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USB PRo MK2 api2

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2018 9:21 am
by s.alonso
Hi I am using the USB Pro Mk2 and I can´t work with the second universe.
I can only chose the D2XXXdriver and I get this message

Begin read data,
Complete: OK
Connection open to DMX USB PRO Mk2
Can't determine hardware version, no response.
Hardware is not able to use api2

Widget Serial Number: 02238580
Firmware version: 4.10
DMX break time: 96.030000 Ï…s
DMX mark after break: 10.670000 Ï…s
DMX packets/sec (0=max): 40
--See Console for user data, if any--

Mac version 10.10.5
Lx console 5.4
Thanks

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2018 12:55 pm
by admin
Have you verified the firmware and the second universe using the ENTTEC PRO-Manager?

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2018 2:22 pm
by s.alonso
Maybe I am doing it wrong, could you explain how to do it for dummies. Please. :)

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2018 4:19 pm
by s.alonso
So the firmware is 4.10 and in "dmx send" I selectoutput 1 & 2. I don´t know if I have to change anything in the settings and if yes, what are the changes that I have to do to use the 2nd universe.
Any help ?
Thanks

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2018 5:42 pm
by admin
What version of LXConsole are you using?

In the current version, 5.4, to use a mk2 widget, you would first plug it into your Mac.

Then, you launch LXConsole and open the preferences window from the "LXConsole" menu.

In the Preferences window's DMX Info tab, you select "ENTTEC DMX USB Pro mk2" for the USB DMX Api. You select "D2XX" for the USB DMX Connection.

In the DMX Out tab you set the "USB" popup to "On".

What you posted in the original message shows that the connection to the widget is working, but LXConsole does not receive a response when it requests the hardware version. In order to use messages for the mk2, including sending DMX to the second universe, the widget must reply to the request for the hardware version message. The original DMX USB Pro does not reply to this message and this is how you tell the difference between the original and mk2 widgets. I'm not sure why your widget would not reply to the hardware version message when it obviously replies to a message requesting info (the serial number, etc.) That's why I'm suggesting that you use the ENTTEC management tool, ENTTEC Pro-Manager, to verify that the second universe is enabled as output. The ENTTEC Pro-Manager application is available on the ENTTEC website.

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2018 5:47 pm
by s.alonso
Yes I do everything and when I am using the Pro Manager, It allows me to check the second output. I use the second universe in QLC+ as well. This is why is so strange for me that Lxconsole doesn´t allow me to use the second universe with the DMX USB PRO MK2

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2018 9:07 pm
by admin
Which version of LXConsole are you using?

And, what version of MacOS?

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2018 9:13 pm
by s.alonso
I am using the Lxconsole 5.4. And I change the Mac software to 10.13 and the firmware for the USB PRO Mk2 to 4.14.

I don´t find the usb serial driver from apple,Maybe that have something to do with the problem. Lx console gives me only the option to use the D2xxx driver.

Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2018 12:54 am
by admin
Do you have D2XX Helper installed? This will keep the Apple FTDI driver from preventing D2XX from accessing the widget.

http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/D2XX.htm

If you have D2XX Helper installed, only the D2XX driver will be available in LXConsole.

Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2018 7:44 am
by s.alonso
Yes I have the D2XX Helper Installed, and I have still the same problem. Should I uninstall it, if yes, how can I do that?

I´ve tried in other computer with OX 10.13 and they have the same problem in LXconsole 5.4

I can´t not determine anymore if it´s a problem of the device or from LXconsole. Maybe is the update for the D2XX driver ?

"Upgrading the D2XX library can cause problems such as a reported bug fix does not appear to be fixed.
This is most likely related to the application executable pointing to a previous version of the library."

Any idea?

Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2018 10:04 am
by s.alonso
I got this answer from ENTTEC:
Hi

I don't know much about LXconsole as I have never used it before. I have noticed reading the manual that it only mentions the DMX USB PRO and not the DMX USB PRO mk2, therefore LXconsole might not be compatible with the device you have.

From what I have read I believe you can only output 2 universes over ArtNet or sACN. Therefore you might be better off with an ENTTEC ODE - https://www.enttec.com/gb/products/cont ... -ethernet/

I would suggest getting confirmation from LXconsole in regards to this.

Kind regards,

Sam Parsons
Product Support Specialist


So my question is: Is it possible to run a second universe in LX cosole with DMX USB PRO Mk2?

Thanks

Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2018 2:08 pm
by admin
Yes, LXConsole is compatible with an ENTTEC DMX USB Pro mk2. You can output of two universes of DMX from LXConsole to an ENTTEC mk2 widget. The addresses for the two universes must be consecutive. But, they can start at any address in LXConsole's patch address space. Typically, the address offset would be set to zero and the addresses would then be 1-1024.

The only explanation I can think of for the behavior your post described (outside of something being wrong with the widget), that is that a connection is being held open by some other software which prevents LXConsole from receiving the reply to the getHardwareVersion request. Assuming that you have the D2XXHelper installed so that the Apple FTDI USB driver will not interfere with the connection, I would check that LXConsole's preferences are set to use D2XX, the mk2 API and DMX Out through USB is on. Then, try a complete restart of the computer. Then, I would plug the mk2 widget into the computer. Then, I would open LXConsole and determine if it can connect using the mk2 api. (absence of an error message is affirmative). By default, there should be addresses from the first universe patched. When you make a change, DMX will be sent and the green LED on the widget will start to flash. Switching to the patch table in the Inspector in the lower part of LXConsole's window will allow you to patch a channel to address 2.1. When you do this, the yellow LED on the widget should also start blinking.

I believe that the person you were in contact with at ENTTEC does not have enough information to help you. LXConsole is not listed as compatible with the mk2 on that page of their website because it does not support all the functions of the mk2 such as programming scenes. LXConsole's only support of the mk2's features is to allow you to output two universes of DMX.

I verified output on both universes from an ENTTEC DMX USB Pro mk2 this morning using LXConsole Version 5.4.0 (12622.1) and MacOS 10.13.6 running on a MacBook Pro with an Apple USB-C adapter.

MK2 and D2XX helper app

Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2021 1:03 am
by nizer
Do I still need the D2XX helper on a MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) running Catalina?

I looks like 2 universes are working, but I do get a warning that "Cannot confirm DMX USB Mk2." and "Device is not responding, it may be unplugged or not the right type. Try to use it as a Mk2 anyway?"

When I say USE ANYWAY the yellow light for universe 2 comes on.

Thanks for any help.

Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2021 3:29 pm
by admin
As far as I know, you need D2XX helper any time you want to use the d2xx FTDI driver. You can also use the MacOS vcp driver which comes with MacOS and that should work as well.

LXConsole queries the widget to see if the Mk2 api is available. If it does not receive a reply from the widget, then you will get the message you saw. If you go ahead anyway and the second universe works, then you are OK.

BTW, the latest build of LXConsole supports 12 universes via Art-Net or sACN.