Quick question that unfortunately I can't get from HAI as their answers are usually wrong, useless or they don't respond.
Q. If a serial port in configured as RA2 should I still be able to send my own formatted string out that port?
The port is working fine for my defined Units and Scenes (RA2 Phantom Buttons) but I want to activate emergency scenes when appropriate and to do that I need to send a press to start it and a release to end it. I didn't look that closely but believe HAI only sends the press. I created messages for the strings needed #DEVICE,1,100,3^M^J for the press and #DEVICE,1,100,4^M^J for the release, each requires sending two messages since the string doesn't fit in one. I've done that before with no problems but the problem I have is when I trigger either of these strings I get an #OUTPUT,36,0,0^M^J string or very similar which are valid RA2 strings for UNITs associated with RA2 and that serial port. It's coming form the code lines as my flag is being set properly so it is the lines of code executing and not something else happening. My thinking is that by defining that port as RA2 the strings I'm sending are being routed through the RA2 driver which doesn't know what to make of the command and some how takes the string and equates it to a command slot used to store Unit commands and sends that instead. Basically turns it into an index pointer that points to a unit command array element. So I believe it is not possible to send a string directly by writing lines of code in the port is defined as RA2 or probably any other specific driver. It would be no problem if the port was set up as a Pro-Link but since it's set up as RA2 which works for everything I need other than triggering or the real problem which is terminating the emergency scene, sending the release. Obviously I could use a regular scene but then lights won't resume to their previous states.
I'm fairly convinced this is the case but if anyone knows for sure I'd appreciate confirmation so I can stop wasting time. If there's any kind of escape sequence that would allow a string to "passthru" the driver that would be cool too.
Q. If a serial port in configured as RA2 should I still be able to send my own formatted string out that port?
The port is working fine for my defined Units and Scenes (RA2 Phantom Buttons) but I want to activate emergency scenes when appropriate and to do that I need to send a press to start it and a release to end it. I didn't look that closely but believe HAI only sends the press. I created messages for the strings needed #DEVICE,1,100,3^M^J for the press and #DEVICE,1,100,4^M^J for the release, each requires sending two messages since the string doesn't fit in one. I've done that before with no problems but the problem I have is when I trigger either of these strings I get an #OUTPUT,36,0,0^M^J string or very similar which are valid RA2 strings for UNITs associated with RA2 and that serial port. It's coming form the code lines as my flag is being set properly so it is the lines of code executing and not something else happening. My thinking is that by defining that port as RA2 the strings I'm sending are being routed through the RA2 driver which doesn't know what to make of the command and some how takes the string and equates it to a command slot used to store Unit commands and sends that instead. Basically turns it into an index pointer that points to a unit command array element. So I believe it is not possible to send a string directly by writing lines of code in the port is defined as RA2 or probably any other specific driver. It would be no problem if the port was set up as a Pro-Link but since it's set up as RA2 which works for everything I need other than triggering or the real problem which is terminating the emergency scene, sending the release. Obviously I could use a regular scene but then lights won't resume to their previous states.
I'm fairly convinced this is the case but if anyone knows for sure I'd appreciate confirmation so I can stop wasting time. If there's any kind of escape sequence that would allow a string to "passthru" the driver that would be cool too.