TCP/Ethernet Automation from Sony SRX-R320/LMT-300

[Chris Horak]

Hello,

Does anyone know if it's possible to create custom TCP/ethernet automation on a Sony SRX-R320/LMT-300 system to control auditorium devices? E.g. Let's say I wanted to make cues to send ethernet ASCII commands to a Dolby CP950.

I looked around a bit on Google and the old forums but the best I could gather was that at some point there was a software patch which enabled such functionality on the SRX-R515 and later.

Anyone have any insight?

Thanks!

[Ioannis Syrogiannis]

I haven't tinkered a Sony 320 for a while, but last time, the configuration file SMSMgrServer.ini was available on 320s as it is on 51Xs.
That would need some secure shell connection to the server and editing of (not the file in question) SmsMgrService_custom.ini, so to enable the pre-configured commands.
If the latest software had the CP850 commands, then you could probably use that for CP950. The ASCII commands are practically the same.
Now, for custom commands, someone else might have more to share.

GPIO is also available on LMT-300, but that is off topic.

[Aaron Tucker]

The .ini file only allows you to connect to the few devices that Sony specifies in that ini file. Sound processors and eCNA automations mostly. There is no place to create custom TCP/ethernet automation commands and it is very unlikely at this point that Sony will ever add support for them.

[Carsten Kurz]

While the R320 and the R51xx/8xx share a good deal of their underlying operating software, configurable TCP automation never made it into the R320/LMT-300 software. So, the only option is to use GPO, or, built a custom translator from GPO to TCP (e.g. using a Raspberry PI), or an RS232 protocol translator for the supported CP650/DCP300.

[Bruce Cloutier]

You can also use the JNIOR to generate whatever you need from any outward indication you can get the Sony to do, GPIO or whatever.

[Steve Guttag]

Mimicking a CP650 would have the advantage of volume control in addition to simple format. How hard would it be for a JNIOR to pretend it is a CP650 and then translate those commands back out to a different processor?

For those with Q-SYS, this would be possible via LUA scripting.

[Bruce Cloutier]

Can his Sony talk to the CP650? If we have the CP650 spec or if anyone can tell us what commands they would like translated into which Ethernet ASCII commands, we can undoubtedly make that happen.

We have the specs and can see how commands have migrated. We absolutely can perform the translations from any one to another. Kevin would be all over that.

[Chris Horak]

Thanks all for these responses, very helpful!

The site specifically doesn't want to spend on any more JNIORs, so I think if the R320/LMT-300 has premade macros for a CP750 over ethernet, we can explore setting up some sort of service on the network that all systems point to as their "CP750" and then have it translate and forward commands to the relevant CP950 based on the IP address the request came from.

[Marcel Birgelen]

Do you have a "host" on the network to run such a service? A few lines of Python would probably do the trick, but you still need something to run it on, even if it's just a RasPi, so a JNIOR may not even be such a bad solution.

[Chris Horak]

@Marcel Not yet, this is all just brainstorming. Knowing this client, whatever is cheapest. So it WILL likely be a Raspberry Pi for simplicity, or one of the computers already on the network.

[Bruce Cloutier]

Note too that this translation service can be added to any (Series4 JNIOR) that you may already have on the network without affecting what it might already be doing. There would be no need for any additional JNIORs.

We can even translate from Dolby commands to some completely other manufacturer's equipment. And, the interface could be bi-directional making something else look like it is from Dolby. But the more complex you want it the more painful it becomes that we do not charge for this kind of support.

If you can code you can do it yourself too.

[Carsten Kurz]

Yup, a JNIOR could be a possible solution, both for the GPO as well for the serial translator. And it could do loads of other things at the same time.

[Elia Orselli]

We can even translate from Dolby commands to some completely other manufacturer's equipment. And, the interface could be bi-directional making something else look like it is from Dolby. But the more complex you want it the more painful it becomes that we do not charge for this kind of support.

This would be very usfeul for me to use USL JSD60 with DSS servers and Sony Projectors, as both of them accepts only Dolby CPs...

[Bruce Cloutier]

This would be very useful for me to use USL JSD60 with DSS servers and Sony Projectors, as both of them accepts only Dolby CPs...

We can even do even more wacky things like have the JNIOR log into an HVAC WebUI (as like a user) and change setpoints dynamically.

We would just need to have several of you out there sign up for a particular application before we just jump and do it. Otherwise, something really custom starts to feel like we should be charging for it. We would need to negotiate a rough specification for what needs to happen though.

Of course, if you can code in Java and want to give something a try on your own, we would definitely support you.

We tried like crazy to get specs for the Sony projectors. They were, well, idiots about it. The closest we came was through a guy from Sony who we ended up partying with at length in a bar at the Orlando airport while waiting on delayed flights. That was after ShowEast back in the day. Um, we took over most of the bar for like 3 hours.

You can also do a lot with our Tasker application which we have been actively developing. Tasker replaces the older Task Manager. You can actually replace the Cinema application with it and implement custom logic. We will be demonstrating Tasker at CinemaCon. We are not deprecating the Cinema application. We're just showing the more generic side of the product.

[Carsten Kurz]

On the R51x/81x, the serial and ethernet interface to the CP750 was bidirectional. The Sony would check the presence of a CP750, request configured formats by name, and offer only those in the SPL editor. I don't know if the CP650 supports that level of communication at all, it could be one way only.
I analysed the communication between a Sony R51x/81 (S10 server) and CP750 with a terminal once, but I don't have access to an R320/LMT300 now.
At least if a CP750 is configured on the S10 server, if the CP doesn't answer within a (configurable) timeout what the Sony expects, the Sony will not use the CP automation and also issue a warning in the GUI. I don't know if the latest R320/LMT300 software revisions implemented support for the CP750 (my docs only mention CP650 and DSP 300). If it does, and if it is done the same way as on the more recent Sony S10, it could be better to configure a CP650, if that protocol is unidirectional and more basic.