Jester TLXtra and 16 bit dimmer channels

[invisible]

Hello,

I'm trying to set up some Cameo Root Par 6 in 11ch mode on my Jester TLXtra. In this mode they support a 16 bit dimmer on channel 1 (MSB) and 2 (LSB); I created the fixture with the Fixture Type Editor, selected 16bit for the dimmer, and assigned the two channels accordingly.

When I load this fixture into the console it seems to only use 8 bit though (very noticeable on LED spots, as there is a significant jump in brightness between 0 and 1%, which is exactly why there is a 16 bit dimmer in the first place).

According to the manual: "16-bit parameters are displayed on the desk as two sets of values (eg 127-255) to indicate the level of both channels", but my desk only displays 1 value (0-100%) on the dimmer wheel. In fact it almost feels as if the dimmer doesn't even use the full 8-bit resolution but actually "%".

What am I missing?

regards,
  Stephan

[kgallen]

Hi @invisible

It sounds like you’ve defined the fixture correctly.

Are you testing this by pushing a fader? You will probably find that the fader has 8 bit resolution. However if you programme a cue with a fade you should find that the console fades with 16 bit resolution. 

That is what happens on my FLX - 8 bit on the fader, 16 bit from a memory.  

Here’s a thread where we were talking about this (FLX-S in this case):

 

[invisible]

Yes, I've tested it by programming a cue list too, the brightness has a noticeable "jump" when the spot fades in/out from/to black, which is consistent with only the "coarse" dimmer channel being used.

For testing I also created the fixture with MSB/LSB reversed, there I would expect massive flickering while the fade is running (as then the "coarse" dimmer channel would cycle through all possible values) — this does not happen.
I also noticed that the Fixture Type Editor prints a warning about channels being of WORD type (i.e. 16bit) when I save the file.

When I have more time I will also cross-check what happens if I configure channels 1+2 as something else that has support for 16bit values, e.g. pan/tilt, and then "move" the fixture...

The FLX is a much more recent console (about 10 years younger than the Jester series), and the software is completely different; so I don't think it makes sense to compare the behavior between them.


I wish manufacturers would release the firmware source code of discontinued products, so that the community could more easily check & fix such issues...