[mythtv-users] DirecTV D10-300 Serial Interface

[Blaine Nelson]

This is going to kill me.

Fellas, thanks for the ideas, but still nothing.

First I tried Dave's idea of using the dtv control program on a windows
laptop.  Tried this with all the command sets.  New, old, D10-100 etc.
Tried both /dev/ttyS0 and /dev/ttyS1.  So this seems to indicate either a
failed cable or a failed d10-300 box.  (But, it could also be that this
program doesn't work with the D10-300?  Yes?  Or, I guess it could mean the
serial port is screwed up on my laptop).

Going with the former hypothesis, that the cable might be broken, I dug up
my volt ohm meter and checked the cable.  It seems to be wired correctly.
That is, testing indicates it's wired like so:

Modular 4P4C adapter wiring  DE9F Modular 4P4C Wire Color  5 1 Black  2 2
Red  3 4 Yellow

Ok, so next hypothesis.  Busted receiver.  Well, I bought two of these
things on ebay with the hope of eventually getting two pvr cards rolling.
So, I have another one laying around.  Great, right?  Another test.
Unfortunately, directv doesn't allow you to transfer the access card number
to new receivers.  They make you buy a new card, $20!  I wouldn't mind if I
knew this worked b/c I need the card anyways for two pvrs.   But, it seems
like alot of money if I'm just going to have to go back to the drawing board
and buy d10-100s (vice 300s) or some other receiver.

But, wait.  Maybe I could test the basic operations, e.g. turn-on, turn-off,
get channel etc., without actually having access to the satellite data
feed.  This possibility got me real excited and I jumped out of bed, ran to
the basement to try it.  Only to realize, that with the d10-300, you need
the software upgrade that comes down off the satellite.  Ugh.

Have you guys had the same experience with Directv?  $20 buckets just to
change receivers?

If I have to buy new receivers, which model would you recommend as the most
forgiving?

Again, thanks for all your ideas.








On 8/27/07, George Mari <george_mythusers at mari1938.org> wrote:
>
> Blaine Nelson wrote:
> > As for the serial port check, I don't have a modem lying around.  But,
> > I do have an old mouse with the old round serial ps2 port and an even
> > older adpater that goes from the round serial ps2-style port to a
> > regular serial port.  I'm not sure if this counts as a serial device
> > but here's what I did.  Plug the mouse into the round serial ps2-style
> > port.  Reboot.  Mouse worked fine.  Plug the mouse into the regular
> > serial port using the adapter.  Reboot.  Mouse did not work at all.  I
> > tried again on the second serial port.  Still nothing from the mouse.
> >
> > Should the mouse have worked in the regular serial port?  Xubuntu (the
> > distro I'm using) picked up on the mouse in the round ps2-style port
> > but not the regular port.  Can I take this as an indication that the
> > serial port is screwed up?
> >
> > And if so, what's next?  What steps can I take to see why the mouse
> > isn't working?
> >
> > Thanks everyone for putting up with all this.
> >
> >
>
> The only other way I can think of to test the port without a modem is
> another computer.  Hook-up two computers via a serial cable.  You can
> use some sort of terminal program, like minicom, to establish
> communications between the two computers over the serial port.
>
> Basically, you just want something you know works on the other end of
> your serial port, to see if you can get it working.
>
> Unfortunately, I don't have much experience with serial mice.
>
> Have you checked that your serial ports are enabled in your BIOS?
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