Samsung DLP RS232

mpullin

We are designing a system with a Samsung HL-S5687W DLP TV, and we were intending to control it via RS232 since it has an RS232 jack on it. However, the problem is that Samsung will not divulge the RS232 Protocol for this TV. From their FAQ pages:

"Samsung provides an RS-232C jack on many of its current DLP TVs to give professional audio visual technicians or more technically oriented customers the ability to control one DLP TV or a group of DLP TVs through a personal computer program.

Connection standards, control codes, and command values are contained in the Procedures for Controlling a DLP TV Using an RS-232C Connection manual. This manual is not currently available."

This begs the question: why isn't it available?

Samsung has been less than helpful. I spoke to one of their Tier 2 guys over the phone. He was verbally describing the contents of the document, but refused to send or email it to me. When I brought up the issue of integrators wanting to use the unit in their projects, he admitted, "Yeah we get a lot of requests for that."

We still really want to control this TV using RS232. Anyone have a copy of their RS232 Manual, or know how to get a hold of it?

[Deleted User]

I just finished a project with 6 Samsung displays. I have the command protocol manual if you would like it. PM me with an e-mail address to send it to. After you receive it, I will let you in on a few things I discovered if you'd like.

rolo

I have the protocol too.

Can someone show me how to phrase it?

i cannot get it to work at all...The support guys dont seem to help and I am having hell...please help

Here are the docs though

www.harmonysoundandvision.com/manuals/SamsungProtocol1.xls

www.harmonysoundandvision.com/manuals/SamsungProtocol2.doc

www.harmonysoundandvision.com/manuals/SamsungProtocol3.xls

Thanks guys.

Rolo

mpullin

Thanks, I'll tell you if I have any luck with these.

Samsung's technical support is truly awful. How far along are you? Can you get responses back from the unit? I haven't actually started talking to this device yet but I'll keep you posted.

rolo

no I have not gotten it to work.. Its a royal pain in the *** and I cant figure it out.

I have given up for the mean time, but if you get it tell me how u did it.

Later

Thanks

Rolo

Hedberg

From the Word doc it appears that it wants to communicate at 19200 and needs a cross/null modem cable: it transmits on 3 and receives on 2 which, if I'm right, is the same as the AMX serial ports.


I'm not certain, but it looks to me like the example in section 5 of the Word document shows that 4 strings are necessary to set the contrast to a value of 90 ($5A).

From the spreadsheet 1.XLS it looks like the command for a picture adjustment is $0B and that the picture command takes three variables. To select the picture command:

$04 $12 $0B $DF

I'm not sure where the $04 comes from unless it means 1 command + 3 variables = 4. The $12 and the $DF (checksum) fit the pattern of the 4 byte command structure described in section 3 of the document.

I think that:

$08 $01 $00 $00 $00 $00 $E6

sets the value of variable #1 (second byte =$ 01.) This is how the 7 byte variable structure is described in section 2.

$08 $02 $00 $00 $00 $01 $E4

seems to set variable 2 to $01.

Likewise:

$08 $03 $00 $00 $00 $5A $8A

looks like it should set variable 3 to $5A (i.e. 90)

So, the command is $0B with parameter 1 = $00, parameter 2 = $01 and parameter 3 = $5A. Looking at spreadsheet 1, command $0B with those variables leads to Picture/Mode/Contrast = 90.

To get the checksum, add up the bytes, add $11 to the sum, put it in binary, change all the 1s to 0s and 0s to 1s, and then add 1.

$08 $03 $00 $00 $00 $5A, for example. The sum of the bytes is $65. Adding $11 gives $76 which is 01110110 in binary. Flipping the 1s and 0s gives 10001001. Adding 1 gives 10001010 which comes out as $8A. Therefore:

$08 $03 $00 $00 $00 $5A $8A.

Looking at section 1, it appears that what might do the trick is to send each 7 byte parameter and wait for an ack( ack is $03 $0C $F1) from the DLP for each and then send the 4 byte command. So, using the example from section 5:

send_string dvDLP, "$08,$01,$00,$00,$00,$00,$E6"

and wait for an ack from the DLP ($03$0C$F1),

then:

send_string dvDLP, "$08,$02,$00,$00,$00,$01,$E4"

and wait for an ack, then:

send_string dvDLP, "$08,$03,$00,$00,$00,$5A,$8A"

and wait for an ack, then:

send_string cvDLP, "$04,$12,$0B,$DF"

and the DLP should Ack and you're done.

Or, I may just be full of bull and this might not be what the doc describes at all -- it's tough to say. If this didn't work to set the contrast, I'd try sending the strings in the reverse order. I think the document was probably written by a Japanese person with a reasonable grasp of English, but perhaps the description in section 1 (and section 5) is intended to show that the strings are sent out from bottom up. That would mean that they were sending the parameters in reverse order, though. It seems odd to me to send the parameters before the command, but again, it's pretty tough to say for sure what that document is describing.

Good luck with it and please let me know if the above helps at all or just confuses things.

Hedberg

Another thing in that document:

It appears that the DLP is not very communicative. It either gives an Ack or just ignores you. Also, right above section 5 is a little note that doesn't fit with section 4 so I'm guessing it is supposed to apply to section 5. From that note I gather that if you send the DLP something it doesn't like, it will ignore you for 3 seconds. So, if you don't get an Ack, wait at least 3 seconds before trying again. Also, I'm guessing that if it does ack, you've got 3 seconds to get the next string to it before you have to start over.

As for why their tech support seems to be reluctant to help with this protocol or document, I'm not surprised. Probably they can't figure out what the document says either. Then if they can, they're probably too embarrassed to acknowledge that the protocol is so obtuse and the document is so terrible.

rolo

Hedberg,

I thought (and tried) the same thing. theoretically it works, but practically it doesnt. I tried them with carriage returns, without carriage returns, 4 strings then a return, virtually every way and it never worked. That is why i was tyrying to get the guy that has done it to help....


Thanks so much for your input.


Later

Rolo

rolo

Stringsender sent me his protocol and it was different...

has anyone had any success with HLS series DLP's and serial control?

Theoretically, it works as Hedberg described, but it doesnt seem to respond in a way that the document describes (or at all for that matter)

If anyone has done this practically, please help....


Later


Rolo

Joe

I was going to start a separate thread....

I've talked with Samsung tech support on other products and while they were nice, they had no clue on what my problem was. I was put in touch with a local repair technician, who asked "What's RS232? Oh wait, is it that little 15 pin connector on the back?"
I am truly amazed at how little some companies know about their products. Somebody somewhere writes the communications protocol for the units, someone else writes the documentation, and those people never seem to be around when I call.

Joe

mpullin

Joe wrote:

I am truly amazed at how little some companies know about their products. Somebody somewhere writes the communications protocol for the units, someone else writes the documentation, and those people never seem to be around when I call.

Probably because they're from a different country. One of the documents stringsender sent me was peppered with Japanese/Korean characters.

Still haven't had any luck with this unit btw. The lack of negative acknowledgements is very irritating! I don't even know if my cable's right!

vining

Which Samsung DLP has the RS232 port? I've seen the DSub 15 VGA (PC) but never the RS232. Is this on the newer 1080P models? I checked the site and the specs and it's not listed. Am I missing something again!

Joe

The Samsung 460P. It's a 46" LCD and I will say it is an awesome picture. That would be my choice for a home TV if my old Sony CRT ever dies.

rolo

Hls5687

Hls5688

vining

Looks like all the new models listed on their site have R232 except the 61" & 67" but that could just be misprints, of course when at looked at the site last night those where the two I looked at.

mpullin

Procedures for Controlling a DLP DTV using an RS-232C Connection

Well, I finally found someone at Samsung who was willing to send me the protocol. Here it is (attached).

However, I have not been able to get any kind of ack yet from the TV, I am using a cross and I have my port set up like this document describes. Moreover, if you look at the Control Table, under power there is only one value listed under Power -- 00. Does this mean there's only one kind of power command you can send (toggle)!?

If so, that's pretty pathetic, considering that discrete on/off IR codes exist for this unit. Never before seen an RS232 protocol that offered *less* control than IR. Hopefully the guy at Samsung gets back to me.

vining

That certainly does imply a toggle but hopefully they just forgot a command, cuz that would be stupid.

You don't get an ack or the "Sucess packet" but does the command your sending work?

According to the document if the TV receives a valid string and therefore is able to parse it, it should reply instantly with the "Sucess packet".

rolo

This is not the same protocol they sent me, MPullin - does this work on an HLS deries DLP??

Joe Hebert

mpullin wrote:

Moreover, if you look at the Control Table, under power there is only one value listed under Power -- 00. Does this mean there's only one kind of power command you can send (toggle)!?

I'd bet that discreet control is available and the doc is incomplete. Try a value of 0x01 for power on and 0x00 for power off/standby.

vining

Joe wrote:

I'd bet that discreet control is available and the doc is incomplete. Try a value of 0x01 for power on and 0x00 for power off/standby

I agree with Joe, that's got to be an omission in the doc and would also agree that if you keep cmd 1,2 & 3 the same and do as Joe suggested and change the "value" to 0x01, that has to be power on and the "value" 0x00 is off.

I can't imagine Samsung and their engineers would go to the trouble/expense to add RS-232 to these sets and not have desceets for on/off.

mpullin

Since I still can't talk to the TV (can't even get an ack) I've given up on this for now and gone IR... at least until after the client comes in to test out the system. If there's any time inbetween then and the time this stuff goes into the client's house, I'll try again. I just posted this protocol in case someone else could benefit from it, since it was difficult to get.

rolo

As Charlie Brown would say AAAAAAAARRGH.