Sandevices E682 controller and xlights setup help with universes and channels

[pixel_noob_n_cnfusd]

I can imagine every Christmas there are a few hundred of these questions of yet another newbie attempting to do something new with their Christmas decorations. This year it's my turn. I love those pvc arches I've seen around and on TV that have the leaping or chasing effect. My poor husband thought they'd be simple enough to construct and he made them for me. Looking around on the web, we researched the equipment we needed thinking that the software would come preconfigured or the computer would do most of the job. Yeah right! Now we've spent the money and what seemed like a simple project has become a headache.
I've hooked up the arches to the E682 controller I got from Sandevices and downloaded xlights and was able after many many sleepless nights to get some sort of a show going but I know my configuration is all wrong and some pixels don't light up as they should and some of the lights don't light up at all. I think my issue is my configuration between E682 and Xlights channels not lining up.

I'm looking for help on how to set up my configuration in Sandevices E682 and Xlights. I have my strips connected in the following manner:

In output 1-1 of the controller I have connected a strip made up of 204 nodes (3colors per node)

outputs 2-1, 2-2 ,, each have 1 strip of 84 nodes (each strip is a pvc arch)

outputs 3-3, and 3-4, each have 1 strip of 84 nodes (each strip is a pvc arch)

output 4-1 has a strip of 132 nodes

That's all I have and what I need to know is how that information would be input into sandevices E682 controller web page and xlights so they can communicate properly with the lights. Any help anyone can offer I will truly appreciate.

[K-State Fan]

Just make sure they match.

Post screen shots of your setup screens

[Barnabybear]

Hi, this should be pretty easy to sort or though because I’m UK I might only have time to get you started and someone else will continue.

Where did you get the E682 from?

Is the E682 Ethernet cable plugged directly into the PC that is running xlights or does it run through an AP (access point)?

Have you been able to log onto the E682 web page?

If so have you made any changes?

If you have made changes to the E682 set up can you take a screen shot of the web page and post it please.

Have you run the output test on the E682?

If you start with that and we’ll move on to the xlights stuff later.

[pixel_noob_n_cnfusd]

xlights setup.jpgSandevices E682 setup.jpg

[pixel_noob_n_cnfusd]

Thanks to all who are taking the time to respond and help me troubleshoot. I have made changes to E682 until the tests light everything up. The controller is plugged in and the tests work most of the time. When I try to input the information into Xlights I start running into issues and the channels overlap or don't control the same lights as E682, that's when I go back and change things around and mess everything up again.

[Barnabybear]

Hi, cool thanks for the screen shots that helps a lot.
There are various issues:

E861 outputs ‘1-1 to 1-4’
You only have ‘length pixels’ set to 170 and from your post you have 204 connected- this needs changing to 204 or only the first 170 will light.

You are using newer versions of the E682 firmware and newer version of xlights than I’m running but I’ll look up the next set of fixes unless someone steps in.

[Barnabybear]

Hi,

outputs 2-1, 2-2 ,, each have 1 strip of 84 nodes (each strip is a pvc arch)

outputs 3-3, and 3-4, each have 1 strip of 84 nodes (each strip is a pvc arch)

output 4-1 has a strip of 132 nodes

As above:

E861 outputs ‘2-1 to 2-4’ needs to be 84
E861 outputs ‘3-1 to 3-4’ needs to be 84
E861 outputs ‘4-1 to 4-4’ needs to be 132

Still more changes to make but this should start to get some strings correct and make others worse.

[pixel_noob_n_cnfusd]

Thank you so much for your help, and how would you add that into xlights? Because when I do it, xlights doesn't command the same channels that E682 is commanding in the tests

[Stormyblade]

Thank you so much for your help, and how would you add that into xlights? Because when I do it, xlights doesn't command the same channels that E682 is commanding in the tests

Within xLights, you need to specify how long (in pixels) each prop/model is. For instance, when you create an arch, call it Arch 1 or whatever, and in the table, you define how many pixels it has. xLights will try to calculate where the next prop (in your case, a PVC arch) starts based on that number. If you look at the Layout tab in xLights, after Arch 1, Arch 2 will show this for it's starting channel: ">Arch1"

[Barnabybear]

Hi, sorry about the delay in replying as I said I’m UK. Are all the pixels working in test mode now?
Can you take another screen shot of the E682 setup page please as it should have renumbered the universes that are being used, then we can set these in xlights.