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Hello, I'd recommend updating your console's software to ZerOS 7.14.3. The latest software is ZerOS 7.14.3, which can be downloaded from the link below… https://vari-lite.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/software-firmware/ZerOS-7.14.3.exe Release notes listing software changes can be found on the ZerOS webpage… https://www.vari-lite.com/global/products/zeros-software Software updates completely wipe your console, so make sure you save a copy of your show file to a USB drive first if you need it. For information on saving your show file, please see the link below… https://zero88.com/manuals/zeros/setup/save Once you have backed up your show file, installation instructions can be found here… https://zero88.com/manuals/zeros/setup/load/zeros-software Once installed, you will be able to load your show file back into the console from a USB drive. For more information, please see the link below… https://zero88.com/manuals/zeros/setup/load/zeros-show-files I hope this information is helpful. If you have any questions regarding the software installation process, please let us know.

If the release is still some time away I'd be happy to Beta it at our venue (FLX with S24 as backup).

Many thanks Edward, will give it a try and let you know.

Hi @SKLSKL I would recommend operating the Equinox PIXELpoint Battens in 120-channel mode. This will allow you to patch a "40-cell – 8-bit" RGB Multicell fixture, which can be found under the “Generic” manufacturer in Add Fixtures. If you cannot find these generic multicell fixtures on your console, I would recommend updating your console’s software. If you would like installation instructions, please let me know. Once you have patched this fixture, please watch the video below for more information on controlling multicell fixtures... Please let us know if you have any questions.

FLX24 S Hi, I always used a wireless DMX sytem on my console. Never had any special problems but since the 7.14.1 upgrade the transmitter suddenly indicates 'no dmx'. I did try everything from exchanging transmitters/receivers cables etc. but no solution. It happens like 10 times during a show. Could it be possible that there was a adjustment in the signal power strenght for the DMX output?

Hi there, I've just got a PIXELpoint Batten and when I go to add the fixture there are 7 or 8 different ProLight Battens but not the pixelpoint. Is there one similar that I could use or does a new fixture need to be created for it? Many Thanks in advance. https://www.prolight.co.uk/product_manual/EQLED059_Manual.pdf

That's great - thank you Edward:)

Hi @EwenA Thanks very much for grabbing all of those. Please find the zip file attached, including each of the RDM modes for these fixtures... Please extract the files and load each one in, and then plug in a fixture. It should be discovered and patched, and you should then be able to change its mode correctly. I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any questions. Cameo F2 FC RDM.zip

Thanks Ed - this fixture file has solved the rig sync problem.... see attached show files for the other modes this fixture has. Yes, RDM does get complicated. I usually do a manual patch and disable it, but if I can get it to work with my various fixtures it could be handy to speed up set up on events. Many thanks. f2fc 1ch dim.zos f2fc 2ch dim.zos f2fc 2chan cct.zos f2fc 3ch.zos f2fc 4chan cct.zos f2fc 4chan direct.zos f2fc 6chan.zos f2fc 8chan.zos f2fc 10chan.zos f2fc 16chan.zos

Hi @EwenA Thank you very much for attaching your show file. This is interesting. These fixtures are reporting an RDM "Device Model ID", that does not match the RDM Device Model ID that is in our library. Therefore, when the console sees these fixtures, it thinks they must be different to the F2 FC fixtures already in the library. This is why you are seeing this behaviour: As the console cannot find a suitable fixture in the library with a matching RDM Device Model ID, the console is then creating a fixture personality automatically, based on the information it can obtain over RDM. These fixtures are only reporting a limited amount of information over RDM. For example, the fixtures are not telling the console what its parameters are doing. The console therefore has no way of knowing which parameter is intensity, or which parameter is red for example. This is why you are seeing this behaviour: Your show file includes the RDM Device Model ID that your fixtures are actually reporting. I have therefore added this RDM information into the F2 FC fixture from the library, and then exported this fixture file, which can be found attached... If you reset the console, load in this fixture file, and then connect your fixtures, the console should then automatically patch this correct fixture from the file, rather than attempt to create a basic fixture file over RDM. The only issue is this file only includes the RDM information for the personality the fixtures were in when you saved your show file. Therefore if you were to change your fixture's mode, it would report RDM information that the console cannot find a match for. The only way around this, would be to send me separate show files for each of the fixture's modes, where you have allowed the console to discover the fixture in each mode. I can then extract the RDM information from the show files for each mode, and then add these into fixture files, which you can then load in to your console. That way, the console will then know about the fixtures, irrespective of which mode they're in, and RigSync will then work seamlessly. As you can see, things get complicated quite quickly with RDM. Ultimately this is all due to these fixtures reporting something different to the information that we have for them. I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any questions. Edward Cameo F2 FC 7ChRGBCCT RDM.zfix

Hi, I am experimenting with rig sync, and have found it is loading the wrong fixture profile for my Cameo F2FC units. Rigsync patches them as a CLF2-FC, and does not give me control of the fixtures. If I disable RDM and manually patch the fixtures I cannot find the option for CLF2-FC in the fixture library. The correct unit shows up in the fixture library under Cameo fixtures as F2 FC. If I patch them in manually and disable RDM everything works as expected. If I then enable RDM rig sync adds in two new fixtures with the total CLF2-FC, and updates the dmx address on the two units. If I change the address back on each unit (using the menu on the fixture) I get control back, but still have the two new, incorrect fixtures patched in. Any suggestions as to what is going on and how to resolve this so that rig sync is usable? Show file attached. test.zos

Actually I have a MacBook Pro M1 Max (32 GB)

@Sape Of course! So sorry! 😍

Kevin, Edward, Thanks for the support and the schematic. I was a bit of a puzzle to get access to the file, but I managed. Anyway, your help is amazing. Back at home, I cannot tell you the PCB part number and version. I do remember seeing 1988 printed on them. Indeed for 50Hz UK, K3 is fitted, K2 is not fitted. Same for the Netherlands 😀 The ramp signal is present on IC1 pins 1,5,9,13 if you wanted to check that now you have updated service information..... Yes, it was pure luck we found this signal on IC1 pin 1. See attached. The cable will act as a low pass filter, will pick up a lot of electrical noise... My best guess is there are 24-core (or at least 17 cores if a common earth wire is being used) cables from dimmer outlets to each aluminum tube with 8 outlet sockets in the grid, length probably 20 meter each. Also, for load distribution purposes, each cable is connected to different dimmer units, which on their turn can run on different power supply phases. So there is a mix of AC currents going up and down that will influence each other indeed. Sounds like there is an issue with the ramp generator circuit. When you say LEDs above,..... I meant indeed L1 and L2. For 17 preheat adjustments I was able to find the setting that the theater lights and L1, L2 were at the edge of illumination simultaneously. For number 18 this was not possible. L3 was always on, on all units. The LM324 are soldered, not easy to replace. Anyway, the schematic provides sufficient inspiration to check various signals simultaneously like IC1 pin 10 & 12, IC1 pin 8 & 14, IC3 pin 2 & IC4 pin2 and Q1 & Q2 collectors. Interesting to see L1 and L2 are now in series with the optocoupler LED's. Once again, thank you very much for your help. We can figure it out now, after the holidays.

Hi @Sape Did you get the schematics? Some of your questions - references to the "new" schematics/PCB layout sent by Edward. To confirm, for 50Hz UK, K3 is fitted, K2 is not fitted. The ramp signal is present on IC1 pins 1,5,9,13 if you wanted to check that now you have updated service information. The cable will act as a low pass filter, will pick up a lot of electrical noise and your earth connection on your 'scope channel will be a long way from an ideal reference point for the measurement (a lot of inductance in the ground path). Probably the waveform doesn't look great! But it sounds like you've got things working a lot better after re-calibrating the pre-heat. The dimmer is designed to drive this cabling. The waveform on a 'scope at that point probably looks terrible, but I'm sure a 500W (etc) tungsten lamp will sort that out and be perfectly happy! Cabling as mentioned in previous post. Sounds like there is an issue with the ramp generator circuit. When you say LEDs above, I'm assuming you mean the output LEDs (L1, L2) that are closest to the test switches. What about the middle LED (L3)? Is that behaving similarly to that LED on other modules? This would help narrow down if the circuit fault is before or after IC1. If L3 is not operating as other modules, then maybe IC2 is at fault. If L3 is ok, but L1/L2 (plus the lamps) are not good, then possibly IC1 is at fault. If these ICs are in sockets, then replacement should be easy. They wont be expensive. For example: https://cpc.farnell.com/texas-instruments/lm324n/ic-op-amp-quadruple/dp/SC17193?st=lm324 To diagnose more you would need to use your scope to look around the ramp circuit (VR1 is the pre-heat adjustment pot). On the new schematics this is the circuit lower left if L3 is bad or upper left if L3 is good but L1/L2 bad. First however, it might be worth moving VR1 back and forwards a few times in case the carbon track is dirty, then re-try your pre-heat calibration. I think at this point you are now the official Rackmaster service agent, as you will know this unit inside and out!!! Regards, Kevin

Hi Sven, thanks for your answer 🙂 Do you also use a MacBook M1 (16GB) thank you Oliver

Hi, yes. I have this running both on Windows 11 running on parallels without issues.

Hi @Sape & @kgallen I have emailed you both a link to the Rackmaster schematic.

Hi @Sape Just to quickly answer a couple of your questions: I believe you are talking about the distribution of dimmed mains power to a tungsten lantern hang - i.e. cables from the dimmer outputs to (say) 15A sockets on your internally wired bars. I which case I would expect this to be something like H05 or better H07 TRS (toughened rubber sheathed) 3-core cables with 1.5mm^2 or 2.5mm^2 cores. No, this doesn't need to be twisted pairs or shielded. If you have any DMX distribution - and I don't think you do, other than lighting desk to demux (or dimmers), then that should be DMX rated cable of 110 ohms characteristic impedance, twisted pairs and shielded (note: sometimes Cat5 ethernet cable is used in fixed installs). Any analogue control distribution (from demux to dimmers) would be 6, 7 or 8 core signal cable with a braid or shield. This does sound like a control circuit issue within the dimmer, possibly the channel opto has failed or is deteriorated. I suggest we request to @Edward Z88 for a copy of the correct set of schematics for your units. Maybe you could share on here some details - exact model number and any PCB numbers and PCB version numbers you can identify from your units. Then we can attempt to debug the circuits. If Edward is not happy to share them with you then maybe he'll share with me and I can try and point you in the appropriate directions to debug. Probably however you should be able to identify the opto isolators on the different units and check around them (beware mains voltages on the output side!!!) from the information you have and translating this accross to the newer/older units. Let me know if you want help interpreting the schematics you have. Just to confirm if there is any doubt, I'm not a Zero88 employee or service tech - I'm "just a bloke on the 'net"... Regards, Kevin

Hi, has anyone tried to run Phantom and Capture on a MacBook Pro M1 (16GB Ram) using Parallels and Win11? Thanks 🙂

Hello Kevin, Last Saturday we opened one unit that had dimmers with expected curves as well as weird curves and did some testing on these. We first did the adjustment of the preheat. They were all off by far, so once corrected, the faders gave a much better linear control of the intensity. The weird oscilloscope images remained the same at partial loads. The unit was connected to a single phase 230V which makes sense as the lamps are also 230V. The whole rack containing 6 units is fed with 3 phases + neutral, so my best guess is that each 2 units share a phase. The frequency settings were OK @ 50Hz. The big capacitors looked fine by appearance, no swollen end caps that indicate a problem. Unfortunately the PCB layout differs considerably from the circuit diagram I posted earlier. Doing checks on the board is not easy as there are many thick wires going across that limit access to the components. Nevertheless I was able to pick up a signal from the LHS opamp at pin #1 (AFAIK) that resembled pretty much the signal shown in the diagram at the test point. We were not able to find the other signal shown on the diagram, so we skipped that. We then checked the output of triacs. These were all absolutely fine for 25, 50, 75 and 100% DMX input! But still, at the socket, near the lamp, the signals were still weird. I must admit we used a 10 m hedge cutter cord to floor level in order to connect the oscilloscope. Our preliminary conclusion is that the wiring to the grid can cause the problem. In the grid, we have 6 aluminum tubes containing 8 individual sockets each that are wired with long multi-core cables to big Harting connectors in the back of the dimmer rack. Question to you: Are there any recommendations for the wiring, like twisted pairs or shielded? Anyway, the controlability has improved a lot thanks to the preheat adjustment, so we leave it for the moment. There was one other issue we faced: on the third dimmer set of another unit we were not able to make a synced preheat adjustment for both channels. This was both visible at the control LED's as well as at the lamps themselves. Do you have any suggestion to solve this? For the time being we discontinued the use of this channel.

Hi Brett, In this situation I would have used the Output Window Preview function, or the Fixture Levels window, to work out which cue the movers were incorrectly recorded in. Then, I would have gone into that cue, selected the fixtures, tapped HOME, tapped UPDATE, and in the Update Options window disabled "SmartTag", enabled "Track Forwards" and "Remove", and then tapped the playback's GO button. Edward

Hi Edward, Fortunately I only had 14 cues so I deleted the stack and did it again this time I don't seem to have the problem. How could I have removed the offending problems without deleting the stack and creating again? After all if I had many more cues I wouldn't have liked to start again! Thanks, Brett

Hi Brett, Please tap the RECORD button to open the Record Options window. You should see a "SmartTag" button. You may wish to disable SmartTag, so that it has a blue stripe on its button. This will mean the console will only include parameters you have manually adjusted when recording/updating. Unchanged parameters, or parameters currently being controlled by other cues, will not be included when recording/updating. If SmartTag is enabled, the console will decide what does and what doesn't get included. Edward

I am at a loss on how to record a cue in the master playback without changing the Pan & Tilt of a moving head set by a Playback (for example PB6) that has not been selected changed by a Q in the master playback. My master playback cues is changing the colour of some LED PARS and Fresnels. With Tracking enabled these are all selected, just selecting colour, the moving heads are NOT selected, and yet the moving heads are shown in the program window for this cue. For example, PB6 move the MH to say Pan 56, Tilt 54, when a master PB is run it moves the head back to 50, 50. I am running 7.14.2 SW. I should be grateful if anyone can tell me what I am doing wrong or conversely what I need to do to achieve my aim. Many thanks for any help in this annoying problem that I have, Brett