Programmable remote control that sends RS232 commands ? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 27, 2012, 09:41:27 am
content: Hi All,I have bought myself an Agema/FLIR 570 thermal camera that can be remote controlled using RS232 commands. Helpfully FLIR provide the serial instruction format and variables so the camera can be controlled via Hyperterminal or similar.Does anyone know of a commercial or Open Source Remote controller that can be programmed to send RS232 instructions upon pressing a nominated key ? It seems like a relatively simple task for the PIC/ATMEL community but sadly I am not a competent coder.Having Googled the topic I found several AV enthusiasts wanting similar to control their projectors via RS232 but as yet I have not found a simple solution to buy or build. A PC running some some RS232 control software would work but that isn't the most compact or efficient remote controller for mobile use.Any thoughts appreciated.RegardsFraser

author: peter.mitchell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 27, 2012, 12:18:08 pm
content: I saw this thread a little while ago:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/buysellwanted/not-buying-not-selling-just-some-info/I think it may be something worth looking at.It is a bluetooth -> serial board.More info:http://www.dankrill.com/lab/index.php?content=procedures&set=b&item=11

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 27, 2012, 08:17:24 pm
content: Easiest would be to get an arduino and merge two example sketches for IR remote control and serial comms. Then use it with an old TV/VCR remoteIt would be pretty much copy/paste, easy

author: peter.mitchell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 28, 2012, 07:51:13 am
content: I was thinking, connect the serial side of the bluetooth device to a max232, then to the camera, then use a bluetooth serial remote app on your phone (eg, qkctrl serial bt for android) as the remote.I think its pretty easy, but i can understand if you dont want to use a phone as a remote.

author: mamalala
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 28, 2012, 03:26:02 pm
content: If you are willing to do some programming, there might be a nice kit.Years ago some folks came up with the "Betty TV" stuff in Germany and Switzerland. It is a remote control, a SCART adapter and a TAE adapter. The system was meant to have people participate in simple games and stuff, the data of which was broadcasted together with the regular TV programme. The remote itself is quite powerful. It has LPC2220 microcontroller (ARM based), a graphic LCD, RF transceiver, IR, sound, etc. The SCART contains a PLD, a 8051 based microcontroller, a power supply, RF transceiver. The TAE adapter contains a telephone-line frontend that implements a modem, a MSP430 microcontroller, and again a RF transceiver.We hacked that stuff (well, mainly the remote itself) years ago. You can find some info onhttp://www.bettyhacks.combut mostly in german, i'm afraid. The hardware of that stuff is described athttp://www.bettyhacks.com/wiki/index.php/Betty_Hardwarefor the remote,http://www.bettyhacks.com/wiki/index.php/SCART_Adapter_Hardwarefor the SCART adapter andhttp://www.bettyhacks.com/wiki/index.php/TAE_Adapter_Hardwarefor the TAE adapter. You may use Google translate or similar.Thing is that i have boxes full of these sets here, we got them for free from them when they went bankrupt. So, if you are up to some programming i can send you some of these sets, you would only need to refund the postage then.For example, you could use the SCART adapter on the camera side, adding a MAX3232 or similar to it to give a real RS232, and then use the remote to talk to it through the RF link.Greetings,Chris

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 28, 2012, 05:53:38 pm
content: My sincere thanks to all who have very kindly replied to my message. It is very much appreciated.My greatest limitation is my Virgin status when it comes to programming. The last code I wrote was for an 8 bit 6809 CPU and that was a very long time ago. I should have kept up wit technology but I have become a specialist in RF and the technical aspects of security. It may well be time for me to change that situation as I know many people would solve this problem easily and efficiently with a modern MCU.A colleague laughed at me today when I asked his advice....he said he would knock up the required code for me tomorrow and have the chip programmed soon after. He's a clever coder so it looks like my problem will be solved but I will still look at learning some simple modern programming language.I am still surprised that Google doesn't bury me in hits for "RS232 commander" or "RS232 remote controller" as I have seen many requests for info on such a device from the AV world.Thanks againFraser

author: wcl5195
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 04, 2012, 12:46:23 pm
content: hi, i am also using thermal camera and i desperately need the method to send the code to perform the remote control command such as auto focus, up, down, enter. my camera is nec h2640. i have send the coding as mention in the manual with the delimiter as well from my pc through rs232. from the looping back of my pc i can see clearly the code has been sent. however, there is no response from the camera. I really need your help. Please suggest what can i do in this case. thank you so much.

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2012, 05:30:17 pm
content: Hi,Nice cameraI have been lucky and managed to buy the official FLIR remote control for my camera, at a great price, so I am sorted.With regard to your situation with the NEC, I trust that you have considered what levels on the RS232 lines your camera expects to see ? I have no knowledge of your camera but it could be expecting to see true RS232C levels (up to + and - 25V), low voltage RS232C at + and - 5V, or even logic levels at +5V and 0V. You need to be sure what the camera is designed to work with or damage could result if too high a voltage is used.You can check the voltages present on the RS232 socket to see what voltage levels the camera is presenting to you and that will give you an idea what it expects to work with. Some unfriendly manufacturers require the use of a proprietary interface to do the level conversion from a PC to the camera. These are often simple MA232 based converters that you can build yourself.Finally...... are your certain that the RS232 baud rate, start, stop and parity bits that you are using are correct for the communications setting in the camera ? Is the RS232 port on the camera selected for communications ? This camera has Firewire and that may be the default communication setting ?Hope this helps a littleKind RegardsFraser

author: wcl5195
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 05, 2012, 12:39:39 am
content: To connect with camera all i need to do is to confirm RS232 baud rate, start, stop and parity bits of the camera is same with my PC only? all i have made the same with my PC RS232 output, but still no response from the camera. The command i sent is in ascii does it affect? hex also i sent.. no response as well.

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2012, 11:53:03 am
content: Hi,I am uncertain of some parts of your response. If your camera is designed to connect to a PC with a normal RS232C cable and no special level converter then you should be OK. You must be certain that this is what the manufacturer intended though as just because a port is called RS232C does not mean it communicates at + - 25V or + -5V etc. Baud rate, parity etc have to be the same on both the PC and the camera. The camera manufacturer normally advises what the default settings are. You also need to check whether you need to use XON:XOFF RS232 communication. It is also worth making sure that you have interpreted the RX and TX line connectivity correctly. A cable loopback does not prove this. Some equipment needs a NULL Modem (RX/TX crossover) cable or adapter where as others need just a straight pin to pin cable. It all depends on whether the camera is configured as DCE or DTE.My camera uses an instruction set that just requires an instruction starting with a letter for it to consider it an input. After the instruction 'word' I have to use a : for a command and a ? for a query of status. It is always best to start a communications test with a very simple instruction such as ...... button:f1 CR ....... this means freeze image and you would see the effect on the camera immediately. The CR is a carriage return and is required to show 'end of command' If my camera sees a command and does not understand it it responds with a ERR statement.RS232 communications can be a challenge as there are so many permutations that may be used.My camera also sends its boot sequence and firmware version at initial power on to the RS232 port. If you see that then you know you have communications from the camera. I don't know if your camera does the same at power on.Fraser

author: wcl5195
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 05, 2012, 12:50:54 pm
content: 1. My pc dont have RS232 port but i use usb to rs232 cable it work fine. of coz, the output of the cable is 5V and 0V.2. I need to build a max233 circuit ? In order to make the voltage level same for my camera and also pc?3. XON:XOFF RS232 can be change on pc interface program.. i tried all the option for flow control. No response also. i am using termite 3.0 for rs232 software to insert the command.4. thermal camera need delimiter to identify therefore command i put in is AUTOCRLF. AUTO is the command for auto focus button on the thermal.5.i have connected tx to rx and also tx-tx. There is no response.Still, i cannot get response from the thermal camera. Even ERR also i cant get. if there is some signal from camera at least i know what is going on. The camera was not with me at this moment i wil try out tomorrow morning for all your suggestion. Please give more comment, i will try all possibility. Thanks you so much.

author: wcl5195
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 05, 2012, 01:43:45 pm
content: do you think i need to connect all the 9 pin of the rs232 from camera? i just connected pin 2 and 3 and GND only.. others i didnt connect. or perhaps i need a null modem?

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2012, 02:31:24 pm
content: You have provided a vital piece of information.... you are using a USB to RS232 adapter/converterIf your USB to RS232 converter uses a 0v and 5v output , that is NOT RS232 to most equipments. Most equipment expect a positive and negative voltages with a 'dead zone' around the 0V point. Is your USB to RS232 converter a commercial device or one of the cheaper PCB only types found on ebay ? Commercial USB to RS232 adapter leads produce + and - RS232 output using a negative voltage rail generator inside the converter chip itself. Take a look at the FTDI site.http://www.ftdichip.com/I have met many people who have had problems when using some brands of USB to RS232 adapter. It is well known in IT circles that some USB to RS232 adapters do not work with some RS232 devices. See if you can find or borrow a USB RS232 adapter that uses the FTDI chipset, as these are often more compatible. You have tried RX to TX and TX to TX combinations which is good but your camera may use handshaking lines as well. I don't know your cameras RS232 interface but good practice is to correctly configure the handshake lines if they are used. It would be worth taking a look at some RS232 information on Google and Wikipedia as these cover RS232 communication needs in detail.It can be a frustrating experience when working with RS232 especially when working with USB adapters. The simplest RS232 configuration is indeed TX,RX + Ground, and this normally works quite reliably. For information, My Agema 570 uses this simple configuration.In your situation I would normally use an oscilloscope to see if any data flows out of the TX or RX pins on the camera on power on. That would also tell me what voltage levels the camera sends and likely wishes to receive. If there is data you need to concentrate on making that data appear as text on your terminal program. Once you have have the connectivity and settings correct for 'decoding' the data you will also have it right for 'talking' back to the camera from the PCYou could try contacting the manufacturer and asking what is needed to 'talk' with the camera via RS232. If they try to sell you an adapter lead rather than a simple cable that would indicate the need for a level converter. Most companies that make thermal cameras are quite helpful but their accessories can be very expensive indeed.Kind RegardsFraser