Advantek PixLite 16 Mk2 ECO User manual
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www.advateklights.com PixLite 16 Mk2 ECO User Manual V210222
PixLite 16 Mk2 ECO User Manual
Hardware Rev 1.1
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1 - Table of Contents
1 - Table of Contents 2
2 - Introduction 4
3 - Safety Notes 5
4 - Installation 6
4.1 - Supplying Power 6
4.2 - Output Fuses & Power Injection 7
4.3 - Logic Power 7
4.4 - Control Data 8
4.5 - Connecting Pixel LEDs 8
4.6 - Expanded Mode 9
5 - Network Configuration 11
5.1 - Network Layout 11
5.2 - IPAddressing 12
5.2.1 - Using a Router 12
5.2.2 - Using a Switch/Direct 13
5.2.3 - Forcing the Default IPAddress 14
6 - Operation 15
6.1 - Start-up 15
6.2 - Sending Data 15
6.3 - Outputs 15
6.3.1 - Pixel Outputs 15
6.3.2 - DMX512 Outputs 15
6.3.3 - Fan Output 17
6.4 - Hardware Test Pattern 18
7 - Firmware Updates 20
7.1 - Performing a Standard Update 20
7.2 - Performing a Recovery Firmware Update 21
8 - Specifications 22
8.1 - Operating Specifications 22
8.2 - Mechanical Specifications 22
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2 - Introduction
This is the user manual for the PixLite 16 Mk2 ECO pixel controller, hardware version 1.1.
The PixLite 16 Mk2 ECO controllers convert E1.31 (sACN) or Art-Net protocols from a
lighting console, media server or computer lighting software into various pixel
LEDprotocols.
The ECO version of the controller can be identified with a physical silver “ECO” sticker
placed near the PixLite 16 Mk2 printed silkscreen text.
The PixLite 16 Mk2 features an output capacity of up to 32 universes of
multicast/unicast E1.31 or Art-Net data. It also outputs an additional 4 universes of
data on 4 DMX512 outputs, operating from the same Ethernet protocol, bringing the
total number of universes up to 36. This combined with an advanced feature-set and
easy-to-use configuration software make the PixLite 16 Mk2 ECO an excellent choice
for your pixel lighting application.
This manual covers physical aspects of the PixLite 16 Mk2 controller and its essential
setup steps only. Detailed information about its configuration options can be found in
the ‘PixLite Configuration Guide’. Other manuals and the PixLite Configuration Guide
may be downloaded from here:
www.advateklights.com/downloads
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3 - Safety Notes
The board comes shipped in an anti- static bag and has several electrostatic
sensitive components on it. Appropriate anti-static measures should be observed
when handling the board. For example, you should never sit the controller on carpet,
and you should avoid touching components on the controller unnecessarily.
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4 - Installation
4.1 - Supplying Power
The PixLite 16 Mk2 ECO has two split power banks, each with 4 individual outputs. The
split banks allow two different voltages to be used on the controller simultaneously.
(You could run 5V lights off Bank 1 and 12V lights off Bank 2 for example.
Power to the controller and outputs is applied via the power bank screw terminal
connectors, located on the left-hand edge of the board, as shown in Figure 1 below.
They are both clearly marked on the PCB with the polarity and the power bank
number.
Outputs on channels 1-8 are powered via power bank 1 and outputs on channels 9-16
are powered via power bank 2. The voltage on each bank can be anywhere between
5V and 24V DC independently.
Note: It is the user’s responsibility to ensure that the power supply used matches the
voltage of the pixel fixture they are using and that it can supply the correct amount of
power/current.
The total maximum current per power bank is 32 Amps, giving the board a total
maximum current capacity of 64 Amps.
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Figure 1: Location of Power Input
4.2 - Output Fuses & Power Injection
Each individual output is protected by a mini blade fuse. The PixLite 16 Mk2 ECO
comes with 4A fuses by default. You may use any value of fuse, up to and including
7.5A, depending on your specific application. Individual outputs should not exceed
7.5A and the total bank current should not exceed 32A. If your application requires
more current than this, then you will need to inject power into the pixels directly.
The number of pixels that can be physically powered through this device may not be
as high as the amount of pixel control data that is being output. There is no definitive
rule as to how many pixels can be powered from the controller, as it depends on the
type of pixel. You need to consider if your pixel load will draw more than 7.5A of
current and whether there will be too much voltage drop in the pixel load for it to only
be powered from one end. If you need to “inject power” we recommend bypassing
the controller’s power output pins entirely.
4.3 - Logic Power
No on- board power configuration is required. Power to the logic circuitry is
automatically regulated from the bank 1 power input. Simply connect your DC power
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supply in accordance with specifications listed in Section 8.1 to the power bank 1
screw terminal, as shown in Figure 1 above.
4.4 - Control Data
Ethernet data is connected via a standard network cable into the RJ45 Ethernet jack
located on the right-hand side of the unit. The controller supports Streaming ACN
(sACN / E1.31) or Art-Net data.
4.5 - Connecting Pixel LEDs
The number of pixels a PixLite 16 Mk2 ECO can drive is shown in Figure 2 below.
Figure 2: Pixel Set up
The pixel lights are connected directly via the 16 pluggable screw terminal connectors
on the board. Each connector is labelled with its output channel number (1-16) and
pin 1 is also clearly marked (There is also a pin-out for the connectors clearly marked
on the PCB silk-screen for quick reference). Simply wire your lights into each screw
terminal and then plug them into the mating sockets.
Warning: It is very important not to short +ve onto the clock or data lines when using
pixels greater than 5V. Given this mistake can happen, additional protection circuitry
has been added to prevent any damage to the main CPU. However, if the output
buffer part is damaged due to shorting, it has been designed for easy replacement
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by the user. The part is cheap to replace and Advatek support will guide you through
the process if you believe this has happened. Note that this can also happen from
poor waterproofing when rain shorts the higher voltage onto either of those wires in
your pixels/wiring.
The cable length between the output and the first pixel should not exceed 15m.
Figure 3 shows the pin-out of the pixel output connectors.
Figure 3: Normal Mode Pixel Output Pinout
4.6 - Expanded Mode
If your pixels do not have a clock line, you may optionally activate expanded mode on
the controller, via the Advatek Assistant. In expanded mode, the clock lines are used
as data lines instead. This means the controller effectively has twice as many pixel
outputs (32), but half as many pixels per output can be run.
It is advantageous to use this mode with data-line only pixels compared to normal
mode, because the refresh rates will be improved. Pixels that only use a data line are
generally slow compared to clocked pixels, so improving the refresh rate is beneficial.
This is especially important if you are using close to the maximum number of pixels
per output.
The pinout for expanded mode is shown in Figure 4 below.
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Figure 4: Expanded Mode Pixel Output Pinout
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5 - Network Configuration
5.1 - Network Layout
Figure 5: Network Layout using a Server and Switch
Figure 5 shows a typical network topology for the PixLite 16 Mk2 ECO controller(s) LAN.
Installations using multicast sACN will benefit from the use of IGMP Snooping enabled
network equipment when there are more multicast universes on the network than any
one PixLite is using. If there are more than 96 universes of multicast sACN on the
network then IGMP Snooping is mandatory.
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Having a router on the network is not mandatory but is useful for IP address
management with DHCP (see Section 5.2.1). When IGMP snooping, a router may also
be required (depending on your network switch functionality).
Figure 6: Network Layout using Only a Server
In a single controller installation, it may be preferable to connect the controller
directly to the host machine, as shown in Figure 6. A crossover cable is not required in
this case, but it may be used if desired.
The controller(s) can be integrated straight into any pre-existing LAN such as your
media, home or office network, the above diagrams are only provided as examples.
5.2 - IPAddressing
5.2.1 - Using a Router
Routers have a DHCP server in them – this means they will tell a device plugged into
them what IP address to use, if asked.
DHCP is always enabled by default on a PixLite controller so it can immediately
connect to any existing network with a router. However, you may instead prefer to
assign a static IP address once communications have been established via the
Advatek Assistant. If the controller is in DHCP mode and is not assigned an IP address
by a DHCP server, it will timeout after a short time (approximately 30 seconds) and
default to a static IP of ‘192.168.0.50’.
If DHCP mode is enabled, both the status and power LEDs will flash together until the
controller receives an IP address or times out to its default IP. After this, the power LED
will remain on solid and the status LED will flash, indicating it is in run mode and
ready for use.
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If a static IP address is assigned to the controller, then the power LED will be solid from
power up.
5.2.2 - Using a Switch/Direct
It may be necessary to connect the controller to a network without a DHCP server or
even directly to the host machine instead of using a router. In this case (for first time
configuration) you will need to ensure that the network adapter of your computer is
set in the IP range that the controller will default to (controller defaults to 192.168.0.50).
This means your PC’s IP should be 192.168.0.xxx where xxx is anything between 1 and
254, other than 50. The subnet mask on your PC should be set to 255.255.255.0.
Note: The Advatek Assistant software will automatically detect if a controller is
connected to the network, even if it is outside the adapter’s IP address range. It will
prompt you to change the IP settings if this situation is discovered.
Once you can successfully discover the controller in the Advatek Assistant, we
recommended setting the controller to a static IP address other than the default.
Figure 7 shows a screenshot of typical computer network settings to communicate
with a PixLite 16 Mk2 ECO controller for the first time without a router.
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Figure 7: PC Network Configuration
5.2.3 - Forcing the Default IPAddress
In the event that you forget the IP of a controller and you can’t see it in the Advatek
Assistant, it can be forced to its default IP. A simple procedure can be employed on
power up:
1. Hold down the “Factory IP” button on the PCB and power up the controller
2. After a few seconds release the button. The controller’s IP address will now
be 192.168.0.50.
You should now be able to set up your PC’s network settings to find the controller at
this IP and change the IP settings to a preferred static IP address.
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6 - Operation
6.1 - Start-up
Upon applying power, the controller will quickly begin outputting data to the pixels,
commanding the pixels to turn off. If no data is being sent to the controller then the
pixels will remain turned off until valid data is received. During normal operation, the
green power LED will remain on solid and the red status LED will flash to indicate the
controller is running and outputting any received Ethernet data to the pixels.
6.2 - Sending Data
Input data is sent from the control PC/server/lighting console to the controller via
Ethernet using a “DMX over IP” protocol such as sACN (E1.31) or Art-Net.
If no incoming data is received for a few seconds, the pixels will be turned off
automatically unless that option has been disabled in your configuration. If the pixels
are not controllable then make sure you have selected the correct pixel IC type in the
Advatek Assistant under the ‘LEDs’ tab.
6.3 - Outputs
6.3.1 - Pixel Outputs
Each of the 16 outputs on the PixLite 16 Mk2 can drive up to 2 universes of data. This
allows for a total of up to 32 universes to be driven out of the one controller.
The refresh rate of the pixels will depend on the operating frequency of the specific
pixel chip type. Higher speed pixels will result in higher refresh rates. Pixels with no
clock line will have a relatively low refresh rate when a significant number of pixels
are used on a single output. Advatek recommends the use of clocked pixels
whenever using a large number of sequential pixels on any output. Typically, the
refresh rate can vary from 20 fps at the low end on data only pixels and up to 100+ fps
at the higher end.
6.3.2 - DMX512 Outputs
The PixLite 16 Mk2 ECO provides 4 DMX512 outputs which can be accessed either by
pluggable screw terminal connectors or by RJ45 jacks. The hardware layer on which
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the DMX512 protocol operates is the RS485 electrical communications standard. This
is a differential transmission system consisting of a two-wire differential signal pair
and a ground connection. Ideally the differential signals should be wired into a
twisted pair cable. The D+, D- and ground connections are clearly labelled on the PCB
for the screw terminal connectors.
These outputs act as individual DMX512 universe outputs, effectively providing the
user with an E1.31 or Art-Net to 4 x DMX512 bridge (in addition to the normal pixel
outputs).
DMX512 signal data is also connected via the four vertical RJ45 sockets. On-board
jumper links (circled in Figure 8 below) allow each RJ45 DMX output to use either the
‘ESTA’ wiring or the ‘LOR’ wiring configuration. (All controllers are shipped with the links
in the ‘ESTA’ configuration.)
Please note that DMX outputs are not electrically isolated.
All these connectors and jumper links are located on the far right-hand edge of the
controller as shown in Figure 8 below.
Figure 8: Location of DMXOuputs
Below is the RJ45 socket pin-out for the DMX connectors when the “ESTA” wiring is
selected:
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Figure 9: ESTAPinout
Below is the RJ45 socket pin-out for the DMX connectors when the “LOR” wiring is
selected:
Figure 10: LORPinout
6.3.3 - Fan Output
The controller features an auxiliary fan output that can power an external fan(s) for
cooling the enclosure that the controller is mounted in, as shown in Figure 11 below.
This feature is useful in order to keep the temperature regulated when you mount the
controller and a high wattage power supply together in a small, confined space.
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Figure 11: Location of Fan Output
The output voltage of the fan output is the same as the power bank 1 voltage. So, to
run a 12V fan for example, you would need to use a 12V input voltage on bank 1. The
fan output can supply up to 15W of continuous output power and is PWM controlled.
The output is protected by a 3A mini-blade fuse.
Basic operation is as follows: In the Advatek Assistant, the user can set a target
temperature that the enclosure will ideally not exceed. The controller will then
automatically adjust the fan speed based on the current temperature as measured
by the controller’s on-board temperature sensor.
For example, if the target temperature is set at 30°C then sometime before that
temperature, the controller will turn the fan on and slowly ramp up the speed until it
reaches 100% if required, in an attempt to maintain the temperature either at or below
30°C. If the temperature decreases the fan will slow down. The controller will attempt
to keep the temperature below the set point. If the detected temperature reaches the
set temperature, the fan output will be on 100% at this point.
6.4 - Hardware Test Pattern
The controller features a built-in test pattern to assist in troubleshooting during an
installation. To put the controller into this mode, press and hold the ‘Factory IP’ button
for 3 seconds (after the controller is already running) or turn it on remotely from the
“Test” tab in the Advatek Assistant.
The controller will then enter the test pattern mode, where different test patterns are
available as described in the table below. The pattern will display the test pattern on
all pixels on each of the pixel outputs and any enabled DMX512 outputs
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simultaneously. Pressing the 'Factory IP' button while in test mode will move through
each of the patterns successively in one continuous loop.
Test Operation
Colour
Cycle
Outputs will cycle automatically through the red, green,
blue and white colours at fixed intervals. Pressing the but-
ton moves to the next mode.
Red Solid Red
Green Solid Green
Blue Solid Blue
White Solid White
Colour
Fade
Outputs will slowly move through a full continuous colour
fade. Pressing the button will loop back to the original col-
our cycle test mode.
To exit the test mode press and hold the ‘Factory IP’ button down again for 3 seconds
and then release.
The hardware test requires that the pixel driver chip type and number of pixels per
output are set correctly in the Advatek Assistant. In this way you can test if that part of
your configuration is correct and isolate other possible problems with the incoming
Ethernet data side.
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7 - Firmware Updates
The controller is capable of having its firmware updated (new software). An update is
typically performed to fix problems or to add new features.
To perform a firmware update, ensure that you have your PixLite 16 Mk2 ECO controller
connected to the LAN network as per Section 5.1.
The latest firmware is available from the Advatek website at the following link:
www.advateklights.com/downloads
The downloaded file will be archived in a ".zip" format, which should be extracted. The
".hex" file is the file that the controller needs.
7.1 - Performing a Standard Update
1. Open the Advatek Assistant. Click “Search” and once the desired controller
appears in the main window, double click on it.
2. A configuration window will appear. Click on the “Misc” tab and then locate
the “Update Firmware” button and click on it. A “firmware update” window
will appear, as shown in Figure 12 below. Click “browse” to locate the
firmware file you wish to use.
3. Click on the “update” button.
4. Once the update is complete, a message box will pop up saying it has
completed successfully.
5. The controller will automatically reboot itself and then start running the new
firmware application immediately.
If there is something wrong with the updated firmware, repeat the process again if it
is still visible in the configuration utility. Otherwise, refer to troubleshooting in Section 9
for further information.
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