Ren-W Questions/Answers - Revision history

Dirknerkle at 20:55, 7 September 2018

2018-09-07T20:55:04Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:55, 7 September 2018
Line 81:		Line 81:

	*'''What kind of wireless range can I expect to get?'''		*'''What kind of wireless range can I expect to get?'''
	*Even though the XBee radio’s specifications indicate much longer distances, in actual practice, a regular XBee module should provide roughly 50-~~75’~~ range while the XBee Pro module can generally work up to ~~300’~~ or greater, depending on the kind of antennas used on the units and where the antennas are located (higher is better). ~~Greater~~ distances are possible, but signal reliability is a major issue when the radios are operating at 57,600 baud, the basic speed that is recommended for Renard SS controllers. Note that you should also expect to experience occasional light flickering or even miscued lights that are caused by data dropouts, a common occurrence with high speed wireless serial connections that use streaming data without a hardware or software flow control mechanism. If the SMA version of the XBee Pro module is used with an efficient external antenna, one might experience incredible range. In cursory testing, a 14" external SMA antenna with 6db gain easily provided about 1000' of working distance, but results may vary depending on your situation. However, extreme distances such as miles have not been tested as they seem outside the scope of intended use.		*Even though the XBee radio’s specifications indicate much longer distances, in actual practice, a regular XBee module should provide roughly 50-75 foot range while the XBee Pro module can generally work up to 300 yards or greater, depending on the kind of antennas used on the units and where the antennas are located (higher is better). The Pro version of the radio has both a more powerful transmitting capability and a much greater receiving sensitivity. Even greater distances are possible, but signal reliability is a major issue when the radios are operating at 57,600 baud, the basic speed that is recommended for Renard SS controllers. Note that you should also expect to experience occasional light flickering or even miscued lights that are caused by data dropouts, a common occurrence with high speed wireless serial connections that use streaming data without a hardware or software flow control mechanism. If the SMA version of the XBee Pro module is used with an efficient external antenna, one might experience incredible range. In cursory testing, a 14" external SMA antenna with 6db gain easily provided about 1000' of working distance, but results may vary depending on your situation. However, extreme distances such as miles have not been tested as they seem outside the scope of intended use.


Line 93:		Line 93:

	*'''Can you make it so no bytes are dropped at all?'''		*'''Can you make it so no bytes are dropped at all?'''
	*No, as this would require the use of flow control which, in a fast-paced streaming protocol that is often synchronized to a music track, tends to slow things down and data may eventually become out of sync with the music. The current Renard protocol assumes a direct wired connection, but it includes a space bit which is intended to help solve possible data flow issues and timing. There is no functionality built into the Renard’s PIC code for either software or hardware flow. Something you can try is to change Vixen’s Renard plug-in setting to use 2 stop bits instead of the normal one stop bit and see if that makes a difference for you. Of course, the stronger the radio signal is, the more likely fewer dropped bytes. Consider upgrading to the XBee Pro module if using the standard one, or possibly an SMA version and an external antenna.		*No, as this would require the use of flow control which, in a fast-paced streaming protocol that is often synchronized to a music track, tends to slow things down and data may eventually become out of sync with the music. The current Renard protocol assumes a direct wired connection, but it includes a space bit which is intended to help solve possible data flow issues and timing. There is no functionality built into the Renard’s PIC code for either software or hardware flow. Something you can try is to change Vixen’s Renard plug-in setting to use 2 stop bits instead of the normal one stop bit and see if that makes a difference for you. Of course, the stronger the radio signal is, the more likely fewer dropped bytes. Consider upgrading to the XBee Pro module if using the standard one, or possibly an SMA version and an external antenna. Wireless communication is never as secure as wired communication.


	*'''Can I mount the Ren-W inside one of my waterproof broadband-type controller boxes?'''		*'''Can I mount the Ren-W inside one of my waterproof broadband-type controller boxes?'''
	*Yes, but keep the XBee’s antenna away from any transformers, A/C power and any triacs for best performance. Also understand that the more impediments you place between the transmitting and receiving antennas the less workable distance you’ll get. Lastly, if you decide to mount the Ren-W on the inside top cover of your broadband case, consider using the side-entry RJ-45 jacks and a little longer cat5 cable instead of the top-entry version and a shorter cable. This will reduce stress on the cat5 connectors on both the Ren-W and the controller.		*Yes, but keep the XBee’s antenna away from any transformers, A/C power and any triacs for best performance. Also, don't put it inside a metal case -- that won't work at all. Also understand that the more impediments you place between the transmitting and receiving antennas the less workable distance you’ll get. Lastly, if you decide to mount the Ren-W on the inside top cover of your broadband case, consider using the side-entry RJ-45 jacks and a little longer cat5 cable instead of the top-entry version and a shorter cable. This will reduce stress on the cat5 connectors on both the Ren-W and the controller. There are antenna extension cables available but using them is generally not very successful as the cable soaks up all the transmitting energy. For Xbee to be successful, the distance between the antenna and the radio should be very short.

Dirknerkle at 00:24, 24 April 2012

2012-04-24T00:24:39Z

Dirknerkle at 23:55, 23 October 2011

2011-10-23T23:55:47Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:55, 23 October 2011
Line 9:		Line 9:
	*'''Will RS-232 work with the Ren-W?'''		*'''Will RS-232 work with the Ren-W?'''
	*Yes, as long as the board has been modified as per the RS485 patch outlined on the Ren-W troubleshooting page of the Wiki (pre-20100622 boards only). In addition, you'll want to connect RS232 ground (pin 5) to the Ren-W's J1 pin 1 and RS232 pin 3 to the Ren-W's J1 pin 4.		*Yes, as long as the board has been modified as per the RS485 patch outlined on the Ren-W troubleshooting page of the Wiki (pre-20100622 boards only). In addition, you'll want to connect RS232 ground (pin 5) to the Ren-W's J1 pin 1 and RS232 pin 3 to the Ren-W's J1 pin 4.


			*'''Are the SMA and Rev-6 versions of the Ren-W interchangeable?'''
			*Not directly. You'll find that using the Rev-6 board with an SS controller requires that JP2 on the SS controller be open and not shunted. (JP2 is the termination resistor on the SS board).

Jrd: added link to troubleshooting

2011-09-26T05:20:52Z

added link to troubleshooting

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:20, 26 September 2011
Line 97:		Line 97:

	*'''I'm having trouble with channels 57-64 on my Ren64 with the Ren-W. What's going on?'''		*'''I'm having trouble with channels 57-64 on my Ren64 with the Ren-W. What's going on?'''
	*There is a timing incompatibility between the Ren-W's XBee module and the Ren64 when both are running at 57,600 baud, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit and no parity. Try using MARK parity and 2 stop bits instead. '''Update: a suggested combination firmware/hardware solution to this problem is available on the Ren-W Troubleshooting page.''' Additional viable solutions include dropping down to 38,400 baud which completely eliminates the problem. Alternately, you can certainly use the Ren64 as-is without plugging anything into channels 57-64. However, the best (and easy) solutions are found on the troubleshooting page and the change to MARK parity and 2 stop bits is the simplest. Of course, you must set both the Vixen plug-in and the XBee radio to communicate at the same settings.		*There is a timing incompatibility between the Ren-W's XBee module and the Ren64 when both are running at 57,600 baud, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit and no parity. Try using MARK parity and 2 stop bits instead. '''Update: a suggested combination firmware/hardware solution to this problem is available on the [[Ren-W Troubleshooting]] page.''' Additional viable solutions include dropping down to 38,400 baud which completely eliminates the problem. Alternately, you can certainly use the Ren64 as-is without plugging anything into channels 57-64. However, the best (and easy) solutions are found on the troubleshooting page and the change to MARK parity and 2 stop bits is the simplest. Of course, you must set both the Vixen plug-in and the XBee radio to communicate at the same settings.

Dirknerkle at 20:41, 17 July 2011

2011-07-17T20:41:46Z

Dirknerkle at 03:59, 23 May 2011

2011-05-23T03:59:09Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:59, 23 May 2011
Line 12:		Line 12:

	*'''Do I have to use a special serial port setting with the Ren-W?'''		*'''Do I have to use a special serial port setting with the Ren-W?'''
	*Yes. The best setting to use is 57600 baud, 8 data bits, 2 stop bits and Mark parity. This should be configured in both your Vixen plugin AND in the XBee radios themselves. The Renard firmware should also be set to 57600 baud so that the PICs are in sync, too.		*Yes. The best setting to use is 57600 baud, 8 data bits, 2 stop bits and Mark parity. This should be configured in both your Vixen plugin AND in the XBee radios themselves. The Renard firmware should also be set to 57600 baud so that the PICs are in sync, too. Note that 57600, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit and NO parity works generally works fine, although you may experience a few data packet dropouts when there are more than 57 channels connected to the same Ren-W board, such as with a Ren64.


Line 52:		Line 52:

	*'''Can the Ren-W work with other Renard controllers such as the Renard 16, Renard 24 or Renard 64?'''		*'''Can the Ren-W work with other Renard controllers such as the Renard 16, Renard 24 or Renard 64?'''
	*Yes, but some of the versions of those boards have different design versions and the RJ45 serial pin outs as well as the serial signal may vary from the Renard SS board’s design. The Ren-W was originally designed to be a plug-in option for WayneJ's Renard SS controllers but it has been successfully tested with wjohn's Ren64 (v. XC5), budude's Ren48LSD, fkostyun's Ren24 version 3.0 and 3.3 '''(thanks to DIYC members penfold and kychristmas!)''' and the Ren24LV. If the RJ45 pinouts are the same as the Renard standard, it should work. However, if the pinouts are different from the Renard standard, you would have to make your own custom cat5 connection cables to connect the Ren-W to the Renard board instead of using the standard, straight-through cat5 cabling scheme. It is also possible that the use of the choke core balun (as for the Ren-C adapter) may be required.		*Yes, but some of the versions of those boards have different design versions and the RJ45 serial pin outs as well as the serial signal may vary from the Renard SS board’s design. The Ren-W was originally designed to be a plug-in option for WayneJ's Renard SS controllers but it has been successfully tested with wjohn's Ren64 (v. XC5), budude's Ren48LSD, fkostyun's Ren24 version 3.0 and 3.3 '''(thanks to DIYC members penfold and kychristmas!)''' and the Ren24LV, and the Simple Renard 24 and Simple Renard 32. If the RJ45 pinouts are the same as the Renard standard, it should work. However, if the pinouts are different from the Renard standard, you would have to make your own custom cat5 connection cables to connect the Ren-W to the Renard board instead of using the standard, straight-through cat5 cabling scheme. It is also possible that the use of the choke core balun (as for the Ren-C adapter) may be required.


Line 81:		Line 81:

	*'''Will this interact with my home wi-fi network?'''		*'''Will this interact with my home wi-fi network?'''
	*Possibly. Wi-fi generally operates in the 2.4ghz radio spectrum, same as the XBee radio. It has been proven that when a wi-fi device is in close proximity to an XBee radio, the XBee's reception can easily be hampered by the power of the wi-fi device's transmitter. The symptom is that the Ren-W starts acting randomly or may seem to lock up or be unresponsive. Usually removing the wi-fi device from the immediate area should solve the problem. The Troubleshooting section of the Ren-W Wiki includes a notation on this very issue.		*Possibly. Wi-fi generally operates in the 2.4ghz radio spectrum, same as the XBee radio. It has been proven that when a wi-fi device is in close proximity to an XBee radio, the XBee's reception can easily be hampered by the power of the wi-fi device's transmitter. The symptom is that the Ren-W starts acting randomly or may seem to lock up or be unresponsive. Usually removing the wi-fi device from the immediate area should solve the problem. Xbee radios can use many different Wi-Ri channels, and you may have to experiment with different settings if your experience interference. The Troubleshooting section of the Ren-W Wiki includes a notation on this very issue.

Ravinglunatic at 04:59, 29 January 2011

2011-01-29T04:59:33Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:59, 29 January 2011
Line 119:		Line 119:
	*[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8102 Ren-W Topic on the DIYC Forums]		*[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8102 Ren-W Topic on the DIYC Forums]

	~~[[Category:Renard]]~~

	[[Category:Ren-W]]		[[Category:Ren-W]]
			[[Category:DIYC Index]]

Jrd: Added forum link

2010-12-14T02:32:42Z

Added forum link

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:32, 14 December 2010
Line 117:		Line 117:
	*[[Ren-W Antenna Info]]		*[[Ren-W Antenna Info]]
	*[[Ren-W Controller Heater]]		*[[Ren-W Controller Heater]]
			*[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8102 Ren-W Topic on the DIYC Forums]

	[[Category:Renard]]		[[Category:Renard]]
	[[Category:Ren-W]]		[[Category:Ren-W]]

Dirknerkle at 16:45, 7 December 2010

2010-12-07T16:45:20Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:45, 7 December 2010
Line 79:		Line 79:
	*Even though the XBee radio’s specifications indicate much longer distances, in actual practice, a regular XBee module should provide roughly 50-75’ range while the XBee Pro module can generally work up to 175’. Greater distances are possible, but signal reliability is a major issue when the radios are operating at 57,600 baud, the basic speed that is recommended for Renard SS controllers. Note that you should also expect to experience occasional light flickering or even miscued lights that are caused by data dropouts, a common occurrence with high speed wireless serial connections that use streaming data without a hardware or software flow control mechanism. If the SMA version of the XBee Pro module is used with an efficient external antenna, one might experience incredible range. In cursory testing, a 14" external SMA antenna with 6db gain easily provided about 1000' of working distance, but results may vary depending on your situation. However, extreme distances such as miles have not been tested as they seem outside the scope of intended use.		*Even though the XBee radio’s specifications indicate much longer distances, in actual practice, a regular XBee module should provide roughly 50-75’ range while the XBee Pro module can generally work up to 175’. Greater distances are possible, but signal reliability is a major issue when the radios are operating at 57,600 baud, the basic speed that is recommended for Renard SS controllers. Note that you should also expect to experience occasional light flickering or even miscued lights that are caused by data dropouts, a common occurrence with high speed wireless serial connections that use streaming data without a hardware or software flow control mechanism. If the SMA version of the XBee Pro module is used with an efficient external antenna, one might experience incredible range. In cursory testing, a 14" external SMA antenna with 6db gain easily provided about 1000' of working distance, but results may vary depending on your situation. However, extreme distances such as miles have not been tested as they seem outside the scope of intended use.


			*'''Will this interact with my home wi-fi network?'''
			*Possibly. Wi-fi generally operates in the 2.4ghz radio spectrum, same as the XBee radio. It has been proven that when a wi-fi device is in close proximity to an XBee radio, the XBee's reception can easily be hampered by the power of the wi-fi device's transmitter. The symptom is that the Ren-W starts acting randomly or may seem to lock up or be unresponsive. Usually removing the wi-fi device from the immediate area should solve the problem. The Troubleshooting section of the Ren-W Wiki includes a notation on this very issue.


	*'''I’m concerned about dropped data. How might it affect my light show?'''		*'''I’m concerned about dropped data. How might it affect my light show?'''

Dirknerkle at 19:46, 26 November 2010

2010-11-26T19:46:37Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:46, 26 November 2010
Line 112:		Line 112:
	*[[Ren-W Troubleshooting]]		*[[Ren-W Troubleshooting]]
	*[[Ren-W Antenna Info]]		*[[Ren-W Antenna Info]]
			*[[Ren-W Controller Heater]]

	[[Category:Renard]]		[[Category:Renard]]
	[[Category:Ren-W]]		[[Category:Ren-W]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:24, 24 April 2012
Line 1:		Line 1:
	*'''Can a Ren-W be connected directly to the computer?'''		*'''Can a Ren-W be connected directly to the computer?'''
	*Yes, but the Ren-W board may need the RS485 patch (see troubleshooting page) for it to work reliably unless the Ren-W board is version 20100622 or later; the later revision does not require the patch. The patch uses only the ground and -485 signals. However, the board in its current state works fine with passive RS232 - RS485 adapters such as the Sintech 9309, which is available for about $8 from [http://www.dealextreme.com/search.dx/search.sintech%209309 www.dealextreme.com]. I've used this off my PC's RS-232 port and connected it directly to the Ren-W without any problems whatsoever. '''Bottom line:''' the best way to transmit directly from the computer is to use the XBee USB Explorer instead of a Ren-W. The Explorer doubles as the programmer board, but it's a fantastic transmitter, and appears to your computer just like a normal COM port, so configuring Vixen to use it is a snap. Then you can put all your Ren-Ws out in the field.		*Yes, but early versions of the Ren-W board priot to 20100622 may need the RS485 patch (see troubleshooting page) for it to work reliably unless the Ren-W board is version 20100622 or later; the later revision does not require the patch. The patch uses only the ground and -485 signals. However, the board in its current state works fine with passive RS232 - RS485 adapters such as the Sintech 9309, which is available for about $8 from [http://www.dealextreme.com/search.dx/search.sintech%209309 www.dealextreme.com]. I've used this off my PC's RS-232 port and connected it directly to the Ren-W without any problems whatsoever. '''Bottom line:''' the best way to transmit directly from the computer is to use the XBee USB Explorer instead of a Ren-W. The Explorer doubles as the programmer board, but it's a fantastic transmitter, and appears to your computer just like a normal COM port, so configuring Vixen to use it is a snap. Then you can put all your Ren-Ws out in the field.


Line 16:		Line 16:

	*'''Do I have to use a special serial port setting with the Ren-W?'''		*'''Do I have to use a special serial port setting with the Ren-W?'''
	*~~Yes~~. The best setting to use is 57600 baud, 8 data bits, 2 stop bits and Mark parity. This should be configured in both your Vixen plugin AND in the XBee radios themselves. The Renard firmware should also be set to 57600 baud so that the PICs are in sync, too. Note that 57600, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit and NO parity works generally works fine, although you may experience a few data packet dropouts when there are more than 57 channels connected to the same Ren-W board, such as with a Ren64. When daisy-chaining one controller to the next via Ren-Ws, the XBee radios in the daisy-chained Ren-W/controllers must be set to 57600, 8 bits, NO parity and 1 stop bit.		*Generally, yes. The best setting to use is 57600 baud, 8 data bits, 2 stop bits and Mark parity. This should be configured in both your Vixen plugin AND in the XBee radios themselves. The Renard firmware should also be set to 57600 baud so that the PICs are in sync, too. Note that 57600, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit and NO parity works generally works fine, although you may experience a few data packet dropouts when there are more than 57 channels connected to the same Ren-W board, such as with a Ren64. When daisy-chaining one controller to the next via Ren-Ws, the XBee radios in the daisy-chained Ren-W/controllers must be set to 57600, 8 bits, NO parity and 1 stop bit.


Line 32:		Line 32:

	*'''Can I mix Global Broadcast mode with PTP mode?'''		*'''Can I mix Global Broadcast mode with PTP mode?'''
	*Theoretically yes, if you’re very clever with using combinations of the XBee’s PAN ID and addressing configurations and don’t mind experimenting to see what works best for you.		*Theoretically yes, if you’re very clever with using combinations of the XBee’s PAN ID and addressing configurations and don’t mind experimenting to see what works best for you. However, start_address firmware in a global broadcast most is most likely going to give you every bit of the flexibility you need, making PTP unnecessary.


	*'''Can I mix SS8, SS16 and SS24 boards in the same Ren-W network?'''		*'''Can I mix SS8, SS16 and SS24 boards in the same Ren-W network?'''
	*Yes. In PTP mode, they will function just as if they were connected via cat5 cable (use 57600, 8,N,1 settings). In global broadcast mode where each Ren-W receives the same commands instead of only those passed on from the previous controller, ~~results may vary~~. Re-read the “Renard basics and how they relate to Ren-W” section on the first page of the Ren-W Wiki.		*Yes. In PTP mode, they will function just as if they were connected via cat5 cable (use 57600, 8,N,1 settings). In global broadcast mode where each Ren-W receives the same commands instead of only those passed on from the previous controller, use start_address firmware to tell the controllers which channels they should react to. Re-read the “Renard basics and how they relate to Ren-W” section on the first page of the Ren-W Wiki.


Line 56:		Line 56:

	*'''Can the Ren-W work with other Renard controllers such as the Renard 16, Renard 24 or Renard 64?'''		*'''Can the Ren-W work with other Renard controllers such as the Renard 16, Renard 24 or Renard 64?'''
	*Yes, but some ~~of the~~ versions of ~~those boards~~ have different design versions and the RJ45 serial pin outs as well as the serial signal may vary from the Renard SS board’s design. The Ren-W was originally designed to be a plug-in option for WayneJ's Renard SS controllers but it has been successfully tested with wjohn's Ren64 (v. XC5), budude's Ren48LSD, fkostyun's Ren24 version 3.0 and 3.3 '''(thanks to DIYC members penfold and kychristmas!)''' and the Ren24LV, and the Simple Renard 24 and Simple Renard 32. If the RJ45 pinouts are the same as the Renard standard, it should work. However, if the pinouts are different from the Renard standard, you ~~would~~ have to make your own custom cat5 connection cables to connect the Ren-W to the Renard board instead of using the standard, straight-through cat5 cabling scheme. It is also possible that the use of the choke core balun (as for the Ren-C adapter) may be required to help reduce line noise.		*Yes, but some versions of Renard controllers may have different design versions and the RJ45 serial pin outs as well as the serial signal may vary from the Renard SS board’s design. The Ren-W was originally designed to be a plug-in option for WayneJ's Renard SS controllers but it has been successfully tested with wjohn's Ren64 (v. XC5), budude's Ren48LSD, fkostyun's Ren24 version 3.0 and 3.3 '''(thanks to DIYC members penfold and kychristmas!)''' and the Ren24LV, and the Simple Renard 24 and Simple Renard 32. If the RJ45 pinouts are the same as the Renard standard, it should work. However, if the pinouts are different from the Renard standard, you just have to make your own custom cat5 connection cables to connect the Ren-W to the Renard board instead of using the standard, straight-through cat5 cabling scheme. It is also possible that the use of the choke core balun (as for the Ren-C adapter) may be required to help reduce line noise.


Line 68:		Line 68:

	*'''Will the super-powered 900mhz XBee radio modules work for even greater range?'''		*'''Will the super-powered 900mhz XBee radio modules work for even greater range?'''
	*Maybe. Some radios in the XBee line supposedly provide a line-of-sight range of up to 12 miles, but they may not have the same speed throughput capability that you may need and their electrical power requirements may be greater than are designed into the Ren-W board. The concept still is sound, but they may not be a drop-in replacement for the current Ren-W design. However, Ren-W has been tested to easily provide 1000' range when external Wi-Fi antennas are used (using the XBee Pro with SMA connector) so it's a bit hard to understand why you'd need more distance than that.		*Maybe. Some radios in the XBee line supposedly provide a line-of-sight range of up to 12 miles, but they may not have the same speed throughput capability that you may need and their electrical power requirements may be greater than are designed into the Ren-W board. The concept still is sound, but they may not be a drop-in replacement for the current Ren-W design. However, Ren-W has been tested to easily provide 1000' range when external Wi-Fi antennas are used (using the XBee Pro with SMA connector) so it's a bit hard to understand why you'd need more distance than that. However, the 900mhz radio does not have the same baud rate options as the normal radio, so using it may provide mixed results.


Line 81:		Line 81:

	*'''What kind of wireless range can I expect to get?'''		*'''What kind of wireless range can I expect to get?'''
	*Even though the XBee radio’s specifications indicate much longer distances, in actual practice, a regular XBee module should provide roughly 50-75’ range while the XBee Pro module can generally work up to ~~175’~~. Greater distances are possible, but signal reliability is a major issue when the radios are operating at 57,600 baud, the basic speed that is recommended for Renard SS controllers. Note that you should also expect to experience occasional light flickering or even miscued lights that are caused by data dropouts, a common occurrence with high speed wireless serial connections that use streaming data without a hardware or software flow control mechanism. If the SMA version of the XBee Pro module is used with an efficient external antenna, one might experience incredible range. In cursory testing, a 14" external SMA antenna with 6db gain easily provided about 1000' of working distance, but results may vary depending on your situation. However, extreme distances such as miles have not been tested as they seem outside the scope of intended use.		*Even though the XBee radio’s specifications indicate much longer distances, in actual practice, a regular XBee module should provide roughly 50-75’ range while the XBee Pro module can generally work up to 300’ or greater, depending on the kind of antennas used on the units and where the antennas are located (higher is better). Greater distances are possible, but signal reliability is a major issue when the radios are operating at 57,600 baud, the basic speed that is recommended for Renard SS controllers. Note that you should also expect to experience occasional light flickering or even miscued lights that are caused by data dropouts, a common occurrence with high speed wireless serial connections that use streaming data without a hardware or software flow control mechanism. If the SMA version of the XBee Pro module is used with an efficient external antenna, one might experience incredible range. In cursory testing, a 14" external SMA antenna with 6db gain easily provided about 1000' of working distance, but results may vary depending on your situation. However, extreme distances such as miles have not been tested as they seem outside the scope of intended use.

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:41, 17 July 2011
Line 1:		Line 1:
	*'''Can a Ren-W be connected directly to the computer?'''		*'''Can a Ren-W be connected directly to the computer?'''
	*Yes, but the Ren-W board ~~needs~~ the RS485 patch (see troubleshooting page) for it to work reliably. The patch uses only the ground and -485 signals. However, the board in its current state works fine with passive RS232 - RS485 adapters such as the Sintech 9309, which is available for about $8 from [http://www.dealextreme.com/search.dx/search.sintech%209309 www.dealextreme.com]. I've used this off my PC's RS-232 port and connected it directly to the Ren-W without any problems whatsoever. '''Bottom line:''' the best way to transmit directly from the computer is to use the XBee USB Explorer instead of a Ren-W. The Explorer doubles as the programmer board, but it's a fantastic transmitter, and appears to your computer just like a normal COM port, so configuring Vixen to use it is a snap. Then you can put all your Ren-Ws out in the field.		*Yes, but the Ren-W board may need the RS485 patch (see troubleshooting page) for it to work reliably unless the Ren-W board is version 20100622 or later; the later revision does not require the patch. The patch uses only the ground and -485 signals. However, the board in its current state works fine with passive RS232 - RS485 adapters such as the Sintech 9309, which is available for about $8 from [http://www.dealextreme.com/search.dx/search.sintech%209309 www.dealextreme.com]. I've used this off my PC's RS-232 port and connected it directly to the Ren-W without any problems whatsoever. '''Bottom line:''' the best way to transmit directly from the computer is to use the XBee USB Explorer instead of a Ren-W. The Explorer doubles as the programmer board, but it's a fantastic transmitter, and appears to your computer just like a normal COM port, so configuring Vixen to use it is a snap. Then you can put all your Ren-Ws out in the field.


Line 8:		Line 8:

	*'''Will RS-232 work with the Ren-W?'''		*'''Will RS-232 work with the Ren-W?'''
	*Yes, as long as the board has been modified as per the RS485 patch outlined on the Ren-W troubleshooting page of the Wiki. In addition, you'll want to connect RS232 ground (pin 5) to the Ren-W's J1 pin 1 and RS232 pin 3 to the Ren-W's J1 pin 4.		*Yes, as long as the board has been modified as per the RS485 patch outlined on the Ren-W troubleshooting page of the Wiki (pre-20100622 boards only). In addition, you'll want to connect RS232 ground (pin 5) to the Ren-W's J1 pin 1 and RS232 pin 3 to the Ren-W's J1 pin 4.


	*'''Do I have to use a special serial port setting with the Ren-W?'''		*'''Do I have to use a special serial port setting with the Ren-W?'''
	*Yes. The best setting to use is 57600 baud, 8 data bits, 2 stop bits and Mark parity. This should be configured in both your Vixen plugin AND in the XBee radios themselves. The Renard firmware should also be set to 57600 baud so that the PICs are in sync, too. Note that 57600, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit and NO parity works generally works fine, although you may experience a few data packet dropouts when there are more than 57 channels connected to the same Ren-W board, such as with a Ren64.		*Yes. The best setting to use is 57600 baud, 8 data bits, 2 stop bits and Mark parity. This should be configured in both your Vixen plugin AND in the XBee radios themselves. The Renard firmware should also be set to 57600 baud so that the PICs are in sync, too. Note that 57600, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit and NO parity works generally works fine, although you may experience a few data packet dropouts when there are more than 57 channels connected to the same Ren-W board, such as with a Ren64. When daisy-chaining one controller to the next via Ren-Ws, the XBee radios in the daisy-chained Ren-W/controllers must be set to 57600, 8 bits, NO parity and 1 stop bit.


Line 32:		Line 32:

	*'''Can I mix SS8, SS16 and SS24 boards in the same Ren-W network?'''		*'''Can I mix SS8, SS16 and SS24 boards in the same Ren-W network?'''
	*Yes. In PTP mode, they will function just as if they were connected via cat5 cable. In global broadcast mode where each Ren-W receives the same commands instead of only those passed on from the previous controller, results may vary. Re-read the “Renard basics and how they relate to Ren-W” section on the first page of the Ren-W Wiki.		*Yes. In PTP mode, they will function just as if they were connected via cat5 cable (use 57600, 8,N,1 settings). In global broadcast mode where each Ren-W receives the same commands instead of only those passed on from the previous controller, results may vary. Re-read the “Renard basics and how they relate to Ren-W” section on the first page of the Ren-W Wiki.


Line 48:		Line 48:

	*'''Can I use “global broadcast” mode yet have each Renard controller respond to its own range of Vixen channels?'''		*'''Can I use “global broadcast” mode yet have each Renard controller respond to its own range of Vixen channels?'''
	*Yes. You will need to use the Renard Start Address firmware to set the start address for your controller's first PIC. Be sure to read the Renard Start Address Configuration Guide for using this special firmware: [http://www.christmasinshirley.com/wiki/index.php?title=Renard_Start_Address_Configuration_Guide Renard Start Address Configuration guide]. Another way to "skin the cat" would be to think a little creatively. For example, if you used three 24-channel controllers and set up each of their Ren-W receivers so that all three received the same "broadcast" signal, you could connect lights to only channels 1-8 of the first controller (leaving channels 9-24 unused), channels 9-16 of the second controller and 17-24 of the third controller to simulate "broadcast addressing."		*Yes, and this is the best and most flexible way to use Ren-W in your display. You will need to use the Renard Start Address firmware to set the start address for your controller's first PIC. Be sure to read the Renard Start Address Configuration Guide for using this special firmware: [http://www.christmasinshirley.com/wiki/index.php?title=Renard_Start_Address_Configuration_Guide Renard Start Address Configuration guide]. Another way to "skin the cat" would be to think a little creatively. For example, if you used three 24-channel controllers and set up each of their Ren-W receivers so that all three received the same "broadcast" signal, you could connect lights to only channels 1-8 of the first controller (leaving channels 9-24 unused), channels 9-16 of the second controller and 17-24 of the third controller to simulate "broadcast addressing."


	*'''Can the Ren-W work with other Renard controllers such as the Renard 16, Renard 24 or Renard 64?'''		*'''Can the Ren-W work with other Renard controllers such as the Renard 16, Renard 24 or Renard 64?'''
	*Yes, but some of the versions of those boards have different design versions and the RJ45 serial pin outs as well as the serial signal may vary from the Renard SS board’s design. The Ren-W was originally designed to be a plug-in option for WayneJ's Renard SS controllers but it has been successfully tested with wjohn's Ren64 (v. XC5), budude's Ren48LSD, fkostyun's Ren24 version 3.0 and 3.3 '''(thanks to DIYC members penfold and kychristmas!)''' and the Ren24LV, and the Simple Renard 24 and Simple Renard 32. If the RJ45 pinouts are the same as the Renard standard, it should work. However, if the pinouts are different from the Renard standard, you would have to make your own custom cat5 connection cables to connect the Ren-W to the Renard board instead of using the standard, straight-through cat5 cabling scheme. It is also possible that the use of the choke core balun (as for the Ren-C adapter) may be required.		*Yes, but some of the versions of those boards have different design versions and the RJ45 serial pin outs as well as the serial signal may vary from the Renard SS board’s design. The Ren-W was originally designed to be a plug-in option for WayneJ's Renard SS controllers but it has been successfully tested with wjohn's Ren64 (v. XC5), budude's Ren48LSD, fkostyun's Ren24 version 3.0 and 3.3 '''(thanks to DIYC members penfold and kychristmas!)''' and the Ren24LV, and the Simple Renard 24 and Simple Renard 32. If the RJ45 pinouts are the same as the Renard standard, it should work. However, if the pinouts are different from the Renard standard, you would have to make your own custom cat5 connection cables to connect the Ren-W to the Renard board instead of using the standard, straight-through cat5 cabling scheme. It is also possible that the use of the choke core balun (as for the Ren-C adapter) may be required to help reduce line noise.


Line 68:		Line 68:

	*'''Is a Programmer Board a necessity or can I get by without one?'''		*'''Is a Programmer Board a necessity or can I get by without one?'''
	*It's not terribly difficult to program an XBee using the Ren-W board and information about doing that is included in the configuration section of the Ren-W wiki pages. However, the programmer board is well worth the purchase and provides for duplex communication with the XBee radio, as well as a way to test modules, test communication, test settings, etc. before putting the units in the field. It can also be used as the originator transmitting module and Vixen can easily be configured to use it. So yes, you can 'get by' but like having a Pic programmer if you use Renard, having an XBee programmer can be just as beneficial. An inexpensive Ren-W explorer solution is to rig-up a special cable that connects RS232 pin 3 to pin 4 of the Ren-W's J1 jack and RS232 pin 2 to pin 4 of the Ren-W's J2 jack, with RS232 pin 5 (ground) connected to the Ren-W's pin 1. Then put the XBee radio in the TX (left) side of the board and place a jumper on JP5. This creates a duplex communication setup with your computer and you can use the XCTU software as you would normally, or even Windows HyperTerminal to program the XBee radio's settings. It's not nearly as efficient or quick as using the XBee USB Explorer board, but it can work if you're patient and want to save the $25 cost of the USB Explorer. A handy solution is to construct your own Ren-W Explorer board such as this one which makes all the proper connections as outlined above. It can also be used to easily connect your RS232 cable to a Ren-W transmitter at the PC:		*It's not terribly difficult to program an XBee using the Ren-W board and information about doing that is included in the configuration section of the Ren-W wiki pages. However, it is a little tricky to accomplish consistently and the programmer board is well worth the purchase and provides for duplex communication with the XBee radio, as well as a way to test modules, test communication, test settings, etc. before putting the units in the field. It can also be used as the originator transmitting module and Vixen can easily be configured to use it. So yes, you can 'get by' but like having a Pic programmer if you use Renard, having an XBee programmer can be just as beneficial. An inexpensive Ren-W explorer solution is to rig-up a special cable that connects RS232 pin 3 to pin 4 of the Ren-W's J1 jack and RS232 pin 2 to pin 4 of the Ren-W's J2 jack, with RS232 pin 5 (ground) connected to the Ren-W's pin 1. Then put the XBee radio in the TX (left) side of the board and place a jumper on JP5. This creates a duplex communication setup with your computer and you can use the XCTU software as you would normally, or even Windows HyperTerminal to program the XBee radio's settings. It's not nearly as efficient or quick as using the XBee USB Explorer board, but it can work if you're patient and want to save the $25 cost of the USB Explorer. A handy solution is to construct your own Ren-W Explorer board such as this one which makes all the proper connections as outlined above. It can also be used to easily connect your RS232 cable to a Ren-W transmitter at the PC:
	::::[[File:Renw_explorer.jpg \| 300px]]		::::[[File:Renw_explorer.jpg \| 300px]]

Line 93:		Line 93:

	*'''Can I mount the Ren-W inside one of my waterproof broadband-type controller boxes?'''		*'''Can I mount the Ren-W inside one of my waterproof broadband-type controller boxes?'''
	*Yes, but keep the XBee’s antenna away from ~~the Renard SS’s transformer~~ for best performance. Also understand that the more impediments you place between the transmitting and receiving antennas the less workable distance you’ll get. Lastly, if you decide to mount the Ren-W on the inside top cover of your broadband case, consider using the side-entry RJ-45 jacks and a little longer cat5 cable instead of the top-entry version and a shorter cable. This will reduce stress on the cat5 connectors on both the Ren-W and the controller.		*Yes, but keep the XBee’s antenna away from any transformers, A/C power and any triacs for best performance. Also understand that the more impediments you place between the transmitting and receiving antennas the less workable distance you’ll get. Lastly, if you decide to mount the Ren-W on the inside top cover of your broadband case, consider using the side-entry RJ-45 jacks and a little longer cat5 cable instead of the top-entry version and a shorter cable. This will reduce stress on the cat5 connectors on both the Ren-W and the controller.