Correct me if I'm wrong, but the 990's EVENT messages (i.e., "responses") appear to be fixed-length, afterall. I see nothing in the protocol to suggest that anything less than the full complement of 13 text bytes and 11 status bytes are returned in every EVENT message. Hence, the COUNT value should always be 24 (or 18h) and the location of each status bit fixed. Sorta nice.

I haven't received my 990 yet, so can't verify.

Dave

I am using my Outlaw 990 in two ways: 1) Primary processor for HT room and 2) zone 2 output bridged across to a whole-home audio system. The Whole Home audio system was recently radiclly reconfigured by dumping a Russound-keypad system and replacing with a 3 Sonos zone players (ZP100's). The only functionality I lost in my whole home system was the remote-IR capabalities that passed through the Russound.

My question is, has someone yet created a server application (intranet only) that could reside on a computer (same head end room as the 990), and send serial commands based upon input from computers somewhere else in the home network. From what it looks like in this forum, my request seems doable, but has it been done? Where would I start? Rather than replace the infrared control system, I'd rather have a more reliable interface. Basically, I'd like to be able to replace the Zone 2 remote with a web interface.

BTW, IMHO, for any listening that is less critical than absolute audiophile quality, the Sonos is an awesome product.

Charmed Quark Controller (CQC) is precisely such a program (and a whole lot more). It is a network-distributed home automation and home theater control program that also includes media management features and a robust interface designer for making cool user interfaces for touchscreens, PocketPCs, and WinCE devices.

Dean Roddey, who posted a few messages back in this thread, is the software engineer who designed CQC. At my request, he wrote a device driver for CQC specifically to control the 990 via its serial port. I currently control the 990 (and the rest of my theater components) with a touchscreen interface in my theater, but I also control the 990 (and its second zone output) and my whole-house music system using wireless touchsreens in my kitchen and bedroom.

Check out CQC here: CQC

And check out my system here: My Page

HTH,
Ken

Great page, Ken - thanks for sharing the links. You've got a pretty slick setup there.

Has anyone developed a Crestron module yet?

I doubt any one looks at this page any more, but my question is:

once you get to hex 0x38 and do the conversion as stated above, you get a check sum of 100 which is not a valid hex code. How do you rectify this?

I don't know the answer to this one, but while waiting to see if others around here do you might also inquire directly with Outlaw (either via the phone or online ).

Thanks gonk

My guess would be 0x00. For the command 0x39, the checksum would be 0x01, etc... By the way, I used to write code for medical device interfaces so this guess isn't completely uneducated.

--Chuck

cvinfig,

Thank You :-) your guess was right on!

YOU DA MAN Chuck, it works like a charm.