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ATS 4000 - Alarm system Protocol

Hi all!

Writting to you from Portugal, this far far land (also excuse any typo around)

I don't have much experience yet with AMX programming as well, and my programming is based on Netlinx Help file, and a lot of forum reading.

At the moment I am completely stuck as to control an Alarm system - ATS 4000 from GE Security.
The control is made thru RS-232 and I have the protocol file with me.

But those 690 pages of plain Hex protocol are frying my brains, and all my tests have been going down the drain, with all negative results.
There is a sofware called Titan that communicates with the alarm system, so I conected the alarm system to a pc, and listened to some of the strings being parsed between the 2 devices.

All of the communication is done in Hex, but while listening to the strings using an AMX controller (thru notification) I got this when the communication started:

Line 1 (12:25:50):: String From [5001:2:1]-[^^^]
Line 2 (12:25:51):: String From [5001:2:1]-[^ $00$01$06$01$00$00$00$00$00$D7p]
Line 3 (12:25:51):: String From [5001:1:1]-[^$01$00$00 ]
Line 4 (12:25:51):: String From [5001:2:1]-[^ $00z$00($84]
Line 5 (12:25:51):: String From [5001:1:1]-[^$00$00z$05 $00$00$00PP$99]
Line 6 (12:25:51):: String From [5001:2:1]-[^ $00#$00$12$D4]
Line 7 (12:25:51):: String From [5001:1:1]-[^$00$00$$0D 4021.0406.44$1E$9C]
Line 8 (12:25:51):: String From [5001:2:1]-[^#$00$18$80]
Line 9 (12:25:51):: String From [5001:1:1]-[^$00$00$0F$0Cs$A8&c$FFI$00$00$00$00$00$00$07m]
Line 10 (12:25:51):: String From [5001:2:1]-[^3$00$15@]
Line 11 (12:25:52):: String From [5001:1:1]-[^$00$00$0F$0Cs(.c$FFH$00$00$00$00$00$00?$85]
Line 12 (12:25:52):: String From [5001:2:1]-[^3$00$15@]

(5001:1:1 - strings coming from the PC)
(5001:2:1 - strings coming from the ATS panel)
I know, by the protocol that:
Handshaking a connection to a Standard ATS4
When the connection is first made, the ATS is in terminal mode, which allows the user to access and control the system via a terminal.
1. To enter into protocol mode, at least three (3) SYNC characters must be sent to the ATS to set the
communication mode to protocol unless this connection is via a Universal Interface (TCP/IP connection)
which does not accept multiple SYNC (0x5E) characters in Open Connection command.
2. After a pause of 200ms, the Connection Control command is sent with Sub-type 0x01 (Open
Connection) including the Security Password to the ATS. As the address of the ATS is not yet known,
the Universal address must be used.

Now, I have some trouble understanding how to work and send strings in Hex, thru AMX.
I get all chars and I get $00 <- which I think it's the Hex format.
I know understand that the ' ^^^' are the 3 sync characters (0x5E), but these have been converted to a char, tho, there are others who haven't. This is really confusing me, and it's simply during the listening. Trying to duplicate these strings to send to the panel, haven't been working.
I would imagine I would have to send '$5E$5E$5E' (3 times the sync character)
and then followed by the password (which is 0000000000), then the ATS should reply with something, but.. nothing yet.

I have been trying to get some help/hints from GE itself, but nothing yet.

As anyone here programmed any of these panels before?
Could you give me some hints on how to better receive, process and send HEX?

Very much apreciated, and sorry for the n00b questions!

(By the way this alarm system is just a test on, in my office, so giving away passwords and all, is not a problem, as it is under a test environment, not live)

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