Alright, so i looks like I won't be using that channel.
As if that's not enough, whenever I run the progam, my DMX fog controller turns off with at the same time one of the other channels on the KIT 74 does. I've narrowed it down and figured out which channel it is. It's like the "turn off" command the computer is sending to the parallel port is also going through the DMX cable to the one particular fog machine.
Umm... I slept on it overnight, and the answer hit me about 4:00 this morning. It was a dumb mistake on my part, something really simple that we are going to pretend never happened...
So after having some time after halloween toplay around with it, I get the overlapping communications error when ANY pneumatic prop is plugged into ANY channel on the KIT74. It seems that VSA can't do pneumatic props?
um..... this doesn't make sense, VSA has no way of knowing that what is connected to a Kit74 is pneumatic, there is something else going on here, I'm guessing its got something to do with your solenoid....
you could try putting another relay between the Kit74 and the solenoid valve, see what that does
I bought the the KIT 74 pre-built. All of this stuff seems way over my head though. I'll try messing around with it and plugging the kit74 into a different outlet. Does it need to me a completely different curcuit, or just a different outlet?
What I think is happening here is the pneumatic solenoids you are using are causing the kit 74 to send an input signal to the computer at the same time as VSA is trying to send an output, and VSA is identifying that the port is in use.
Personally speaking I don't like AC powered solenoids, my first choice is always 24VDC or maybe 12VDC, frankly I try and use AC as little as possible as it can be the source of a lot of noise and mess up a lot of things, when I do use AC I try and keep it as far away from my control circuits as possible.
To improve the isolation of your AC solenoid Id get a 12VDC relay (thats capable of handling 110VAC) and use your kit 74 to switch that relay, and connect your solenoid to that
I've already decided that any new props we build will be 12vdc solenoids with actual pnumatic cyliders. However, all of our old props are 120v solenoids with the screen door piston setup. I would like to get all that switched over this year, but don't yet know enough about the 12v setup to jump right in. I'll try another relay between the KIT 74 and the solenoid or try another circut to see if it help, though.
Crazybob I was getting the same message with my Skulltrinix. Talk about frustrating! Jerry and I spent hours on the phone trying to figure out what was wrong. I even tried a new computer with no succes. I did have a 9foot usb extension from my computer to the skull but, even when I removed it still got the same overlaping communication message. Jerry thinks it may be a bad circuit board in the skull?
Linear Mode
