RS-232 Remote Control of WP3.70

[ThomasLeong]

Hello,

I have a Genovation 35-key 681 Controlpad that has programmable keys and outputs RS-232 (http://www.genovation.com/681.htm). I'm having problems getting it to send a valid RS-232 command string to Wings Platinum Multidisplay version.

Both Wings and Genovation use the standard RS-232 protocol of 9600 for Baud rate and (8,N,1) for word format. The Genovation is on serial comport 6, and Wings recognizes Com6 for a "Remote Control" in Devices. "Enable Device ports" in WP3 is enabled.

So some questions -

In WP's Help Files for "Remote-control via serial commands", it says:
"...The command syntax is as follows:
Start byte | Number of message bytes | Function | Parameters | End byte"
What is -
a) the 'Start byte'?
b) the 'Number of message bytes'?
c) "Parameters"; and
d) the 'End byte'?

Basically, I tried the function 'Play (current timeline from 0:00 s)' as :0xFF 0x01 0x05 0xFE
into the one of the keys of the 681. But WP3 will not see the command when I hit the key, i.e. WP does nothing. Since '0xFF 0x01 0x05 0xFE' is only a function, I may be missing the 'Start byte', the 'Number of message bytes', the 'Parameters', and the 'End byte'.

I've tried variations of 0xFF 0x01 0x05 0xFE, eg. letter O instead of number zero, Hex FF instead of 'spacebar' between hex codes, dropped the 0x, dropped the spaces between Hex codes, all without success.
When I do get a response from WP3, the log-file message is "Warning: Received invalid remote data!".

Any ideas anyone please? I have a live theatre show in May involving 3-screens where I have to change 30 scenes on cue. Though I've got WP's Control Panel working fine, I'd like to use a keypad to trigger each scene instead.

Thank you.

Thomas Leong
Malaysia

[ThomasLeong]

With some hints from Mike of Genovation, I managed to get the Controlpad 681 to output, successfully, a command string to trigger any timeline from a position marker. So with 35 keys, I can now trigger 30 scenes (timelines) and have 5 keys left for Mixed Group fade-outs and housekeeping.

The Solution:
For example-
To play a timeline from its current position, the hex codes in WP Help Files are -
0xFF 0x01 0x05 0xFE

To program the Genovation 681 ControlPad using their supplied MacroMaster681 software, manually key in the hex codes in the box provided -
FF[Enter]01[Enter]05[Enter]FE[Enter]
No spaces, and ignore all the 0x because the MacroMaster implicitly assumes they exist for hex codes.

That's it. Simple as that, and it took me 10 hours to discover that!!!
So now, I can use my Genovation 681 Controlpad to program all the RS-232 signals required by Wings Platinum.
I should have bought the 681-U (the USB virtual serial version) because now I am using a USB-serial adapter to get serial into my laptop.

Thomas Leong
Malaysia