VL4000 16bit personality in EOS 2.2 with library patch update.

I'm still tracking down a few other issues, which I will post when I get some confirmation, but I have found two issues right out of the box which I have confirmed.

On both fixed color wheels, the last color (Congo Blue and Amber,) the final position in the console profile does not lock the color in place when you use the next/last function of the color wheel encoder. 

Value according to the DMX chart from VL should be DMX 232 of 255 on channels 15 and 17 to snap to the last color, and it is reading 255 on my DMXter. 

The other issues I'm running down have to do with Lamp Controls.  Right now, I need to see if the fixture responds to the control functions properly on my DMXter to determine if the console fixture profile is my problem, or the fixture software is the problem, or if I as the operator am the problem.    Lamp On and Lamp Off work, but the fixture parameter resets and global resets don't appear to work as they should, though one of them is restore to defaults, and the fixture defaults to 16bit Enhanced, which then moves the control channel from 52 to 57.  As the console doesn't have the 57 channel profile yet, it ceases functioning lamp commands after the fixture default command is sent.  I believe this would be defined as a user induced error at this time.

Dennis.

 

  • I've finished my checkout of the Lamp Controls feature and here is what I have found-

    From the VL4000 spot user manual, 16bit channel mapping-

    To Execute a command, the control channel must be set to idle (DMX 0) then changed to a particular value and held for 3 seconds, then restored to DMX 0.  Upon completion of this routine, the desired command will be executed by the luminaire.

    Used to Strike/Douse the lamp, set lamp levels, and other various functions, as well as resetting the luminaire via the ocnsole. DMX Values are

    0-5=Idle (Default)

    6-10= Full Luminare Re-cal (1)

    (1) This command is also used to Wake Fixture up from Shutdown.


    11-15=Lamp On

    16-20=Lamp Off

    21-25=Fixture Shut down

    26-30=Display Menu ON

    31-35=Display Menu Off

    36-40=Recal Position

    41-45=Recal Color

    46-50=Recal Gobo

    51-55=Recal Beam

    56-60=Recal Optics

    61-65=Recal Dimmer/Strobe

    66-70=Reset fixture to Defaults

    71-75=Full Luminaire Reboot (2)

    (2) This command will douse the lamp and reset all processors in fixture, then ReCal all parameters.


    76-80=Fixture Status On/Off (3)

    (3) This command will enable the display to show fixture status for 5 min.  After this time, displays will return to default configuration.  Repeating this command in less than 5 minutes will behave as a toggle.


    81-85=Standard Mode, Fixture operates at maximum output (default)

    86-90= Studio Mode, Reduced output with lower fan settings.

    91-255=Reserved Values.

    What I found is all commands from the Lamp Controls section of the fixture work as expected except 

    21-25 Fixture Shut Down, of which I may need to see if the fixture does this via DMXter so this may be a feature of the fixture software that doesn't work yet.

    66-70 Reset Fixture to Defaults.  This on is listed on the console as Fixture Calibration Reset.  It does bring up the correct DMX Values, but what it does is restore the fixture to out of box settings.  This puts the fixture into 57 channel mode, and moves the control channel from DMX address 52 to DMX  address 57.  As such, once you put the fixture into this mode via the console, you cannot put it back into 16bit mode from the console at all.   I believe what the button really wants to trigger is the Full Luminaire Re-Cal at DMX 6-10, not the Fixture Reset Defaults at DMX 66-70. 

    Hope this info helps.

    Dennis.

  • Just got a reply back from Vari-Lite support- The Fixture Shutdown command in currently released software does nothing at this time. The Reset Fixture to Defaults command is a known issue, and will likely ignore the fixtures DMX mode in a future release of software, meaning it should not change where the control channel is located in future versions of software. Hope this info helps.
  • Hello, Dennis:

    The first issue does exist in the Eos code. 

    WARNING: if we change this it will changes hundreds (maybe a thousand) fixture definitions. Right now the code always makes the last cell of a wheel home to the maximum value. (This change will effect gobos, colors, effects wheels) This has been written up as:

    RND 0028804:  Some Fixtures Wheels Have Incorrect Default DMX Values on Their Final Selection.

    Thank you

  • Thanks Sasha. That does make sense. I'll have to see if that happens on other fixtures now in my inventory. If so, then I'll let my co-workers know that this is a known issue. D.
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