[mythtv-users] DirecTV D10-300 Serial Interface

Sun Aug 26 18:26:57 UTC 2007

I believe the default in the perl script is 9600 baud.  I've never
done anything in perl, but here's the line I think does that:

$baudrate = "9600";

Just to be sure, I ran directv.pl from the command line using the
baudrate parameter set to 9600 (I also tried 115200 and 57600).
Again, I tried for both ttyS0 and ttyS1 and for both serial outs on
the machine.

Perhaps the order of the parameters is screwy?  Here's what I got for
the 9600 baudrate attempts:

blaine at blaine-desktop:/usr/local/bin$ directv.pl port /dev/ttyS0
box_type D10-100 baudrate 9600 verbose get_channel
SEND: 0xFA [�] 0x87 [�]
RECV: Timeout Error

SEND: 0xFA [�] 0x87 [�]
RECV: Timeout Error

SEND: 0xFA [�] 0x87 [�]
RECV: Timeout Error

SEND: 0xFA [�] 0x87 [�]
RECV: Timeout Error

Error excessive retries
blaine at blaine-desktop:/usr/local/bin$ directv.pl port /dev/ttyS1
box_type D10-100 baudrate 9600 verbose get_channel
SEND: 0xFA [�] 0x87 [�]
RECV: Timeout Error

SEND: 0xFA [�] 0x87 [�]
RECV: Timeout Error

SEND: 0xFA [�] 0x87 [�]
RECV: Timeout Error

SEND: 0xFA [�] 0x87 [�]
RECV: Timeout Error

Error excessive retries

I appreciate the ideas.  Any others?

On 8/26/07, Remco Treffkorn <remco at rvt.com> wrote:
>
> The baudrate needs to be changed from 115200 to 9600 baud.
>
> On Sunday 26 August 2007, Blaine Nelson wrote:
> > I tried putting the port command up front as the first parameter, and
> > I tried both /dev/ttyS0 and /dev/ttyS1. I did this for both serial
> > outs on the back of the machine.  No luck.  Same "Error excessive
> > retries" message.
> >
> > Any other ideas?
> >
> > You've got a D10-100.  Mine's a D10-300.  Maybe the software upgrade
> > for the D10-300 that's supposed to make it behave like a D10-100
> > doesn't do the trick any more?  Like directv has put out a newer
> > version that sucks?
> >
> > The cable?  Could it be bad?
> >
> > Again, thanks for the help.  And the encouragement!
> >
> > On 8/25/07, George Mari <george_mythusers at mari1938.org> wrote:
> > > Blaine Nelson wrote:
> > > > Hi,
> > > >
> > > > Apologies if this post is boring and outdated.  Most of my searches on
> > > > this topic have yielded posts that are more than 2 or 3 years old.
> > > >
> > > > Anyhow, I've been trying to get an old D10-300 satellite receiver to
> > > > interface with a new install of MythTv.
> > >
> > > Naah! That's not old!  I have 3 DirecTV receivers - the *new* one is a
> > > D10-100, hooked up to my Myth box, the other two are Hughes HIRD-E11s,
> > > hooked up to my two televisions.  *Those* are old - they could pick up
> > > signals from Sputnik when I first got them... ;-)
> > >
> > > > I've followed the
> > > > instructions posted in the following:
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > http://www.pdp8.net/directv/directv.shtml
> > > > http://mythtv.org/pipermail/mythtv-users/2005-October/107586.html
> > >
> > > Same script I'm using to control my archaic D10-100.
> > >
> > > > That is,
> > > >
> > > > 1. I've bought and installed the serial-to-low-rate cable from
> > > > http://www.dtvcontrol.com/index.aspx?content=cable.
> > > > 2. I've performed the reset on the satellite box to get the updated
> > > > software 3. And, tried calling directv.pl at the command line with a
> > > > number of options
> > > >
> > > > So, for instance:
> > > >
> > > > blaine at blaine-desktop:/usr/local/bin$ directv.pl box_type D10-100
> > > > verbose version
> > > > Version 1.7
> > > >
> > > > blaine at blaine-desktop:/usr/local/bin$ directv.pl box_type D10-100
> > > > verbose get_channel
> > > > SEND: 0xFA [�] 0x87 [�]
> > > > RECV: Timeout Error
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > SEND: 0xFA [�] 0x87 [�]
> > > > RECV: Timeout Error
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > SEND: 0xFA [�] 0x87 [�]
> > > > RECV: Timeout Error
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > SEND: 0xFA [�] 0x87 [�]
> > > > RECV: Timeout Error
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Error excessive retries
> > > >
> > > > blaine at blaine-desktop:/usr/local/bin$ directv.pl box_type D10-100 port
> > > > /dev/ttyS1 verbose get_channel
> > >
> > > Did you see this text on pdp8.net page?  "If your serial cable isn't on
> > > /dev/ttyS0 (com1) then use the port command to select the port, example
> > > port /dev/ttyS1. The port command must at the start of the command line
> > > before any command which talks to the directv box."
> > >
> > > You have your port command at the end of your command line, not the
> > > beginning.  Try it with ttyS0 and ttyS1 if you're not sure which serial
> > > port the cable is connected to on your backend.
> > >
> > > [deleted]
> > >
> > > > Should I give up on the D10-300 receiver?  Is there equipment
> > > > (satellite - directv) that is easier to interface with?  Is the reason
> > > > I haven't been able to find any more recent posts on this topic b/c
> > > > people have moved on to newer gear?
> > >
> > > I think the D10 is a great settop box to interface with, primarily
> > > because of the serial port.  In 2 years of operation, I've had two
> > > channel change failures, one actually due to an automatic firmware
> > > upgrade on the box causing the box to get in a non-responsive state.  It
> > > needed a reset.  That's a lot more reliable than most people are getting
> > > using IR blasters, from comments I've seen on the mailing list.
> > >
> > > Don't give up - I made my cable from scratch from plans on Internet
> > > somewhere.  You're a step ahead with a commercially bought cable.  If
> > > you have another serial port on your backend, try that as well, along
> > > with different combinations of ttyS0/ttyS1 in your command line.
> > > _______________________________________________
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> >
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>
> --
> Remco Treffkorn (RT445)
> HAM DC2XT
> remco at rvt.com   (831) 685-1201
>
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