8 replies to this topic

[bigdps]

Before anyone starts jumping at my throat, I have searched the forums and there is not even a remote thread that has a problem that resembles mine. I have a pincab from hell it seems!!! lol

Here is my problem.

 

I have managed to get everything running on my pincab except the side LED strips. I know they work cause I run a Christmas light show and if I connect my light tester that I use to test my light display, I can address them no problem. So the orientation is setup like they should . Therefore, it is somewhere in my configuration and I just can't see it. I'll try to describe to the best way I can, how I have it set up in my config file and my DOF file.

 

My back panel is running so I go from there to my first strip on the left side of my cabinet, coming down to the front of the cab where I rest my hand on the flippers. So in my cabinet file, I have that as port number 4 on DOF and TOPDOWNLEFTRIGHT. Then I start on the right side of my front of my cabinet at port 7 on DOF and BOTTOMUPRIGHTLEFT and that's the end of the line. I saved the cabinet file, I did the DOF config tool and the only thing that works, is the back panel. What am I missing?

 

Like i said, everything works in the back panel so I must've done a checkmark, farted or burped the wrong way along the line!!! lol

Edited by bigdps, 08 March 2023 - 05:42 PM.

[Suikazz]

A copy of you cabinet.xml would be helpful.

[bigdps]

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<Cabinet xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/20...Schema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
  <Name>Pincab</Name>
  <OutputControllers>
    <TeensyStripController>
      <Name>Pincab</Name>
      <NumberOfLedsStrip1>384</NumberOfLedsStrip1>
      <NumberOfLedsStrip2>144</NumberOfLedsStrip2>
      <NumberOfLedsStrip3>144</NumberOfLedsStrip3>
      <ComPortName>COM4</ComPortName>
      <ComPortTimeOutMs>200</ComPortTimeOutMs>
    </TeensyStripController>
  </OutputControllers>
  <Toys>
    <LedStrip>
      <Name>Back Matrix</Name>
      <Width>48</Width>
      <Height>8</Height>
      <LedStripArrangement>BottomUpAlternateRightLeft</LedStripArrangement>
      <ColorOrder>GRB</ColorOrder>
      <FirstLedNumber>1</FirstLedNumber>
      <FadingCurveName>SwissLizardsLedCurve</FadingCurveName>
      <Brightness>100</Brightness>
      <OutputControllerName>Pincab</OutputControllerName>
    </LedStrip>
    <LedStrip>
      <Name>Left Side Playfield</Name>
      <Width>1</Width>
      <Height>144</Height>
      <LedStripArrangement>TopDownLeftRight</LedStripArrangement>
      <ColorOrder>GRB</ColorOrder>
      <FirstLedNumber>385</FirstLedNumber>
      <FadingCurveName>SwissLizardsLedCurve</FadingCurveName>
      <Brightness>100</Brightness>
      <OutputControllerName>Pincab</OutputControllerName>
    </LedStrip>
    <LedStrip>
      <Name>Right Side Playfield</Name>
      <Width>1</Width>
      <Height>144</Height>
      <LedStripArrangement>BottomUpRightLeft</LedStripArrangement>
      <ColorOrder>GRB</ColorOrder>
      <FirstLedNumber>529</FirstLedNumber>
      <FadingCurveName>SwissLizardsLedCurve</FadingCurveName>
      <Brightness>100</Brightness>
      <OutputControllerName>Pincab</OutputControllerName>
    </LedStrip>
    <LedWizEquivalent>
      <Name>LedWizEquivalent 30</Name>
      <Outputs>
        <LedWizEquivalentOutput>
          <OutputName>Back Matrix</OutputName>
          <LedWizEquivalentOutputNumber>1</LedWizEquivalentOutputNumber>
        </LedWizEquivalentOutput>
        <LedWizEquivalentOutput>
          <OutputName>Left Side Playfield</OutputName>
          <LedWizEquivalentOutputNumber>4</LedWizEquivalentOutputNumber>
        </LedWizEquivalentOutput>
        <LedWizEquivalentOutput>
          <OutputName>Right Side Playfield</OutputName>
          <LedWizEquivalentOutputNumber>7</LedWizEquivalentOutputNumber>
        </LedWizEquivalentOutput>
      </Outputs>
      <LedWizNumber>30</LedWizNumber>
    </LedWizEquivalent>
  </Toys>
</Cabinet>

[elmera]

Are you saying that all your LED strips are daisy chained and connected to 1 Teensy output?  If so, try the below  (and I hope you have power connected at least every 180 LEDs).

 

<?xml version="1.0"?>

<Cabinet xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/20...Schema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">

  <Name>Pincab</Name>

  <OutputControllers>

    <TeensyStripController>

      <Name>Pincab</Name>

      <NumberOfLedsStrip1>672</NumberOfLedsStrip1>

      <ComPortName>COM4</ComPortName>

      <ComPortTimeOutMs>200</ComPortTimeOutMs>

    </TeensyStripController>

  </OutputControllers>

  <Toys>

    <LedStrip>

      <Name>Back Matrix</Name>

      <Width>48</Width>

      <Height>8</Height>

      <LedStripArrangement>BottomUpAlternateRightLeft</LedStripArrangement>

      <ColorOrder>GRB</ColorOrder>

      <FirstLedNumber>1</FirstLedNumber>

      <FadingCurveName>SwissLizardsLedCurve</FadingCurveName>

      <Brightness>100</Brightness>

      <OutputControllerName>Pincab</OutputControllerName>

    </LedStrip>

    <LedStrip>

      <Name>Left Side Playfield</Name>

      <Width>1</Width>

      <Height>144</Height>

      <LedStripArrangement>TopDownLeftRight</LedStripArrangement>

      <ColorOrder>GRB</ColorOrder>

      <FirstLedNumber>385</FirstLedNumber>

      <FadingCurveName>SwissLizardsLedCurve</FadingCurveName>

      <Brightness>100</Brightness>

      <OutputControllerName>Pincab</OutputControllerName>

    </LedStrip>

    <LedStrip>

      <Name>Right Side Playfield</Name>

      <Width>1</Width>

      <Height>144</Height>

      <LedStripArrangement>BottomUpRightLeft</LedStripArrangement>

      <ColorOrder>GRB</ColorOrder>

      <FirstLedNumber>529</FirstLedNumber>

      <FadingCurveName>SwissLizardsLedCurve</FadingCurveName>

      <Brightness>100</Brightness>

      <OutputControllerName>Pincab</OutputControllerName>

    </LedStrip>

    <LedWizEquivalent>

      <Name>LedWizEquivalent 30</Name>

      <Outputs>

        <LedWizEquivalentOutput>

          <OutputName>Back Matrix</OutputName>

          <LedWizEquivalentOutputNumber>1</LedWizEquivalentOutputNumber>

        </LedWizEquivalentOutput>

        <LedWizEquivalentOutput>

          <OutputName>Left Side Playfield</OutputName>

          <LedWizEquivalentOutputNumber>4</LedWizEquivalentOutputNumber>

        </LedWizEquivalentOutput>

        <LedWizEquivalentOutput>

          <OutputName>Right Side Playfield</OutputName>

          <LedWizEquivalentOutputNumber>7</LedWizEquivalentOutputNumber>

        </LedWizEquivalentOutput>

      </Outputs>

      <LedWizNumber>30</LedWizNumber>

    </LedWizEquivalent>

  </Toys>

</Cabinet>

Edited by elmera, 08 March 2023 - 10:09 PM.

[bigdps]

Much much progress!!!! I have the lights lighting up. I only have the Leprechaun table right now loaded but I was under the impression that when you launched the ball, it would light up? When it is just waiting for me to launch the ball, there is a bouncing green line about 10 or so pixels long sitting on a blue pixel line of about the same length on the right hand side.

 

When in Pinup Popper mode, they are blinking in random here and there so I assume that is alright.

 

In DOF config, I had them setup as combo so that they have effects when the ball hits the slings shots on the sides and they didn't light up but like I said, they are lighting up so this is huge progress.

And yes, I have power injection more than is needed actually. As with my Christmas display, I know too well what washed out pixel lights look like and it ain't purty let me tell ya!!!

 

Big thanks for bringing light (pun intended ☺) to my problem. I knew it had to be something stupid.

 

Now since you took out the ports and made it one long strip instead of 3 ports, does this affect my combos? Would this be the reason why they don't light up on the sides like they should?

[elmera]

Much much progress!!!! I have the lights lighting up. I only have the Leprechaun table right now loaded but I was under the impression that when you launched the ball, it would light up? When it is just waiting for me to launch the ball, there is a bouncing green line about 10 or so pixels long sitting on a blue pixel line of about the same length on the right hand side.

 

When in Pinup Popper mode, they are blinking in random here and there so I assume that is alright.

 

In DOF config, I had them setup as combo so that they have effects when the ball hits the slings shots on the sides and they didn't light up but like I said, they are lighting up so this is huge progress.

And yes, I have power injection more than is needed actually. As with my Christmas display, I know too well what washed out pixel lights look like and it ain't purty let me tell ya!!!

 

Big thanks for bringing light (pun intended ☺) to my problem. I knew it had to be something stupid.

 

Now since you took out the ports and made it one long strip instead of 3 ports, does this affect my combos? Would this be the reason why they don't light up on the sides like they should?

 

Cool, glad it worked.  Keep in mind the LED lighting effects are going to vary from table to table depending on who built the DOF config.  Some tables may have LED's that follow the ball when you shoot it, some don't.  I haven't played that particular table in a while so had to go check it out myself to see how my LEDs displayed.  I can confirm the bouncy green LEDs on top of blue ones on the right side when ball is in the shooting lane.  When I was playing I noticed mostly occasional flashing yellow lights on both sides, though there were some quick shots of other colors.  Try some other tables and see how it looks.  Yes, by default Popper will randomly chose a different effect when switching tables. 

 

You can still setup combos to each of your strips in DOF on the 1,4, and 7 ports that you're using.  You just had your cabinet xml config setup as though each strip was connect to a different output channel on the Teensy.  In reality, you're just using 1 output channel and chaining all your strips together off it.  I personally would have connected each strip to its own output -- which would certainly made troubleshooting easier, but thats me.  At the end of the day I don't know if it matters.  Good luck!

[bigdps]

So do you think I should be better off ACTUALLY connecting the outputs off the teensy off ports 1 to the back panel, port 2 to left side and port 3 to the right side?

 

Then in DOF, it stays the same as 1,4 and 7, right?

[elmera]

To answer your question, correct.. Thats how I have mine setup, but like I mentioned, I'm not sure if it matters that much.  I think each Teensy output can control like 1300+ LEDs, so no worries there.  I like it for organization and troubleshooting.  In your setup if something happens to your one output or the control wire you'd likely loose all your LEDs.  If they're on their own output, then you;'d likely only loose the LEDs connected to that output --  which could make troubleshooting easier.  Your call.  

[bigdps]

Well shortly after posting my question, I decided to do it with the exact amount of ports coming out of the teensy. All is good and yes, it will make the cabling and diagnosing a lot easier. I will also be able to add lighting under the cabinet because of it now.