Integrating Sirius Satellite Radio with CQC

[Micah]

I just recently picked up a Sirius receiver for my car and really enjoy it. I would now like to get a home receiver that I can integrate and control with CQC and am up in the air on how to go about it.

Options
There are currently two options for how to control a Sirius receiver. First, there’s the Z-Wave enabled/controllable Conductor (http://shop.sirius.com/edealinv/servlet/ExecMacro?nurl=control/StoreItem.vm&ctl_nbr=2640&siId=1969212&catParentID=7876&scId=7876&oldParentID=7870). Secondly, the serial protocol for the Sirius Starbase (http://www.sirius.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Sirius/CachedPage&c=ProductAsset&cid=1107202268644) was briefly made available allowing some folks to copy it and take advantage of it.

Problems
While the Conductor receiver might be the easiest way (personally) to integrate a receiver with CQC, it would require CQC to have a Z-Wave driver that supports Z-Wave’s A/V protocol, which I’m not sure if the new driver will or not.

On the other hand, the serial port control of the Starbase has been successfully leveraged in the Carputer realm, which should translate to home use without too much trouble. However, the website that made the protocol available (www.opensirius.com) has since been taken down. Luckily, the folks at www.backstagesirius.com and www.mp3car.com took advantage of opensirius.com’s brief existence and backed up the website (http://mak.zopelabs.com/OpenSIRIUS/) while creating a .net dll (http://www.siriusbackstage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=60595) for interfacing the Starbase with a PC.

Unfortunately, a major downside of going with the Starbase is that because opensirius.com was taken down, there are not any updates available for the protocol so it is unknown if the saved protocol will work with any units other than version 2.5.

Intention
While I could control any Sirius Receiver that included IR control through my USB-UIRT, utilizing either the Connector or Starbase would allow real-time updated song and channel information within CQC as opposed to simple one-way blind assumption control. Additionally, if I'm reading the siriusbackstage.com forums correctly, the Starbase has the ability to know all channel track info in real-time as opposed to just the information for the single channel you're currently tuned to. This may be a moot point if the Conductor has the same feature available via Z-Wave but I do now know the answer to that question so maybe someone familiar with the Conductor can enlighten me.

So, with all that being said, what’s the best way to try to integrate Sirius Satellite Radio with CQC at this point and is there anything on the horizon worth waiting for?

[Dean Roddey]

Do you have a link to the actual protocol document? It's probably not going to be very complex.

[Micah]

What looks to be the protocol doc can be found here (http://mak.zopelabs.com/OpenSIRIUS/4.htm).

It does look pretty straight forward but I have no idea if this version of the protocol is the same for other serial enabled products.

There was one mention of an SDK for Sirius receivers that was to be released before Christmas but I haven't seen any more recent discussion on the subject and searching google doesn't reveal anything.

[liftn]

For a cheaper way, I used http://www.rush2112.net/ alp sirius interface. I used http://www.backpocket.com/sxrecorder// software to control it. It has a web interface which you can launch at the clients. They also have some dll info there not sure about sdk.

I like the interface, because you can see what is on multiple channels at once. When football seasons around you can see the score ticker too.

[Micah]

Bah, just lost a message but I found additional info.

MP3Car.com has a PC interface for car tuners (http://store.mp3car.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=56) that they're controlling with all sorts of software packages.

The price is pretty reasonable for what you get.

[Micah]

For a cheaper way, I used http://www.rush2112.net/ alp sirius interface. I used http://www.backpocket.com/sxrecorder// software to control it. It has a web interface which you can launch at the clients. They also have some dll info there not sure about sdk.

I like the interface, because you can see what is on multiple channels at once. When football seasons around you can see the score ticker too.

I use an app like this on my work pc for the free streaming. I don't really care for it because I'm not paying for the higher quality sound and I get random .net errors.

Have you integrated this into CQC so that you can control it and get info from Sirius inside a CQC interface?

[Micah]

Alrighty, found yet option.

Rush2112.net (http://www.rush2112.net/) has a cable that adds a USB hook-up to the Sirius Connector (http://shop.sirius.com/edealinv/servlet/ExecMacro?nurl=control/StoreItem.vm&ctl_nbr=2640&siId=1924111&catParentID=7876&scId=7876&oldParentID=7870). The nice thing about the Connector is that it has both analog and digital outputs vs. just analog.

What I can't seem to figure out is the software for controlling these boxes. rush2112.net has a DLL and a demo program but I can't find the actual DLL. Downloading the demo results in a single .exe file that is for interfacing with the radio and DLL but the solo DLL isn't there and I can't find any documentation for it.

Argh, so frustrating.

[liftn]

Look at the post above. I have a link to the software I use to control it. It has a web based viewer the is easily interfaced with CQC.

[Micah]

Look at the post above. I have a link to the software I use to control it. It has a web based viewer the is easily interfaced with CQC.

I misunderstood your original post. Just to clarify, you control a tuner with sxrecorded from within CQC? How do you get track info, etc. into CQC?

[liftn]

You run the Sirius software on your master server. Then When you set up CQC page, insert web browser widget, which will load up the the recorder page. This shows you whats on, lets you change channels, ect..

[Micah]

Ah, ok. I haven't used the web widget before but I'll give it a look. Also, the software used for this setup also claims to support XM radios so XM users should be able to do this the same way.

liftin, do you need to buy the plug-in pack for SXRecorder to get the webpage control or is that part of the main program. I'm on the road and can't play with it for a day or two but I'm putting together the cost to do this and the plug-in pack is a $35 upgrade.

While this works, and probably works well, this seems like a cludgy way of going about supporting satellite radio in CQC. I'd really love to see native support/control via a driver as opposed to running 2 software packages on the master server. Dean, if you're watching, is satellite radio support on the radar anywhere or have there been any thoughts about it up to this point?

[Micah]

bump to be irritating and for answers (hopefully).

[liftn]

I'm not sure if you have to buy it or not. I donated money a while back so I alwasy have gotten the updates. I moded the webserver page, so it looks like part of the CQC interface. I think to create a driver that would do everything the software does would be difficult. I don't think it would be too hard to creat one to just change the channels and show whats on the current channel. Just the fact the you can see whats on every channel, record, jump to favorite artists was important to me.

[Dean Roddey]

We currently have support for one dedicated sat radio box, and XM by way of a couple other drivers indirectly because it's included in another product. So there's nothing particularly special about it, i.e. it doesn't require any fundamental changes in the product, just a driver for whatever the device is.

I assume we'd always have to have some hardware involved. Since we'd need some way to receive the signal, right?

[Micah]

liftn,

I think I may pick up the Connector this weekend along with all the things I'd need to do to control it with a PC. Thanks for the follow-up.

Dean,

Sirius does have a online stream offering that people have figured out how to tap into (with a registered, paying account, of course) but I think that hardware would be a better way to go.

I think the current protocol for all the serial-compatible receivers are the same. However, if the protocol changes (as I'm sure it will) there's no way of knowing if drivers created now would be compatible. The current methods of control are based off of the saved protocol from the removed Sirius site, and unless they post a SDK or the new protocol, who knows what will happen in a generation or two.

I'm pretty bleh about getting a driver specific for these receivers. It falls under the "it'd be nice" category but since liftn has shown it can be done with what is currently available and the uncertainty of what sirius will do in the future, I was more curious than anything.

So Dean...how's that z-wave driver coming along? ;)

[Dean Roddey]

I'm working hard on the Z-Wave driver. It'll be probably a couple weeks work (in between doing other things I mean.)

[Micah]

Good to hear. Looking forward to playing with it further down the line.

Also, back to the sirius thing, I just realized why the same software can control the SiriusConnect and the car tuners. They're the same bit of hardware in different packages.

The car tuners have additional hardware to interface with different manufacturers head units, but the receiver portion of the hardware is the same.

This doesn't change my feelings or anything, just thought I'd add it for future reference (or something).

[DeathtoToasters]

Micah,

I cannot tell you how happy I am to have found this thread...I was about to purchase the Russound Sirius tuner!!!

I already have the home universal - conductor controller. I am going to purchase the usb adapter from Mitch's website tonight and then try the methods mentioned in this thread to get Sirius into my system.

How has yours worked out so far?

Thanks
DTT

[Micah]

A word of warning, I don't think the conductor will work the same way I have mine setup.

Mitch's cable/software is designed for use with the SC-H1 (http://www.tss-radio.com/sirius-connect-home-tuner-sch1-p-3869.html) home receiver. Having a Conductor integrated with CQC would be pretty slick but I don't know if Dean has plans on adding that to the ZWave driver or not.

Having said that, I'm decently happy with the setup. I haven't integrated SXRecorder with CQC yet, like liftn has, but I launch it from CQC and control it via a touchscreen.

There's apparently another way to tap into Sirius' internet stream that I haven't been able to get to work correctly via the Slimserver Plugin (http://www.charmedquark.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=2768&page=13). It's a software only solution, which is cheaper per month than an additional receiver, but I haven't been able to figure out how to get it to work.

If you don't already have an SC-H1, I would give the Slimserver plugin a shot and see if you can get it to work. Maybe between the two of us we can figure out what I'm doing wrong.

[DeathtoToasters]

thanks for your comments.

I already have the home connect tuner, so I ordered that usb adapter. I also ordered the plug in pack for $35. I mean I was going to order the russound st2-s for over $750, so spending $35 is not a big deal.

I integrated it into the web interface, like liftn, did. Seems like the perfect solution.

About the remote, I don't see why it won't work. It is hooked into the IR port. Although I don't know how or if the software will dynamically update to show the change in channels and song via the remote. I will have to wait to report on that.

But for someone who has looked for this solution for a VERY long time (over a year), this is a GREAT solution.





A word of warning, I don't think the conductor will work the same way I have mine setup.

Mitch's cable/software is designed for use with the SC-H1 (http://www.tss-radio.com/sirius-connect-home-tuner-sch1-p-3869.html) home receiver. Having a Conductor integrated with CQC would be pretty slick but I don't know if Dean has plans on adding that to the ZWave driver or not.

Having said that, I'm decently happy with the setup. I haven't integrated SXRecorder with CQC yet, like liftn has, but I launch it from CQC and control it via a touchscreen.

There's apparently another way to tap into Sirius' internet stream that I haven't been able to get to work correctly via the Slimserver Plugin (http://www.charmedquark.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=2768&page=13). It's a software only solution, which is cheaper per month than an additional receiver, but I haven't been able to figure out how to get it to work.

If you don't already have an SC-H1, I would give the Slimserver plugin a shot and see if you can get it to work. Maybe between the two of us we can figure out what I'm doing wrong.

[Micah]

Are you running yours through a A/V matrix switcher by chance?

[DeathtoToasters]

I have a nuvo grand concerto on order.

[Micah]

Ah, no worries then. You should be all set with that cable and software setup.

[DeathtoToasters]

Ah, no worries then. You should be all set with that cable and software setup.


Have you not done it that way?

[Micah]

right now I've got my SC-H1 going through my htpc. I haven't made the step to distribution yet, but it's a big blip on my radar.

One reason I haven't switched over to CQC integration and still just launch the program is that there isn't a way to power down or mute the SC-H1 from SXRecorder's web plugin and CQC doesn't have a way to mute the line in on the soundcard.

I was thinking about this last night, but what I may do is pickup a cheap receiver with some decent speakers and subwoofer and move away from using the PC as the receiver. It's a move I need to make at some point and now is as good a time as any.

[bjkiller]

rs232 controlled radio

http://shop.sirius.com/edealinv/servlet/ExecMacro?nurl=control/StoreItem.vm&ctl_nbr=2640&siId=2931231&catParentID=7876&scId=7876&oldParentID=7870