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UK Sky HD EPG RS232 data

jellybeanjellybean Posts: 8
in AMX Technical Discussion
Hi, i've been experimenting with the SKY hd rs232 port and have managed to retrieve the epg from the box.
It gives you: Channel/Program/Description info and time/date etc

The question is has anyone found any protocol docs for the HD box. I only found this stuff by playing. I understand there are codes to mimic the sky game pad although why?

Simple test code i am using just to retrieve info is below if your interested.



DATA_EVENT [SKYHD_RX]//
{ STRING:
{

A_POS1=FIND_STRING (SKYHDBUFF,'SSCA',1)
A_POS2=FIND_STRING (SKYHDBUFF,'SSDT',1)
A_ST_POS=A_POS1+7
A_COUNT=A_POS2-A_ST_POS
SKY_CHAN_TXT=MID_STRING(SKYHDBUFF,A_ST_POS,A_COUNT)

B_POS1=FIND_STRING (SKYHDBUFF,'SSN0',1)
B_POS2=FIND_STRING (SKYHDBUFF,'SSE0',1)
B_ST_POS=B_POS1+8
B_COUNT=B_POS2-1-B_ST_POS
SKY_PROG_TXT=MID_STRING(SKYHDBUFF,B_ST_POS,B_COUNT)

C_POS1=FIND_STRING (SKYHDBUFF,'SSE',1)
C_ST_POS=C_POS1+7
C_COUNT=LENGTH_STRING(SKYHDBUFF)
C_COUNT2=C_COUNT-2
SKY_DESC_TXT=MID_STRING(SKYHDBUFF,C_ST_POS,C_COUNT2)

Comments

  • jellybeanjellybean Posts: 8
    SKy 232

    Just in case anyone reads this

    I've cracked it now, please search for my user name and youl find i posted the now complete code for feedback from SKy box.

    Still need to clean it up but it works!!
  • markbsuremarkbsure Posts: 44
    i've created my own uk sky module, but i cant take credit for finding the protocol;

    that's the work of Joseph Heenan

    http://www.heenan.me.uk/control-sky-from-pc/gnome-protocol.html

    If you've found any command packets or other data that aren't here, please let me know so i can add it to my module.

    markb
  • markbsuremarkbsure Posts: 44
    jellybean wrote:
    Just in case anyone reads this

    I've cracked it now, please search for my user name and youl find i posted the now complete code for feedback from SKy box.

    Still need to clean it up but it works!!


    i cant seem to find your post with the complete code..... there seems to be only two posts under a search on your username....
  • shanemshanem Posts: 28
    Sky RS232

    Mark,
    We have been installing sky for some time now and have been contemplating using joseph's RS232 controllers rather than use IR which has been flaky to say the least. Just curious, are you using one of these serial controllers or are you connecting using a standard RS232 cable? If so, how? I have tried connecting directly over RS232 but I am not receiving a whole lot. Is there something I need to change in system settings to allow me to do this?

    Thanks,
    Shane
  • markbsuremarkbsure Posts: 44
    shanem wrote:
    We have been installing sky for some time now and have been contemplating using joseph's RS232 controllers rather than use IR which has been flaky to say the least. Just curious, are you using one of these serial controllers or are you connecting using a standard RS232 cable? If so, how? I have tried connecting directly over RS232 but I am not receiving a whole lot. Is there something I need to change in system settings to allow me to do this?
    Thanks,
    Shane

    Hi Shane

    I'm connecting directly to SKY boxes using a home made serial cable wired as "straight through":

    pin 2-2
    pin 3-3
    pin 5-5

    make sure your baud rate is set to 57600, no parity, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit.

    I have found one Sky box that wasn't very talkative - but im unsure if this was more just an error in my cable as i didn't have any time on site to investigate. If I find out any specific details on whether certain model (or firmware) SKY boxes do and do not communicate, I will let you know.
  • shanemshanem Posts: 28
    Thanks Mark,
    I must give it another go with my own diy cable and see how i get on. I only really tried connecting to a pace sky+ box using a standard pre-made RS232 cable which I thought was straight through. Ill let you know how i get on.

    Cheers,
    Shane
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