ION upgrade and wings

"If you have an older Universal fader wing or Congo/Cobalt Master Playback Wing (without an orange USB connector on the back), your fader wing setup may change. Specifically, you would need to follow the connection guidelines for a USB 2.0 console listed in the Fader Wing Setup guide. The fader wing cannot be docked directly, and instead would need to be run with a separate USB cable to the console or pass through a USB 1.1 hub.

Fader wings with orange USB connectors (USB 2.0 compatible) can continue to be used as-is.

Older fader wings may be upgraded to USB 2.0. Please contact your local ETC Dealer or ETC Technical Services for more detail."

Thanks for this. Still a bit confused. I know this is a direct copy and paste from the ETC site but it's never been clear what "as-is" means. Once the older wings are upgraded can they still be hard connected to each other and the upgraded ION? I think I heard or read somewhere that they have to be done by usb wire only. I know that's true if using them with the XE but that's because it doesn't have a solid connection.
My wings and console are all one solid unit as I use them.

FaderWing_SetupGuide_revG.pdf

ETC Setup Guide
Universal Fader Wing Setup Guide
Universal Fader Wing Page 2 of 6 ETC
Rule Two
USB 2.0 Consoles

Note: Rule two only applies to USB 2.0 consoles, which have two network adapters ,or
ETCnomad Puck.

Each fader wing can connect using a USB cable to the console, but must be powered separately.
Fader wings with an orange USB connector can be used with no additional modification. You can use a
USB cable or physically attach them directly to the console.
Fader wings without an orange USB connecter cannot be physically attached directly to the console or daisy
chained to Eos Motorized Fader or Standard Fader wings without upgrading the hardware. Universal fader
wings can be daisy chained together, but first, they must be plugged into a USB 1.1 hub and then
connected using a USB cable to the console. There is a limit of three wings per port.

 

 

Jeff Toussieng said:

Thanks for this. Still a bit confused. I know this is a direct copy and paste from the ETC site but it's never been clear what "as-is" means.

If you have a UFW with the orange connector mounted to an XP Ion, you can upgrade the Ion hardware and the UFW will work as it did before.

Jeff Toussieng said:

Once the older wings are upgraded can they still be hard connected to each other and the upgraded ION?

Yes

Jeff Toussieng said:

My wings and console are all one solid unit as I use them.

There's nothing to prevent you from physically mounting old wings to an upgraded Ion. You would just have to open up the Ion and unplug the side USB contacts from the motherboard headers so your wings don't get the USB 2.0 signal. You would then plug a USB 1.1 hub into the back of the console and plug each wing into that hub.

I was typing a reply and hit a key that sent it into Star Wars territory so will try again. Can't find it. Yikes
I do understand your response. If I did not upgrade the wings I would keep all three; ION and two wings hard connected and do what you said in the ION however would I still need two power supplies; one for each wing and two usb's out of the hub or would the two wings hard connected together allow one p/s and one usb?

The power for a wing can either come from a power supply or from the power connector on the side of the Ion. Any wing mounted to the Ion gets its power from the Ion. Any wing mounted to a wing mounted to the Ion still gets its power from the Ion, it just goes through the other wing. In other words, any wings physically connected to the Ion don't need an additional power supply.

As far as the USB wings needing to each be plugged into the hub, I had read "Universal fader
wings can be daisy chained together, but first, they must be plugged into a USB 1.1 hub and then
connected using a USB cable to the console." as "Universal fader wings can be daisy chained together, but first, they must each be plugged into a USB 1.1 hub and then connected using a USB cable to the console." So as I now understand it, only one wing needs to be plugged into the hub and the purpose of the hub is to convert USB 2.0 from the back of the Ion to USB 1.1.

Regarding the power, I thought I was disconnecting the hard connection internally in the ION if I don't upgrade the wings, so would that also include the power through it? If so then one external power supply good for both wings connected together as either one receiving power from the p/s would power the other? Or is the power through the hard connection separate from the usb portion I would be disconnecting?

Power and USB are separate.

Don't take this the wrong way but based on your questions I think you would be better served by following the ETC instructions. Performing "open heart surgery" on a lighting console is not something that is easily explained one post at a time on a message board. I'd hate to have you mess something up and have to send your console back to Wisconsin.

Unless you are ever in the Burbank, CA area, then I could show you in person :)

don't worry. not taking anything wrong. I appreciate all input. I am not looking to do the surgery now just trying to find out what I can and cannot do to help me make decisions on what gets upgraded, kept the same and purchased new. I'm still waiting on pricing anyway from my dealer.
If the three can definitely be docked together using one power supply and one usb then I can know what to expect and what to purchase in advance to be ready, depending on my decisions. If it takes two power supplies and two usb's, same thing.
Disconnecting something inside is what I know I could do but not sure what will be worth what. I run on a very limited budget.
Again thanks for the info.