Rs232 Control From Xantech

Help!

Has anybody programmed a xantech MRC88 to control C-Bus
via the 5500PC pci interface.

We are using a number of Nevo SL's over WiFi to Nevo link then IR into Xantech which is then hard wired to the 5500PC pci interface.

We have used the RS232 info from the open protocol document but we have no success so far ... Hence .. query!

Time of the essance as we leave for the Carribean in 2 weeks to install.

Spoke to CIS UK ... "Yes - it can be done " tried it no successs !!

What are we doing wrong.


Andy

 

You need to supply some concrete informtion about what you doing, what result occured and what result you were expecting.

A log of the rs232 comms between the Xantech and the PCI (use a serial sniffing application).

Detailed information on the configuration of the serial comms configuration n the Xantech (Baud, parity etc...)

If there is code samples of what you are doing that you post that will help.

As it stands the information you supplied isn't very helpful.

 

It sounds like your project is reasonably high end. If you want to un-complicate your life and add heaps of two way logic opportunity, why don't you use the PACA. It can provide two way Xantech to C-Bus (serial) tie, plus powerful logic ???

I can even send you a file that illustrates two way serial to C-Bus for products like Integra and Axium which would be very similar to what you are doing.

 

Bugger, no takers, thought I had the chance to scam a couple of beers

 

Littleyip

Has anybody programmed a xantech MRC88 to control C-Bus
via the 5500PC pci interface.

Yes I have & it it works well. In my case when the client turned on his plazma in his bedroom from his wall plate which sent IR to the MRC88 which in return would send out RS232 command to C-Bus interface to lower the plazma out of the ceiling which is controlled via C-Bus. Also at the end would raise the plazma.

The first thing I find the best is to set up your Hyperterminal on C-Bus interface & send your commands & make sure you have them right first.
Once this is done enter them into the MRC88 & they should work. If They don't then hyperterminal the output of the amp.

Hope this helps


DavidS

 

since we have PACA now, it whould be good to start creating a logic driver library. than in future noone will have difficulties in integration like this one.

makes sense?

 

Half way through

HI,

I am about half way through doing the same thing at the moment. Iam using a PACA unit and the RS232 comms off that.

So far controlling the MCR88 is not really a problem, the cammands are send and acted on. This bits works really well. Getting feedback on the volume levels, input and other settings is a little bit of a problem though. Im thinking its something to do with the read buffer on the PACA and there doesn't seem to be a return, carrige feed or line feed at the end of the reply from the MCR88.

I'll let you know how I go.

Gavin

 

Gavin,

I did lots of work on 2 way RS232 comms for Axium and Integra. The Axium was easy the Integra was tricky - more on that in a moment. If you open a serial port in the PAC all serial comms (packets) will be written to a buffer in the PAC. From memory it is about 1K buffer size. Now I will assume you have the comms settings correct because you indicate you can send commands out. I found it best to write some code to read the serial buffer into a string every process loop. The unit will not read packets in if you have not told it how to. You need to tell the PAC how to recognise a packet and the trick is to know how the MCR88 sends a RS232 message. If it sends an ASCII packet finished with a carriage return or carriage return - line feed pair you have to read the packet as such. eg
ReadSerial (5, Serial1In,#13#10) ;
I mentioned the Integra. The Integra RS232 protocol document indicated it would receive a messaged finished with either carriage return #13 or line feed #10 however sent messages out finished with End Of File (EOF) After a whole weekend of testing I reversed engineered EOF to be #26, only to find a reference to #26 - usually referred to as "sub" detailed in a 1980,s datacomms handbook as EOF Up to that point the PAC did not recognise any 232 packets from the Integra.
Do you have a 232 protocol doc on the MCR88?