Vixen and Arduino not talking this year?

Projects Programming
1

I downloaded the new vixen software and now my arduino will accept the code but nothing happens. Here is my code. I'm using Arduino Mega, it is connected to 32 relays for Christmas lights. I have written a new sequence in Vixen and it looks really good for the preview. My kids and I are bummed. Can someone check this code or give me a code that works?

#define MEGA_VIXEN
//#define UNO_VIXEN

#ifdef MEGA_VIXEN
#define MAX_CHANNELS 52
int channels[MAX_CHANNELS] = {2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53};
#endif

#ifdef UNO_VIXEN
#define MAX_CHANNELS 18
int channels[MAX_CHANNELS] = {2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,A0,A1,A2,A3,A4,A5};
#endif

int incomingByte[MAX_CHANNELS];

void setup()
{
int i;

Serial.begin(9600); // set up Serial at 9600 bps

for ( i = 0; i < MAX_CHANNELS; i ++ ) pinMode(channels*, OUTPUT);*
}
void loop()
{

  • int i;*

  • if (Serial.available() >= MAX_CHANNELS)*

  • {*
    for (i=0; i < MAX_CHANNELS; i ++) incomingByte = Serial.read();
    * }*
    for (i = 0; i < MAX_CHANNELS; i ++ ) analogWrite(channels_, incomingByte*);
    }*_

2

The newest Vixen downloaded is 3.6u3. All of the ports are correct. I've checked the arduino with blink code, it worked as it should. Nothing happens with my previously attached code which worked great last year with the 3.1u2 vixen version.

3

So, I think it is the Vixen software. For now, I have my lights on random (IDE library) to satisfy the kiddos. Any help would be appreciated.

4

Why not just use the previous version of Vixen that worked before?

5

I figured it out! So, when you're checking your ports and baud rate in Vixen, you have to OK it for it to link up with the arduino mega. In the older version, you just set this up only one time in Vixen and it was good to go every time I unplugged/plugged from the computer. The new version of Vixen makes me manually re-link it to arduino every time I plug it back to the computer. Also, someone asked why I didn't go back to the old version? I would have but, once you convert your content over to the new version, it is no longer recognized by the older version. 48hours of tracing over code, wires, schematics led me to a simple (OK) button as the culprit. What I thought was a code problem turned out to be a Vixen issue. Hope this helps others out.