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WS2812B + Octo: Getting 230+ pixels to work

Posted: Wed May 08, 2019 5:04 pm
by cojanks
I am using the WS2812B + Octo combo to get a prototype working and I think that I may not have the right understanding of how universes and channels work... or perhaps how to set them up correctly

Correct me if I am wrong, each universe has 512 channels, each pixel on the WS2812B takes 3 channels. So if I had a strip of 234 (eventually this will be about 900+) pixels, that would equate to 702 channels that are needed. This means I require at least 2 universes.

I am having trouble in how to setup those universes. My current preferences > DMX output is
https://ibb.co/dD8VYsj

While my arduino code is:
https://ibb.co/QYDDGt8

Ive been able to get my strip semi-working but will only light up about 2/3s of the strip. Unfortunately, I cannot recreate that. I am guessing that MM animated the maximum 512 channels (170 pixels) and then stopped. As for hardware, I am injecting power at the start of the strip as well as at the 156th pixel (2/3 of this current strip).

1. Do I need to create 2 universes that both start at channel 1? (AKA, Does MM know that that universe 2 starts off with the next channel after the last one from universe 1?)
2. If not, how do I set up the universes correctly? It will allow me to begin universe 2 at channel 457 but will only allow an additional 56 channels before stopping.

Re: WS2812B + Octo: Getting 230+ pixels to work

Posted: Thu May 09, 2019 8:49 am
by mad-matt
Hi,
You're almost correct. The input universes are the ArtNet universes, so from channel are numbered from 1 to 512. The output is the MadLED protocol that is implemented in MM and in teensy code. In this protocol there is no limit on the number of channels. You're actually forwarding
- ArtNet universe 1 - channels 1-456 to MadLED line 0 - channels 0-455
- ArtNet universe 2 - channel 457-512 to MadLED line 0 - channels 0-55
So the second line will override data from the first line in the output.
I think what you want to achieve should be solved by using a single fixture of 234x1 RGB pixels (so fixture will use more than 1 universe) and set the MadLED routing to
- ArtNet universe 1 - channels 1-512 to MadLED line 0 - out channel 0 (channels 0-511)
- ArtNet universe 2 - channel 1-512 to MadLED line 0 - out channel 512 (channels 512-1023)
Let me know
Matthieu