TANDBERG 1080p User Manual

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D14245.04—DECEMBER 2008
13
PrecisionHD 1080p Camera
User Guide
Remote control
Interfacing to the camera using 
the VISCA protocol
The TANDBERG PrecisionHD 1080p camera uses 
an RS-232 control interface that resembles the 
Sony VISCA™ protocol.
RS232 Parameters
At startup, the communication parameters for the 
RS232 interface must be set to:
9600 bits per second
8 databits
No parity
1 stopbit
No hardware flow control
No software flow control
All parameters except speed are fixed and not 
user configurable. The speed may be changed 
by issuing the Speed command defined on the 
following pages. All control bytes are pure binary 
information, i.e. the control bytes are not ASCII-
encoded.
RS232 Commands and inquiries
A list of all the available commands and inquiries 
together with the result and comments are found in 
the table on the following pages. 
VISCA messages
A particular command is recognized by the 
message information after the address byte.
Message Format
Commands are initiated from the host (i.e. the 
codec or any other external controller) to the 
camera.
After a camera has been issued a command, the 
camera will generate a response. Commands and 
responses (messages) have the following format:
Address byte (1)
Information bytes (1..14)
Terminating byte (1)
See the above illustration for details.
The minimum length of any command or 
response is 3 bytes:
1.  Address byte (1):
 Let us assume there is 
one host, i.e. the codec (the host is the unit 
controlling the camera). The host has address 
0. The four least significant bits of the address 
byte contain the address of the receiver. In the 
case of a broadcast message, the receiver 
address should be set to 8. When we are 
operating a single camera, the address is 1. 
Hence, address bytes in messages from the 
host are 0x81, and messages from the camera 
to the host are 0x90 (the protocol allows for up 
to 7 cameras).
2.  Message bytes (1..14):
 Any number of bytes 
containing the actual message information. 
Bytes may have any value in the range 0...254. 
The value 255 (i.e. hexadecimal FF) is reserved 
for the terminating byte.
3.  Terminating byte (1):
 All messages must be 
terminated with a byte containing all 1’s, i.e. 
decimal 255 (or hexadecimal FF).
Command and response exchange
When the camera receives a command, it 
responds with either:
Completion message: 90-5Y-FF 
 
Returned by camera when execution of 
commands and inquiries are completed.
Error packets: 90-6Y-..-FF  
Returned by camera instead of a completion 
message when command or inquiry failed to be 
executed.
General error messages, unless otherwise 
specified:
90-6Y-01-FF Message length error 
(>14 bytes)
90-6Y-02-FF Syntax error
90-6Y-03-FF Command buffer full
90-6Y-04-FF Command cancelled
90-6Y-05-FF No socket (to be cancelled)
90-6Y-41-FF Command not executable
Y = socket number
A camera may contain two buffers so that two 
commands, including the command being 
executed, can be received. 
NOTE:
 The PrecisionHD 1080p camera 
supports a single socket only. Consequently, 
the Y always assumes the value 
Y = 0
.
There are exceptions to these rules:
An Initialize message will respond as indicated 
in the Table of Commands (this message is in 
fact a broadcast message, and any unit other 
than the host receiving the broadcast message 
must pass it on).
Do not route commands or replies that are 
longer than 16 bytes through Sony cameras. 
The easiest way to avoid this is to put the 
TANDBERG cameras first in the chain. 
Commands and replies that are longer than 16 
bytes are clearly marked below.
The RS232 Message format
...
What’s in this user guide?
Getting started
Connecting the camera
Making your own cables
Contact information