My espixalstick v3 plays from xlights but not my FPP. My FPP is set to master with a remote controlling a matrix. The matrix plays when I run a show thru the fpp. The matrix remote and pixel stick use the same Wi-Fi network.
I connected it with Xlights but on layout the 'controller connection' tab isn't working. Is there any other way to set max brightness or connect with 'controller connection'? Thanks!
Not sure I totally follow the question, but if you click on a model, there is an option called "Dimming Curves" which allows you to set the brightness per channel (red, green, blue) if that's what you're looking for. If you have a controller that allows setting the brightness, that is another option (Falcon controllers for example).
Great video!! My show has been exclusively home made ESPixelStick (except for the singing xmas tree) for the last two years. As CC says, have a dedicated WiFi router and network with static IP addresses and it works great for pixels. My show is on my channel.
Great video! Does the ESPixelStick still need to be fed by a PC or FPP? I want to use a PixelStick to put lights around my kid's trampoline but it has nothing to do with my normal pixel show. Can they run independent of my show FPP/F-48? Guess I could just output straight from xLights to the ESPixelStick and not anything else? Thanks again.
II have a question, I am flashing and wifi pixel controller using my mac, when I connect the programmer to the usb port it's detected by the laptop, but when I click upload, I am getting an error "Verify the device is connected or that is in programming mode" , I am using programmer CP2102 USB to TTL, when only connecting TX and RC to the ESP, and powering 5v from my source, also I supposed to set the programming mode by holding the button and the powering the ESP and release it after three seconds, but keep getting the message, do you know why this might be happening?
I remember the process being a little finicky powering up, but I can't think of anything off the top of my head. You might check in the forums to see if anyone knows.
Hello i am raju arabastani from india. first of all i would like to thank you for making such a great video which is very inspiring for new invention for me . Sir, I would like to make a request to you to make another video of 1000 pixel led. Thankyou
I've played with these ESP8266 controllers for about a year and a half now. Also running pixels with Arduino Mini. I hope Falcon gets their Wifi stuff sorted, cause I sure would love to network their controllers over a 2 mile run = NO MORE CAT5 cable. THAT would be AWESOME
As I understand it, the latest firmware allows the Falcon F16V3 to act as a remote FPP, but I haven't tried it yet since the network updater only runs on Windows.
I wondered if you could help me a little with an idea. The idea is this: rgb pixel lights on the house, year round. But i want to run a custom animation based on a sports event result. And I would like it to happen automatically (i don't know how exactly possibly stringify/ifttt/custom api grab? For example, "sports team A" game starts, all the lights on the house would turn a color, or play an custom animation of colors. And if said team wins the lights could blink or play a different animation. And after x amount of time after the game is over the lights would turn off or go back to a static look. I've thought also of being able to display the name of the team/current score/or final score on a matrix of lights. Im not asking you to solve this problem here, but I am looking for some guidance on if something like this is reasonably possible? I currently have a SmartThings home automation hub, and dumb pixels installed on the house. I have some very limited arduino and rasp pi knowledge and experience. I would be looking to update/upgrade the lights, and would love to accomplish this idea mostly so that I would have more motivation than just "holiday" lights. Just not exactly sure if my idea is within my scope, and after watching what you're doing I thought you might have some resources I could look into. If you can help that would be awesome. Thanks.
Hey Eddie, I think there are some Arduino Christmas light areas in at least one of the forums. Also check out Bruh Automation as he has an ESP-based sketch that does a lot of what you want. It uses MQTT for communication to Home Assistant. I used that to run a set of stairway night lights: th-cam.com/video/ktl2g-l2SyI/w-d-xo.html I'm sure you could easily add more patterns for different teams. The only issue with leaving pixels outside all year is the sun will yellow them eventually. You might want to mount them out of direct sunlight.
Great video as every single other one. I have a quick question: have you played with nodemcu and WLED software. It has a E1.31 sync option and seems to be promising. Not have tried it yet
Hey, ive setup a separated AP for my xlights controllers (controller actually..i just have 1) and I'm running wled as the controller on a nodemcu. I still get a lot of lag on the effects...is there a way I can improve the lag? Or ill have to go full wired controller?
Do the specifications give a max distance for the wifi setup? I am on a large parcel and have quite some distance to the edge of my property. Just curious.
No. It will be a lot of trial and error unless you have expensive test equipment. You might be better off running FPP so it can run the show by itself.
Hey Jeff, How's it going. Got my display working finally just have work on the sequence's . So I watched your video thought I'd give it a try. I'm using a esp8266 nodemcu , I did all the libraries but having the same problem as one of the comments below. I get an error of missing ESPAsyncZCPP.h from library. I redid everything 10 times. No luck, But I did notice after you downloaded Espixelstick and when you opened Arduino your sketch showed ESPixelstick and tabs that showed all the files. Mine only shows ESPixelstick am I doing something Wrong? Thanks Steve
@@CanispaterChristmas I followed video up to 12:18 and as soon as I uploaded got error message? What do you mean by one procedure, getting very confused sorry. going to bed try again in the morning
@@chefsteve8632 If you can do up to 3:58 it is flashed. If that doesn't work, then use the IDE method that is much harder. Once one of those works, go to 18:38 to configure. This video shows two ways of flashing the ESP. The first one is easier.
I would like to see a new starter series. I think a Boscoyo studio medium 180 mini tree could be completed for less than $60 using ESPixelstick software on Wemos d1 minis and also use a Wemos d1 mini for the access point. Also then add a segment or two on some example sequences for the tree. Thanks for your efforts. I find them well entertaining as well as informative.
I have the tree and ESPixelstick on a Wemos D1 mini. Mounted on a piece of PVC pipe and an old Christmas tree stand. Very simple following Build it Better's TH-cam instructions. Xlights is another story...too many options...tutorials that are hours long. That is why I think a new series is needed..something simple with some examples of interesting sequences for noobies. I haven't tried the Wemos Access Point yet but the IDE shows an example of that capability.@@CanispaterChristmas
Oh, well, I do have this playlist to get you started. th-cam.com/play/PLFyrAfJ-kKd6idliPge_XPZOEE7BwxJKC.html The long xLights videos are soup-to-nuts training videos that cover practically everything (it's a lot). I haven't played with any of those devices so I'm not familiar with them. When you say "access point," are they able to act like a cheap WiFi access point, hence their attractiveness?
I am having one heck of a time using the arduino interface to program my my esp8266 module. I have downloaded all of the required libraries from github and installed the using the include zip files. Every time I run the test compile I get an error of missing ESPAsyncZCPP.h from library. I can't find it in the library either. any suggestions?
The easiest way is to use the uploader if you can. Compiling yourself is not for the faint of heart! :) However, are you sure you have the name correct? ESPAsyncTCP is all over GitHub. I find nothing on ESPAsyncZCPP.
@@CanispaterChristmas I used the programing tool first, it worked great. I think my USB to serial fizzled out on me because when I tried to program a second pixelstick it would not go into programming mode. I the tried to use the arguing and ran into the library issue
I really learn a ton from your videos and now I have the bug again. Back in the day (late 1990's early 2000's) I built light displays with 555 timer output and shift registers. I have been using ESP8266's for industrial control and environmental monitoring.Stumbled on Pixels, now I am hooked. Anyway I have a simple chase program and a few animated stars this year. I need a super simple way to fire off the looping of my display daily. Is there a way possible to loop the sequence file I built in Xlights over and over for the evening?
Thanks for the contribution! You bet. I'm assuming you're just playing the sequence with xLights. xSchedule is included in xLights download. You can create and schedule a playlist (one or more sequences). I'm not as familiar with xSchedule, but Keith has published videos about it on videos.xlights.org. From what I've seen, it's easy to set up, but also has a lot of functionality if you need it later on.
Thanks that was one of those moments after hours of frustration on a totally other failure, I could not get my PfSense box to let internet traffic into my lights network. After Googling the problem and tweaking settings nothing worked. I finally thought why not just reboot the firewall, I did that, after wife tells me the "Internet is DOWN" everything came up and everything works. Got ESpixelstick running on Wemos, Xlights software installed, couple of strings programmed and running on the stick. I am HOOKED!
Love the intro!!! Very informative as I have been researching if I want to go the wireless way. Thank goodness for the pause button as this is a lot of info to digest! Great video...AGAIN!!
Thankz for ur awesome video👌. I had been trying to work on wireless pixel controling. How to use it with a node mcu module? Is it possible to increase the number of leds to more than 170pixels or is it possible to increase the number of Universes controlled by one chip?
Thanks! This may be a good question for the forums. I'm not sure all of the reasons for limiting the number on these little guys (ESPs) other than memory or possibly the CPU. I've seen some posts by Shelby, the author of the software mentioning an Arduino forum where they discussed this, but I haven't found it. I have also found a video on running a string of lights from a nodemcu, however it isn't converting E1.31 data. Check out github.com/bruhautomation/ESP-MQTT-JSON-Digital-LEDs
The ESPixelStick firmware can drive four concurrent universes of 170 pixels, but they must be on the same data line daisy chained. I have used one full universe plus about 20 pixels off the end on the next universe between two props, because I was too lazy to make up another board..
Hi Joe, it is the code that CC directed us to: github.com/forkineye/ESPixelStick .. Feel free to find me on Google messenger with any questions. I am always online just take into account the time zones ;)
I have a question, when you execute the .jar file, and click upload , you type the SSI and a paraphrase, those are configuration for later, or are those the SSID info or the network you are gonna use?
Well, those are the network credentials you want it to connect to once it uploads. I suppose you could move it to another network later if you wanted, but I'm not sure how you'd change that if you didn't have a WiFi connection to the device.
You have to hold down the button, insert the programmer into the USB port on your computer, THEN open the jar file. It won't recognize the ESP if you open the jar file first.
Just wanted to drop in a "Thanks". The ESPSFlashTool wouldn't work for me for some reason. The flash itself worked, but the ESP01s never booted no mater what I did. So.. I went through your steps to manually compile and flash it. To my surprise, that didn't work either. So.. after a bit of "googling" about failed boots on various ESP-01s models, I found a reference to changing the "flash mode" from "QIO" to "DOUT"... and wouldn't you know it.. that worked! So.. anybody else having trouble getting their PixelStick to boot after a flash, you might try a different flash mode.
Great video. Thanks! I am new to this and I am not sure how to connect the board to a power supply. Do you have this in a video you could provide the link to? Again, thank you.
Well, depending on the board, there are a couple of options. In this video I'm using 12V pixels so I used the 12V input on the board - you can either solder or add a jumper for 5V/12V - I went with the solder option. If you notice the larger black and red wires coming out of the bottom of the board, those go to the power supply. Black is - and red is +. The power supply should have a + and - output so you'd connect the red wire to the + and the black wire to the -. Does that help?
With ES pixel sticks and the X lights software what defines or how to change the length of the LEDs I have everything hooked up it works but it won’t go past 2 feet
Did you configure the ESPixelStick from xLights? Well, what do you mean it won't go past 2 feet? It only works within 2 feet of the computer or it only lights up 2 feet of lights?
What I mean I have 3 feet of LEDs when I go to test them through X lights the software does not go past 2 feet of illuminating the lightsSo just say I have 20 feet of LED lights how do I light the software or the pixel stick know that I have that many feet or that many lights
Based on your question, check this video if you haven't already: th-cam.com/video/xtemNvNfsMw/w-d-xo.html It's Keith's xLights training starting where he covers configuring xLights for your setup. Once you have xLights configured, you can program the ESPixelstick based on the config and it should resolve the issue. What's probably happening is that the ESPixelStick is only set to run a small number of pixels and going through this process will make sure xLights and the ESPixelStick agree.
It was the ESPixelStick Flash Tool. They have made several updates since this video so I'm not exactly sure how it's packaged today. This may still work: github.com/forkineye/ESPSFlashTool
Well, it seemed a little touchy when I tried programming it, but the programming tool seemed to work much better. Sounds like the compiled web pages are not loaded on the device.
Ha. I believe there is a long forum thread discussing the search for good ESP modules. I have some that are part of a NodeMCU that seem to work OK (not great, but OK for the home automation I'm using them for), but I don't have a source for just the ESP modules themselves. As for programming the one you have, you might try the lengthy process if you're feeling adventurous and comfortable compiling the source and web pages. That whole project is a little too "experimental" for me. A cool idea, useful if you need it and I know some are having great success with them, but I prefer the more stable, easier-to-deal-with hard-wired stuff. :)
Hello The compilation stops and the following message appears. K:\ESPixelStick30\ESPixelStick\ESPixelStick.ino: In function 'void initWeb()': ESPixelStick:476: error: 'DefaultHeaders' has not been declared DefaultHeaders::Instance().addHeader("Access-Control-Allow-Origin", "*"); ^ exit status 1 'DefaultHeaders' has not been declared What could be wrong? The Arduino environment I have run on Windows 7.
You don't have to compile anything if the flashtool works for you. The video covers both ways: using the flashtool AND/OR compiling from source. Does the flashtool work for you? It by far the easiest way to do this.
The compilation software is probably newer and I would like to test it. I saw in your movie that the Device Setup page contains additional settings for gamma correction and brightness, version 3.0 for flashtool does not have these settings. It has not been updated since November 21, 2017. Regards Zdzislaw from Poland
So now it’s not recognizing the espstick. Verify your device is properly connected and in program mode Keeps giving me this message. I’ve swapped the TxD & RxD cable around per the Renard site. Any ideas would be great. Thanks for help before also.
@@goofy2be1 The esp needs to be connected before you fire up the programmer or it won't recognize it. Make sure you hold the button down, plug the programmer into your computer, wait a few seconds for the programmer to initialize then open the jar file. My programmer has a light showing it's receiving power and ready. If that doesn't work, close the app, unplug the programmer, try re-arranging the TxD & RxD (I had to connect it backwards to get it to work on mine so one of them is mislabelled) and start the process again. You should see a lot of flickering while it's being programmed.
Does the Pixel controller come with the wifi (black piece ) included or do I have to buy separately? Also how many LEDs can I uses with one of these controllers?
I don't recommend running a lot of pixels over WiFi though I've heard some people say they run their whole show with them. I have no specifics on how many pixels they are running or how much they've spent on high-end WiFi routers to deal with the additional traffic. But yeah, you'd need multiple modules. How many is something you'd need to experiment with. I'd say try one or two and see how far you can take it and adjust from there. I don't run these in my show since it's easy for me to hardwire everything - just makes things more simple and I like simple. :)
Thanks for your reply, I was checking the ESP on the renard site ( the very same link ), it costs 13 USD, but I dont know if it includes the wifi adapter , it does not say, do you have any idea how can I be sure about it?
You're a good youtube maker dude. I want to slap the shit out of most people, but you're cool. Entertaining, efficient and most importantly educational. The three E's to youtube success.
I honestly don’t know. I do know you can import LOR sequences into xLights and add pixel outputs, but no idea about running it all from LOR. You might ask this on the forums.
CanispaterChristmas lol oh ok so how do I get to the the terminal where you're typing in url to the get?..... Is that just like cmd ? or is it inside Arduino software
CanispaterChristmas sorry I've never messed with arduinos and really want to so I'm going to start with LED lights to learn the basics of how to work with them to do other projects as well
Oh. Ah, good question! That is the unicast way of setting outputs in xLights. It's actually more efficient to use unicast over multicast, but brings with it the problem you see in the video. If you have an output that only goes to one controller, it's recommended to use unicast. I'm lazy and don't have a lot of lights (yet) so I'm still multicast. I figured I'd change over once it became a problem. Not sure why I added that confusion in the video.
It took me some time to find one myself. :) I know some US vendors have been burned shipping internationally due to some of the laws in the receiver's country so probably why people are shying away from it. These are usually individuals producing these products and don't have a presence in the UK. There is a large concentration of people in Australia doing this stuff so it's a little easier to get someone to carry these items there. I have seen a growing population of people in the UK, but it's still small in comparison. You might check the forums listed in the descriptions of my videos for people in your area that can either have one made for you or can organize a group buy or can draw one up and start producing them for people in the UK. Probably not what you wanted to hear, but that's the current state of things.
Well, could be true, but typically, it’s .02 per led. RGB LEDs have three in each so .06 is the typical per-node estimate. If it’s a module with several RGB LEDs per node, then the current draw could be higher. Always best to actually measure with a meter if in doubt.
I'll admit, I'm not up to speed on the current firmware, but according to the readme on the repo (github.com/forkineye/ESPixelStick) "Pixel limitations are mostly based upon your desired refresh rate, around 680 pixels (4 universes) for a 25ms E1.31 source rate." So, that is what they advertise.
Haha. I didn't mean WiFi lights in general. Alligator clips on two lantern batteries could be mistaken for a "mysterious package". Several folks have had great success with these WiFi modules.
Progress! Well, that's not my code so I'm not going to be a lot of help here. I'd suggest posting on one of the forums listed in my videos. I believe the author hangs out on DIYChristmas or Do It Yourself Christmas. They may already have a solution there as well. Keep me posted.
CanispaterChristmas yes so I just now got it flashed and sketch uploaded (wasnt doing correct sequence to get into programming mode) but now having issues getting it connected to my wifi and the data upload. Says no files found in data.
If you use the flash tool, it will take your WiFi settings then all you have to do is figure out the IP Address the ESP got through DHCP and connect to it to make the changes. The flash tool also has the web pages already and uploads them during the flash process. If you're getting "no pages found", it sounds like you are using the Arduino IDE rather than the flash tool. If that's the case, you have to compress the web pages using gulp which is another installation if you aren't a web developer. So which way are you flashing the ESP?
I haven't tried the ESPixelStick, but I do have a NodeMCU controlling a string of lights on my stairway through HA/MQTT. th-cam.com/video/ktl2g-l2SyI/w-d-xo.html
Yes, this is a bit heavier on the DIY side of things. The programmer is easiest if you can use it. Compiling everything is a pain. Some want to solder. :)
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My espixalstick v3 plays from xlights but not my FPP. My FPP is set to master with a remote controlling a matrix. The matrix plays when I run a show thru the fpp. The matrix remote and pixel stick use the same Wi-Fi network.
FPP defaults pixel data output to eth0. You can change it to wlan0 on the output page (Source Interface).
I connected it with Xlights but on layout the 'controller connection' tab isn't working. Is there any other way to set max brightness or connect with 'controller connection'? Thanks!
Not sure I totally follow the question, but if you click on a model, there is an option called "Dimming Curves" which allows you to set the brightness per channel (red, green, blue) if that's what you're looking for. If you have a controller that allows setting the brightness, that is another option (Falcon controllers for example).
Great infos, can this be connected to another controller through xlights to play schedules from FPP
It is a controller. You just need to get the data to it over WiFi. FPP can "play" directly to it.
Great video!! My show has been exclusively home made ESPixelStick (except for the singing xmas tree) for the last two years.
As CC says, have a dedicated WiFi router and network with static IP addresses and it works great for pixels.
My show is on my channel.
👍
Great video! Does the ESPixelStick still need to be fed by a PC or FPP? I want to use a PixelStick to put lights around my kid's trampoline but it has nothing to do with my normal pixel show. Can they run independent of my show FPP/F-48? Guess I could just output straight from xLights to the ESPixelStick and not anything else? Thanks again.
It still needs some source of data yes.
II have a question, I am flashing and wifi pixel controller using my mac, when I connect the programmer to the usb port it's detected by the laptop, but when I click upload, I am getting an error "Verify the device is connected or that is in programming mode" , I am using programmer CP2102 USB to TTL, when only connecting TX and RC to the ESP, and powering 5v from my source, also I supposed to set the programming mode by holding the button and the powering the ESP and release it after three seconds, but keep getting the message, do you know why this might be happening?
I remember the process being a little finicky powering up, but I can't think of anything off the top of my head. You might check in the forums to see if anyone knows.
Hello
i am raju arabastani from india.
first of all i would like to thank you for making such a great video which is very inspiring for new invention for me .
Sir, I would like to make a request to you to make another video of 1000 pixel led.
Thankyou
Do you mean like this? th-cam.com/video/Z-IedCXTfy0/w-d-xo.html
I've played with these ESP8266 controllers for about a year and a half now. Also running pixels with Arduino Mini. I hope Falcon gets their Wifi stuff sorted, cause I sure would love to network their controllers over a 2 mile run = NO MORE CAT5 cable. THAT would be AWESOME
As I understand it, the latest firmware allows the Falcon F16V3 to act as a remote FPP, but I haven't tried it yet since the network updater only runs on Windows.
Great intro...... Don't leave the house if you see people in white coats lurking about. Have a great Spring Jeff.
😂
I wondered if you could help me a little with an idea. The idea is this: rgb pixel lights on the house, year round. But i want to run a custom animation based on a sports event result. And I would like it to happen automatically (i don't know how exactly possibly stringify/ifttt/custom api grab? For example, "sports team A" game starts, all the lights on the house would turn a color, or play an custom animation of colors. And if said team wins the lights could blink or play a different animation. And after x amount of time after the game is over the lights would turn off or go back to a static look. I've thought also of being able to display the name of the team/current score/or final score on a matrix of lights.
Im not asking you to solve this problem here, but I am looking for some guidance on if something like this is reasonably possible? I currently have a SmartThings home automation hub, and dumb pixels installed on the house. I have some very limited arduino and rasp pi knowledge and experience. I would be looking to update/upgrade the lights, and would love to accomplish this idea mostly so that I would have more motivation than just "holiday" lights. Just not exactly sure if my idea is within my scope, and after watching what you're doing I thought you might have some resources I could look into. If you can help that would be awesome. Thanks.
Hey Eddie, I think there are some Arduino Christmas light areas in at least one of the forums. Also check out Bruh Automation as he has an ESP-based sketch that does a lot of what you want. It uses MQTT for communication to Home Assistant. I used that to run a set of stairway night lights: th-cam.com/video/ktl2g-l2SyI/w-d-xo.html I'm sure you could easily add more patterns for different teams. The only issue with leaving pixels outside all year is the sun will yellow them eventually. You might want to mount them out of direct sunlight.
Great video as every single other one. I have a quick question: have you played with nodemcu and WLED software.
It has a E1.31 sync option and seems to be promising. Not have tried it yet
Thanks! I haven't, but I've seen some posts in the Facebook group and forums so I know people are playing with them.
Hey, ive setup a separated AP for my xlights controllers (controller actually..i just have 1) and I'm running wled as the controller on a nodemcu.
I still get a lot of lag on the effects...is there a way I can improve the lag? Or ill have to go full wired controller?
I don't know (many variables), but assume the answer is yes.
@@CanispaterChristmas i setup a dedicated router for it and worked like a charm
Ah. Excellent!
Do the specifications give a max distance for the wifi setup? I am on a large parcel and have quite some distance to the edge of my property. Just curious.
No. It will be a lot of trial and error unless you have expensive test equipment. You might be better off running FPP so it can run the show by itself.
Hey Jeff, How's it going. Got my display working finally just have work on the sequence's . So I watched your video thought I'd give it a try. I'm using a esp8266 nodemcu , I did all the libraries but having the same problem as one of the comments below. I get an error of missing ESPAsyncZCPP.h from library. I redid everything 10 times. No luck, But I did notice after you downloaded Espixelstick and when you opened Arduino your sketch showed ESPixelstick and tabs that showed all the files. Mine only shows ESPixelstick am I doing something Wrong? Thanks Steve
You only need to do one of the procedures. If the loader works, you don't need to build it from scratch. Did you try that first?
@@CanispaterChristmas I followed video up to 12:18 and as soon as I uploaded got error message? What do you mean by one procedure, getting very confused sorry. going to bed try again in the morning
@@CanispaterChristmas Ok Jeff , it came to me at 3:30 this morning what I was doing wrong. Got it working now. Thanks
@@chefsteve8632 If you can do up to 3:58 it is flashed. If that doesn't work, then use the IDE method that is much harder. Once one of those works, go to 18:38 to configure. This video shows two ways of flashing the ESP. The first one is easier.
I would like to see a new starter series. I think a Boscoyo studio medium 180 mini tree could be completed for less than $60 using ESPixelstick software on Wemos d1 minis and also use a Wemos d1 mini for the access point. Also then add a segment or two on some example sequences for the tree. Thanks for your efforts. I find them well entertaining as well as informative.
Anyone have that running right now?
I have the tree and ESPixelstick on a Wemos D1 mini. Mounted on a piece of PVC pipe and an old Christmas tree stand. Very simple following Build it Better's TH-cam instructions. Xlights is another story...too many options...tutorials that are hours long. That is why I think a new series is needed..something simple with some examples of interesting sequences for noobies. I haven't tried the Wemos Access Point yet but the IDE shows an example of that capability.@@CanispaterChristmas
Oh, well, I do have this playlist to get you started. th-cam.com/play/PLFyrAfJ-kKd6idliPge_XPZOEE7BwxJKC.html The long xLights videos are soup-to-nuts training videos that cover practically everything (it's a lot). I haven't played with any of those devices so I'm not familiar with them. When you say "access point," are they able to act like a cheap WiFi access point, hence their attractiveness?
I am having one heck of a time using the arduino interface to program my my esp8266 module. I have downloaded all of the required libraries from github and installed the using the include zip files. Every time I run the test compile I get an error of missing ESPAsyncZCPP.h from library. I can't find it in the library either. any suggestions?
The easiest way is to use the uploader if you can. Compiling yourself is not for the faint of heart! :) However, are you sure you have the name correct? ESPAsyncTCP is all over GitHub. I find nothing on ESPAsyncZCPP.
@@CanispaterChristmas I used the programing tool first, it worked great. I think my USB to serial fizzled out on me because when I tried to program a second pixelstick it would not go into programming mode. I the tried to use the arguing and ran into the library issue
I really learn a ton from your videos and now I have the bug again. Back in the day (late 1990's early 2000's) I built light displays with 555 timer output and shift registers. I have been using ESP8266's for industrial control and environmental monitoring.Stumbled on Pixels, now I am hooked. Anyway I have a simple chase program and a few animated stars this year. I need a super simple way to fire off the looping of my display daily. Is there a way possible to loop the sequence file I built in Xlights over and over for the evening?
Thanks for the contribution! You bet. I'm assuming you're just playing the sequence with xLights. xSchedule is included in xLights download. You can create and schedule a playlist (one or more sequences). I'm not as familiar with xSchedule, but Keith has published videos about it on videos.xlights.org. From what I've seen, it's easy to set up, but also has a lot of functionality if you need it later on.
Thanks that was one of those moments after hours of frustration on a totally other failure, I could not get my PfSense box to let internet traffic into my lights network. After Googling the problem and tweaking settings nothing worked. I finally thought why not just reboot the firewall, I did that, after wife tells me the "Internet is DOWN" everything came up and everything works. Got ESpixelstick running on Wemos, Xlights software installed, couple of strings programmed and running on the stick. I am HOOKED!
Love the intro!!! Very informative as I have been researching if I want to go the wireless way. Thank goodness for the pause button as this is a lot of info to digest! Great video...AGAIN!!
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Thankz for ur awesome video👌.
I had been trying to work on wireless pixel controling.
How to use it with a node mcu module?
Is it possible to increase the number of leds to more than 170pixels or is it possible to increase the number of Universes controlled by one chip?
Thanks! This may be a good question for the forums. I'm not sure all of the reasons for limiting the number on these little guys (ESPs) other than memory or possibly the CPU. I've seen some posts by Shelby, the author of the software mentioning an Arduino forum where they discussed this, but I haven't found it. I have also found a video on running a string of lights from a nodemcu, however it isn't converting E1.31 data. Check out github.com/bruhautomation/ESP-MQTT-JSON-Digital-LEDs
The ESPixelStick firmware can drive four concurrent universes of 170 pixels, but they must be on the same data line daisy chained. I have used one full universe plus about 20 pixels off the end on the next universe between two props, because I was too lazy to make up another board..
Paul Budden can you please share the code if you have
Hi Joe, it is the code that CC directed us to: github.com/forkineye/ESPixelStick .. Feel free to find me on Google messenger with any questions. I am always online just take into account the time zones ;)
Joe did you get it working? mine is loaded and connected to the settings website, not sure what pin to connect to though.
I have a question, when you execute the .jar file, and click upload , you type the SSI and a paraphrase, those are configuration for later, or are those the SSID info or the network you are gonna use?
Well, those are the network credentials you want it to connect to once it uploads. I suppose you could move it to another network later if you wanted, but I'm not sure how you'd change that if you didn't have a WiFi connection to the device.
@@CanispaterChristmas thanks, another question, do you have any idea why the jar file isnt detecting the port?
You have to hold down the button, insert the programmer into the USB port on your computer, THEN open the jar file. It won't recognize the ESP if you open the jar file first.
Just wanted to drop in a "Thanks". The ESPSFlashTool wouldn't work for me for some reason. The flash itself worked, but the ESP01s never booted no mater what I did. So.. I went through your steps to manually compile and flash it. To my surprise, that didn't work either. So.. after a bit of "googling" about failed boots on various ESP-01s models, I found a reference to changing the "flash mode" from "QIO" to "DOUT"... and wouldn't you know it.. that worked! So.. anybody else having trouble getting their PixelStick to boot after a flash, you might try a different flash mode.
Thanks!
Great video. Thanks! I am new to this and I am not sure how to connect the board to a power supply. Do you have this in a video you could provide the link to? Again, thank you.
Well, depending on the board, there are a couple of options. In this video I'm using 12V pixels so I used the 12V input on the board - you can either solder or add a jumper for 5V/12V - I went with the solder option. If you notice the larger black and red wires coming out of the bottom of the board, those go to the power supply. Black is - and red is +. The power supply should have a + and - output so you'd connect the red wire to the + and the black wire to the -. Does that help?
Oh and Thanks and welcome to the hobby!
Thanks
ESPixelStick. And yes, you explanation helps. Thanks
With ES pixel sticks and the X lights software what defines or how to change the length of the LEDs I have everything hooked up it works but it won’t go past 2 feet
Did you configure the ESPixelStick from xLights? Well, what do you mean it won't go past 2 feet? It only works within 2 feet of the computer or it only lights up 2 feet of lights?
What I mean I have 3 feet of LEDs when I go to test them through X lights the software does not go past 2 feet of illuminating the lightsSo just say I have 20 feet of LED lights how do I light the software or the pixel stick know that I have that many feet or that many lights
Based on your question, check this video if you haven't already: th-cam.com/video/xtemNvNfsMw/w-d-xo.html It's Keith's xLights training starting where he covers configuring xLights for your setup. Once you have xLights configured, you can program the ESPixelstick based on the config and it should resolve the issue. What's probably happening is that the ESPixelStick is only set to run a small number of pixels and going through this process will make sure xLights and the ESPixelStick agree.
Thank you for your time
Thanks! Let me know either way.
What flasher are you using? when I double on the Jar file my flasher wont open it.
It was the ESPixelStick Flash Tool. They have made several updates since this video so I'm not exactly sure how it's packaged today. This may still work: github.com/forkineye/ESPSFlashTool
Is it possible to use a esp32 board with that firmware?
IDK. I haven't looked into it lately, but you can give it a try and let me know. 😂
Jeff, When I program my Renard ESPWiFi and connect to the web interface if just dumps the config. I've tried using the Java tool. Any suggestions?
Well, it seemed a little touchy when I tried programming it, but the programming tool seemed to work much better. Sounds like the compiled web pages are not loaded on the device.
Unfortunately I used the programming tool. Any suggestion on a reliable source for ESP8266 modules? I tried Amazon but they were terrible.
Ha. I believe there is a long forum thread discussing the search for good ESP modules. I have some that are part of a NodeMCU that seem to work OK (not great, but OK for the home automation I'm using them for), but I don't have a source for just the ESP modules themselves. As for programming the one you have, you might try the lengthy process if you're feeling adventurous and comfortable compiling the source and web pages. That whole project is a little too "experimental" for me. A cool idea, useful if you need it and I know some are having great success with them, but I prefer the more stable, easier-to-deal-with hard-wired stuff. :)
Hang in there, man! Glad all is well.
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question. what is universe boundary?
An E1.31 universe is 512 bytes or data for 170 pixels (510) plus 2 bytes.
Hello
The compilation stops and the following message appears.
K:\ESPixelStick30\ESPixelStick\ESPixelStick.ino: In function 'void initWeb()':
ESPixelStick:476: error: 'DefaultHeaders' has not been declared
DefaultHeaders::Instance().addHeader("Access-Control-Allow-Origin", "*");
^
exit status 1
'DefaultHeaders' has not been declared
What could be wrong?
The Arduino environment I have run on Windows 7.
You don't have to compile anything if the flashtool works for you. The video covers both ways: using the flashtool AND/OR compiling from source. Does the flashtool work for you? It by far the easiest way to do this.
The compilation software is probably newer and I would like to test it.
I saw in your movie that the Device Setup page contains additional settings for gamma correction and brightness, version 3.0 for flashtool does not have these settings.
It has not been updated since November 21, 2017.
Regards
Zdzislaw from Poland
Ah OK. Let me know if upgrading fixes it.
What app did you open the flash tool jar. My computer wants me to pick an app to open it
You need to have Java loaded on your computer. That is what runs jar files.
So now it’s not recognizing the espstick. Verify your device is properly connected and in program mode Keeps giving me this message. I’ve swapped the TxD & RxD cable around per the Renard site. Any ideas would be great. Thanks for help before also.
@@goofy2be1 The esp needs to be connected before you fire up the programmer or it won't recognize it. Make sure you hold the button down, plug the programmer into your computer, wait a few seconds for the programmer to initialize then open the jar file. My programmer has a light showing it's receiving power and ready. If that doesn't work, close the app, unplug the programmer, try re-arranging the TxD & RxD (I had to connect it backwards to get it to work on mine so one of them is mislabelled) and start the process again. You should see a lot of flickering while it's being programmed.
Figured out my issue. On the serial port line. I need to pick a different port. Thanks again
@@goofy2be1 Ah! Glad you got it figured out!
Does the Pixel controller come with the wifi (black piece ) included or do I have to buy separately? Also how many LEDs can I uses with one of these controllers?
The ESP module (wifi) was included in my kit. A universe is ~170 pixels so probably want to stay under that size.
@@CanispaterChristmas so I can't use it for , let's say , 600 leds, or do I have to buy four ESP?
I don't recommend running a lot of pixels over WiFi though I've heard some people say they run their whole show with them. I have no specifics on how many pixels they are running or how much they've spent on high-end WiFi routers to deal with the additional traffic. But yeah, you'd need multiple modules. How many is something you'd need to experiment with. I'd say try one or two and see how far you can take it and adjust from there. I don't run these in my show since it's easy for me to hardwire everything - just makes things more simple and I like simple. :)
Thanks for your reply, I was checking the ESP on the renard site ( the very same link ), it costs 13 USD, but I dont know if it includes the wifi adapter , it does not say, do you have any idea how can I be sure about it?
You could send Dean a message. His email is at the bottom of the page. I believe it's part of the kit (mine was), but verify with Dean first.
You're a good youtube maker dude. I want to slap the shit out of most people, but you're cool. Entertaining, efficient and most importantly educational. The three E's to youtube success.
Thanks! I really appreciate that! Glad the videos are helpful.
Do you have to use xlights to control everything or could you use light o rama software
I honestly don’t know. I do know you can import LOR sequences into xLights and add pixel outputs, but no idea about running it all from LOR. You might ask this on the forums.
@@CanispaterChristmas ok will try that. Is xlights easy to use /navigate or is it a learning process . Arr You are running with light showpi ?
There can be a bit of a learning curve, but there are tons of training videos at videos.xlights.org. I’m running Falcon Player on the Pi.
um can you explain why you cant use these outside ? if i build a waterproof box for the controller?
Haha! I was referring to the alligator clips and lantern batteries looking like something bad. Enclosure would be fine.
CanispaterChristmas lol oh ok so how do I get to the the terminal where you're typing in url to the get?.....
Is that just like cmd ? or is it inside Arduino software
CanispaterChristmas sorry I've never messed with arduinos and really want to so I'm going to start with LED lights to learn the basics of how to work with them to do other projects as well
It’s called terminal on Mac, but yeah, CMD on Windows. Not sure if git is auto-installed on Windows. I suppose try it, if it doesn’t work, Google it?
Could you do a bit more on the x lights part ?
I tend to stay away from doing xLights videos as there is already a ton of great content on that. What part is tripping you up?
The part where you set up the stick, is that a typical config or special for them?
Oh. Ah, good question! That is the unicast way of setting outputs in xLights. It's actually more efficient to use unicast over multicast, but brings with it the problem you see in the video. If you have an output that only goes to one controller, it's recommended to use unicast. I'm lazy and don't have a lot of lights (yet) so I'm still multicast. I figured I'd change over once it became a problem. Not sure why I added that confusion in the video.
these are great but having real problems trying to get some of these PCBs in the UK, espixelstick or raynards stuff etc. :(
It took me some time to find one myself. :) I know some US vendors have been burned shipping internationally due to some of the laws in the receiver's country so probably why people are shying away from it. These are usually individuals producing these products and don't have a presence in the UK. There is a large concentration of people in Australia doing this stuff so it's a little easier to get someone to carry these items there. I have seen a growing population of people in the UK, but it's still small in comparison. You might check the forums listed in the descriptions of my videos for people in your area that can either have one made for you or can organize a group buy or can draw one up and start producing them for people in the UK. Probably not what you wanted to hear, but that's the current state of things.
@@CanispaterChristmas ok great thanks for your answer! I'll have a look into it. Cheers!
@@MarkCarline jboards.ecwid.com/ESPixNode-p127558674
how can use gulp in windows?
www.tutorialspoint.com/gulp/gulp_installation.htm
sorry.. i compiled it now.. but i'm stuck in the part of running gulp to create the www. folder
I believe you can just run gulp from the folder that has the gulp file in it.
what size power supply do you use? i calculated 2000 lights at 555.5 dc amps and i only have a 30amp supply O.o
I use several ~30-amp power supplies. 2000 pixels at ~0.06amps (100% white) would be ~120amps.
Thanks for the reply my lights are ws2811 bullet type and description on Amazon says .3w/led
Well, could be true, but typically, it’s .02 per led. RGB LEDs have three in each so .06 is the typical per-node estimate. If it’s a module with several RGB LEDs per node, then the current draw could be higher. Always best to actually measure with a meter if in doubt.
I believe you can now control 4 universes with ESPpixelstick (~682 pixels 2048 channels) - can you confirm this please ?
I'll admit, I'm not up to speed on the current firmware, but according to the readme on the repo (github.com/forkineye/ESPixelStick) "Pixel limitations are mostly based upon your desired refresh rate, around 680 pixels (4 universes) for a 25ms E1.31 source rate." So, that is what they advertise.
@@CanispaterChristmas Thanks ! Do you also know if a D1 mini will drive directly a RGB LED strip (WS2811) or does it need a level converter (3.3V-5V)
@@myozone No idea. I've seen an RGB Pixel shield for it, but I don't know if it will actually drive a string.
Isn’t a wemos a better/cheaper solution for this?
Possibly, but I don't think that was an option when I made this video. 😂
what enclosure do you use for these?
For the pixelStick or the lights?
If the pixelStick, anything that keeps it dry. If lights, then nothing. Not trying to be funny - I just didn't have a lot to go on there. :)
Why wouldn't you want to use wifi controlled lights in your front yard? Does this mean you don't recommend this for your Christmas show?
Haha. I didn't mean WiFi lights in general. Alligator clips on two lantern batteries could be mistaken for a "mysterious package". Several folks have had great success with these WiFi modules.
Hahahaha!! Not at all what I thought you meant by that, but I can see your point.
I guess this proves I'm not the brightest pixel on the string.
here is my error " ESPixelStick:148:26: error: 'class EspClass' has no member named 'getFullVersion'
LOG_PORT.println(ESP.getFullVersion());
Progress! Well, that's not my code so I'm not going to be a lot of help here. I'd suggest posting on one of the forums listed in my videos. I believe the author hangs out on DIYChristmas or Do It Yourself Christmas. They may already have a solution there as well. Keep me posted.
sir how can use with multcast
Set the output to multicast instead.
@@CanispaterChristmas ok sir
i was unable to do any of this successfully. using windows 10. any way you could assist me
Did you try the flash tool? It is a MUCH easier way to flash them.
CanispaterChristmas yes so I just now got it flashed and sketch uploaded (wasnt doing correct sequence to get into programming mode) but now having issues getting it connected to my wifi and the data upload. Says no files found in data.
If you use the flash tool, it will take your WiFi settings then all you have to do is figure out the IP Address the ESP got through DHCP and connect to it to make the changes. The flash tool also has the web pages already and uploads them during the flash process. If you're getting "no pages found", it sounds like you are using the Arduino IDE rather than the flash tool. If that's the case, you have to compress the web pages using gulp which is another installation if you aren't a web developer. So which way are you flashing the ESP?
i must have misunderstood. i flashed using the flash tool, then the IDE. so I'm re-flashing now using only the flash tool...
Oh gosh. Yeah, I'm just showing both ways to do it, but the flash tool is way easier.
This was very informative! I had so many questions answered! Thank you!
Thanks! Glad it was helpful!
cant compile the my codes.. :(
Looks like you got it.
Has anyone had luck controlling an ESPixelStick with Home Assistant via MQTT?
I haven't tried the ESPixelStick, but I do have a NodeMCU controlling a string of lights on my stairway through HA/MQTT. th-cam.com/video/ktl2g-l2SyI/w-d-xo.html
thanks i install gulp now..
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🎄
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Jai shankar g
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No one wants to solder their own, install all the software - it should just come ready to go.
Yes, this is a bit heavier on the DIY side of things. The programmer is easiest if you can use it. Compiling everything is a pain. Some want to solder. :)