Falcon F16v5 Pixel Controller Tutorial (Pt. 2 of 2) - The Web UI

[@Keithwestley]

On the pixel ports page ... click on a row and try the F2/Shift+F2/F3 and Shift+F3 keys to copy down either one row or down to the end with the shift key. F2 copies the entire row ... F3 copies just the field in focus. So to set all ports to 30% brightness set the first row and press Shift+F3.

[@How2Pixel]

Thanks for the tip! I heard something about there being shortcuts to copy and paste rows, but I didn't know what they were. Thank you for letting me know!

[@isaachyde1563]

So for the port blanking and fuse hold has to be enabled on every port? Does the checkbox that suppress output when no data is received to enable the fuse hold. Also for protocol synchronization what setting in FPP would allow that? Multisync? My plan is to have my Pi run the V5 as my only controller.

[@edkaempf906]

You do a great job on this Part 2, just as you did on Part 1. You provide a very clear, and efficient, walkthrough of the steps needed. One minor addition (correction?), based on how I actually connected all six of my pixel controllers. You mentioned two ways to connect the board to your computer: the controller's onboard WiFi, or through the user's home router. I used a third way: I connected my dedicated show PC directly to the controller by running a Cat5 cable from the Ethernet port on my dedicated show PC, through a simple A-B switch box, then to the Ethernet port on the controller. The A-B switch box has two output Ethernet ports: I used the A port to run to my first controller. I used the B port to go to my router, allowing me to connect my show PC to the Internet whenever I needed to get any software downloads/updates for my show PC's software or controllers (or anything I needed from the Internet for my show). I did this because I didn't want anything on the show to run through my home's network, AND to actually dedicate my show PC to only, well, the show. The A-B box had a simple (really, old fashion) dial on the front that I turned to either A or B.

[@How2Pixel]

Thank you for the information! I know there are a lot of different ways you can hookup the network with controllers in a light show, but I just tried to keep it simple for this video. I did just start a series about networking with a light show, and I'm hoping to include all the different ways you can set up the network between controllers and computers in a light show. Thank you again for the information though!

[@mkklaus6892]

Thanks! You have helped sooo much more than the company I bought it from. I couldn't understand their short reply, still doesn't make sense after now understaning much better. Great job, keep up the amazing help!!!

[@How2Pixel]

Thank you so much for the super thanks!!! I'm glad the video was useful, I'll definitely keep the videos coming!

[@gibsonfamilylightshow]

Awesome job! We are adding a couple of these to our show for 2024, so appreciate the early intel on them! Keep the lights bright!

[@How2Pixel]

Will do!

[@waynebartles2126]

Fantastic Job!!! The details in all of your videos are VERY much appreciated. I have learned so much from your videos and because of your videos on the F16V5, I broke down and replaced my old Sandevices to F16v5 and I'll soon be ordering remotes. Thank you SO MUCH!!😀

[@How2Pixel]

You're welcome, glad the videos are useful!!

[@GreenpointsBrightestLights]

I decided to do a mega tree, and being it was the first thing I needed a larger controller for I ended up with the f16v5. So worth it. I watched many of your videos to decide to go with a falcon controller.

[@How2Pixel]

Awesome, glad the videos were helpful!

[@davezandra2893]

Hi. I’m just starting out and find your content really helpful. I’m still getting my head around the basics like importing sequences to Xlights but slowly getting the hang of it. I just wanted to thank you for being so detailed with your descriptions.

[@How2Pixel]

Glad the videos are useful!

[@johnnycopeland5596]

Thanks for taking the time out for this. You’ve been very helpful. Looking forward to seeing a networking video.

[@How2Pixel]

Glad the videos are useful! Networking video is on my list of videos to make, but first I have the behind-the-scenes tour and differential receivers' video to make haha.

[@decibelav1037]

Excellent , been waiting for this ! , thanks all your help😍

[@How2Pixel]

Sure thing, thank you for watching!

[@xdandev1991x]

Love your videos!
Any chance you'll drop a full tutorial on differential receivers and the different usage methods etc.?

[@How2Pixel]

I've really been wanting to for a while, but I've been so busy with other things, and also have had a ton of other video topics I wanted to make. I have so many ideas I wish I could just publish them all now 🤣. So yes, eventually (hopefully soon) I will make a differential receivers video!

[@Loveparaeveryone]

Talk about the receivers how to setup the SRx1 and SRx2

[@How2Pixel]

I'm planning on it! My next video is going to be a behind the scenes tour, then hopefully after that I'll have a video about differential receivers.

[@herbmccartney993]

Thanks!

[@How2Pixel]

Thank you very much for the super thanks!!

[@MrBassistfromhell]

Thanks again!

[@How2Pixel]

Sure thing, thank you very much for the super thanks!!!

[@envyus1520]

New to all this and want to start planning and buying for my light show. So with the F16V5 controllers i am able to connect three controllers to make 48 ports. What i am wondering if i will be able to connect smart receivers to them.as well or will 48 ports be max?

[@How2Pixel]

Each controller will function as its own board, and adding more controllers will not affect what that one controller will do. So if you have 3 controllers, each will be able to run 1,024 pixels per port, plus the normal receiver outputs. Normally, the controller can control 1,024 pixels on the receiver ports if you have only 1 receiver max on a receiver output. If you add more receivers to a single chain, it will function like normal where it splits the pixels across each receiver. So instead of having 1,024 pixels per port on those receivers, it would be a max of 512 for 2 receivers. If you add 3 receivers, it will be split 3 times, and so on for a max of 6 receivers for each receiver output for each controller. So adding more controllers will not affect the others, you'll still be able to run up to 32,768 pixels per controller, for a total of 98,304 pixels. Hope this helped!

[@codecage9333]

The Ethernet ports are also RJ45 connectors.

[@waynebartles2126]

I have purchased 2 SRx1v5 and I don't know how to setup the rotory ID Selection 'wheel' correctly. Im planning to daisy chain the 2 going back to my new F16v5 controller. I see a-f and 0-9. The two SRx1's will be 12V and controlling ws2811. I couldn't find info on the settings searching UA-cam. Do you have that info? I would much appreciate it. You did such a great job on the F16v5 Part 1 and 2!! Thanks fo that!!

[@How2Pixel]

I don't have any videos yet about the receivers, but I do plan on making some after the LSNWN series. If you look at the back of the receiver, there is a little chart with all the modes on it. Setting it to 0 will make it act as a "dumb receiver" like the classic ones used to be. Modes 1 - 3 are if you're using it with an F16v3 or F48v1, and modes 4-9 are if you're using it with a PI or beagle bone controller. Since you are going to be using the receivers with an F16v5, you'll want to use the auto-detect mode which is anything between A-F. For the first receiver in the chain, set it to mode "A", and for the second receiver, set it to mode "B". If you ever add more receivers to that chain, just increase the letter by one for each receiver. Hope this helps!

[@losg90]

I want to start my first show this year with a 260° mega tree the tree is going to be in a corner area I own a corner home. and some arches and peace stakes how would you recommend the set up I have already a falcon v5-16 and two 4 port falcon expansion boards with 1 power control board. Any help is appreciated. TIA

[@How2Pixel]

Hmm there's multiple ways this could be set up. Is your tree really dense and uses a lot of pixels? I would personally put the F16v5 in the tree along with the power board if it needs power injection to just run that, then run one of the receivers to the arches, and one to the peace stakes. I don't know much about your set up though, so this may not work, this is just what I would do.

[@isaachyde1563]

So for the port blanking and fuse hold has to be enabled on every port? Does the checkbox that suppress output when no data is received to enable the fuse hold. Also for protocol synchronization what setting in FPP would allow that? Multisync? My plan is to have my Pi run the V5 as my only controller.

[@How2Pixel]

Yes, each port has to have the blank checkbox enabled for the controller to send a blank signal and turn off the fuse. As for the protocol synchronization setting, I'm not quite sure how it fully works. I know that you don't need it though to run FPP to the controller. I've always had a Pi with FPP connected to the controller, and had the setting disabled, and never had any problems.

[@steinachu1]

So am I correct in assuming with the v5 and one or more smart receivers connected you no longer have a slider to share pixels between ports? On a v3 with a differential expansion you had to split the 1024 pixels between the main board and the smart receivers. Is that no longer the case?

[@How2Pixel]

Correct that is no longer the case. The board can control 1,024 pixels on all the onboard ports and control 1,024 pixels on the receiver outputs. So you can have 1 receiver on each receiver output and use all the onboard ports at 1,024 pixels (for a total of 32,768 pixels). However, if you hook more than 1 receiver to a single receiver output, that 1,024 pixels would then be split between the 2 receivers. So now each port on the receivers would be able to run 512 pixels. The more receivers you add to a single chain, the less pixels you can run per port. Also, one other thing to note, an SRx2 receiver, even though it's one board, counts as 2 receivers since there's 8 ports on it. Same goes with the SRx4 receivers, except those count as 4 receivers.

[@HauntonAvenida]

Can you do a video on how you do the voiceovers for your shows? I would love to see it

[@How2Pixel]

I definitely can in the future! It's actually not super hard. First, I record each person in the show (including me) one at a time, reading all their lines off my computer. Then I turn all the files into MP3 files, and edit them in software called Shotcut. It's made for video editing, but still works fine for this. I'll layer all the files on top of each other and move them in sync with the other files, so it sounds like a normal conversation. If I have any sound effects, I'll also add those in there. Finally, I take the final MP3 file and use that as the "song track" in Xlights, and program the singing faces to it. I realize now there's a lot more steps after typing it all out, but it's not too difficult haha.

[@HauntonAvenida]

Thanks Nick!

[@LLeonha104]

Question, i have been using a HP multi media computer the i have been using LOR on this computer. The computer is in the garage, and is hooked up wireless to the house internet. how do i connect my new Falcon controller ?

[@How2Pixel]

Is it just a normal computer? Since it's not a raspberry pi you can't use FPP to control the controller, however, there is a program called Xschedule. It works hand and hand with Xlights and allows you to schedule and send data to the controllers like FPP can. I think it can also control LOR boards too. I wish I could point you to some tutorials about how to use Xschedule, but I don't know much about it since I use FPP. I know you install it on a computer, then hook all your controllers to that computer. Maybe try searching it up on UA-cam and see if you can find some tutorials about it. I'm pretty sure Keith Westly has some videos about how it works. Hope this helps!

[@ramanjogi]

Can you confirm if my assumption is correct that once I set up props with various names in Xlights, any purchased musical sequences will automatically synchronize with my props in my timeline?

[@How2Pixel]

Sort of yes, but not automatically. The vendor you buy the sequences from will have their own show setup in the sequence which will be different than yours. So all you'll have to do is map the effects from their props over to your props. As long as you use the audio track they provide with the sequence, then everything will be in sync. Like I said, you'll just need to tell Xlights where to put the effects from the vendor's sequence.

[@AlexSantos-dy2wx]

Did you have your controller on backorder when you ordered it

[@How2Pixel]

I ordered it a month before it was even released, so I had to wait until October 23rd I think, then they started shipping them out and I got it a week later.

[@AlexSantos-dy2wx]

How many controllers are you running, and what type

[@How2Pixel]

Only 1 controller. It used to be the F16v3 but now I'm using the F16v5. I also have 6 differential receivers running off of it.