Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems 861 Crestron module?

I don't suppose anyone has a Crestron module for controlling the 861? It would save me some effort.

I assume I can only control it via RS232, I can't use a Sooloos card network connection to send some protocol to fully control the 861?

There is a G68 RS232 Crestron module up on Crestrons site. I wonder if that will control the 861. Gonna try it.

Whilst there is Crestron module for Sooloos, the Sooloos network protocol doesn't allow a very rich control over other Meridian components such as 861. It will basically give you volume, mute and not much else. I have not seen it, but my understanding is that the Sooloos Crestron interface basically gives you the explore and transport features of the Sooloos apps.

I have a custom built 861 Crestron module inclusive of a feedback window that mirrors the 861 display. I suggest that you contact me via PM should you be interested.

Well the protocol turns out to be incredibly simple, and the G68 module does work. However, there is a AGE OLD issue.

After some use the data coming back from the 861 stops. So the string that comes back is simply gone. The only way to get it back is to power cycle the 861.

In fact I remember this issue from the 861v1.

It's supposed to return a string whenever your send a command. It simply stops doing this.

Anyone know a work around?

Are you reading synchronously or async? It's been a while since I played with reading data from serial port on back of a processor (and it was G series) but never experienced data stream just stopping. I would have been reading asynchronously so just processed what ever was sent to me rather than expecting a response for each command that I sent.

I can't remember the protocol handshaking, but are you sure that 861 has not stopped sending because its output buffer is full because you have not read enough data from it? Iirc that you change something on MSR and its going to output something so if you are only reading synchronously after each command sent then you may well have other unread data still buffered.

Just a thought.

Normally if data stops coming out of the serial port it means CTS hasn't been correctly asserted to it. In which case the output buffer will fill up but that's a symptom rather than the problem.

I'm hooked up for CTS/RTS and I don't see any activity on those pins so it appears the 861 is not using them?

After some use, like hours/days nothing more comes from the TX pin out of the 861. It will suddenly stop usally after the Meridian syncs to some audio stream. So it's working changing to some audio stream and from that moment on nothing comes out of the pin. I've got a fully x-over cable and the Crestron is doing CTS/RTS. However looking at the RS232 pins Meridian is not using CTS/RTS. Its strickly TX/RX/GND

I do TONS of RS232 on all sorts of gear and write RS232 protocols all the time so I know this subject reasonably well. However, one learns something new everyday doing this.

It's not the amount of data coming from the 861, like a buffer gets filled. I can sit all day and play with it. It's random when it's changing sources, or syncing to a new bitstream that it just hangs up.

The only way to get it back is a hard power cycle.

I reported this to Meridian in May of 2000. Yes 12 years ago. On the 861v1. I found email on this last night and they acknowledged the issue. They never addressed it at the time. What's incredible is after 5 revisions and 12 years the bug is still there.

Now all that said.

Maybe it's something stupid and simple. Maybe there is some way around it. Maybe I'm just stupid and missed something.

I have setup full RTS/CTS handshaking not just pulled high, lets see how that works.

I'm sure you guys know if the 861 requires RTS/CTS for its config app communications.

I will report back if this solves it. It will take maybe days to verify it.

AND *THANKS* this forum is awesome.

If you have not already got them: RS232 commands.

Just spotted that 861v6 specifically mentions no flow control. That would match with firmware flash upload. Probably a red herring, but you could kill a flash upload by sending too much data too quickly - something that affected some USB/serial converters (typically based on prolific chipset). Meridian later aded the throttle commands to help.

The section linked also contains the Sooloos API. You will see how basic it is for control of non Sooloos functions.

Thanks Ian. Well I have the Crestron set to require CTS/RTS and its working so either the CTS/RTS are hard wired in the 861 or its doing RTS/CTS.

We shall see. Pacing works sending data to the 861 but I can't control the pace coming from the 861.

Lets see if requiring RTS/CTS has any effect.

I have been using the Crestron module for years on my 861v4 and then v6 without problems. I am using a 3 wire cable

I did have a very similar problem to yours some years back. After much frustration I found that it was a flakey RS232 port on the Crestron.

Have you tried using a different serial port?