DmxControlPro - FAQ

- Lightning doesn't seem to connect to my Enttec USB device, what can I do?
- My problem is not listed here or my app crashed
- The application complains that the ArtnetController can't be started.
- Why should I not use the Enttec Open USB Dmx at all?
- How do I create a SysEx String to use MSC (Midi Show Control)?


Lightning doesn't seem to connect to my Enttec USB device, what can I do?

ON MAVERICKS:
There is an issue with 10.9 Mavericks. If you want to use your Enttec USB DMX PRO under 10.9, open a terminal and copy this:

sudo mv /System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleUSBFTDI.kext /System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleUSBFTDI.disabled

Type your root password when asked for and reboot your system (sorry for that).

ON 10.8 Mountain Lion AND BELOW:
Usually the problem is that another application or driver is already claiming the USB device, so Lightning cannot connect to it. Lightning includes the necessary driver files, so you should not have installed anything. Unfortunately I don't support the VCOM driver yet, maybe in the future.
If you run into this problem, you should try to unload the kext file.
open up a terminal and type:
sudo kextunload /System/Library/Extensions/FTDIUSBSerialDriver.kext

it'll ask for your root password.

Quit and restart Lightning DmxControl. It should work now
If you want do remove the FTDI driver permanently, use:
sudo rm -rf /System/Library/Extensions/FTDIUSBSerialDriver.kext

If you dont have a root password or you don't know it, you could remove it through the Finder by going to System->Library->Extensions and then remove the FTDIUSBSerialDriver.kext

If you didn't use kextunload, you have to reboot your computer.
Caution! If you use the Enttec device for other applications, you might consider moving the .kext file to another location instead of deleting it.



Why should I not use the Enttec Open USB Dmx at all?

You should really consider buying another device than the Enttec Open USB DMX.
I recommend the Enttec USB DMX PRO or the http://dmxking.com/usbdmx/ultradmxmicro (the same but cheaper, I use this one myself).
The reason for this is as follows:
The pro device has it's own processor, which takes care of the dmx-output 44 times per second, the computer only sends an array with dmx value when it changes.
The open usb dmx just puts through the data it receives via usb. As your computer is doing multiple things at once, it can slightly delay the bytes that are sent through the usb port. If this is halfway an array of dmx channels, it can cause the dmx-packet to be corrupted, which results in a wrongly interpreted dmx-array by the receiving devices. This appears as flickering.



My problem is not listed here or my app crashed

Please describe your problem as detailed as possible. Please let me know when your app crashed, for instance: after sending midi data, at startup, when moving a particular slider or any slider etc.

To help you with your problem, I needs some diagnostic information about your system, with the commands below you can create a zip-file for me, that I need to find your problem more quickly:
-Please open up a terminal window (COMMAND-SPACE to open spotlite, type 'terminal').


Then copy-paste the following lines for the PRO version:

mkdir -p ~/Desktop/nl.jv.dmxcontrolpro

cp ~/Library/Containers/nl.jv.dmxcontrolpro/Data/Library/Application\ Support/DmxControlPro/log*.txt ~/Desktop/nl.jv.dmxcontrolpro/
 cp ~/Library/Containers/nl.jv.dmxcontrolpro/Data/Library/Application\ Support/DmxControlPro/DmxControlPro.xml ~/Desktop/nl.jv.dmxcontrolpro/
 cp ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/DmxControlPro*.crash ~/Desktop/nl.jv.dmxcontrolpro/
 cp ~/Library/Logs/*DmxControlPro* ~/Desktop/nl.jv.dmxcontrolpro/
 echo `ls /dev/` > ~/Desktop/nl.jv.dmxcontrolpro/dev.txt
 echo `system_profiler SPUSBDataType` > ~/Desktop/nl.jv.dmxcontrolpro/usb.txt
 echo `sysctl -a` > ~/Desktop/nl.jv.dmxcontrolpro/sysctl.txt
 echo `system_profiler SPSoftwareDataType` > ~/Desktop/nl.jv.dmxcontrolpro/osxversion.txt
 echo `ifconfig` > ~/Desktop/nl.jv.dmxcontrolpro/ifconfig.txt
 cd ~/Desktop
 zip -r nl.jv.dmxcontrolpro.zip ./nl.jv.dmxcontrolpro/*
 rm -rf ~/Desktop/nl.jv.dmxcontrolpro
 echo "Please send the created zip-file on your desktop to lightning@jv.nl"
 echo "You can close this terminal window now"
 echo

Please notice there is a zip-file created on your desktop with the name: nl.jv.dmxcontrolpro.zip If you send this to me, I have some diagnostic information about your computer and the latest logfile from DmxControlPro.

Copy-paste the following lines for the FREE version (JV Lightning DmxControl):

mkdir -p ~/Desktop/nl.jv.LightningDmxControlLite

cp ~/Library/Containers/nl.jv.LightningDmxControlLite/Data/Library/Application\ Support/JV\ Lightning\ DmxControl/log*.txt ~/Desktop/nl.jv.LightningDmxControlLite/
cp ~/Library/Containers/nl.jv.LightningDmxControlLite/Data/Library/Application\ Support/JV\ Lightning\ DmxControl/DmxControlPro.xml ~/Desktop/nl.jv.LightningDmxControlLite/
cp ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/JV\ Lightning\ DmxControl*.crash ~/Desktop/nl.jv.LightningDmxControlLite/
cp ~/Library/Logs/*JV\ Lightning\ DmxControl* ~/Desktop/nl.jv.LightningDmxControlLite/
echo `ls /dev/` > ~/Desktop/nl.jv.LightningDmxControlLite/dev.txt
echo `system_profiler SPUSBDataType` > ~/Desktop/nl.jv.LightningDmxControlLite/usb.txt
echo `sysctl -a` > ~/Desktop/nl.jv.LightningDmxControlLite/sysctl.txt
echo `system_profiler SPSoftwareDataType` > ~/Desktop/nl.jv.LightningDmxControlLite/osxversion.txt
echo `ifconfig` > ~/Desktop/nl.jv.LightningDmxControlLite/ifconfig.txt
cd ~/Desktop
zip -r nl.jv.LightningDmxControlLite.zip ./nl.jv.LightningDmxControlLite/*
rm -rf ~/Desktop/nl.jv.LightningDmxControlLite
echo "Please send the created zip-file on your desktop to lightning@jv.nl"
echo "You can close this terminal window now"
 echo



The application notifies me that the ArtnetController can't be started. Possible causes:

  • There is no network device available.
    • iPhone: check if your WiFi connection is active.
    • Mac/OSX:
      Check if your Wifi or Ethernet connection is active. Open Network preferences by clicking the WiFi icon in the top right corner and choose Network Preferences.
  • Another application or service uses port 6454.
    • iPhone:
      Doubleclick the Home button and shut down all still running apps by press-and-holding the first button for 2 seconds and then clicking the little red balls on the icon.
      Start ArtnetDmxRemote again and check if the error disappeared.
    • OSX/Mac:
      Open a terminal window and execute the next line:
      lsof -i -P | grep "6454"
      If you are not permitted try:
      sudo lsof -i -P | grep "6454"
      You have to give an admin/root password with the second one.

      This will result in a list like below:
      DmxContro 15021 yourusername 7u IPv4 0x7de6dc6d0f1321bb 0t0 UDP *:6454
      DmxContro 15021 yourusername 8u IPv6 0x7de6dc6d07933aeb 0t0 UDP *:6454
      ExampleApp 352 yourusername 19u IPv4 0x7de6dc6cfd53921b 0t0 TCP *: 6454 (LISTEN)
      ExampleApp 352 yourusername 20u IPv6 0x7de6dc6cf9f59c3b 0t0 TCP *: 6454 (LISTEN)

      You could conclude from the list above that ExampleApp is using port 6454. Try to completely close ExampleApp and restart DmxControl to check if the error disappeared.

  • Firewall is blocking the application
    • iPhone: not applicable
    • Mac/OSX
      Temporarily shutdown the firewall to test if this is indeed the cause of your problem.
      Go to System preferences->Security (CMD-Space and search for 'Security and Privacy')
      Click on the tab 'Firewall' and turn it off. If this is not permitted, try to open the lock in the leftbottom corner of the window.
      Restart DmxControl to check if the error disappeared.
      If this was the cause of your problem, click on Firewall Options and add DmxControl as application and change the setting to 'Allow incoming connections/trafic'.
      Uncheck 'Block all incoming trafic/connections'.


How do I create a SysEx String to use MSC (Midi Show Control)?

MSC is implemented according by using this specification: http://www.richmondsounddesign.com/docs/midi-show-control-specification.pdf

Example 1: this should trigger scene 2
F0, 7F, 00, 02, 01, 01, 32, F7
Example 2: this should trigger scene 24
F0, 7F, 00, 02, 01, 01, 32, 34, F7

Explanation:

F0 - Start Sysex
7F - Show Control
00 - Device ID, can be 00 (Device 0) or 7F (All-Call)
02 - Universal Real Time System Excluside ID number sub ID
01 - Command format, can be 01 (Lighting) or 7F (All Types)
01 - Command, can be 01 (Go) or 04 (Timed Go)
3x - Where x = 0 to 9 (this byte can be repeated several times, so scene 24 is "32, 34", Scene 2 = "32"
F7 - End SysEx