Robe Fixture Oddness

[jamiejsc]

Has anybody had any issues with Robe Fixtures (the Pointe in particular) randomly making sudden movements on the pan and tilt? Lasts only a second or two. This has occurred on both a TT and ST.

[niclights]

Assuming the line is terminated try enabling extra stop bit in DMX Settings/Expert DMX node properties.

[jamiejsc]

Extra stop bit makes no difference sadly.

[niclights]

Is the line terminated? Or, if it is does it stop happening if you remove the terminator? Sometimes problems in lines only become apparent when the terminators are added.

[jamiejsc]

Yep I am aware of that Nic. General practice more recently has been not to terminate as I am sure you are aware unless there is a problem. This seems to be (for me on my ST and TM) a Robe only problem. So my thinking is are Robe aware of this?
I will try terminating the line next time but my gut feeling is this will not solve it. :-/

[niclights]

Sure. Hard to say. Given the popularity of the fixtures I would have expected this to have come up before. Certainly the only time I've ever seen twitching is with mirrors and has needed extra stop bit. As it's happening on different consoles it's likely to be external. Gut feeling is lines/distribution. Are these a common factor at all (ie. same buffer)?

[jamiejsc]

Sadly all the systems this has happened with have nothing in common, either in terms of DMX buffers or cabling as they have all been supplied by different suppliers.
The only consistent thing has been my ST or TM or a hired TT. But I was told last night that someone had experienced the same problem on a Hog 4.

[Olie]

General practice more recently has been not to terminate as I am sure you are aware unless there is a problem.

Completely not true!!! general practice should be to always terminate. If you want to know why then there is a very good article in the back of last months LSI dealing with this exact issue. If I can find a link I will post it.

Back to the original post, we are looking into this but I have nothing to tell you at the moment. I would make sure you have the latest firmware for the lights from Robe.

[jamiejsc]

Hi Olie.

Yep do post that link. Certainly on all the gigs, large and small with kit from a wide range of large suppliers (no names or pack drill) people have not used terminators unless the has been a specifics reflection problem. The thing that is puzzling me is that it seems to only occur on Robe fixtures. And it is definitely not there when using the Sapphires Artnet output. Only when using the DMX XLR outputs. It has occurred with different suppliers kit, with total only different systems. Could be lamp firmware but it's a pain to have to check every time you use a different supplier that all fixtures are up to date. My ST is coming into you soon. I can bring a Pointe with me and see if we replicate if you like. And it is totally random, and only ever one fixture at a time. I agree it does look like a DMX reflection glitch in action.