Basic Solution to Include Neighbor via Wireless - Help Needed

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pwrmac7100

New member
Hi All,

Thank you in advance! I've been reading thru so many threads regarding neighbors and neighborhoods my eyes are about to explode. They all seem way over my head.

Last year was my first year into the pixel controller world. I bought a Kulp32A controller and am running a MegaTree (16 strands, one strange on each its own output). This year, my neighbor and I are looking expand with candy canes going down our property line. We're looking at each 8 candy canes each, with each candy cane have 100 nodes (2 strings).

For my side, my megatree is too far from the candy canes. I think I can use a Falcon 4 String Smart Differential Receiver Board, connecting 2 candy canes per output channel.

BUT - for my neighbor, I need to go wireless. I can easily setup up an ethernet wireless bridge. I don't understand the differential receiver, but I'm assuming that is NOT IP based that it will work over the bridge. My best guess is to use a Kulp K4-PB and Pocket Beagle Controller, USB<>Ethernet adapter, with the ethernet connected to wireless bridge. Then have another USB<>ethernet in my K32A connected to my side of the bridge? Will this work? Any other simple recommendations?
 
How far is "the crossing?" We use a Ubiquiti wireless bridge, jumping over a parking lot (about 150 feet) as well as a lake (350 feet across). With the lake we are using remote RPi on the far side and only send sync packets over to it from our main player. For the parking lot, the number of pixels on the other side is smaller (as in 500 or so) and we are able to send a full data stream to the controller on the other side. Neither connection misses a beat.
 
Get a remote pi with a cape. 800 pixels is well within its capabilities. Sync packets will make it easy to keep it going without bogging down the network. If you don't have a RPi yet, get one (well two). Small access point somewhere in between the two and you will be golden. Easy to do, not really a big deal to get and setup even now.
 
I ended up building a show network, my show network contains a network switch/router and a wireless access point. I then have multiple kulps/ pis that are in remote mode and will sync to the master fpp player, I have some of the fpps in remote mode wired to the switch and some running over wifi, and I do not see any difference in performance between the connections.

--
Shawn
 
Just to throw it out there, if you have DMX and you put only DMX on your neighbor's plot across the street (such as to point lasers and/or beams back at your own house), this problem becomes much simpler. The K32 supports two universes.
 
I have decided to follow the advice of an access point (on my megatree) and a K8-PI (in my neighbor's yard). I'll have to read more about the other ideas, but this is one I can understand. Thank you all.
 
If you're not familiar with DMX already, then by all means continue on what you're doing. It is the easier of your options, if that is all you are doing.
 
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