Aurora Support Forum: Com Port settings

Aurora 2.0 uses the DMX protocol exclusively. As such, there are no COM settings to change.

There are several ways you can now connect your converted D-Light ACx16, DCx16, and Firefli DMX controllers to your computer, including E1.31 devices such as the J1 Systems DR4 / D4 and the Lynx Etherdongle. By popular demand, Aurora 2.0 fully supports your existing v3 RS485 D-Light (and LOR) adapters, along with other FTDI Based USB DMX adapters. Simply add the universe and plug in the dongle when prompted. No other settings are required.

The decision to move to DMX exclusively was made in order to eliminate the many support issues that the D-Light and LOR protocols brought. With DMX, gone are the days of missed commands, stuck channels, or strange ID reassignments. Simply put, the DMX protocol works spot on. Every time.

The conversion to DMX may seem daunting at first as it requires programming new PICs for the controllers and then assigning channels to the board using the free Dewey Config program available on the D-Light website. Like the D-Light forum, we are a small but close knit community who wants to see everyone succeed with their shows and we are available to help in any way we can.

Aurora 2.0 makes the conversion of your existing sequences easy. Simply open your Aurora v1.X sequence in Aurora 2.0, and the program will guide you through the rest. You will be able to customize your universe(s) (formerly called "networks") the way you wish and Aurora will remember it the next time around. With DMX you can now control the twinkle and shimmer speeds individually or as a whole, and Aurora also supports the LED strobe effect.

We've put a lot of effort and thought into making Aurora 2.0 intuitive, smart, and perhaps best of all is that the program is completely portable and can be used on just about any PC on the market today, including Windows 8 systems.

We hope you like what we've done so far. Be sure to let us know what you think, both positive and negative. Do remember that as a Beta release, there are a few known bugs that are currently being worked on. If you do encounter any issues, let us know and we will do our best to guide you through them.

~Jonathan

Jonathan worded his reply so well that there isn't much more that I can add.

When we get closer to the final version 2 release we will probably offer a low cost rechipping service for those who don't want to invest in the equipment and complexity of programming their own PICs. We don't have the resources to do so during the betas, but something along those lines is coming. We will also be doing something similar for adapter cables.

Michael

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MarkDXB Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 12 Sep 2009 Online Status: Offline Posts: 48	Quote Reply Topic: Com Port settings Posted: 05 Dec 2013 at 3:20pm
	Hi again. In Aurora 1x we had a part that we configure the comport and network settings. in 2x i cant find that tab. how do you configure Aurora to send to com4 as an example or is it automatic in this new version? Thanks

Jonathan Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Beta Testers Joined: 07 Sep 2008 Location: SoCal Online Status: Offline Posts: 1237	Quote Reply Posted: 05 Dec 2013 at 5:21pm
	Aurora 2.0 uses the DMX protocol exclusively. As such, there are no COM settings to change. There are several ways you can now connect your converted D-Light ACx16, DCx16, and Firefli DMX controllers to your computer, including E1.31 devices such as the J1 Systems DR4 / D4 and the Lynx Etherdongle. By popular demand, Aurora 2.0 fully supports your existing v3 RS485 D-Light (and LOR) adapters, along with other FTDI Based USB DMX adapters. Simply add the universe and plug in the dongle when prompted. No other settings are required. The decision to move to DMX exclusively was made in order to eliminate the many support issues that the D-Light and LOR protocols brought. With DMX, gone are the days of missed commands, stuck channels, or strange ID reassignments. Simply put, the DMX protocol works spot on. Every time. The conversion to DMX may seem daunting at first as it requires programming new PICs for the controllers and then assigning channels to the board using the free Dewey Config program available on the D-Light website. Like the D-Light forum, we are a small but close knit community who wants to see everyone succeed with their shows and we are available to help in any way we can. Aurora 2.0 makes the conversion of your existing sequences easy. Simply open your Aurora v1.X sequence in Aurora 2.0, and the program will guide you through the rest. You will be able to customize your universe(s) (formerly called "networks") the way you wish and Aurora will remember it the next time around. With DMX you can now control the twinkle and shimmer speeds individually or as a whole, and Aurora also supports the LED strobe effect. We've put a lot of effort and thought into making Aurora 2.0 intuitive, smart, and perhaps best of all is that the program is completely portable and can be used on just about any PC on the market today, including Windows 8 systems. We hope you like what we've done so far. Be sure to let us know what you think, both positive and negative. Do remember that as a Beta release, there are a few known bugs that are currently being worked on. If you do encounter any issues, let us know and we will do our best to guide you through them.
	~Jonathan

MarkDXB Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 12 Sep 2009 Online Status: Offline Posts: 48	Quote Reply Posted: 06 Dec 2013 at 6:12am
	ok thanks for this , appreciate it. I have not updated my AC16 controllers, they are still in the same config when i was running the previous Aurora 1x. I assume i need to now go and convert my D-Light ACx16so i can use my RS485 D-Light adapter. I will need to go over to D-Light and read how i update my AC16s as i read that it requires programming new PICs which as you mention is a bit daunting

LightsOnLogan Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Joined: 11 Oct 2007 Online Status: Offline Posts: 3187	Quote Reply Posted: 06 Dec 2013 at 12:37pm
	Jonathan worded his reply so well that there isn't much more that I can add. When we get closer to the final version 2 release we will probably offer a low cost rechipping service for those who don't want to invest in the equipment and complexity of programming their own PICs. We don't have the resources to do so during the betas, but something along those lines is coming. We will also be doing something similar for adapter cables. Michael