Comments on: Ensoniq Control 16 Undressed http://www.electricrock.co.nz/blog/2009/08/ensoniq-control-16-undressed/ Electronic Ramblings Tue, 12 Apr 2011 16:30:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.5 By: matt http://www.electricrock.co.nz/blog/2009/08/ensoniq-control-16-undressed/comment-page-1/#comment-3715 matt Sat, 05 Mar 2011 10:34:53 +0000 http://www.electricrock.co.nz/blog/?p=18#comment-3715 Hey, What tool are you using for sniffing? The communication between the EDS card and the console is <a href="http://www.lammertbies.nl/comm/info/RS-422.html" rel="nofollow">RS-422</a> (so basically a ±5v differential pair in each direction). First you need to work out the baudrate and packet format (one would assume 8N1 as this is typical for serial ports), if you have a scope that would make this a lot easier. Once you have that information, the best thing to do would be to sniff the packets going in both directions simultaneously so that you can record what the EDS card sends to the console while at the same time recording what the console sends back to the card. If you want, I can draw up a schematic for a sniffer that would do this. Cheers Hey,

What tool are you using for sniffing?

The communication between the EDS card and the console is RS-422 (so basically a ±5v differential pair in each direction). First you need to work out the baudrate and packet format (one would assume 8N1 as this is typical for serial ports), if you have a scope that would make this a lot easier.

Once you have that information, the best thing to do would be to sniff the packets going in both directions simultaneously so that you can record what the EDS card sends to the console while at the same time recording what the console sends back to the card. If you want, I can draw up a schematic for a sniffer that would do this.

Cheers

]]> By: mattcelt http://www.electricrock.co.nz/blog/2009/08/ensoniq-control-16-undressed/comment-page-1/#comment-3708 mattcelt Fri, 04 Mar 2011 06:47:19 +0000 http://www.electricrock.co.nz/blog/?p=18#comment-3708 Hey Matt, I'm still working on it. I have the EDS cards for the console... what data could I sniff from the wire that would help you get more information? I'm afraid to plug the cable into a sniffer with that 12v connection lurking in there - I just don't know enough about serial protocols to know if that's within tolerable limits. Hey Matt, I’m still working on it. I have the EDS cards for the console… what data could I sniff from the wire that would help you get more information? I’m afraid to plug the cable into a sniffer with that 12v connection lurking in there – I just don’t know enough about serial protocols to know if that’s within tolerable limits.

]]> By: matt http://www.electricrock.co.nz/blog/2009/08/ensoniq-control-16-undressed/comment-page-1/#comment-3422 matt Wed, 02 Feb 2011 19:59:33 +0000 http://www.electricrock.co.nz/blog/?p=18#comment-3422 That sounds cool. I didn't document the original protocol as I didn't have the PCI card that the C16 communicates with, so couldn't just sniff the communications between the two. However, I imagine a wireless bridge could be built relatively easily without knowing the protocol. Since the signaling is RS422, it would simply be a matter of building or buying a bi-directional wireless bridge for RS-422, or repurposing an RS-232 one. Anyway, it sounds like an interest project, and I'd be keen to hear more if you go ahead with it. That sounds cool. I didn’t document the original protocol as I didn’t have the PCI card that the C16 communicates with, so couldn’t just sniff the communications between the two. However, I imagine a wireless bridge could be built relatively easily without knowing the protocol. Since the signaling is RS422, it would simply be a matter of building or buying a bi-directional wireless bridge for RS-422, or repurposing an RS-232 one. Anyway, it sounds like an interest project, and I’d be keen to hear more if you go ahead with it.

]]> By: mattcelt http://www.electricrock.co.nz/blog/2009/08/ensoniq-control-16-undressed/comment-page-1/#comment-3420 mattcelt Wed, 02 Feb 2011 17:32:05 +0000 http://www.electricrock.co.nz/blog/?p=18#comment-3420 Hey Matt, great to see someone working on this. I have a PARIS system I'm still actively using, and I'm actually looking to wirelessly-enable my Control 16 and Control 16 Pro, so your work here is invaluable. Have you made any progress documenting the transmit protocol at all, or is that outside the scope of what you're doing? Thanks, mattcelt Hey Matt, great to see someone working on this. I have a PARIS system I’m still actively using, and I’m actually looking to wirelessly-enable my Control 16 and Control 16 Pro, so your work here is invaluable. Have you made any progress documenting the transmit protocol at all, or is that outside the scope of what you’re doing?

Thanks,
mattcelt

]]> By: matt http://www.electricrock.co.nz/blog/2009/08/ensoniq-control-16-undressed/comment-page-1/#comment-833 matt Mon, 17 May 2010 09:23:32 +0000 http://www.electricrock.co.nz/blog/?p=18#comment-833 Hi Michael. Cool to hear that someone else is interested in using the C16. If you look at my other posts, to get it working with PC I had to program the microcontroller on the C16 mainboard with a custom firmware. With that done, and after building an adapter to plug it into the serial port, it is mostly usable (some of the knobs don't work though.) The main bit of work that is yet to be done is to write a program that converts the serial data that it transmits (in a custom packet format that I defined) into MIDI (e.g. emulating the Mackie Control protocol) so that it can be used with DAW software. I have been too busy for the last few months to do this, but coincidentally had begun to look into this a couple of days ago. Basically, if you're interested in this, you'll probably have to get your hands dirty with a bit of soldering and hardware work. But if you're keen to do it I'm happy to provide help based on my experiences. Hi Michael. Cool to hear that someone else is interested in using the C16. If you look at my other posts, to get it working with PC I had to program the microcontroller on the C16 mainboard with a custom firmware. With that done, and after building an adapter to plug it into the serial port, it is mostly usable (some of the knobs don’t work though.) The main bit of work that is yet to be done is to write a program that converts the serial data that it transmits (in a custom packet format that I defined) into MIDI (e.g. emulating the Mackie Control protocol) so that it can be used with DAW software. I have been too busy for the last few months to do this, but coincidentally had begun to look into this a couple of days ago. Basically, if you’re interested in this, you’ll probably have to get your hands dirty with a bit of soldering and hardware work. But if you’re keen to do it I’m happy to provide help based on my experiences.

]]> By: Michael Harrell http://www.electricrock.co.nz/blog/2009/08/ensoniq-control-16-undressed/comment-page-1/#comment-828 Michael Harrell Mon, 17 May 2010 06:47:42 +0000 http://www.electricrock.co.nz/blog/?p=18#comment-828 Hi Matt I too have a C16 I would like to use with my computer. Have you made any real headway with this idea? Very interested in this topic. Hi Matt I too have a C16 I would like to use with my computer. Have you made any real headway with this idea? Very interested in this topic.

]]> By: Ensoniq Control 16 RJ-45 Connector Pinout - ElectricRock Blog http://www.electricrock.co.nz/blog/2009/08/ensoniq-control-16-undressed/comment-page-1/#comment-6 Ensoniq Control 16 RJ-45 Connector Pinout - ElectricRock Blog Wed, 16 Sep 2009 03:59:09 +0000 http://www.electricrock.co.nz/blog/?p=18#comment-6 [...] matt on Sep.16, 2009, under Informational As I stated in my first Control 16 post, the C16 is meant to connect to a proprietary Ensoniq PCI card (which I don’t have.)  So [...] [...] matt on Sep.16, 2009, under Informational As I stated in my first Control 16 post, the C16 is meant to connect to a proprietary Ensoniq PCI card (which I don’t have.)  So [...]

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