Lighting
ETC GigaPix troubleshooting
The ETC GigaPix problems live-event techs bring to Ask Roadie most (also called High End Systems GigaPix). Pick your symptom, or describe your own in plain words, and get the likeliest fix first, with the manual page when there is one.
Common GigaPix errors & problems
What techs run into most, and what's usually behind it. The step-by-step fix for your exact unit is in Ask Roadie.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
Getting GigaPix onto wireless DMX (City Theatrical Multiverse)
Likely cause: SHoW ID, SHoW Key, universe, and antenna type must all match the transmitter or the fixture simply never sees data - and the failure looks identical to a dead module.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
GigaPix fans too loud for a studio or quiet theatre cue, or output dropped unexpectedly
Likely cause: Two places set fan mode and DMX wins, so a fixture can sit in Studio - and therefore 20% down on output - with a front panel that says Standard.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
GigaPix flickers, drops out, or behaves erratically on DMX - especially the last fixture in the run
Likely cause: Unterminated DMX runs reflect the data signal back down the line and corrupt it.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
GigaPix ignores console colour, or macros/pixel content override the base look (the modules fight each other)
Likely cause: All three modules drive the same nine LED engines, so the fixture needs an explicit arbiter.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
GigaPix LEDs and motors shut down on their own when the console is off or DMX is pulled
Likely cause: Crews read a hibernating fixture as a dead fixture and pull it from the rig.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
GigaPix real-world output, beam and colour numbers for plotting and rental spec
Likely cause: Rental and plot decisions turn on candela at angle and on the honest distinction between the 16,700 lm sphere figure and the 7,574-15,777 lm field figures.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
GigaPix shows a "Pan" error on the display after power-up, or the head will not home / find position in pan
Likely cause: The lock is the only field-fixable cause, so rule it out first; errors persist in error history until cleared, so a stale code can look like a live fault.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
GigaPix shows a "Tilt" error after power-up, or the head will not tilt / hunts on tilt
Likely cause: Crews routinely miss the tilt lock because vertical looks like the "off" position on many fixtures; on GigaPix vertical means locked.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
GigaPix shows a "Zoom" error, or zoom will not move through the 4.5-55 degree range
Likely cause: ETC documents only three causes for Zoom: indexing-circuit malfunction, defective stepper/driver IC, or the zoom wheel not parked at default after reset.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
GigaPix strobes or banding shows up on camera
Likely cause: GigaPix offers three flicker-control frequencies (2.4, 16, 25 kHz).
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
GigaPix will not pass DMX out to the network, or will not convert network data to DMX for downstream fixtures
Likely cause: Techs habitually use one moving light as a protocol gateway for the next.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
How much DMX footprint does a GigaPix need, and why do fixtures overlap addresses in the patch
Likely cause: Address collisions on GigaPix are almost always because the Pixel module was enabled in Compound mode after the plot was addressed, silently adding 36 channels per fixture.
Not on the list? Describe it your way, or paste the error code off the display. Ask Roadie works the problem with you until it's fixed or you have a clear next move.
How Ask Roadie helps with the GigaPix
- 1. Pick the ETC GigaPix. It's already in the list.
- 2. Describe what you're seeing. In your own words, or the error code off the screen.
- 3. Get the likeliest fix first. Steps in order, the manual page when there is one, and a note when other techs have confirmed it.
- 4. Still broken? Tap 👎 and it keeps going from where you left off.