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Barco Graphics 500 Control Software issues?

 
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RobertMfromLI



Joined: 29 Jun 2009
Posts: 114
Location: West Islip, NY

Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 4:18 am    Post subject: Barco Graphics 500 Control Software issues?

Hey all,

I have a Barco Graphics 500 sans remote (got lost in a move, and never had the cable to connect it anyway). I had used some version of the PC Control software on this beast in the past from a Windy98 machine and other than some quirks and occassional hangs, it seemed to work ok.

In taking the projector out of extended storage, and connecting it to a WindierXP machine and using the control software found on this site, I am running into some interesting problems with the PC losing the connection to the projector, resulting in making adjustments take even longer. Ever try to do the full setup (geometry, convergence, etc) when the software loses (and rarely regains) the connection to the PJ requiring restarting the software repeatedly?

Anyway, that aside, some other oddities I have encountered with both versions of the software (the one I am currently using, and the one I no longer have from years back) are that they seem to enjoy randomly sending "key presses" to the projector.

Does anyone have any recommendations on better versions (and where they could be obtained)?

Or better yet, does anyone have the RS232 protocols/commands for talking to a BG500 and BG800? I'd happily write my own software for these if I knew the protocols and commands. I know there was a reference online someplace (the link to the page that linked to it is in the Barco FAQs thread), but the link out from the FAQ is dead.

Thanks for any help you all may be able to provide...

Rob

PS: If someone finds the full protocol/command set for the BD/BG series including and above the 500/800, I'll gladly try to include all of those commands and make the software available to whoever wants it.
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AnalogRocks
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Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 26706
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

TV/Projector: Sony 1252Q, AMPRO 4000G

Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 4:48 am    Post subject:

Random key presses sounds like an electrical interference issue in the data line. Try rerouting your serial cable away from AC power cables, USB cables and don't let it fall across the PC's case.

Long shot but it may help.

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RobertMfromLI



Joined: 29 Jun 2009
Posts: 114
Location: West Islip, NY

Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 4:55 am    Post subject:

AnalogRocks wrote:
Random key presses sounds like an electrical interference issue in the data line. Try rerouting your serial cable away from AC power cables, USB cables and don't let it fall across the PC's case.

Long shot but it may help.


Sadly tried all of that... the only things I noticed in playing/testing were the followings:
(1) The software recognizes the BG500 as an 800 and an ??? (based on the RAM Blocks and info screen in that order)
(2) The random key presses seem to coincide with the main window trying to send/receive status info from the projector while the projector is in adjustment mode being controlled by the remote control window.

Serial cable this time out is a 6' direct cable with the projector about 1/2' from the PC (it's just hooked up for testing at the moment as it has been in storage for 5 years). Original cable from 5 years+ ago was over 25' long (comprised of 3 different cables and a gender changer) - no difference either way. Crying or Very sad
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RobertMfromLI



Joined: 29 Jun 2009
Posts: 114
Location: West Islip, NY

Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 4:58 am    Post subject:

Is it possible there are some serial port settings I need to manually configure in Windows that may be conflicting? Or that setting both PJ and computer software to a lower baud rate may help?
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AnalogRocks
Forum Moderator


Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 26706
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

TV/Projector: Sony 1252Q, AMPRO 4000G

Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 5:15 am    Post subject:

Probably. If the PC's serial port is set too fast it will sometimes send random characters.

You need to know what the Barco's expecting for baud rate. eg, 9600, 8, N, 1

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RobertMfromLI



Joined: 29 Jun 2009
Posts: 114
Location: West Islip, NY

Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 6:18 pm    Post subject:

AnalogRocks wrote:
Probably. If the PC's serial port is set too fast it will sometimes send random characters.

You need to know what the Barco's expecting for baud rate. eg, 9600, 8, N, 1


Well, the 9600 I have set in the control software... guess I will try setting the ports themselves to 9600, N, 8, 1 and see if that makes a difference.



As for the control software itself, if anyone has the specs, I'd love to get my hands on them. Thinking about writing something in REXX that will run on Linux, OS/2, eComStation, and Windows to control these things.

Thanks,
Rob
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