channel dimmer and program the first chip with address 100. That way your Ren/DMX channels will be 100 to 139, and your other devices can go anywhere else.

Now the fog machine is a special case. It's behind the Renard/DMX chain, so it sees only what followed the Ren/DMX data. In effect, it has an offset of 139 (the address of the last Ren/DMX channel) from the normal DMX universe. If you want it at DMX address 200. you'll need to tell it to listen to address 200-139=61. If the fogger was already set for address 128, your sequence would need to send commands to address 128+139=267. As long as you remember the offset, you can add several more DMX devices after the fogger.

In brief: If a device follows a regular DMX device, it gets its address from the same pool as that DMX device. If a device follows a Renard/DMX device, it gets its address from a new pool starting at 1, but sequenced at 1+the highest channel of the Ren/DMX device.

Clear as mud? :confused:

(yet another Don)

[cbell]

Here's a message I wrote that shows how to change the DMX start address in the EEPROM using the PICKit software rather than recompiling the code for every change.

http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?p=65222#post65222

[Livermore-Dad]

oops.. ignore me

[RichF]

I figured this was a good posting to revive. I am looking to convert my ren24lv's to DMX. I have converted a ren16 and a ren 8 already and before I convert to DMX 100% I wanted to play with the 24lv using external SSr's. I think I have changed everything but still can not get output control. I know the board works and I know the dmx adapter works. Does anyone have the 24lv firmware already in a hex or an asm so I can reference it.

[budude]

Can you describe what you changed from the default DMX code? Did you flip the outputs using:

#define SINK_map 0x00 – change from '0xFF'

Are you using an AC supply or DC supply for it and are you driving AC or DC SSRs. For AC SSRs, you would need an AC supply or a separate ZC source of some type. For a DC supply, you will need to make the same changes as with the Ren48LSD:

#define DC_build 1 – change from '0'
#define CTR_LOCKOUT 0 – change from '40'

[RichF]

I am using external AC ssr's.

What you have above is the changes for the ren48 and I tried that firmware and it does not work.

I have changed so much I am forgetting with I changed but when I downloaded the DMX code I complied it and tested on a ren8 worked as is supposed to. So I saved that Code.
When I started with the 24 lv I tried the ren48lsd code and it did not work. Chan 2 and 3 stayed on solid along with 5-8.

Back to the basic DMX code I change the DC build to 1 and compliled and wrote to the chip. I did not have control of any channels
I changed the sink map to 0X00 same results.

[budude]

It depends on if you are using an AC power supply vs a DC power supply to the LV since the AC supply will provide ZC for the AC SSRs - that's why I asked that question first. If using an AC supply then all you should need to change is the sink map. If you had a DC supply then an AC SSR would not work so I wanted to clarify that bit.

[RichF]

So to summarize since I am using ac to power my ren24lv and using external ac ssr's all I need to to is change the sink map.

I changed the sink map to 0x00 and it works now.

Thanks for the help