General Forum

Re: MasterLink Gateway

PhilLondon — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 03:29:44 GMT

The commands that the MLGW is sending to variaus devices are different from the normal ML commands.

Let's say you are in a link room with a link TV and you press LINK TV, this will send a signal to the Video master to send the TV signal on the ML and RF cable, to be displayed on the link TV. But the Videomaster will not turn on and display the picture on its own screen.

The MLGW, on the contrary can send signals that ask the Videomaster to turn on and display the picture.

Basically it can simulate Beo4 commands coming from the IR receiver.

The Beoport is not compatible, so you won't be able to turn on the speakers connected directly to it, and control the volume.

However, if your Videomaster or Audiomaster, I bet you'll be able to access and control N.MUSIC on it. MLGW will talk to the Audiomaster, which will in turn request the music to the Beoport.

Re: MasterLink Gateway

Keith Saunders — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 02:23:22 GMT

lano:
Thanks for the answers. Have you tried controlling a Beoport from the mlgw? According to the documentation it shouldn't work, but I can't see why if the mlgw just sends commands on the ML? It would be interesting to know if it works or not (that is from the mlgw to the Beoport)?

Whilst I have not tried sending commands to a Beoport from a MasterLink Gateway box, the only thing I can think of which may cause a problem is that BeoPort and Beomedia handle audio Master relationships in a different way. In fact, whilst not published a Beoport can be an audio master.

If I get an opportunity at the weekend I will do a test to find out the answer.

Re: MasterLink Gateway

Spiros — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 00:25:39 GMT

I do not have previous experience with MLGA, however many times I have installed B and O products in certain ways that officially company's position is that it would never work.

From my personal opinion it's all a matter of what kind of products will be included but I see no reason why Beoport or Beomedia wouldn't work!

P.S: long live Beoworld app. I'm currently in the airplane!!

Re: MasterLink Gateway

lano — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 14:25:40 GMT

Thanks for the answers. Have you tried controlling a Beoport from the mlgw? According to the documentation it shouldn't work, but I can't see why if the mlgw just sends commands on the ML? It would be interesting to know if it works or not (that is from the mlgw to the Beoport)?

Re: MasterLink Gateway

Keith Saunders — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 05:25:53 GMT

Iano asked:-

I have a question:

1) Has anyone tested the MLGW with older products the B&O says doesn't work, like:
a) Beoport
b) Beomedia
c) Products connected through Beolink converter (as the original poster asked)

How did it work, not at all or limited (if so how)?

Well, there is a mixed answer to this question.

The Masterlink Gateway itself will convert ALL Beolink 1000, Beo4 and Beo5 commands. In other words any Beo4 command CAN be translated by the Masterlink Gateway to the Masterlink.

The problem is when you wish to transmit in the other direction via older products which do not support the Masterlink Gateway.
A typical example is the LIGHT command which would NOT be sent to the Masterlink via non compatible Masterlink Gateway product which means the gateway will never receive anything to translate in such conditions.

Newer Masterlink compatible B&O products allow Beo4 commands not intended for a B&O product on the Masterlink other than the Gateway to be put on the MasterLink.

So, for older products there are real limitations and not really an option particularly given the cost of the Masterlink Gateway.

Re: Mastlink Gateway

BeoFab — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 11:11:45 GMT

Seanie,

Reading your signature I realized that you have a Beovision 7 which is my understanding that they come with Beosystem 3 built-in which come alredy with the projector integration.

The good news is that makes even easier your project.

Re: Mastlink Gateway

mjmedlo — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 10:17:35 GMT

You must have the Ra2 switches/dimmers and the repeater.

The repeater has an rs232 plug as well as an ethernet. I use

the RS232 with my MLGW. IT works perfectly.

However, Ra2 will not control the B&O Grafik EYE. The Ra2 is

all controlled via RF and the B&O Grafik Eye is IR at 45Khz.

As such, the B&O Grafik Eye must be controlled independently.

However, it is fairly reasonable to replace the Grafik Eye with Ra2 switches

Then you can set presets with your MLGW and use the BEO5 to trigger

Ra2 to set certain lighting presets.

I am very satisfied with RA2 and MLGW's interaction.

I actually had RA2 before MLGW recognized it so I had to 'write' the

commands myself.

Let me know if you have any other questions

MJM

Re: Mastlink Gateway

BeoFab — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 09:37:49 GMT

Hi Seanie,

Just bear in mind that I am not expert at all in the issue but I do have RadioRA2 in most of my home and I can control the scenes with my Beo5 without the MLGW.

I have a Beovision 10 and in the Beo5 programming there is an option for third party accesories and there you find the Lutron Radio RA. I haven't programmed the Beo5 myself but I watch when the installer did it and it was pretty straight forward.

Now what you need for a projector is a macro that triggers many things at once: down light intensity, P.mute tv, down screen, turn on projector etc., well my understanding is that for everything be triggered correctly (not everything is in line of sight with your remote) you can make it with a lintronic box (which you already have) and an IR eye (which Lintronik sells). I would also recommend you to buy the RadioRA2 scene controller that has the IR eye.

So based in your set up I would say that I would give Lintronic a call and ask them advice about what I need. And then I will probably recommend you to add a Beo5 to your set up which is probably all you need and is by far less expensive than a MLGW.

From my point of view MLGW, which by the way is a great product, it is only recommendable for big homes with many third party products like curtains, alarms, garage doors, air conditioning, sprinklers etc. that you would like to communicate with your B&O stuff.

So if lets say you want to control just lighting, projector and the screen my best guess is that your need:

Your Lintronic box, some aditional IR repeaters, the lintronik distributor (not sure about this one), the lintronic IR eye, one Radio Ra2 scene controller, one radioRa2 main and as many RadioRA2 dimmers as you want (you can add many and program them to work with the scene controller-very easy), a Beo5 and someone reliable to program the Beo5 (the RadioRa 2 you can program it yourself is really very easy, you don't need any software or anything).

Also, then if you decided that you would like to add a table lamp and/or electric curtains (lutron) that also can be controlled by the scene controller and your BEO 5 too.

Re: Mastlink Gateway

Seanie_230 — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 08:01:10 GMT

Hello All

OK i have the items below in my Sig.

I also have the ipad.

I currently use a lighting system called Ilight and this is in one room and has upto 9 scenes that can be preset.

If i wanted to move over to Radio RA what comonents do i need and how does it all work, does the B&O version of the graffik eye work with the radio RA stuff?

Help for a begginer please.

Thanks

p.s i have a lintronic -238 box that triggers the lights to dim when the tv's cinema pins are gounded, will this work with the Lutron and if moving over to ML gateway will this detect from ML that i have selected cinema mode?

Is is a better idea to wait and see what happens with beonet ?

Re: Mastlink Gateway

mjmedlo — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 21:54:18 GMT

You'd have to have the RA2 repeater or the switch won't do anything

the repeater has rs232 cable that plugs in to the MLGW and that's where the

MLGW gets its info. . I actually have several RA2 switches that control a combination of

lights and B&O, I'd like to post a pic but it's too complicated

"razlaw" what's that mean?

MJM

Re: Mastlink Gateway

Razlaw — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 18:05:30 GMT

mjmedlo:

I actually have EXTENSIVE experience with it as I programmed it myself.

I am using it as a standalone (not with crestron,amx,savant) piece. It runs my RadioRa2 and visa versa.

It's quite a nice product.

Feel free to ask me any questions you may have about it.

MJM

So it would be possible, for instance, to purchase the Gateway and 1 RadioRa 2 switch, install them and program the Gateway myself and then add additional RadioRa 2 switches in the future and program them myself as well?

Re: Mastlink Gateway

lano — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 16:49:45 GMT

I have a question:

1) Has anyone tested the MLGW with older products the B&O says doesn't work, like:
a) Beoport
b) Beomedia
c) Products connected through Beolink converter (as the original poster asked)

How did it work, not at all or limited (if so how)?

Re: Mastlink Gateway

mjmedlo — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 15:03:21 GMT

I actually have EXTENSIVE experience with it as I programmed it myself.

I am using it as a standalone (not with crestron,amx,savant) piece. It runs my RadioRa2 and visa versa.

It's quite a nice product.

Feel free to ask me any questions you may have about it.

MJM

Re: Mastlink Gateway

Keith Saunders — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 11:17:49 GMT

The Masterlink Gateway does exactly what it says on the box, it converts Beolink sources and commands to a device connected to either the RS232 port or over the Ethernet connection and takes commands from the RS232 or Ethernet port and via macros setup in the Gateway triggers Beolink commands.

This product is not made by B&O.

The Gateway implements a "Masterlink Gateway Protocol" by default, but you can use your own protocol if you wish, but in my view that would normally only be used for testing.

The Masterlink Gateway protocol implemented in the latest firmware version 1.50 which is backward compatible with a previous version of Masterlink Gateway which was only really sold in the US provides five (5) types of messaging:-

Commands from the Device to the Beolink Products
Commands from the Device to the Masterlink Gateway macro programme
Status information from the products to the Device
Light and Control commands received by the products are forwarded to the Device
Authentication messages and configuration notifications for mobile applications

The Masterlink Gateway implements the source and command codes using exactly the same HEX codes as the Beo4/Beo5 and on the Beolink into what B&O calls a "Telegram" A telegram is normally made up of a start command followed by three (3) 8 bit bytes followed by a variable length data block.

Command data can be sent or received as follows:-

Via the Ethernet
Via the Ethernet using RS232 to Ethernet interfaces where distance is an issue
Direct RS232 connection

The setting up of the gateway is fairly straight forward if rather primative.

The first thing you have to do when the box is connected to the Beolink it will be used on is go through a procedure to allow the Gateway to identified each B&O product on the Beolink and assign a number to it between 1 and 16. Note, some B&O products may need a software update first before the gateway will work correctly.

You then need to setup your device(s) well just one external 3rd party device plus virtual buttons which are really only needed for testing but are considered a device. When setting up a device you use a product from the pull down list or Custom Settings. You would normally use custom settings to communicate with a product which either do not have a built 3rd party driver or does not need one depending on the device in question.

The last thing you need to do is setup your macros which will define what device command data triggers what Beolink source or command and/or what Beolink command sends what third party command to a particular device.

Below are a couple of screen shots to give you a flavour on how the units are setup

Re: Mastlink Gateway

burantek — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 09:09:54 GMT

Have a look at the Ikatu (the developer) page for MLGW.

The last link before the VIDS is a link to d'loadable information.