Serial Control Questions

[jbh5000]

Sorry again for another newbie question.....

I have a sharp 60" TV that I want to control with RS232 via the serial port.

Assume I run a long cat6 cable then put this on on the end by the TV http://www.walmart.com/ip/21054227?wmlsp...la&veh=sem and then plug the other of the cat6 into my network switch can I send serial commands that way?

Or do I need to put the connector above on both ends and use a GC-100 or serial port on my PC to send commands?

My dilemma is I have a GC-100 with 2 serial ports but I have 4 devices that need to be controlled via serial commands. Does anyone have any other way of connecting those 2 additional devices or am I going to need another GC-100?

Thanks in advance

[ellisr63]

Sorry again for another newbie question.....

I have a sharp 60" TV that I want to control with RS232 via the serial port.

Assume I run a long cat6 cable then put this on on the end by the TV http://www.walmart.com/ip/21054227?wmlsp...la&veh=sem and then plug the other of the cat6 into my network switch can I send serial commands that way?

Or do I need to put the connector above on both ends and use a GC-100 or serial port on my PC to send commands?

My dilemma is I have a GC-100 with 2 serial ports but I have 4 devices that need to be controlled via serial commands. Does anyone have any other way of connecting those 2 additional devices or am I going to need another GC-100?

Thanks in advance

Do you have a PCI slot available? I have a Moxa 8 port serial card that you can have. It works perfectly. It comes with a dongle for 8 ports... with each port having about 3 feet with a db9 on the end.

As far as using a cat 6 cable on one end and a db9 on the other AFAIK it will not work with out a device (GlobalCache is one that comes to mind) that will convert the signals electronically.

[sic0048]

jbh5000 - I run my serial command over normal cat5e cable (you certainly can use cat6 if that is what you have). I use a RJ-45 to DB9 converter such as the one you linked to at each end. However the cable is NOT hooked up to my network switch. That would result in failure because the switch would try to send out IP signals which would mess up the serial commands.

I do have the wire terminated into a cat5 patch panel in my wiring closet, but I've attached a cat5 wire to that which leads to another RJ-45 to DB-9 converter and the serial plug gets plugged into my serial port. Again, you can use a patch panel, but do not plug the cat cable being used to transmit serial data into your switch or router.

[wuench]

As mentioned, ethernet is not RS232. You will likely damage your switch and or serial port on your TV.

The RS232C spec says you can go up to 147' with Cat5 cable, but you may need to adjust your baud rate down. So you might be able to do a direct link PC to TV.

But the GC100 works great, and you get IR control as well for other stuff.

[zra]

take rons offer for the moxa 8 port serial. connect the adaptor that you linked to each end of a cat5/6. one end going into your tv the other goes into one of the eight serial ports. obviously you need to have CQC running on the computer that your moxa is going to be hosted on.

from there make sure the serial driver settings(baud rate,etc) are correct and then installing the sharp driver through CQC and assign the correct comm port. you need to figure out which comm port is assigned to each of the 8 serial connectors and choose the one that you are connecting your cat5/serial to.

[zra]

BTW you can get those cat5/6 to serial adaptors from monoprice for less

http://www.monoprice.com/products/produc...1&format=2

[sic0048]

On a related note. I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you get a continuity tester like this one on EBay if you plan on wiring those RJ-45 to DB-p adapters. You will pull your hair out trying to figure out which wire goes where. Get a pin removal tool as well so you can remove and reset the pins if you mess something up. If you want something even better, buy something like this so you can wire one end of the adapter and then trace each wire on the other end before even pushing the pins into the adapter. That way you know the wires will be in the correct order.

Trust me - it is well worth the money to get the tester. It will save you hours of frustration trying to track down why your devices won't connect. I know from experience. ;-)

[zra]

totally agree with Sic.

i have this one

http://www.amazon.com/Fluke-Networks-PRO...work+toner

[LesAuber]

If you're only doing a couple cables then you can get by with a plain old ohmmeter. Bit more of a hassle. Either way I agree with checking the cables. Saves much grief.

It should be in the rs232 protocol for your device but make sure that it's either wired straight through or null-modem sometimes called cross-over. Null modem just swaps the Rx and TX pins on one end. The only devices I've run into using null modem so far have been projectors but there are probably more out there just waiting to nab the unaware. You can get adapters to convert cables from straight through to null modem if needed.

If you don't have an open PCI slot or don't have a PCI slot an Edgeport will do the trick and connects to your PC via USB.

[znelbok]

Not that the info here is wrong or anything, but in this specific appliation (the Sharp 60"), if the TV has an Ethernet port then it will support the same commands via Ethernet as serial and you wont need to wire up the serial port. (It should be in the manual).

If that is the case then do away with the serial control - one possible caveat though, check that you can turn it on as some TV's shut down the USB and ethernet controllers when off.

If you cant turn it on then go ack to using serial.

Mick