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THETA DIGITAL
CORPORATION
Generation VIII
RS232 Control Protocol
V 1.02
Digital Done Right
™
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RS232 Hardware Connections
These are the connector drawings only. The RS232 cable must be a regular RS232 or mouse extender cable that are
wired pin for pin.
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Generation VIII RS232 Control Details
RS232 settings are user definable in the Setup/RS232 menu, to accommodate interfacing with a wide range of control
products.
Baud rate 4800, 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600 or 115200
Echo status On-Off
Baud rate: Maximum number of bits per second. The duration of a single bit is equal to 1 / baud rate.
Echo status: Specifies whether the STATUS of each parameter shown in the protocol will automatically (On) be
echoed back to the controller when there is any change, or whether no status information will be
transmitted. Please refer to page Error! Bookmark not defined. or information on changing these
settings.
The parameters for RS232 communication will default to 8 bits, 1 stop bit and no parity. (Software flow control).
All values in this document are in Decimal.
All commands will follow the format:
<Header><Command Identifier><Argument 1><Argument 2><Argument 3>
where:
<Header> = <254><241>
<Command identifier> = <byte>
<Argument 1> = <byte>
<Argument 2> = <byte>
<Argument 3> = <byte>
Each command will be able to access the system configuration directly, eliminating the need to press any button on
the Generation VIII’s front panel.
Examples:
1) To put the Generation VIII into standby: Send 254, 241, 04, 14, 01, 00 (all values in decimal).
Where 254 and 241 are the header, 04 = Command_Do Action, 14 = Action_Power Main, 01 = put unit into
standby, and 00 = filler (4 characters required).
2) To change to Input # 2: Send 254, 241, 01, 04, 00, 02
Where 254 and 241 are the header, 01 = Command_Variable_Change, 04 = Variable_Input_Selected, 00 =
filler (4 characters required), and 02 = Input 2.
-OR254, 241, 04, 05, 02, 00
Where 254 and 241 are the header, 04 = Command_Do Action, 05 = Select Input, 02 = Input 2, and 00 = filler
(4 characters required.
3) To increment the Master Volume: Send 254, 241, 04, 20, 00, 00
Where 254 and 241 are the header, 04 = Command_Do Action, 20 = Action_Variable Specified Increment, 00
= Variable_Master Volume, and 00 = filler (4 characters required)
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Please note: All values below are in decimal.
Command Description Argument 1 Argument 1 Description Argument 2 Argument 2 Desc Argument 3 Arg 3 Desc
1 Variable Change 0-33 Variable number (See list) 0-86 new value
4 Do Action 5-21 Action number (See list)
See Action List
5 Get Variable Value 0-33 Variable number (See list)
6 Return Status 0-1 Status level to return (See list)
11 Simulate Keypress Simulate Keypress number (See list)
25 Execute Macro 2 Restore Factory Settings 4
Action List Action Name
5 Select Input 1-5 Input number
6 Mute 0-2 0=Toggle, 1=Mute,
2=Unmute
8 Go to Menu 0-11 Menu # (See List)
14 Power Main 0-2 0=Cycle Standby,
1=In Standby,
2=Out of Standby
20 Variable Specified
Increment
21 Variable Specified
Decrement
Variable
Variable Name Range Range Description
0-33 Variable #
(See List)
0-33 Variable #
(See List)
List
0 Master Volume 0-86
1 Volume Muted 0-1 0=Not muted, 1=Muted
2 Display Brightness 0-4 0=Full, 1=3/4, 2=1/2, 3=1/4, 4=Off
3 Balance -7 to 7
4 Input Selected 1-5
5 Input Jack - Inp # 1 1-8 1=RCA1, 2=RCA2, 3=BNC, 4=XLR, 5=TOS,
6=Opt, 7=Ana Bal, 8=Ans S.E.
6 Input Jack - Inp # 2 1-8 1=RCA1, 2=RCA2, 3=BNC, 4=XLR, 5=TOS,
6=Opt, 7=Ana Bal, 8=Ans S.E.
7 Input Jack - Inp # 3 1-8 1=RCA1, 2=RCA2, 3=BNC, 4=XLR, 5=TOS,
6=Opt, 7=Ana Bal, 8=Ans S.E.
8 Input Jack - Inp # 4 1-8 1=RCA1, 2=RCA2, 3=BNC, 4=XLR, 5=TOS,
6=Opt, 7=Ana Bal, 8=Ans S.E.
9 Input Jack - Inp # 5 1-8 1=RCA1, 2=RCA2, 3=BNC, 4=XLR, 5=TOS,
6=Opt, 7=Ana Bal, 8=Ans S.E.
10 Input Name - Inp # 1 0-19 0=number, 1=RCA1, 2=RCA2, 3=BNC,
4=XLR, 5=TOS, 6=Opti, 7=Abal, 8=A Se,
9=CD, 10=CD1, 11=CD2, 12=DVD,
13=DVD1, 14=DVD2, 15=Phon, 16=Tune,
17=AM, 18=FM, 19=TV
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11 Input Name - Inp # 2 0-19
12 Input Name - Inp # 3 0-19
13 Input Name - Inp # 4 0-19
14 Input Name - Inp # 5 0-19
0=number, 1=RCA1, 2=RCA2, 3=BNC, 4=XLR,
5=TOS, 6=Opti, 7=Abal, 8=A Se, 9=CD,
10=CD1, 11=CD2, 12=DVD, 13=DVD1,
14=DVD2, 15=Phon, 16=Tune, 17=AM, 18=FM,
19=TV
0=number, 1=RCA1, 2=RCA2, 3=BNC, 4=XLR,
5=TOS, 6=Opti, 7=Abal, 8=A Se, 9=CD,
10=CD1, 11=CD2, 12=DVD, 13=DVD1,
14=DVD2, 15=Phon, 16=Tune, 17=AM, 18=FM,
19=TV
0=number, 1=RCA1, 2=RCA2, 3=BNC, 4=XLR,
5=TOS, 6=Opti, 7=Abal, 8=A Se, 9=CD,
10=CD1, 11=CD2, 12=DVD, 13=DVD1,
14=DVD2, 15=Phon, 16=Tune, 17=AM, 18=FM,
19=TV
0=number, 1=RCA1, 2=RCA2, 3=BNC, 4=XLR,
5=TOS, 6=Opti, 7=Abal, 8=A Se, 9=CD,
10=CD1, 11=CD2, 12=DVD, 13=DVD1,
14=DVD2, 15=Phon, 16=Tune, 17=AM, 18=FM,
19=TV
15 Clock Type - Inp # 1 0-1 0=Jitter Jail, 1=Reclock
16 Clock Type - Inp # 2 0-1 0=Jitter Jail, 1=Reclock
17 Clock Type - Inp # 3 0-1 0=Jitter Jail, 1=Reclock
18 Clock Type - Inp # 4 0-1 0=Jitter Jail, 1=Reclock
19 Clock Type - Inp # 5 0-1 0=Jitter Jail, 1=Reclock
20 Phase - Inp # 1 0-1 0="-", 1="+"
21 Phase - Inp # 2 0-1 0="-", 1="+"
22 Phase - Inp # 3 0-1 0="-", 1="+"
23 Phase - Inp # 4 0-1 0="-", 1="+"
24 Phase - Inp # 5 0-1 0="-", 1="+"
25 Burn In 0-1 0=Off, 1=On
26 Remote Trigger 0-3 0=Out-DC, 1=Out-Pulse, 2=Receive-DC,
3=Receive-Pulse
27 Pulse Duration 0-4 0=50, 1=100, 2=150, 3=200, 4=250
28 Baud Rate 0-5 0=4800, 1=9600, 2=19200, 3=38400,
4=57600, 5=115200
29 Echo Status 0-1 0=No, 1=Yes
30 IR Source 0-2 0=Front Panel, 1=Rear Jack, 2=None
31 Ext Volume Receive 0-6 0=Left/Right, 1=Center/Sub, 2=L/R Surr,
3=Ch 7/8, 4=Ch 9/10, 5=Ch 11/12, 6=None
32 Screensaver Time 1-60 Time in minutes
33 Initial Volume 0-40 0=Level 0, 1=Level 1, etc.
Menu List Menu Name
0 Standby
1 Main
2 Setup Inputs
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3 Setup Clocking
4 Setup Burn In
5 Setup Trigger
6 Setup RS232
7 Setup IR
8 Setup Ext Volume
9 Setup Screensaver
10 Setup Serial/Version
11 Edit Balance
Status Returned
Byte # Description Value
1 Input 1-5
2 Jack 1-8
3 Volume 0-86
4 Standby 0-1 0=standby, 1=not in standby
5 Lock 0-1 0=not locked, 1=locked
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6 Sample Rate 0-7
0=32K, 1=44K, 2=48K, 4=88K, 5=96K, 6=176K,
7=192K
7 Variable 0
8 Variable 1
9 Variable 2
10 Variable 3
11 Variable 4
12 Variable 5
… Variable …
40 Variable 33
Simulate Keypress List
Key Value
1-5 1-5
Mute 8
Setup 11
Display 13
Standby 14
Level up 15
Level down 16
Level Left 19
Level Right 20
Phase 21
Discrete Off 25
Discrete On
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