I have the problem where my lights flicker - some times full on, most of the time full off - about 20-30 times per hour. All of the lights are set to remain on last signal on signal lost, so I know this is a driven problem. They don't do it on a Jands lighting console or Freestyler (on all the systems listed next). I have tried the DMXking ultra and pro interfaces. Tried Win8 and Win7.
Anybody have any ideas?
Thanks
Flicker Issue
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Massimo Callegari
I noticed this too with a DMXKing device. At first I thought I was doing something stupid on my side, then I realized there must be something deeper causing this.
I am not ignoring this, it's just quite hard to tackle. I am thinking of a solution, but it will take time and lot of tests before being available for every day use.
I am not ignoring this, it's just quite hard to tackle. I am thinking of a solution, but it will take time and lot of tests before being available for every day use.
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jon aukema
The problem is that it renders the system useless. Do you have any idea on a time line? One thing I did notice is that if you deselect the interface so there is no output device, it still flickers. I would have to find a powered hub to be able to physically disconnect it from the computer.
Thanks
Thanks
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Matthew Marks
Have you considered contacting the DMXKing people about this? There are postings by its designer on other forums, and with the wonderful progress qlcplus is making, reliable support for it would bring them customers.
In the mean time you could perhaps spend very little on a cheap FTDI interface (search eBay for FTDI RS485), some of which even have screw terminals so you can adapt to XLR without soldering, and which work reliably via [ArtNet](https://sourceforge.net/p/qlcplus/discu ... d/81d80f78) in Linux and possibly more directly (DMX USB) in other operating systems. It would remain a useful backup once the DMXKing issue is fixed.
In the mean time you could perhaps spend very little on a cheap FTDI interface (search eBay for FTDI RS485), some of which even have screw terminals so you can adapt to XLR without soldering, and which work reliably via [ArtNet](https://sourceforge.net/p/qlcplus/discu ... d/81d80f78) in Linux and possibly more directly (DMX USB) in other operating systems. It would remain a useful backup once the DMXKing issue is fixed.
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jon aukema
I found this on the MagicQ website in there FAQ. I won't have access to my interface till Saturday. Can anybody test it before then so I don't need to make backup plans?
"My MagicQ USB wing periodically disconnects and restarts - how do I fix this?
This is generally caused by Windows shutting down the USB ports when it incorrectly thinks they are idle. In Windows, click on Control Panel, System, Device Manager and scroll to the bottom to get a list of the USB devices. For each USB Root Hub click on Properties, Power Management and make sure that the option "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power" is NOT selected."
Jon
"My MagicQ USB wing periodically disconnects and restarts - how do I fix this?
This is generally caused by Windows shutting down the USB ports when it incorrectly thinks they are idle. In Windows, click on Control Panel, System, Device Manager and scroll to the bottom to get a list of the USB devices. For each USB Root Hub click on Properties, Power Management and make sure that the option "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power" is NOT selected."
Jon
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jon aukema
I tried deselecting the above and the flicker still persists. I also set up a chase the basically moved a channel we didn't use up and down all night so info was continuosly being feed to the interface and it still flickered. Massimo, does the problem replicate itself on a OS platform?
Jon
Jon
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Massimo Callegari
What is a "OS platform" ?
I mostly use Linux and I don't seem to experience big issues on Ultra DMX pro.
Have you tried with version 4.3.2 ?
Maybe you haven't excluded some channels from fade sequences and that causes weird behaviours.
I mostly use Linux and I don't seem to experience big issues on Ultra DMX pro.
Have you tried with version 4.3.2 ?
Maybe you haven't excluded some channels from fade sequences and that causes weird behaviours.
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jon aukema
Sorry, missed the word MAC. Mac os. We can borrow a mac from somebody to test, but the designated machine is win 8.
I have tried static and dynamic shows, piles of different combos and it really doesn't matter. It consistently flickers. I've tried 4.3.1,2 and 3.
I have tried static and dynamic shows, piles of different combos and it really doesn't matter. It consistently flickers. I've tried 4.3.1,2 and 3.
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Massimo Callegari
Just for curiosity. Can you please try with the last release of the original QLC ? It's 3.2.2w.
Here we can see if QLC+ introduced something bad or if it's always been there.
Last sunday something really awful happened to me. I was using a dual core Acer laptop from few years ago and a cheap FTDI adapter ENTTEC-Open-compatible. We connected a USB mouse and just moving it (not clicking anywhere) caused QLC+ to send spurious DMX values !
It mostly sent 0 and 255 values in a total random way.
Disconnecting the mouse and restarting QLC+ seemed to solve the issue.
But indeed this is very bad and can be caused by the FTDI library dragging in unwanted USB signals.
Solving these kind of issues can be very painful
Here we can see if QLC+ introduced something bad or if it's always been there.
Last sunday something really awful happened to me. I was using a dual core Acer laptop from few years ago and a cheap FTDI adapter ENTTEC-Open-compatible. We connected a USB mouse and just moving it (not clicking anywhere) caused QLC+ to send spurious DMX values !
It mostly sent 0 and 255 values in a total random way.
Disconnecting the mouse and restarting QLC+ seemed to solve the issue.
But indeed this is very bad and can be caused by the FTDI library dragging in unwanted USB signals.
Solving these kind of issues can be very painful
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Matthew Marks
It seems unlikely that the library is "dragging in unwanted signals" (the kernel ensures isolation between USB devices) but possibly libFTDI is on the edge already and other USB activity is causing increased latency resulting in buffer underruns.
The alternative is to try my convoluted suggestion of using [Open DMX and ArtNet](https://sourceforge.net/p/qlcplus/discu ... /81d80f78/) which employs a kernel module. Massimo, as you now have a good way of reproducing the problem I'd be interested to know if this combination helps you.
The alternative is to try my convoluted suggestion of using [Open DMX and ArtNet](https://sourceforge.net/p/qlcplus/discu ... /81d80f78/) which employs a kernel module. Massimo, as you now have a good way of reproducing the problem I'd be interested to know if this combination helps you.
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jon aukema
If I get a chance I will try that on Sunday. If my memory serves me correctly, we ran an offsite event in Feb and it flickered. We were still using QLC at that point. I can go back and check the project files. Ran about 1/3 of the rig last night on Ubuntu 12.04 and everything was perfect - except the large brown out from a thunder storm. Can't wait to run the full rig Sunday.
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webdb22
I've experienced similar flicker using QLC+ talking to the FTDI DMX Interface. Watching the LEDs on the FTDI module you see every some minutes or so a break in transmitting data for less than a second, but clearly visible.
Based on the guide from Matthew Marks (thanks for that!) mentioned earlier in this thread, I installed OLA, created an Universe and let QLC+ talk via ArtNet to OLA and from there via FTDI Plugin to the FTDI DMX Interface - no flickering any more!
For reference, some details of my setup:
QLC+ 4.3.3 / 4.4.0beta
Ubuntu 12.04
OLA 0.8.28
FTDI USB-COM485-PLUS1
Based on the guide from Matthew Marks (thanks for that!) mentioned earlier in this thread, I installed OLA, created an Universe and let QLC+ talk via ArtNet to OLA and from there via FTDI Plugin to the FTDI DMX Interface - no flickering any more!
For reference, some details of my setup:
QLC+ 4.3.3 / 4.4.0beta
Ubuntu 12.04
OLA 0.8.28
FTDI USB-COM485-PLUS1
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Massimo Callegari
Weird. OLA uses libftdi too.
I am planning to completely change the serial interface library soon.
Let's see what happens.
I am planning to completely change the serial interface library soon.
Let's see what happens.
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Matthew Marks
webdb22 - glad it works for you! (Incidentally, I noticed a mistake in my last post on that thread which I've just corrected.) Are you really using libftdi? If you followed all my instructions you'd be using the Open DMX module to talk to the serial device instead.
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Massimo Callegari
Hey Matthew, I was having a look at this Open DMX module. Am I wrong or is it only for 2.6 kernels ?
Kinda obsolete since most of the Linux distros now have 3.x kernels...
Kinda obsolete since most of the Linux distros now have 3.x kernels...
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Matthew Marks
No, it works fine on Ubuntu 12.04LTS (3.2) at least. Shouldn't be distracting you from some of the more trivial fixes to the crossfade sliders - I have a show tomorrow and would love to use them with a BCF2000! 
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Massimo Callegari
I have pushed some changes this morning. Nothing major though.
Back to the flickering. So it seems using a kernel space driver works better than a user space one. Problem is that on OSX I'm not sure it might work. I don't even know how to compile an OSX kernel driver.
I am going to switch to the QtSerialPort component, which is going to be included in Qt 5.1, but works on Qt 4.8.x too.
So, no more libftdi dependency for Linux and OSX, but I guess it's still user space. I haven't had the chance to test it yet. Maybe it's better, maybe it's worse. We shall see.
Back to the flickering. So it seems using a kernel space driver works better than a user space one. Problem is that on OSX I'm not sure it might work. I don't even know how to compile an OSX kernel driver.
I am going to switch to the QtSerialPort component, which is going to be included in Qt 5.1, but works on Qt 4.8.x too.
So, no more libftdi dependency for Linux and OSX, but I guess it's still user space. I haven't had the chance to test it yet. Maybe it's better, maybe it's worse. We shall see.
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webdb22
Matthew, I've based my work on your post, took your idea of OLA and ArtNet, but I'm using the FTDI Plugin of OLA (listed as "USB-COM485 Plus1" Device) and it works without flickering.
I've also omitted your proposed changes in the network settings, the workaround I've found for the issues I've seen (like a Universe or a Port in a Universe not showing up) is restarting the OLA service.
I've also omitted your proposed changes in the network settings, the workaround I've found for the issues I've seen (like a Universe or a Port in a Universe not showing up) is restarting the OLA service.
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Matthew Marks
Thank you - it is indeed interesting that libFTDI is more reliable under OLA than QLC+. Perhaps it's because it's part of a less intensive process than QLC+?
I was having problems yesterday with I think the dmx_usb module - it would stop producing output a fraction of a second after any values were sent to it. I switched back to libFTDI via QLC+ (with its occasional flicker) and that would also occasionally randomly stop until the serial device was unplugged and re-plugged. I've tried it on a different machine and it seems to be OK again, but I'll bear in mind your suggestion too.
The whole DMX chain was also breaking down when I plugged some lights in the middle of it into the mains. Possibly it's got something to do with them being on a different phase. I've ordered an optically-isolated USB interface with the intention of getting another if it works, so that I can have two universes isolated from each other. That's cheaper than buying an optically-isolated repeater.
I was having problems yesterday with I think the dmx_usb module - it would stop producing output a fraction of a second after any values were sent to it. I switched back to libFTDI via QLC+ (with its occasional flicker) and that would also occasionally randomly stop until the serial device was unplugged and re-plugged. I've tried it on a different machine and it seems to be OK again, but I'll bear in mind your suggestion too.
The whole DMX chain was also breaking down when I plugged some lights in the middle of it into the mains. Possibly it's got something to do with them being on a different phase. I've ordered an optically-isolated USB interface with the intention of getting another if it works, so that I can have two universes isolated from each other. That's cheaper than buying an optically-isolated repeater.
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Steve0711
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2023 6:45 pm
- Real Name: Stefan Sangs
I am new to QLC+, I just tried out one or two things to find out if it's suitable for some small fixed-installation setup.
Ran into this strange "flicker" this evening.
Running QLC+ v4.12.6 on Windows 10 Pro
That "flicker" is really annoying, so I gave it a try. I have set the USB config als jon aukema suggested on Do Mai 23, 2013 but no success.
Seems to me that flicker occurs when the QLC+ GUI fires a mouseover event on some controls like Selectboxes or gliders, e.g. the sliders in the Input/Output assignment or the "Universe" selector in the simple desk.
Funny thing with the sliders in the Input/Output assignment: when the Program Window is large enough so that the slider disappears, the flicker does not occur when hovering over the bevel of the control.
Just to let you know...
Ran into this strange "flicker" this evening.
Running QLC+ v4.12.6 on Windows 10 Pro
That "flicker" is really annoying, so I gave it a try. I have set the USB config als jon aukema suggested on Do Mai 23, 2013 but no success.
Seems to me that flicker occurs when the QLC+ GUI fires a mouseover event on some controls like Selectboxes or gliders, e.g. the sliders in the Input/Output assignment or the "Universe" selector in the simple desk.
Funny thing with the sliders in the Input/Output assignment: when the Program Window is large enough so that the slider disappears, the flicker does not occur when hovering over the bevel of the control.
Just to let you know...