OTA fseq file transfer truncates the file being sent.

[Sab66]

--------- Instructions -------- Please provide answers directly beloESPixelStickw each section. --------- Instructions ---------

ESPixelStick Firmware Version 4.0-beta4

Hardware Version ESPixelstick v3

Binary release or compiled yourself? Binary release

Operating System (and version) Windows 10

Web Browser (and version) Any

Access Point

Describe the bug
Was working until yesterday. Edited Sequence in Xlights and uploaded it via FPP Connect to 7 ESPixelsticks running FW Version 4.0-beta4. One of the controllers outputs correctly but the other 6 do not. Uploaded original sequence but no change. i can run the Effects from each controller and it outputs to the lights. See packets increasing on each controllers Statius page as well as the correct FPP Remote status sequence and timing. Can produce screenshots if necessary. Checked settings in Xlights, FPP and on each controller to make sure that everything matched. Only edited a sequence and once uploaded, lights failed to come on with the exception of one controller

[MartinMueller2003]

This really sounds like an xlights issue. If you use sACNview to create a data stream, do the ESPs do the right thing?

[Sab66]

Never used it before but will try to figure it out and report back. If it is an Xlights problem, sorry in advance for wasting your time

[MartinMueller2003]

So it uploaded fseq files and you are in remote FPP mode?

[MartinMueller2003]

Please put the device into advanced mode and then look at the status page to see if there is an error message posted.

[Sab66]

Yes sequences uploaded to FPP and all 7 controllers. All controllers set to FPP remote as secondary input and set to Play remote sequence under FSEQ File to Play

[MartinMueller2003]

Need to see a screenshot of the status screen in admin mode

[MartinMueller2003]

advanced mode

[Sab66]

[MartinMueller2003]

You did not turn on advanced mode prior to taking the screenshots. I need a special message that gets displayed when advanced mode is turned on

[MartinMueller2003]

and the time remaining is a dead giveaway that the fseq is corrupted

[Sab66]

I did click Advanced mode in the Admin screen, but saw nowhere to save it. I tried a brand new sequence with similar results. Not sure what to try to be honest Thanks for your time.

[MartinMueller2003]

advanced mode cannot be saved. that is on purpose. click on advanced mode, start your sequence, click on home/status page. an error message will be displayed.

[MartinMueller2003]

Also, please send me a copy of that file. I would like to run it through some tools we have that can tell us what is wrong with the file

[adamcoulombe]

I may be having the same, or similar issue. Architecture ESP32, build 4.0-ci3659911785. FSEQ rendered by latest xlights.

Any fseq I upload (either fpp connect or manually through espixelstick UI), I see the following error

ParseFseqFile:: Could not start: pixelsticktest.fseq File does not contain enough data to meet the Stated Channel Count * Number of Frames value. Expected 3060000, Got: 816128

fseq is attached pixelsticktest.zip

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A couple additional notes; it plays fine over e1.31 via xlights, but does not play locally if selected as FSEQ File To Play.

Also, if I plug the SD card into my computer and copy the full fseq directly onto the SD card, the error doesnt display in advanced mode, but there is still no light ouput :(

[MartinMueller2003]

What is the full fseq? You want an fseq that has only the data for this esp

[adamcoulombe]

What is the full fseq? You want an fseq that has only the data for this esp

Right, I was just trying different things to see what might work. By “full fseq” I was referring to the non-sparse, uncompressed file that xlights generates when I save. If that isn’t helpful information though you can just ignore it :)

[MartinMueller2003]

I would not expect the non-sparse fseq file to work very well.

[adamcoulombe]

Fair enough; the error referenced above though occurs when playing the attached fseq which was uploaded through fpp connect and IS the sparse version

[MartinMueller2003]

Yes and it is corrupted. xLights is able to save the sparse version to disk and you should be able to transfer it to the ESP. That should allow you to make progress.

[adamcoulombe]

I am having some luck getting fseq's to light up if I keep my total pixel count on the ESP32 below 255. If I configure above that, It is almost guaranteed to create the ParseFseqFile error mentioned above.

You mentioned xlights can save the sparse file it sends to the ESP to my hard drive. Where do I find that?

I see you can change a setting for FSEWQ version under preferences. There is an option for sparse but I tried that one but the ESP32 complained it wasn't uncompressed in the serial monitor.

[MartinMueller2003]

you will need to ask on the xlights zoom room. i am a vixen user and have limited knowledge about xlights

[adamcoulombe]

OK, your suggestion to export the sparse file led me to a fruitful comparison. I couldnt find a way to directly export the sparse/uncompressed file onto my hard drive, but I set up a fresh raspberry pi/fpp with identical configuration (start channels, outputs, and number of pixels) and uploaded the sparse/uncompressed file from xlights to the pi.

I then copied that exact fseq file from the Pi onto the esp32.

The result was that the esp32 gives the ParseFseqFile error while the Raspberry Pi plays it fine.

A copy of that fseq file is attached. pixelsticktest(2).zip

[adamcoulombe]

I have some additional detail to follow up on my last post. I tried a slightly different method.

Instead of uploading the fseq (the one that plays fine on the pi) to the esp32 via the espixelstick File Management web interface, I transferred the fseq to the sd via my computer, then put the card back onto the esp32, and got different results - It actually played!

So there is definitely some corruption happening when sending fseq directly to the esp32. I notice the filesize is smaller if I upload thru the ESPixelstick File Management web interface (or via xlights, for that matter).

[MartinMueller2003]

Now that is something I can look into. It indicates some form of truncation in the transfer process.

[MartinMueller2003]

I just transferred the attached file via my chrome browser (multiple times) with no issues. The file plays fine. I used the ESP32 Quinled AE+ as the platform.

[adamcoulombe]

I just transferred the attached file via my chrome browser (multiple times) with no issues. The file plays fine. I used the ESP32 Quinled AE+ as the platform.

Martin, I really appreciate you taking the time to test that for me. Based on this, I suspect what I am actually experiencing is a hardware issue causing corruption of the fseq file as it saves the file to the SD card.

[MartinMueller2003]

I tested sending the attached file via fpp connect multiple times yesterday and never had it truncated. I have made a few changes to the download code in an attempt to make the transfers go faster, but the changes had no real impact. I did make sure I updated xLights to the latest version, but that should not have made any difference. FYI: This means that the only remaining difference is how the file is created and handled by xLights.

[MartinMueller2003]

Are you still seeing the issue using the latest code?

[adamcoulombe]

Are you still seeing the issue using the latest code?

I tried on some different hardware and I was able to upload consistently without the file getting corrupted. I think it’s safe to say the issue I was seeing was being caused by faulty hardware

[MartinMueller2003]

I am not seeing this.