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Denon 5800/5803 RS232 Protocol
Reese Jacobs
Posts: 347
I have a Denon 5800 that is being controlled via RS232 and for the most part everything in the protocol works as advertised. However, there are several commands that operate as query commands allowing you (according to the protocol specification published by Denon) to determine the current power state, mute state, source input state, and current master volume. These commands are documented as follows (basically the same 2-character prefix as the command followed by a '?' and then the standard CR delimeter):
'SI?',CR for source input
'MV?',CR for master volume
'PW?',CR for power state
'MU?',CR for mute state
As I said, all commands work fine except for these query commands which do not return anything. Has anyone had any success with the query commands on any of the Denon **00 or **03 series? We have tried the queries on 5800, 5803, 3803, and 2803 models with no luck. We are trying to determine if the devices do not really support the queries, if the firmware is out of date, or if the syntax of the command is not documented properly and needs to be changed. We have tried very recent production units so we do not believe the firmware to be the issue.
Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks.
P.S. We know the module and the serial strings and communication work fine since we are controlling the devices fine. We have experimented with the queries using the AMX module and via direct connection to a PC using Hyperterminal and the results were the same.
'SI?',CR for source input
'MV?',CR for master volume
'PW?',CR for power state
'MU?',CR for mute state
As I said, all commands work fine except for these query commands which do not return anything. Has anyone had any success with the query commands on any of the Denon **00 or **03 series? We have tried the queries on 5800, 5803, 3803, and 2803 models with no luck. We are trying to determine if the devices do not really support the queries, if the firmware is out of date, or if the syntax of the command is not documented properly and needs to be changed. We have tried very recent production units so we do not believe the firmware to be the issue.
Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks.
P.S. We know the module and the serial strings and communication work fine since we are controlling the devices fine. We have experimented with the queries using the AMX module and via direct connection to a PC using Hyperterminal and the results were the same.
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Comments
Any chance the receive line of your cable is not connected or in the wrong pin?
Joe
Joe,
No, the cable is fine since I am getting responses from all Denon commands such as power, source select, volume control, etc. The only commands that do not seem to be working properly are the Query commands. I should have been more clear in that we are controlling the device and getting command feedback properly for everything except for just the few query only commands in the command set. As long as we send a command, we will get a response from the Denon (unless of course what you requested did not result in a change to the device since in that circumstance Denon does not return a response or an ACK for the command). We would like to use the query commands under certain circumstances although we have the module working fine including feedback as it stands now using the commands that do work.
I have seen notes in AMX modules and in other places that others have had problems with the query commands when everything else works fine so I am just trying to find out if the problem is the protocol, documentation, lack of support, or firmware. Everything on the AMX side is fine unless the protocol for the query commands is not documented by Denon correctly.
Thanks for the thoughts.
The syntax you posted sure looks correct according to the manual. Sounds like a call to Denon tech support is in order.
Joe
Thanks Joe for checking it out. I can't see that we are doing anything wrong but you never know. I was hoping that the syntax published was not correct and someone happened upon the right command.
I guess Denon Tech Support is the next stop although I have spoken with them before on some other serial protocol issues and frankly it is hard to find someone there to even acknowledge that they have an external control protocol
Thanks for the input.
I just send the two letters followed by ? and then CR.
9600 N 8 1, no flow control.
The commands really do exist.
Fred
Fred,
Thanks for the feedback - the syntax you are using is identical to the syntax we have tried on multiple US models. It is interesting that you have it working on the European version of the 5800. We tried (unsuccessfully) using the query commands with an installation of 16 model 2803s, 8 model 3803s, and on several 5800 units all with no success. All of these same units can be controlled just fine and provide responses to commands and even events for changes made via front panel but none of the query commands function properly.
Thanks for the data point.