Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems Need help with 568.2 computer interface please...

Hi, I'm new to Meridian & need a little help please.

I currently have DSP5000s & DSP5000C connected to my 568.2 processor with a power amp & analogue surround speakers. I've downloaded the program needed to interact with the interface but am having trouble getting my laptop & 568.2 to talk to each other. I've changed all the settings so it's all ready to go once I'm able to upload the new settings to the processor.

From the 568.2 I have a RS232 (female) cable connected to a RS232 (male) connected which is then connected via USB to my laptop but for some reason it keeps coming up saying failed. I've tried all 4 COM options & even tried to do it manually but nothing worked. I've read the manual & according to that it should all be working fine.

I'm quite inexperienced with PCs so its probably a very simple solution that I just havent seen.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

Welcome to the forum.

Have you looked here:

http://www.meridianunplugged.com/wiki/index.php?title=Debugging_RS-232_or_USB_Communication_Problems

Are you sure that you are using a null modem cable?

Are you using the legacy config programme?

Have you assigned a Comm port to your USB in the Device Manager?

Hi dpstjp thanks for replying so quickly.
Yes I'm using the Legacy program, downloaded off the Meridian website.
I have a null RS232 (female both ends) connected from 568.2 to another RS232 cable (male one end & USB the other) so it can then connect to my laptop.
The only thing I may not have done is assigned a COMMs port. Not quite sure how to do it (can't find Device Manager). I've gone to View-Options to find the COM window which I've already ticked the box for COM 1, 2, 3 & 4 but non of them worked.

Does the 568.2 need to be in stand-by mode or should it be switched on to any source while cable is plugged it?

If I could find Device Manager I think that would solve the problem.

Thanks for the advice :-)

Can you "get away with" a straight RS232 to USB lead or do you need a convertor like the (Meridian recommended) Keyspan.

I use the Keyspan and have almost never had a problem but I've never tried anything else.

Richard

Hi Mark,

The RS232 to USB lead; sounds questionable.
Can you give us some more information about; make, model, URL link etc.

I like Richard, suspect this is one of your issues.

The other think you need to confirm is that the female - female RS232 lead is actual a NULL modem lead (i.e. the pins 2 and 3 are crossed) if not then it too will not work. If you have a multimeter you can 'ring' it out to work out the connections.

Regards,
Carl

I also think it might be down to the cable. The first RS232 cable is defiantly a NULL female to female cable, but I don't think the second USB convertor cable is. I've had a look online & found the cheapest Keyspan USB convertor device is on eBay for �40 so I'll order one of them & see if it works. I'll get back to with the results.

Thanks Richard & Carl

Thanks guys
Marc

Hi Marc

Is there any chance that another program is using the Comms port on the laptop?

Cheers
Tom

Hi Marc,
Here's my two penneth! I had a similar issue to you when setting up my 568.2 via a USB to serial lead that I bought off eBay. It was the same as you describe, two separate cables joined together. What I found was when the USB was plugged in, the comms port that was assigned was something like 29 ie not between one and four. What I needed to do was go into the device manager (this isn't in the Meridian program but windows). It is located in the control panel which can be found using this guide from Microsoft
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/...docs/en-us/cpanel_overview.mspx?mfr=true
But is basically from the start menu
When in control panel find system
In there there is a tab called hardware
In that is device manager
There should be a drop down list in that, find ports
If you click on that it should bring up the list of ports and what is connected.
My lead is called USB-serial ch340.
If you double click on it, then click on the port settings
There is an advanced button. If you click on that, you can then see a drop down box where finally you can change the port number to be between 1 and 4.
All you need to do then is select the same port in the Meridian software!
I've found that its still a bit temperamental but works 90% of the time.
The 568.2 just needs to be turned on via the main switch, it can be in either standby or full on. I did turn all the speakers off though when configuring it.
Hopefully, that's fairly clear?!
Good luck,
Peter

Hi guys,

I've just tried everything that Peter suggested and found the info very useful. (Thanks Peter!) Although I managed to get into that program & change the ports etc. & changed the COM port on the Legacy program, still nothing worked. I'm now 90% sure its down to one of the cables NOT being a NULL cable. So I've ordered that Keyspan adaptor and I'm awaiting for it to be delivered then I'll try that port process again & hopefully everything should work fine.

I've looked at the Legacy program and found a lot of interesting stuff you can do with the 568. One of the main reasons I'm now playing about with this progam is I've recently got a seperate Arcam power amp to drive my rear speakers. Although when it's all connected up I get sound out of the rear speakers, it's like it's at FULL volume when it comes out even when the 568 is on volume 1.

I was hoping that using this Legacy program I would be able to change the volume output on the 568 to the Arcam power amp. So far for the rears I've changed them to SMALL ANALOGUE REARS & I'm hoping when I get this all connected up & working this should solve this rear volume issue & make them at equal volume to the other 3 speakers.

Thanks guys,
Marc

Hi Marc,
You're welcome. The speaker issue is familiar too. I suspect that your 568 is programmed for a fully digital system (mine was when I first got it) and when I connected in the analogue speakers they went straight to full volume. I've looked in the 568 manual as you can do some programming without a computer but it doesn't show how to separate out digital front from analogue rears. You will need the legacy program to sort it out and then the issue should go away : )
Good luck,
Peter

If you are 90% sure you don't have a null modem cable, unfortunately the Keyspan will give you nothing more than you already have. You still need a null modem cable plugged into the 9 pin male plug of the USB/serial converter whether it's a Keyspan or a generic unit.

The RS232 (and other similar) protocols allowed you to connect a terminal (ie your computer) to a modem via a simple straight wired cable. However you are not connecting to a modem, you are connecting to another computer, what is in RS232 terms another terminal. So a crossover cable is needed called a null modem cable because there are no modems ie terminal-modem-modem-terminal. Its the modem-modem bit that does the crossover - think phone handsets where crossover is because earpiece and mouthpiece are 'cross connected' either electrically or acoustically. The null modem cable simply mimics this.

ie
terminal-straight-modem-cross-modem-straight-terminal
or
terminal-cross (null modem)-terminal

Adding a USB/serial converter changes nothing. The plug on the USB converter is the same as would be on a terminal device and does not magically change it into a modem type device. So the cabling requirements would be the same whether or not the USB/serial adaptor was used or not and a null modem crossover cable is still required.

The unfortunate part is that a standard female-straight-female cable is often visually indistinguishable from a null female-crossover-female cable and many box of bits contain the straight cable from when we connected to external modems. Many people not use to straight and crossover cables also confuse female/female cables as meaning null modem when it's the non visible internal wiring that determines the type.

Hi Marc,
Based upon Ian's comments, the cable that I bought from eBay is this one http://item.mobileweb.eBay.co.uk/viewitem?itemId=350444723072
and was pretty cheap at �8.50
Peter