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Author Topic: Serial to Ethernet bridge for automation James Skinner Film Handler Posts: 22 From: Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada Registered: Dec 2012 posted 05-24-2013 04:26 PM                     I continue to automate things at our small community theater. I am currently using our Doremi DCP-2K4 to control our Dolby CP640 and Christie projector. I have a couple others pieces of equipment such as a Blu-ray player that I would like to be able to send commands to from the DCP-2K4 but they only have serial ports. Is there a reliable serial to ethernet box that I can connect to the network and send commands to the RS232 ports via TCP? I know there are full on automation systems such as the eCNA-5 or a JNIOR but they seem like overkill for my needs?  |  IP: Logged Stephen Furley Film God Posts: 3059 From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England Registered: May 2002 posted 05-24-2013 05:07 PM                     These sort of vevices are very common and widely available. There are many versions, single or multiple ports, different serial standards, RS-232, 422, 485 etc. A single port one would typically be about three inches square by less than one inch thick, and have an external power supply. I couldn't recommend a model, or supplier, in your part of the world, but you shouldn't have any difficulty finding one.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 05-24-2013 09:28 PM                     Lantronix is your friend. It absolutely works out of the box with very minimal configuration. Not only that, they have a nifty software that will give your computer a virtual COM port so you can use a control program that only works serially to talk to the device via Ethernet. Search on the Lantronix UDS1100  |  IP: Logged Harold Hallikainen Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 906 From: Denver, CO, USA Registered: Aug 2009 posted 05-24-2013 10:06 PM                        Not solving the Ethernet to rs232 issue, but a solution to the opposite problem (rs232 to Ethernet), the next firmware version for the USL JSD-60 includes a tcp_send command. I'm using it to have a Dolby DSS-200 drive an LSS-100. See it here . Harold  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 05-25-2013 05:17 AM                     The Lantronix does both ways or...two of them will allow long-distance RS232 by using Ethernet between them. You could take the JSD80 that only has RS232 (later units have USB and Ethernet) and give it an Ethernet port. I'm guessing you are trying to use the RS232 port of the DSS200 so a "test show" is set up and changes signals and then issues various commands via RS232 to change modes on the device? I guess, in a sense, we do that via the automation we use (eCNA) already since it will take in RS232 and also communicate with up to 5 Ethernet devices.  |  IP: Logged Harold Hallikainen Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 906 From: Denver, CO, USA Registered: Aug 2009 posted 05-25-2013 09:34 AM                        You are pretty close on what I'm doing with the JSD-60 and LSS-100. The jsd command might be this (as entered on the DSS-200): jSd60.sys.tcp_send\09192\09168\091\09123\0910001\09lss100.sys.capture\\tspl\\tSPL Center Mid\\t80.1\\t82.5\\r This tells the jsd to send to 192.168.1.123:10001 the command that tells the lss to capture the current SPL, call it SPL Center Mid, and make the log entry red if not between 80.1 and 82.5. Because the jsd sets up the tcp connection for each command, the number of Ethernet devices it talks to is unlimited. I am sorry for taking this off topic. I just wrote the jsd rs232 to Ethernet code and the lss capture code. The jsd code is somewhat related to the original post! Harold  |  IP: Logged Pete Naples Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1565 From: Dunfermline, Scotland Registered: Feb 2001 posted 05-26-2013 12:29 PM                     With a Doremi controlling serial devices, why bother going via ethernet? The Doremi has one serial port as it's built, and you can add USB to serial convertors if you need more.  |  IP: Logged Stephen Furley Film God Posts: 3059 From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England Registered: May 2002 posted 05-26-2013 01:58 PM                     quote: Pete Naples With a Doremi controlling serial devices, why bother going via ethernet? The two usual reasons probably wouldn't apply in this situation: 1. To control devices over a greater distance. 2. To control lots of devices without needing lots of wires.  |  IP: Logged Harold Hallikainen Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 906 From: Denver, CO, USA Registered: Aug 2009 posted 05-26-2013 02:58 PM                        I generally like the idea of controlling everything over Ethernet for the hardware simplicity of it. But, the discussion HAS raised a point I had not thought of. Do servers in general let you define macros for "Virtual Comm Ports" that are USB to RS232 adapters? Do the servers have the required drivers included? I know that many Linux distributions include drivers for several of these chips including FTDI and Silicon Labs. If we can individually address VCPs when defining macros, it gets around the issue of having one serial port on the server and several serial devices to talk to. But, I have not checked this out at all (I had never thought of it). So, do digital cinema servers support and allow you to define macros to be directed to virtual comm ports that are driving USB to RS232 converters? Maybe it's time for me to experiment a bit when I get back to work... Harold  |  IP: Logged Pete Naples Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1565 From: Dunfermline, Scotland Registered: Feb 2001 posted 05-26-2013 05:00 PM                     Stephen I agree, RS232 is usually good out to 50', longer if you use the right cable. The OP mentioned BluRay players, so I assume he's going to connect that to the projector/scaler via HDMI/DVI, which has a near identical max working cable length. Using RS232 direct from the server will mean less wiring As it's one cable from the device to the server. Using RS232 over Ethernet requires Ethernet from the switch, to the convertor box, then RS232 to the device. That's before we start thinking about the cost of doing RS232 over Ethernet. The venue in question is a "small community theatre", so one would assume doesn't have bottomless pockets. Harold, with Dolby servers you are stuck with one single RS232 port. Doremi has one port native, but as I said earlier one can add USB to serial convertors. Contact Doremi support for advice as to which ones are supported. You can define macros using those comm ports exactly as you would the onboard comm port or an Ethernet device. I have found one limitation in the Doremi software with regard to serial devices, that is the termination string seems to be limited to one character.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-27-2013 08:13 AM                     Overall i find RS232 far more reliable and robust than ethernet  |  IP: Logged Pete Naples Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1565 From: Dunfermline, Scotland Registered: Feb 2001 posted 05-27-2013 12:29 PM                     I concur with the learned Canadian fellow above  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 05-27-2013 12:59 PM                     Another agree with Gordon. RS232 just works.  |  IP: Logged James Skinner Film Handler Posts: 22 From: Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada Registered: Dec 2012 posted 05-27-2013 05:37 PM                     Thanks for all the great feedback. Sounds like RS232 strait to the Dorami is the best option. I'll give it a try.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-28-2013 01:50 PM                     In fact we designed our own RS232 automation that would fit inside the cinemas existing TA10 automation(handy since all the auditorium control wires are already there) It has 8 inputs and 16 dry contact isolated relay outputs and if it recieves a serial string it doesnt understand it passes it through to the com 2 port which can be a processor or even another board We are starting to put them into all our cinemas now with the first version software  |  IP: Logged

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