Pixie Double Unit ID Mode

Considerations

When enabling Double Unit ID Mode and using up to 340 pixels per port, considerations of show layout, prop definitions, network capacity planning, and pixel string power requirements are critical to a successful experience. 

• Pixels per network: A Pixie16 with 340 pixels on every port results in too many pixels (5,440) on a single ELOR network, which can result in lower playback performance. Consider a PixieLink for this scenario.
• Power requirements: Reduced brightness and/or power injection* will be required. Each port of a Pixie Series controller supports 4 amps of electrical supply. A 50 count Bullet Pixel string consumes approximately 1.25 amps of electricity at 100% brightness; a 50 count Lumadome string consumes approximately 0.45 amps.
• String Length: Keep pixel extensions as short as possible. As the total length of the pixels string becomes longer due to pixel quantity and extensions, pixel flicker and color matching can be affected.

*Light-O-Rama does not provide guidance on power injection or provide supplies. Power injection is a DIY path for increasing pixel counts per port.

Unit IDs Per Pixie Controller

The following table identifies how many Unit IDs are used per Pixie controller with factory settings, and how many are used after enabling Double Unit ID Mode. Learn more about setting Unit IDs in general and how to use DIP switches by visiting this page.

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Enabling Double Unit ID Mode

Connect one Pixie to your computer via a USB485-HS Adapter. Open the LOR Control Panel, and click on the Hardware Utility tab. Scan for your controller, then click on "Configure" to reach the settings below.

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Combining & Splitting Pixels

One Unit ID's capacity is 170 pixels (achieved by using 510 Max circuits per Unit ID in the Preview Editor). Using the Hardware Utility within the LOR Control Panel allows you to set each Pixie port to use more than 170 pixels, which triggers the use of Double Unit ID mode. All ports on that Pixie receive the same maximum and/or split settings you define.

Example - 200 Pixels Per Port; 2 Unit IDs used

Example - 300 Pixels Per Port; 2 Unit IDs used

Example - 340 Pixels Per Port; 2 Unit IDs used

Scenario - 4 Spinners

Default settings for the CPC 4 Spinners Package use the Unit IDs 1D, 1E, 1F, and 20 for the 4 Spinners. This scenario condenses the original 4 ports used down to 2, turning 100 pixels on 4 ports into 200 pixels on 2 ports. Click on any image to view an enlarged version of the settings.

Split Pixels Evenly Per Port

In the Hardware Utility, pixels per port gets set to 200, and Split Pixels Evenly is checkmarked. This additional setting causes the controller to output data to the first 100 pixels of the 1st Unit ID, skip pixels 101-170, and continue outputting to the first 100 pixels on the 2nd Unit ID.

• Connected to Port 1 = Spinner 01 starts on Unit ID 1D, start circuit 1.
• Connected to Spinner 01 = Spinner 02 starts on Unit ID 1E, also start circuit 1.
• Connected to Port 2 = Spinner 03 starts on Unit ID 1F, start circuit 1.
• Connected to Spinner 03 = Spinner 04 starts on Unit ID 20, also start circuit 1.

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Recommendation: Use Split Pixels Evenly when you are using an existing preview that already starts each prop on a new Unit ID, like Light-O-Rama store sequences. This mode will help you combine and save on physical Pixie ports during installation without having to change your preview.

Carryover Mode

In the Hardware Utility, pixels per port gets set to 200, but without enabling split pixels evenly. This is how the controller will act by default when you set the ports to use more than 170 pixels. This uses the full 170 pixels of the 1st Unit ID and 30 pixels from the 2nd Unit ID. This means data for the 4th physical strand of 50 pixels is split between two Unit IDs (20+30).

• Connected to Port 1 = Spinner 01 starts on Unit ID 1D, start circuit 1.
• Connected to Spinner 01= Spinner 02 starts on circuit 301 (101st pixel), in the middle of Unit ID 1D. It uses the 70 remaining pixels in Unit ID 1D, then automatically carries over into the first 30 pixels of Unit ID 1E.
• Connected to Port 2 = Spinner 03 starts on Unit ID 1F, start circuit 1.
• Connected to Spinner 03 = Spinner 04 starts on circuit 301 (101st pixel), in the middle of Unit ID 1F. It uses the 70 remaining pixels in Unit ID 1F, then automatically carries over into the first 30 pixels of Unit ID 20.

Recommendation: Use this mode when you are building a custom preview for the most efficient use of Unit IDs, or if you are trying to combine 3+ smaller props on one Pixie port. Extension limits must be taken into consideration for multiple props per port.