Premise Premise compatible audio amplifier

[ajeysp]

Hi Everyone,

I am from India. I am currently on a visit to the US. I am currently near Chicago, and travel to Boston and then back to India next week.
I am looking for an audio amplifier that can support 2-3 zones and 2-3 audio inputs. But most importantly it should be "controllable" by Premise home automation software.

I will greatly appreciate if anyone of you can suggest a product that I can order quickly online and get it within a week (so that I can take it back with me to India). Else even a store in and around Boston will be good too, from where I can pick it up.

Thanks in advance.

Regards
Ajey

 

[pm2000]

Ajey,

This is your lucky day. I live in the Boston area and have an extra VAUX LE800 matrix switcher. This is the best matrix switcher for use with Premise as the Premise VAUX driver is very reliable. It enables you to switch 8 sources to 8 zones. In addition to the switcher you will need a multi-channel applifier. In your particular case, you only need to buy an amplifier for the number of zones you need.

Just to clarify things: you need a matrix switcher to control your audio zones (input source control, mute, volume level). The amplifier sits right behind the matrix switcher and amplifies the audio for the size of speakers you have. I use the AudioControl 6 zone (12 channel) amplifier (I use three of them). Premise does not control amplifiers; it only controls the matrix switcher. The multi-zone amplifier has very simple inteligence as it listens on the matrix switcher channel and turns the specific applification zone on when it senses audio signal coming in (thus auto-sensing amplifier). The applifiers are expensive $1000-$2000 depending on model. You can also look at the Niles, Russound or SpeakerCraft brands.

I got the VAUX LE800 on eBay. I actually waited almost a year to find this component on eBay. Vaux sells it only through dealers and it costs over $1500 new. A few months after I bought it, another auction popped up with the 16 zone version (Vaux LE1600). Since my house has 24 zones I quickly bought the other switcher and uncoupled many of my zones. I kept the LE800 as a backup. You can have it for $350.
Good luck,

Patrik

 

[kmitchell]

Patrik

Just a word of warning that you should probably edit your post and remove your phone number ASAP so the telemarketers don't get a hold of it. You can instead send you number to Ajey in a PM.

Ken

 

[ajeysp]

Patrik,

Thanks for the VAUX LE800 matrix switcher. It was really interesting to meet you and see your setup at home.

I brought the switcher back with me to India, and connected it to the serial port of my server. However Premise is unable to detect or communicate wth it. I am using the UDS-10 connecter that you gave me to connect it to the serial port of my PC.

My serial port seems to be ok, since even in Premise it does show up (as com1). Please let me know if you have any tips for me to get it working.

Thanks.

Regards,
Ajey

 

[123]

Ajey,

Try connecting the switcher directly to the PC's serial port (i.e. omit the UDS-10). The VAUX driver should discover it automatically. If not, check the serial cable. In Premise's Help (Contents > Device Setup > Vaux Electronics > Lattis > "Serial Port on Premise Server computer") you'll find the port settings and serial-cable pin-outs (basically a 9-pin straight-through).

 

[ajeysp]

Hi 123,

Thanks for the post.
The switcher is a modified one and the cable that comes out of the box has a RJ-45 connector at its end. To it another connector is connected that has a "female" end of the RJ-45 (to which the cable from the switcher is connected) and the other end has a "male" serial port connector (which i am connecting to my serial port on the PC). Please see an earlier post of Patrik's that explains the cable at http://www.cocoontech.com/forums/index.php...art=#entry81920

I also checked Premise's Help for the port settings. There they recommend two settings one if the firmware is ver 5 and one for 6. Again not being sure which version the firmware is on this box I tried both but still Premise isn't able to detect the switcher.

thanks again for helping me out from such a long distance, any more thoughts will really help me.

regards
Ajey

 

[chucklyons]

ahhhh.....I just remembered..if you use the native Xantech driver, it doesn't work. I have uploaded a new ZPR68-10 driver a while back (its in the download section). Replace the Xantech driver in the modules directory with the one from the downloads. Let us know if it works....

 

[ajeysp]

ahhhh.....I just remembered..if you use the native Xantech driver, it doesn't work. I have uploaded a new ZPR68-10 driver a while back (its in the download section). Replace the Xantech driver in the modules directory with the one from the downloads. Let us know if it works....

sorry, I am confused. Are you suggesting that I use the ZPR68-10 driver with the Vaux switcher? I mean Premise does offer the drivers for Vaux switcher.

 

[chucklyons]

My mistake.. should have reread your thread B)

Without seeing the cable, but also having a Vaux, it sounds like you will have to use the UDS-10. First thing you should do is try to get the UDS-10 running by using the Lantronix Add-in with the UDS-10 selected. Once you have that established, load the Vaux add-in. For the serial communication on the Premise Vaux properties, select to add a serial connection. Premise will give you a choice of ports. Use the 'up' to move up the directory. You will then see the Lantronix and Serial Ports directories. Select the Lantronix UDS-10 Port (prob port 1). Premise should now be connected to the Vaux via the UDS-10.

If I recall correctly, and not having my Vaux hooked up (I use the ZPR68-10), I had to use the LE1600 option under the Vaux add-in. Mine only had 8, not 16. Again, thats from my memory...and given I couldn't remember you had a Vaux to begin with...

 

[ajeysp]

Ajey,

Try connecting the switcher directly to the PC's serial port (i.e. omit the UDS-10). The VAUX driver should discover it automatically. If not, check the serial cable. In Premise's Help (Contents > Device Setup > Vaux Electronics > Lattis > "Serial Port on Premise Server computer") you'll find the port settings and serial-cable pin-outs (basically a 9-pin straight-through).

123,

Thanks for the suggestion. I did try your suggestion. I connected a typical serial cable (the one that is used with modems) directly from my PC to the switcher. I then selected the "Lattis" in premise, As per the help file in Premise i should be setting the port to 9600 bauds, N, 8, 1 which i did. But now when i try connecting i am getting an error "Vaux:firmware error". What could be the problem?

regards
Ajey

 

[123]

... I connected a typical serial cable (the one that is used with modems) directly from my PC to the switcher. I then selected the "Lattis" in premise, As per the help file in Premise i should be setting the port to 9600 bauds, N, 8, 1 which i did. But now when i try connecting i am getting an error "Vaux:firmware error". What could be the problem?

regards
Ajey

I don't have a lot of experience with Vaux switchers but here's what I'd do. Try suggestion #1 and if that doesn't work, try to learn more about the switcher with suggestion #2.

1. Try both driver flavours
   Try "Lattis" and "LattisV6". According to Premise Help, "Lattis" means version 5 firmware and communicates at 9600-n-8-1 whereas "LattisV6" means version 6 firmware and communicates at 38400-n-8-1.
2. Talk to the Vaux
   Remove the Premise Vaux driver. Use a terminal emulation program, like HyperTerminal or puTTY, and talk to the Vaux switcher directly. The goal is to confirm that the switcher is able to communicate. The Vaux's communications protocol is documented in its reference manual (starts on page 17). The following command is "Read-System-Information" (see page 40):
   *CR,100,0 <cr>
   It should return a couple of things including the switcher's firmware version. If you can't talk to the switcher directly then something has failed.

 

[etc6849]

I don't know if this helps, but the pinout is shown in the manual:

P in V aux Control Port Signal Direction S tandard Computer Port
1 5VDC (note 1) -> DCD (Data Carrier Detect)
2 DATA_OUT -> RXD (Receive Data)
3 DATA_IN <- TXD (Transmit Data)
4 PAGE_PB_IN (note 2) <- DTR (Data Terminal Ready)
5 Signal Ground — Signal Ground
6 12VDC (note 1) -> DSR (Data Set Ready)
7 [do not use] <- RTS (Request To Send)
8 [do not use] -> CTS (Clear To Send)
9 SYS_ACTIVE_OUT (note 3) -> RI (Ring Indicator)

The pinout indicates to me (I'm by no means a serial communications expert though) that you want a straight through (extension) serial cable. Don't modem cables swap the RX and TX pins?

I would still try communicating with a terminal emulator first (because that's easy to check) and if that doesn't work, try the following:

Check the pinout of the cable with a volt ohm meter for continuity on the proper pins from end to end. Use google to view the standard DB9 pinout on a pc port and verify all is well here. There are differences in serial cables. My receiver requires a "straight thru" cable to connect to my PC. My HD-DVD player requires a modem cable. This can be confusing for sure!

 

[123]

... you want a straight through (extension) serial cable. Don't modem cables swap the RX and TX pins?

No. "Modem cables" are 'straight-through'. "Null modem cables" are 'cross-over'.

 

[ajeysp]

Hi Everyone

Thanks so much for your quick responses and I am greatly encouraged by the brain storming support that you guys are giving me.
123, yes I did check on the net and the modem cables are "straight" cables and the one i am using came with a modem. I will still do a pin-to-pin continuity check to confirm that the cable is working or not.
From the message response that Premise shows, looks as though my machine is able to communicate or rather "reach out" to the switcher, but is getting a "firmware error". So I am thinking that maybe the settings that I am doing (for the serial port?) do not match the firmware that is in there. From that angle I was thinking that I should try the approach that 123 suggests : that of trying to "talk" to the Vaux and try to get the Firmware version. However I will first need to know what speed i should set my port in order to do this. 9600? or 34800 (as the document suggests)?

Thanks once again for so actively trying to help me out, I really am grateful to you guys.

Ajey

 

[ajeysp]

A further update...
I did check the pin-to-pin continuity of the cable that i am using, and the continuity was there.
I then installed puTTY application and tried connecting at speed 9600, N. 8, 1 and in the window, even if i just type "*" i see a response back as "DownloadSystemNow...".
Any clues? Does this mean that there is no firmware on my Vaux?