GENLED Acolyte DiGidot CTRLPIXEL96 User manual

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PXLNET CONTROLLER MANUAL
CTRLPIXEL96
RoHS SPI DMX IP20
REV. 28SEP2023

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THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING ACOLYTE AND DIGIDOT!
We strive to offer the latest technology in LED lighting control and we’re constantly innovating
and expanding our control platform. We’re convinced that you have everything you need to
create a truly mesmerizing, innovative piece of light art. Are you proud of the result? Then
please share it with us. We love to see what you can do with our products!
The Acolyte and DiGidot teams

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INDEX
Introduction 4
Product Information 5
Technical Specications 6
Product Drawing 7
PxLNet Controller Explained 7
Key Features Explained 8
Before Installation 11
Mounting Options 12
Installation & Wiring 13
Conguration 19
Interface 21
Advanced IO Conguration 27
Ethernet Conguration 30
Actions 31
Tips & Troubleshooting 35
FAQs 41
Accessories 42
Various 43
Compliances 44

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INTRODUCTION
The PxLNet Controller is the most powerful rack-mounted pixel control system of its kind,
with a built-in Gigabit switch for Art-Net and sACN and 16 DMX or PxLNet output ports in a
professional 19 in. housing that guarantees optimal exibility and performance for the most
demanding projects. The PxLNet Controller converts Art-Net or sACN to SPI or DMX. It can
output a staggering 96 universes (8 per port) in total. (Please refer to the performance guide
to check the maximum number of universes you can congure per port.) A built-in web-
based user interface allows the PxLNet Controller to be congured and managed by any
computer with a web browser. Multiple PxLNet Controllers can be linked to control large-
scale projects. The PxLNet output ports allow for long range SPI data -- up to 820 ft (250 m).

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PRODUCT INFORMATION
BOX CONTENTS
1 PxLNet Controller
1 power cable
16 PxLNet Transceivers
1 spare fuse
NOTE: We take great care with our products and have a standard of quality control, but we advise you to double-check for
missing or damaged items. In case of any missing or damaged items, please contact your supplier immediately. Never use
damaged products!

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Electrical
Input Voltage: 100-250 VAC, 50-60 Hz
Max. power consumption: 45W
Mechanical
Housing material: Aluminium
Dimensions: 17.36 x 11.81 x 1.69 in. | 441 x 300 x 43 mm (L x W x H)
(with 19-inch brackets) 19.06 x 11.81 x 1.69 in. | 484 x 300 x 43 mm (L x W x H)
Net device weight: 86.42oz | 2450 gr
PxLNet Node package weight: 98.77oz |2800 gr
Mounting: 19 in. rack-mounted
Environmental
Operation Temperature (Tc): 32 to 122°F (0 to 50°C)
Max. ambient Temp. (Tamax): 104°F (40°C)
Storage temperature: -4 to 122°F (-20 to 50°C)
Max. operating relative humidity: 90% (indoor use only)
Protection
IP rating: IP20 (indoor use only)
Control
Input Protocols: Art-Net 1,2,3 & 4
sACN
Output Protocols: Art-Net 1, 2, 3 & 4 (out/through)
DMX (16 outputs)
60+ SPI protocols (check supported ICs list online)
Ethernet: RJ45 compatible, for 100/1000 Base-TX Ethernet
Programming & control: PxLNet Controller web-based user interface
PxLNet Controller app
Any type of Art-Net or sACN Software/Device
(visit digidot.eu for a complete list of supported software)
Connectivity:
Connectors: Power: C13, C14 (100-264 VAC)
Network: 2 x RJ45 bus
IO port: 16 x RJ45 bus (PxLNet)
Trigger input: D-Sub and GPIO switch
Quality
Warranty: 5-year factory warranty
Compliances: CE, RoHS

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PRODUCT DRAWINGS
17.36 in.
(441 mm)
19.06 in.
(484 mm)
11.81 in.
(300 mm)
1.69 in.
(43 mm)
Front
Back
Art-Net or sACN controller required
For the PxLNet Controller to work in a live system setup, a third-party Art-Net or sACN
software or console is required. PxLNet Controllers work with various professional grade
software and consoles, such as: MADRIX, Pharos, ArKaos, Resolume Arena, MadMapper,
POET, grandMA and many more. As long as the control software or console uses an industry
standard Art-Net or sACN protocol, you can manage the PxLNet Controller.
THE PXLNET CONTROLLER EXPLAINED

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Art-Net or sACN controller required
For the PxLNet Controller to work in a live system setup, a third-party Art-Net or sACN
software or console is required. PxLNet Controllers work with various professional grade
software and consoles, such as: MADRIX, Pharos, ArKaos, Resolume Arena, MadMapper,
POET, grandMA and many more. As long as the control software or console uses an industry
standard Art-Net or sACN protocol, you can manage the PxLNet Controller.
Art-Net or sACN control software/platforms
When the setup process has been completed, the PxLNet Controller can be used with any
type of Art-Net or sACN software or console. The PxLNet Controller can automatically be
detected as an Art-Net or sACN device, depending on the software or console. To do so,
an Input/output conguration must be completed rst. Each PxLNet Controller needs to
be congured with a unique IP address for unicasting. Assign a device name to the PxLNet
Controller for easier recognition (see the Conguring the PxLNet Controller section).
Supported protocols (ICs)
The PxLNet Controller supports more than 60 protocols, including both ‘Data’ and
‘DataClock’ variants. All supported protocols can be found in the PxLNet Controller user
interface. Go to Home > Settings > In/out conguration > Select a port drop down menu to
open the protocol list.
Please visit digidot.eu/support/documentation for the latest overview of all supported
protocols/ICs. For a more technical protocol overview and their performances, please check
the documentation page in the performance guide.
More than 60 supported protocols
The PxLNet Controller supports more than 60 different control protocols, and new ICs are
added frequently with software updates.
Up to 96 universes for SPI conversion
Depending on your PxLNet Controller version and license, you can output up to 96 universes,
which is the equivalent of 49,152 control channels.
Onboard Gigabit switch
The onboard Gigabit switch allows a fast Art-Net or sACN input and output signal.
KEY FEATURES EXPLAINED

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DMX Out
The I/O ports can also be congured as 16x DMX.
IP address lter
With this feature you can congure the PxLNet Controller to listen to a specic IP address
when using Art-Net as input protocol. Signals from other IP addresses will be ignored.
Art-Net routing
You can route any of the incoming Art-Net universes to Art-Net outputs or SPI.
HTP merge signal inputs
It is possible to merge various input signals according to the HTP (Highest Takes
Precedence) principle.
Incoming and outgoing signal monitor
This allows monitoring of all incoming and outgoing data, frame rate and network status.
Create segments
Create simple chase effects for a large number of pixels by creating segments of channels or
LEDs and reduce the amount of input channels.
Daisy chainable
The two port ethernet switches with RJ45 connectors allow the PxLNet Controller to be daisy
chained. (Daisy chaining more than 8 devices can cause network delays.) We recommend
using a professional grade Gigabit network switch to split the network load.
Gamma correction
This is a function that corrects the input brightness. This amount of gamma correction
changes not only the brightness, but also the ratio of red, green and blue. We recommend
enabling this option if your input is a video or image le, or if you’re using 16-bit LED ICs to
make the dimming curve smoother if the brightness is low.
Adjustable fallback color
In case of absence or loss of the control signal, a fallback color can be set for every PxLNet
Controller. You can also set the delay time before the fallback activates.

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Online/ofine rmware updates
We offer online updates which can be installed easily from the user interface. These
updates can also be downloaded and installed if the PxLNet Controllers are not connected
to the internet. You can download the PxLNet Controller software at digidot.eu/support/
updates. Use the download link to get the le. You can upload the new rmware at
http://10.254.254.254/fwupdate.htm. You can also change the ‘10.254.254.254’ in the URL to
the IP address of your PxLNet Controller. It is also possible to upgrade or downgrade multiple
devices simultaneously by checking the ‘Broadcast’ option on the fwupdate page.
Output limiter
You can limit the output power to a pre-set brightness. There are two ways to do this:
Brightness limiter
This option limits the individual channels to a specic percentage. This means that
every channel or LED will never exceed this percentage, e.g., limiting brightness to 50%
means that all individual channels can never exceed 50% but the control range per
channel will remain the same. The percentage is effectively applied to the input value for
each channel.
Adaptive power limiter
This option limits the total average output of all channels combined to a specic
percentage in order to decrease total power consumption. Individual channels may
still output up to 100%, e.g., limiting power to 50% means that half of the channels can
output 100% and the other half 0% or all channels at 50%, etc. If you try to output all
channels at 75%, the output of all channels would be automatically limited to a total of
50% but would maintain ratios relative to each other.
WARNING: if you turn on a limiter, there will be less steps to dim, e.g., if a limiter is set to
50% and the IC is 8-bit (256 steps to dim), you will have 128 steps to dim remaining (256 –
(256/0.50=128)).
16-bit dimming output
Whenever high-resolution dimming is required and supported by your IC, two input channels
can be combined to one output channel to convert 8-bit to 16-bit dimming.
Congure LED color order
If an LED product has an alternative order of LED ICs or dyes, you can easily change the
order of control channels in the user interface. The interface uses the default color order of
the selected IC. You can congure R, G and B in any order with an optional W channel.