LED's in chain not responding

[ahat30]

Hi folks, any help would be great on this. I have a chain of 12 Chauvet SlimPar Tri 12's and only 5 of them are responding. We transmit using art net, and use Byron for software. Here is what I have tried so far:
Deleting and repatching fixtures to same address
Revert Byron to earlier software version
Delete fixtures that were added a week before the problem, in which everything was fine that first week
Power cycled everything that has to do with DMX distribution for the whole setup
Made sure no address conflicts
Checked breakers for the fixtures

The only thing I have not been able to check are the fixtures themselves to see if they are getting power, and this is because we do not have a scissor lift to get up as high as they are. Yes you read that correctly, we have lights hung higher than we can get with out a lift.

Is there anything I am missing that I can try? Suggestions on what it could be?

Thanks everyone,
Adam

 

[microstar]

Sounds like a bad DMX cable between fixtures or a fixture gone wonky and messing things up.

 

[ahat30]

really haven't thought about a bad fixture...DMX cable I have thought of but no way of testing that theory out since they are high up.

 

[jhochb]

Good Morning
Are the 5 none working fixtures the last 5 in the run?
May be a bad cable.
Are they random in the string?
May be bad fixtures.
Is the DMX run terminated?
Do you have another fixture to test the DMX out of your controller?
Are you using wireless DMX?
One trick I’ve used is a pair of binoculars to look for the reflection of the LED display after I cycle power.
The display on most fixtures stay on for a couple of minutes after power up.
This would eliminate the power question at least.
You say you send ART NET.
Is it ARTNET to a node at the fixtures or at the board then DMX to the fixtures?

 

[ahat30]

No schematics provided to us to see if they are the first or last, however I do believe the "working" ones are the first in line and then we get to all the non working ones. They are not random in the string. I don't know if that string is terminated due to it being mounted on the ceiling, won't have a lift till later this week to look at that. I have multiple fixtures on stage that are controlled by the same board/software and they are working fine. No wireless DMX in that room. Good note on the binos will try that. We have a mac mini with an M1 board, so signal is over Cat5 to the rack and distributes from there with a Chauvet Splittler that splits the signal out into a switch for distribution via cat 5 from what I can tell. Again, no schematics unfortunately.

 

[Ford]

Hi Adam,
Since all of the bad ones are on the same run, it sounds like either power (if you are powerlinking through the fixtures, a loss of power to the first unit would take out the whole line), or Data to that first fixture is not landed properly.

I am curious, though... as far as I know (and I hope I know...) Chauvet does not sell an Ethernet switch. We did just launch an Artnet/Dmx device (the NET-X) at Infocomm, this year... but we haven't received our first shipment yet, so that product can't be in your rig. That said, are you using the dmx/cat-5 turn-arounds that TMB and City Theatrical (I think) sell?

This would mean that you are going Artnet from the console, to an Artnet node which converts the signal to DMX, and then out to your fixtures? Or are you going M1 to Artnet hub to Datastream to DMX over Cat-5 (via the afore mentioned adaptors) to another adaptor into the first unit, and regular DMX cables from thereon?

Either way... my money is on either a loose power cord, or a loose data connection. You have 5 bad fixtures in a row, at the end of a line. I doubt it is termination, as termination issues tend to make the whole line act wonky, and inconsistent. Since these 5 are dead, and at the end of the line, it seems likely that either power or data is interrupted at or before that first dead unit.

So I'd go with Jack's excellent suggestion of binocs,and see if they at least have power. Either way, I think you're going to have to wait for that lift to find a solution.

 

[ahat30]

no let me back up, I have a Chauvet DMX Splitter and there is a DMX male to cat5 cable coming out of that splitter into a separate switch. i did make it sound like it was a chauvet switch but that wasn't my intention, i apologize. the DMX/Cat5 turnarounds were either made by the installers or they are said brand you mentioned, I haven't noticed. lift is on the way thankfully, now to hunt down a pair of binoculars. these suggestions makes me more confident that I have done everything I can do on the ground. thanks guys.

 

[Kelite]

<Since these 5 are dead, and at the end of the line, it seems likely that either power or data is interrupted at or before that first dead unit.>

I believe Ford hit the nail on the head ahat30. The fifth unit may have the termination switch flipped to the ON position or perhaps the cable from that unit to number six is janky-

 

[VCTMike]

no let me back up, I have a Chauvet DMX Splitter and there is a DMX male to cat5 cable coming out of that splitter into a separate switch. i did make it sound like it was a chauvet switch but that wasn't my intention, i apologize. the DMX/Cat5 turnarounds were either made by the installers or they are said brand you mentioned, I haven't noticed. lift is on the way thankfully, now to hunt down a pair of binoculars. these suggestions makes me more confident that I have done everything I can do on the ground. thanks guys.

Uh, wait...are you stating that the DMX output from the splitter is converted to CAT5 and is then going through a, presumably, ethernet switch? Not sure how that's gonna work...

 

[JD]

Uh, wait...are you stating that the DMX output from the splitter is converted to CAT5 and is then going through a, presumably, ethernet switch? Not sure how that's gonna work...

You are correct, DMX will not make it through an Ethernet switch. The only way that is possible is if the DMX is actively converted to an Ethernet protocol (requiring the help of something containing a microprocessor) and the converted back to DMX by another active device.

 

[Jay Ashworth]

There is a difference between Ethernet and Category 5 cabling, yes.

You can move DMX wire protocol over Cat 5 wires, VCTMike, but that doesn't mean it's automatically Ethernet.

 

[VCTMike]

There is a difference between Ethernet and Category 5 cabling, yes.

You can move DMX wire protocol over Cat 5 wires, VCTMike, but that doesn't mean it's automatically Ethernet.

Having done numerous cat5 ethernet installs in my previous life (computer consultant) I know the meaning of the terms and also know that people do use cat5 to connect DMX devices with appropriate electrical connectors/adapters. That being said...the OP stated "I have a Chauvet DMX Splitter and there is a DMX male to cat5 cable coming out of that splitter into a separate switch." (emphasis added). A switch implies to me an ethernet switch which will not pass DMX electrical protocol.

 

[Jay Ashworth]

Sorry; I misaddressed that comment, yes, VCTMike; I meant to address it to the OP as well.