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DirecTV Responding Issues

JohnMichnrJohnMichnr Posts: 279
in AMX Technical Discussion
I have 5 DirecTV HR21P-200 units - All 232, all of them controlled with the same Module, (I rolled my own based on other peoples examples).

THe control works on all of them. - I can select anything

But I have 2 or them that will not respond. 3 of them will respond to queries (chan number) etc but 2 have no responce at all. I've tested the cables, confirmed pinouts (the TX works) shorted pins 2&3 at the receiver end and I can see the commands I send out comming back at me. It doesn't look like a cable. So it must be the receivers.

Anybody run into this?

Any fixes out there?

Can I call DirecTV tech support - or will they just blow me off?

Comments

  • TonyAngeloTonyAngelo Posts: 315
    Have you tried a hard reset (the red reset button)? I've had this issue occasionally with older boxes and a hard reset worked.
  • TonyAngeloTonyAngelo Posts: 315
    I just noticed that we had the same post count so I had to add one to mine.

    ++
  • JohnMichnrJohnMichnr Posts: 279
    I tried the hard reset on one of the units with no change -

    THere - we're even again
  • jjamesjjames Posts: 2,908
    From the installer's manual (that has the protocol):

    "The USB port on most STBs support hot-plug. That means USB ports will work any time when a
    USB-serial adapter is plugged in. Only the HR20 and HR21 USB ports works differently. The USB serial
    adapter must be plugged before the STB is booted. If the USB connector is plugged in when the STB is running, it must be reset."

    I kind of ran into the problem once (it wouldn't talk from the get-go), so I did a hard power cycle and it worked after that. I didn't know about the HR20s & HR21s needing to be reset. I'm not sure if the red button does the same exact thing as a hard power cycle - worth a try?
  • JohnMichnrJohnMichnr Posts: 279
    We are using the 9pin serial - not the USb ports, but I will try the power pull on them.

    Always better and more satisfying than a reset button
  • jjamesjjames Posts: 2,908
    JohnMichnr wrote: »
    We are using the 9pin serial - not the USb ports, but I will try the power pull on them.

    Always better and more satisfying than a reset button

    Ahh shoot, that's right - you've got the Pro piece. Hmm . . . I hope it didn't have anything to do with an update.

    Reboot AMX? Change baud rates? That's weird though, I'd have to lean towards a box issue and not the programming or the processor.
  • John GonzalesJohn Gonzales Posts: 609
    I would check the firmware revisions in the boxes and make sure they all match. I recall reading that there were RS232 problems related to the older firmware on those units. The newer firmware supposedly fixed the problem, so it's possible that you may have a few units with the old firmware.

    Also, we use the Synaccess NetBooters on all of our projects with the DirecTV boxes and set them to auto ping the boxes. They can perform automatic reboots if the boxes lock up, or if the client needs to hard reboot them from the touch panel.

    --John
  • JohnMichnrJohnMichnr Posts: 279
    UPDATE

    OK - all the firmware is the same. I rebooted the units that were not responding - still not responding...

    THe lake is only 100' away - I'm thinking of taking them for a little swim
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