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Author Topic: DIY DTS TC Cables?
Steve Kraus
Film God

Posts: 4094
From: Chicago, IL, USA
Registered: May 2000


 - posted 04-22-2002 09:37 PM      Profile for Steve Kraus     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Anyone ever whip up your own timecode reader cables for DTS? What is this in the manual about Serial Data To/From Remote Terminal? Is that used? Otherwise it's just +5V, GND, TC, and the LED drive line. If you could live without the latter (just watch the box) it looks like plain old Belden audio cable with 2 wires + shield & ground would do it.

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Josh Jones
Redhat

Posts: 1207
From: Plano, TX
Registered: Apr 2000


 - posted 04-23-2002 03:13 PM      Profile for Josh Jones   Author's Homepage   Email Josh Jones   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Are those serial connections on the same pins used by a computer? perhaps a breakout cable was interfaced to a computer to talk to the DTS unit while at the projector. Just a thought.

Josh

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Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!

Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999


 - posted 04-23-2002 04:57 PM      Profile for Steve Guttag   Email Steve Guttag   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
More often than not, I make my own DTS and now Dolby digital cables.

For the DTS cables, I've always used 9-cond shield. It is a cable we stock so I have never bothered to try and "beat the system."

The serial data to/from is listed on my drawing as "not necessary for the reader to operate" so I suppose you are right.

Steve

------------------
"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"

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Karen Hultgren
Master Film Handler

Posts: 492
From: Agoura Hills, CA, USA
Registered: Mar 2000


 - posted 04-23-2002 06:10 PM      Profile for Karen Hultgren   Author's Homepage   Email Karen Hultgren   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
The DTS timecode cable is very simple. For a one-projector system, you really only need to use pins 1 (TC out), 9 (LED drive signal in from player), 5 (+5DC power from player), and a ground (pins 6, 7, ot 8). The cable must be fully shielded and the connector shells must be common to chassis (earth) ground.

Karen at DTS
khultgren@dtsonline.com

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Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99


 - posted 04-23-2002 06:15 PM      Profile for Scott Norwood   Author's Homepage   Email Scott Norwood   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Josh -- FYI, the pinouts for a standard PC serial cable with a DB9 connector are:

pin 1 - DCD
pin 2 - RCV
pin 3 - XMT
pin 4 - DTR
pin 5 - GND
pin 6 - DSR
pin 7 - RTS
pin 8 - CTS
pin 9 - RNG

(can you tell that I've been making a lot of serial console cables lately? don't get me started talking about Annex terminal servers...)


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Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!

Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999


 - posted 04-23-2002 09:01 PM      Profile for Steve Guttag   Email Steve Guttag   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
In a pinch, even pin 9 may be omitted. It's purpose is to light the green LED on the reader.

Again, I normally just hook up all 9...then again I often have 2-projector screens Thus I need pin-2 as well.

Steve

------------------
"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"


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Karen Hultgren
Master Film Handler

Posts: 492
From: Agoura Hills, CA, USA
Registered: Mar 2000


 - posted 04-24-2002 03:54 PM      Profile for Karen Hultgren   Author's Homepage   Email Karen Hultgren   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Personally, I would not leave off pin 9 = you're asking for trouble. As Steve metioned, "in a pinch" or temporarily is okay.

Karen at DTS

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