CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2013 5:20 pm Post subject: NEC XG computer control issues

Has anyone here used the PC control software for the NEC? I'm doing this for the first time, built the cable, but am having communications issues.

1) Built the cable, checked it 3 times for wiring. I hacked up a VGA extension cable about 4' long, and connected it to a 9 pin female connector for COM 1 port as per this:

http://curtpalme.com/NECXG_PCControl.shtm

2) Ensured that the switch on the system board is in RS-232 mode, not RS-422

3) Ensured that the baud rate of the projector and the control program are at 9600. Also tried 19200.

Each time I try and communicate, I get a 'receive parity error' message.

Every time I deviate from the original settings (trying the remote port instead of the option port on the projector, COM2 port instead of COM1, etc, I get a 'projector not connected' error message, so with my original settings, the program is at least seeing the projector partially.

About the only thing I can think of that I haven't tried yet is connecting the outside shield of the VGA cable to the signal ground, pin 5-->15.

Any ideas? I really need to transfer data from one bad system board to another...

Tinman · Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2013 5:48 pm Post subject:

Ground it first and see. Parity errors could be noise. Damn, I so don't miss serial links.

Marc

Nashou66 · Joined: 12 Jan 2007 Posts: 16171 Location: West Seneca NY

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2013 6:15 pm Post subject:

Nope, that wasn't it. Sad

Tinman · Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2013 6:50 pm Post subject:

Try a twisted pair cable. If the diagram is correct, and you wired it right it should work.
It's also possible that the port is bad on the projector.

BTW, which version of windows are you trying this with?

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2013 6:54 pm Post subject:

Crap, OK, I'll have to go buy a VGA connector this afternoon. That did cross my mind, lack of twisted pairs.

If I use a 22/4 2 pair shielded, that should work, right? I'm pretty sure that's all I've used in the past, and yes, will try a different projector as well. Not that I'm lacking XG chassis... Smile

gjaky · Joined: 05 Jun 2010 Posts: 2802 Location: Budapest, Hungary

I built my communication cable from an old monitor cable, it just works like a charm!

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2013 9:16 pm Post subject:

Well it's weird. I gave up on the NEC, and downloaded the Marquee software, as I also coincidentally was working on a CLM that worked fine in wired mode, nothing but power in wireless mode.

The Librarian software would not recognize the projector with a stock cable, so I plugged in another cable I had made up. Somehow it nuked the laptop! It boots for a second, then shuts down. Good thing I had a backup parts laptop, I swapped over hard drives, tried Librarian again, and on the other laptop, it works. Will go back to the NEC later this afternoon. Pieces of junk.... computers. Very Happy

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2013 10:51 pm Post subject:

Well it turned out to be the laptop, even though I've been using it almost weekly on the same serial port. THe replacement parts laptop worked fine on both the XG and the Marquee software.

ecrabb · Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2013 11:15 pm Post subject:

I was going to tell you try a different computer. 9600 serial should work fine over some clothes hangers twisted together. Wink

Windows... Not so much. Wink

SC