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Ticket #211 (new enhancement)

Opened 2 years ago

Last modified 4 months ago

RS232 Cue

Reported by: Marc Ray Assigned to: chris
Priority: critical Component: QLab
Keywords: RS232 Cc:

Description

RS232 is a serial control protocol for controlling devices such as dvd players, video projectors, and other instruments used in shows. For instance we currently use RS232 to control 4 video mpeg players from our current show control system, SFX (for windows xp). Usually RS232 is fed over a serial connector mainly found on PC computers that use a DB-9 connector. Some devices will have thier cables that have DB-9 on one end and various other connectors on the other. As we transition to the mac platform, and specifically QLab, we will need the ability to use RS232 for triggering this and other devices. I have done some research into midi to rs232 converters, but feel it would be much easier, and possibly more reliable, to have a que that can directly interface with a serial port for RS232 control I believe the protocol itself is not that complicated and have included links to various information about it. Specifically I have inlcuded a link to a C-Code example of interfacing with Keyspan's usb to serial adapter. I believe this function would be usefull for many QLab users as your userbase grows.

Here are some links to examples of RS232 devices and descriptions of RS232.

Specific Device we are looking to control:

http://www.adtecinc.com/support/emanual/edje/edje%20Introduction%207-13-2001.pdf

Device RS232 Commands:

http://www.adtecinc.com/support/emanual/API/API%20COMMAND%20MANUAL.pdf

USB to Serial (RS232) adapter for the mac:

http://www.keyspan.com/products/usb/usa19hs/homepage.spml

RS232 / Serial Adapter Programming Example (C Code):

http://www.keyspan.com/downloads-files/developer/macosx/KesypanTestSerial.c.zip

Keyspan RS232 Adapter Manual:

http://www.keyspan.com/downloads-files/usa/docs/KeyspanUSAforXv22.pdf

RS232 Summaries:

http://www.radio-electronics.com/info/telecommunications_networks/networking/rs232/rs232.php

http://epl.meei.harvard.edu/Engineering/d-subminiature.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rs232

USB to Serial (RS232) adapter for the mac:

http://www.keyspan.com/products/usb/usa19hs/homepage.spml

Attachments

Change History

01/20/07 11:03:41 changed by sbird@telusplanet.net

This also a very important feature for me, we've got test setups of full RS-232 control of video mixers, matrix, and DVD, and production usage of DVD and matrix control. Any chance of QLab adding control of RS232?

04/12/07 04:57:15 changed by Chris

  • priority changed from high to critical.

I'm going to bump the priority on this, partly because several more people have asked for it.

08/12/07 18:52:38 changed by Noah Mehl

I really, really, need this feature. Thank you again for all of your hard work, Chris!

03/01/08 09:25:45 changed by Brett

This would be a HUGE addition to Qlabs capabilities!

03/06/08 06:54:10 changed by anonymous

So where is the status on this? Is it still in progress? Is there a proposed deadline insight? THis would be a big time/hardware saver.

03/06/08 07:12:39 changed by Chris

Hi anonymous,

Thanks for the question. Development got dropped for a while because, well, there just wasn't time for it. Which isn't to say that I've forgotten about it, but that the "hours in the day" problem couldn't be resolved in favor of RS 232.

This has been a general challenge across the board, and much of the work in the last few months has actually been directed at solving the "hours in the day" problem so that I can make some forward movement on this and other outstanding requests. Stay tuned.

Thanks, Chris

(follow-up: ↓ 8 ) 08/01/08 15:58:06 changed by Dnav

Hey Chris,

Not to be a turd pushing your already probably crazy workload, but has there been any advancements for RS 232 control? I'm designing a show to go on tour in January 09 and wondering if it would be realistic to assume use of qlab to control all my video equipment. Thanks for everything you're doing man!

(in reply to: ↑ 7 ) 08/29/08 05:48:13 changed by anonymous

Replying to Dnav:

Hey Chris, ... has there been any advancements for RS 232 control? I'm designing a show to go on tour in January 09 and wondering if it would be realistic to assume use of qlab to control all my video equipment.

Hi Dnav,

It's hard for me to predict at this point. I'm afraid I'm sounding like a broken record when it comes to RS232, but that's just the way things have shaken out during development. So much is new in v2 aside from RS232, and those things are the priority to finish in the next few months. Will there be RS232 by January? Not sure I could predict until November or so...

Best, C

09/23/08 11:50:48 changed by RMH

I am working with a client using QLab and wanted to find out QLab's ability to control other devices when I found this ticket. Maybe this should be a new enhancement request, but I would suggest expanding the control concept to giving QLab the ability to send user-formatted messages over ethernet. I am not a network expert, but I think this would include UDP or TCP protocols. Then it should be easy to add to the network any number of serial device servers (ethernet-to-serial interface) that are in turn connected to the RS-232 device you want to control. Of course, if that device already has its own ethernet connection (like many do these days) and can respond to a properly formatted message, no serial device server needed.

If QLab could do this it would be huge. QLab would pretty much be able to take over the world (!)

Add/Change #211 (RS232 Cue)




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