Xspot Control Issue

Go into the menu under test choose boot. I have had that fix things. Also, reloading the software may also fix it, you can crossload the software from a different fixture. One time i had a cpu board go bad, and the fixture kept randomly assigning itself to dmx addr 513. (and yes, addr 513!!!)

Do you have a DMX terminator in line? Could be a DMX reflection problem?

[quote=Mike Hanson]Do you have a DMX terminator in line? Could be a DMX reflection problem?

X-Spots are self terminating by design. A plug is only required if there is something further down the line and only at the end of a run like a dimmer or something that does not self T.

Sorry Puffy,
Whoever told you x-spots were self-terminating lied to you.
High-end has never made a fixture that self terminates as far as I know.
Joshua Wood

Whaaaaaaaaaaa?:eek::dunce::eek:
I have been told by factory service techs, technobeam, ss-250 and that series, x spots etc were self T'ing.
I took it as gospel. Holy sh#t! This kinda screws up a lot tech crap in my mind and solves a few oddities going back a long time. O man you got me f'dup like polio here.:aiwebs_007:

Maybe thats why when i plugged a 120 Ohm 1/4W 1% resistor in at the last show into a color pro, all my Dmx went :aargh4:. And I was :angryfire:

Tim,
If you have a dmx problem somewhere in a show,
a terminator will often make this problem obvious..

If the signal is low to begin with, adding a terminator will sometimes cause the dmx link to fail.
removing the terminator will solve the problem sometimes, but it could stop working at any moment. the best solution is to find the cause of the problem.
Adding a terminator will never cause problems in a dmx system that is working correctly,

And,
Sorry Puffy,
And just to make sure I wasn't talking out my ass, I checked a few user manuals, and they all say that terminators are required.
Joshua Wood

i found the dmx glitch that was going on to be a cable that came out of an opto splitter not plugged into anything, so there was notable ring back, but since it was opto spitted then why did i have a glitch? I did not try re-terminating the line. The splitter was a martin RS-485 splitter.

That is a tough one,
I don't know the splitter, but I would assume that it is actually isolated..
that shouldn't have been the problem, but I wouldn't assume anything.
A bad dmx cable can be a very tough thing to find.
Especially since the problems tend not to show up near where the bad cable is.

Joshua Wood

[quote=Woodj32177]Sorry Puffy,
Whoever told you x-spots were self-terminating lied to you.
High-end has never made a fixture that self terminates as far as I know.
Joshua Wood

Intellabeams definitely self-terminate, since they regenerate DMX in every fixture, but as old as they are, I am not sure that they count anymore . . .

- Tim

i wish fixtures still regenerate. It seems like it would solve many problems.

I've been playing with and relying on HES fixtures for over ten years. Never used a terminator and never had a signal problem that wasn't fixed by a new data cable, new fixture, or new console. (in one case) If anyone can prove to me that an HES rig is failing due to a lack of a terminator I'll hand you $100 in cash on the spot. It just isn't an issue with HES units. Good luck fixing the problem though!

Do you run long cables, >500'?
Do you put 32 fixtures per link?
if you don't push a dmx link to its limit, the need for a terminator is somewhat lessened in my experience.
But if you use the rule, "never using them"
then you may run into trouble, when you start to push it.
I always use terminators, and "I have never had a signal problem that wasn't fixed by a new data cable, new fixture"
:D
Joshua Wood

i'm with joshua on that one also. If you are just using 10-20 units you may never need a terminator. I have run into problems of having a long cable not plugged into the next fixture which has caused bad data problems. But then in my theory, what is the difference in having for example 50' run from console to about 10 lights, then having a 300' cable running to two other lights, or just not having any lights plugged into that 300' cable. On most fixtures the dmx is jumped directly from the input to the output. There is no repeating of the signal.