Re: [Hampshire] Serial Ports

Hi Bob,
Thanks for all the great advice.

On 03/04/2008, Bob Dunlop <bob.dunlop@???> wrote:
> Hi,
>
>
> On Thu, Apr 03 at 07:13, Peter Brooks wrote:
> > Hi All,
> > Our radio station has just purchased an Audioarts Air 2+
> > (http://www.audioartsengineering.com/audioarts_consoles.html#air2) ,
> > of which has a dsub-25 connector as in this diagram:
> > http://www.theneb.co.uk/air2Dsub.png
>
>
> Firstly I see no serial ports. The only thing that connector has in
> common with a serial port is the choice of connector hardware. It's
> an unspecified logic level and relay contacts connector that I'd call
> a hodge-podge.
>
> I count 13 unspecified logic "start" output signals and at least one
> pair of relay contacts "on air tally".
>
>
>
> > We're also using a canford on-air light, of which has technical specs
> > as given here:
> > http://www.canford.co.uk/commerce/resources/datsht/02-050.pdf
> >
> > All of the start common/channel needs to be received by our custom
> > software on our pc and the 'on air tally' needs to be sent to the
> > canford on-air light.
>
>
> Controlling the Canford light directly from the console tally relay
> should be straight forward. Sling a bell wire between pins 9,10 on
> the console and 1,2 on the lamp. However I would want to inspect the
> lamp first to ensure safe isolation between the control input and the
> mains. Lighting engineers have been known to take some awful shortcuts
> in the past.
I will take this in mind, though we're paying more for this light for
a low voltage circuit specific for such a purpose.

>
>
>
> > Can all this be done via software? Ie I plug the dsub-25 into our
> > computer and then receive the start signals, log the 'on air tally'
> > and send the signal to the canford on-air light via another serial
> > port.
>
>
> DO NOT PLUG THIS UNIT DIRECTLY TO ANY STANDARD PC PORT. It is not a
> serial port, nor is it anything like a standard parallel (printer)
> port. Plugging this into a PC may damage one or even both ends.
>
>
> To monitor the 13 start signals I'd use a PIO (parallel I/O) or simple
> data acquisition card[1]. If you can determine the logic level being
> used then a cheaper TTL card might be usable. Hah I've just discovered
> a USB based unit that might work[2], all you'd need to do is remap the
> wiring between the two connectors.
>
>
> [1] http://www.bluechiptechnology.co.uk/products.php?part_id=84&sm_select=7
> [2] http://www.audon.co.uk/usbpio.html


Any USB unit is preferred, the PC we're using is sat in the office and
we recently put a usb hub in the studio with lots of long vga cables.
>
>

>  --
>         Bob Dunlop

>
>
> --
> Please post to: Hampshire@???
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> --------------------------------------------------------------
>


--
Peter Brooks