I recently ran into a complex situation involving a Home theater receiver RTI T2 with rf remote and a multi zone/source controller w/ keypads but no cat 5 run to keypad location and no way of doing so now. I was told to get this gear working the way I needed would require only RS 232 commands for the controller on the RTI T2. Yeah right! This language is as foreign to me as martian speak. What is this RS 232 that can solve many problems where applicable and how does a simpleton learn such?

Anyone??
Hello Mars

What is the the multizone device you are trying to control? For each device there is typically a protocol document that describes the way in which the RS232 string is constructed for that device. If you post the device, someone here may be familiar with the protocol, or you can request a copy from the manufacturer.


jcmitch

just a couple rs232 basics, 1) make absolutely sure transmitter and receiver are configured identically (baud rate, bit length, stop bits, and parity). 2) when you find out the rs232 commands enter them EXACTLY as written because everything has meaning. For instance a 0x in front of the command means it's a hexadecimal number and a trailing \r or 0x0D could indicate a carriage return which is necessary to complete the command. In general, once you are able to successfully complete one command the rest will be easy.

The device is a Russound CAV 6.6
I did download from Russound a protocol manual, but like I said it all seemed foreign to me. I was'nt even sure where to begin.
What I am trying to acomplish is this:
Using an RTI with RF interface, control different zones from the Russound w/o keypads. I have schemed up a way of installing all keypads on a piece of ply wood; stored in the back of the cabinet, and covering the emmiters on the ir window of the keypad and route the IR form the RF interface; yet I worry that the IR will bleed. So... Thats pretty much where I stand. Plus I think knowing basics of RS 2232 is greatly beneficial since lights, HVAC, drapes and so on .. can be controlled this way.
Thanks for replying

Do it like this instead and you can avoid the RS232 issues.
Get a Xantech Remote IR Router. I think the Part number is RT-8. Anyways you'll find it on the xantech website. You route the IR from the RTI and then it gives you 8 discrete outputs. Use 6 of them to control each of the keypads you'll mount on the board. Then you can set up the RTI for each room. They walk into a room. select it on the remote. and then can control that room. This works well but you will need to spend some time programming all of it into Xantech's Dragon Drop and then learn it into the RTI.

Robbie Spratt

The RTI IRF-6 already has an IR router built into it (6-way)

I have no idea what the Russoud protocal is, but this seems like a pretty safe plase to play since you have a viable IR solution.
As far as bleed.... Xantech makes plastic overlays for emitters to eliminate crosstalk.... ALso holds the emitter significantly more securely to avoid the potential Emitter falling off causing loss of control in a zone....

Well in that case he shouldn't need anything else. Didn't realize the RTI had built in IR routing. We've never used any of their products.

Robbie S

I know it looks complicated, but you can figure it out with a little effort. If only these lazy manufacturers would just post the complete hex stings, life would be so much better.

They give you the following as an example: (volume up zone 1) F0 00 00 7F 00 00 70 05 02 02 00 00 7F 00 00 00 00 00 01 7B F7

ALL ON command.:
F0 7F 00 7F 00 00 70 05 02 02 00 00 F1 22 00 00 01 00 00 01 10 F7

you will notice that some of the numbers in both strings are the same, you are suposed to use their charts to figure out which digits in the chain to change for the particular function you want to control. somtimes its just a couple of digits and the checksum on the end.

But what they dont tell you, is that RTI requires you to put a \x between the pairs as in the following:


Zone 1 volume up
\xF0\x00\x00\x7F\x00\x00\x70\x05\x02\x02\x00\x00\x7F\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x01\x7B\xF7

all on command
\xF0\x7F\x00\x7F\x00\x00\x70\x05\x02\x02\x00\x00\xF1 \x22\x00\x00\x01\x00\x00\x01\x10\xF7

Try and see if you can get this code to work

Once you have the code, is there universal software to use in order to plug the code in? Or is it done in the remote software? Would there be any advantage of plugging straight into the back of processor port for code extraction? Sorry for the easy questions, but you seem very knowlegable on a subject I've always wanted to understand better.
Thanks.

The above quote box is wrong. RTI's quote is the 1st sentence. My questions start in the same box. Sorry.

The Code More or less, comes from the manufacture, but follows some kind of greasy industry standard, further I only know enough about RS-232 to get my self out of trouble from time to time.

Below are some good application links regarding the topic and its history.

[Link: pdfserv.maxim-ic.com]
[Link: users.telenet.be]
[Link: camiresearch.com]

Okay, thanks.

Dear RTI Installer,
I tried the strings the way you show them.... But, I get a messsage that says the sting is to long and should be broken up in a macro.
Also it does not recognize the backslash and says I should use double backslash all of which I tried to no avail.
The protocol on the Russound manual says that a start of a message should begin with 0xF0, but your string does'nt contain this. What am i misunderstanding? Please help.

And thank you for all that replied

\xF0 is the same as 0xF0 in RTI World.

Its quite posible you cannot control the Russound with the RTI. The string length is limited... You may have hit it.