OLA Artnet Plugins limitations

[Pierre Vezin]

Hello everyone,

I have been using OLA for a year or so to build a Raspberrypi DMX Controller. I have managed to make it work for a single universe (only had a few fixtures <<512 channels) using an Enttec USB Pro dongle.

In order to improve my show, I am adding addressable LEDs (1080 RGB pixels). I bought the following Artnet node :

https://www.superlightingled.com/dc524v-ethernetspidmx-pixel-light-controller-bc204-support-madrix-software-p-1884.html

These 1080 pixels require 3240 channels or 7 universes to be carried over artnet. I thought this was something the ola artnet plugin could handle but I am slowly coming to the conclusion that I was wrong :

Both the folloing sources seem to indicate a limit at 4 universes per "Ola device". 

Extract from the OLA plugin README :

This plugin creates a single device with four input and four output ports and supports Art-Net, Art-Net 2 and Art-Net 3.

...

output_ports = 4
The number of output ports (Send Art-Net) to create. Only the first 4 will appear in ArtPoll messages

...

Old convo from this mailing list :

https://groups.google.com/g/open-lighting/c/0VdGii2IaIM

Technically this thread is about the max nb of INPUT universes whie i'm interested in OUTPUT universes so... I don't know if it is relevant

 

However, I tried setting output_ports to 8 in the plugin .conf file, patching more universes using the ola.HTML web client and it seems to work. I can see the unis both in the html client & when running ola_dev_info :

however, running ola_dmxcosole -u 1/2/3/4 + watching the result with a sniffer (artnetominator & wireshark) works just fine while while ola_dmxcosole -u 5/6/7/8 sends absolutely nothing

Given the scarcity of the available documentation (that i have found at least) & my limited knowledge in networking & artnet, I am quite confused & would like to know for sure (before eventually looking for an other solution) :

Is there any way I can send more than 4 universes FROM my Pi (running OLAD + custom frame computing program) TO the BC-204 artnet NODE ?

Regards,

Pierre

[E.S. Rosenberg]

Hey,

Since no one else replied I'll try with my limited knowledge of this plugin/protocol (my experience is mainly the FTDI plugin).

Based on the plugin docs it implements up to Art-Net 3 at this time, Art-Net 3 as far as I understand allows up to 32k universes per "port", the 8 "physical" ports are a protocol limitation (4 in, 4 out) but each port can carry multiple universes.

As far as the "how" in the UI I can't tell you, but if as the docs claim this is Art-Net 3 you should be able to patch all 7/8 universes that you need to a single port.

HTH,

Eli

Op zo 7 apr 2024 om 21:54 schreef Pierre Vezin <pierre....@gmail.com>:

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