ARCHIVED FORUM -- March 2012 to February 2022READ ONLY FORUM
This is the second Archived Forum which was active between 1st March 2012 and 23rd February 2022
Hi all,
I'm hoping to add another 1611 converter to my existing master link network, and I'm having some difficulties. Before I start messing around with the configuration too much I just want to be sure what I'm attempting is possible. I already have one 1611 in the network to connect my beosystem 7000. In addition to that one I'd like to add another 1611 to send datalink commands to a lintronic converter (as per the application note here http://www.abo-center.dk/Abo_center_2/reptips/diagrammer/Link/Lin%20Tronic%20Interfacing%20.pdf). Is more than one 1611 permitted in the network?
Here's a basic schematic of what I'm trying to do:
[Beomaster 7000]--<datalink>--[1611]--<masterlink>--[masterlink network]--<masterlink>--[1611]--<datalink>--[Lintronic]--<RS232 to USB>--[mac mini]
i need two 1611s because the Beosystem 7000 is located in a different room to my computer.
I have never heard of any limitation in 1611 converters within a system - as long as you only have one audiomaster on the 'network' then I would think it would work.
Perhaps you could experiment with B&O's interactive Product Configuration Guide, and keep adding systems that require 1611s until it tells you that you have exceeded the maximum! I would try, but I can't get the guide to run on Win10.
Hi,
even when you get trouble with the two 1611 in your masterlink network you could try a Beolink Video 1615 to connect the lintronic to the Audio aux connector.
This is just a gues but might a solution for your problem and a 1615 is quite cheap.
Ralph-Marcus
Just tried the Product Configuration Guide:
If Masterlink is selected to link rooms, one can't select 'old' audio devices (to enforce the use of a 1611). But it is possible to add several 1615 to connect a MX4000 for example.
Thanks all,
I made up the custom connector correctly today (I'd previously mistaken pin 6 for pin 7 of the Data Link socket) and tested this.
I've tried this with the audiometer (Beomaster 7000) in various option settings but no dice. I think the system is having a hard time working out where to send audio commands with the two1611 units connected. Depending on the order I power on I can get either of the 1611s to work as I'd like, but not both simultaneously.
If the 1611 connected to the Lintronic is powered on first, I can send data to the mac mini - in this case controlling iTunes when N.Music is selected. However, the Beomaster 7000 does not power up (for any audio source).
If the 1611 connected to the Beomaster 7000 is powered up first then it powers up and I can play any audio source, but the 1611 connected to the Lintronic no longer passes the commands through.
Ralph, I'll see if I can get hold of a 1615 to try - does the 1615 pass audio as well as video commands? I'm not sure I understand your second comment correctly.
Thanks for the suggestions and help - and yes, this is a lot of effort to allow me to skip tracks in iTunes without getting my mobile phone out and firing up the apple Remote app!
All the best
Luke
Hi Luke,
the 1615 does only transport the audio signal and the Datalink signal to and from a B&O TV, and converts it to masterlink.
The video signal itself will be transported via the antenna cable. But video is not needed in your case and the masterlink network doesn't care if the video transfer is done correct or not (which is the case in this scenario).
Concerning the Product Configuration Guide: It's just not possible to have an Audio System (a 1611 in your case, because it would act as an Audiomaster) in a Link room). There can only be _one_ audiomaster in the masterlink system, in your case the Beomaster 7000.
I hope it's now a bit more clear what i meant
👌 Thanks Ralph - I get it now - much appreciated
I aquired a Beolink Video MkII 1615 and connected it up - Unfortunately I can't get it to work. When I connect the 1615 to the Mac via the Lintronic converter I'm just receiving the following code via RS232 once every 5 seconds or so:
<0001915001000240000000055> this translates to "To PC from Lintronic Box via RS232 String - version 00,1 mode 000, trigger 240"
No other commands are transmitted to the Lintronic box, whichever key I hit on the Beo4 (Light/Video/Music) the commands are ignored. The cabling etc is all correct because it works with the 1611 box which has identical datalink pinouts. I think there is some kind of "handshake" expected between the datalink equipped beovision and the 1615, but since I don't own a vintage beovision I can't confirm that.
I think this experiment may be a failure!
Thanks to everyone for their advice so far - All the best
sorry to hear that it didn't help to solve your problem.
I just remembered the old Beolink converter 1614. This device was before the 1611, which had the feature to act as an audiomaster if no Video nor Audio Master was connected to the Masterlink System.
The 1614 had the same connections as the 1611 but not the audiomaster function. So this might be a solution if it routes the IR commands from ML to the Datalink pin of the AudioAux connector. I'll have a look whether i have 1614 when i'm home. If so i can check it with ML and the Lintronic box.
Just scrolled back to the begining of the thread and stumbled over this:
Luke Spadavecchia : ....Here's a basic schematic of what I'm trying to do: [Beomaster 7000]--<datalink>--[1611]--<masterlink>--[masterlink network]--<masterlink>--[1611]--<datalink>--[Lintronic]--<RS232 to USB>--[mac mini] i need two 1611s because the Beosystem 7000 is located in a different room to my computer. ....
....Here's a basic schematic of what I'm trying to do:
....
There is now video master in your descrption! This might be the cause of the failed 1615 test..
Also powering up the whole system in a certain sequence might help you.
1. - 1615
2. - BS7000
3. - 1611
Maybe this helps?
Hi Luke, So its only music (iTunes) you could like to control on your MacMini and also via your BS7000.
An option I was using earlier that worked was to use Beolink / BeoPort PC2 together with linkplayer or any other OSX capable software, perhaps you may not use latest version of OSX. Stefan
BS3 DVB-HD, BV7-40 MKIII, BC6-26, BC6-23, BV4-50/BS2, BS5, BS9000, BL3500, MLGW, BLGW, PlayMaker, - BS6500, BS4500, LX6000, VX7000, MX5500, VX5000 - Beo6, Beo5, BeoTimex2, Linctonic
Thanks Stephan, I’ve tried a BeoLink PC2. Unfortunately it will not work with my setup - I believe it needs a later system such as the Beosound 3000
Hi Ralf - did you have a chance to try a 1614 converter? I’ve found one for sale but I’m holding fire on it until I’m confident it will work! Thanks again for your help
sorry it was quite late when i came home yesterday. I'll have a look this evening.
Well, at home now
But i don't have a 1614, sorry!
1616 (BL activ) and 1615 BL video collecting dust, and a 1611 connected between ML and BeoSystem 2500.
Thinking about your configuration makes me wonder how you would control the MAC audio? The Beosystem 7000 knows Tape 1, Tape 2, CD and phone as external sources and all inputs are in the BS7000. There's only one more source group available via the AUX/TV connector: Audio from video devices via ML in your case
The BS700 is in another room you said in the thread opener! How do you transport the audio signal to the AUX/TV connector?
Cheers Ralph - the Beomaster 7000 responds to a.aux/N.Music/A.Tape2 and I have an apple airport express connecting Aiplay audio from the Mac to the Beomaster 7000. At present I listen to the Mac by pressing N.Music on my beo4 remote, which activates N.Music. I then have to start iTunes playing on the Mac either locally, or sung the apple remote app on my iPhone. The audio playback is fine - I'm just trying to find a way to start iTunes playing automatically when I press N.music.
Ah, ok. a.Tape2 / N.Music is an audio command. The IR sequence is the same, just the name is different.
Do you have any other devices on your Masterlink Network or why do you have the 1611 connected?
Luke Spadavecchia :Cheers Ralph - the Beomaster 7000 responds to a.aux/N.Music/A.Tape2 and I have an apple airport express connecting Aiplay audio from the Mac to the Beomaster 7000. At present I listen to the Mac by pressing N.Music on my beo4 remote, which activates N.Music. I then have to start iTunes playing on the Mac either locally, or sung the apple remote app on my iPhone. The audio playback is fine - I'm just trying to find a way to start iTunes playing automatically when I press N.music.
Hi oli,
that's what Luke wanted to do but with one important point: The Mac is located in another room and delivers the audio via Airplay into the room where his BS700 is located.
The problem Luke has is how to transport the Beolink commands from the 'BS7000 room' to the 'Mac room' where is Lintronic Box converts the B&O commands (N.Music / A.tape2, up, down...) to 'iTunes commands'.
Right now he uses a Beolink converter 1611 to connect his BS7000 to the masterlink network. Now he needs a 'translator from ML to Datalink for the Lintronic box.
Hi Luke, OK - I had that working on my BS6500 and LX5000 and had the MacMini fully controllable, the sound I did as you connected it into Tape 2. RegardsStefan
Hi Luke, Started to think about another solution if you interact with the MacMini via bluetooth ;)
Check this bluetooth player from loudlink that is fully controllable via datalink, I've been thinking to purchase that one for my units that handle datalink. This one I think can be interesting also with alexa or google home to link the bluetooth to the loudlink so that the sound automatically start up your BS7000 when you ask to play a song.
Product link
Youtube video about the loudlink solution
Another option is to use the mammutbox (www.mammutbox.com), that can receive your IR signals and fully control you mac via TCP/IP.
Regarding the translator from ML to Datalink (Lintronic box), does you have any other connection to the ML cable from the 1611 to the room there you have the MacMini? Was thinking that one solution is to just pull out the data signal + Earth from Tape 2 and by a long connection to the IR in on the Lintronic box receive the datalink signal so you can use the Lintronic to control the MacMini. You would off cause need to combine the audio and data link into the same din connector.
Just an idea ;)
Stefan
Maybe another option can be an old Beoport / Beolink PC2 connected to your mac and using the old BM-Link software for Mac OS:http://www.odlund.se/bmlink/It's from a Beoworld member as far as I know and I don't know if it still works but it could be worth a try as it does exactly what you want.Another option would be to connect a Playmaker instead of the Airport express. With that option you can use your Beo 4 to skip tracks on iTunes as far as I remember.
Thanks everyone for some really interesting options - not all of them will work for what I need but there are a couple of interesting avenues there if I can't get this to work with the 1614 converter (as per Ralph's suggestion) which I'm awaiting delivery of.
Just to give a clearer picture of what I'm trying to achieve, I need a solution that will allow remote control of the Mac Mini from all my link rooms in a reasonably large master link network (2 beovisions, an MLGW, 4 beolink passives, 2 beolink actives, and the Beosystem 7000 connected via a 1611 converter) across my house and summerhouse/shed.
I live in a 1920s built house and all of the walls are solid brick, so long cable runs are a nightmare of drilling and chasing which I'm trying desperately to avoid. I previously ran a bunch of cables under the floor, but have recently had new parquet flooring fitted throughout the downstairs so this is no longer an option! Stefan is absolutely right that a really simple option would be to run data and ground from the 1611 already attached to the Beosystem through to the intronic box attached to the mac mini (which lives in a server rack in a cupboard under the stairs), and this is my backup plan if I can't get the 1614 to work: It will involve drilling trough 2 brick walls and chasing some cable runs so at the moment I'm trying my best to take advantage of the existing Masterlink installation.
I'm not sure why I never managed to get my Beolink PC2 (since sold) to work: I tried it with BMLink but it was completely unresponsive to commands on the network, although I was able to control it locally with an attached IR receiver. As TWG says it may be because I'm running the most recent Mac OS, although I have heard others have had some success with it. The only other potential benefit of using the Lintronic in this set up is the additional flexibility it brings in terms of my home automation system - I run and Indigo server on the Mac, so there is potential to do more interesting things than just controlling iTunes if I get it working right.
I really appreciate the time and effort people have gone to with all the suggestions so far - I'll let you know how the 1614 works out when it arrives. If that fails I'm taking Stefan's advice and firing up the SDS drill!
Dom
2x BeoSystem 3, BeoSystem 5000, BeoSystem 6500, 2x BeoMaster 7000, 2 pair of BeoLab Penta mk2, AV 7000, Beolab 4000, BeoSound 4000, Playmaker, BeoLab 2500, S-45, S-45.2, RL-140, CX-50, C-75, 3x CX-100, 3x MCL2 link rooms, 3x Beolab 2000, M3, P2, Earset, A8 earphones, A3, 2x 4001 relay, H3, H3 ANC, H6, 2014 Audi S5 with B&O sound, and ambio
Just hooked up the 1614 converter and... IT WORKS!!
This is likely to be of pretty limited interest to others as it is somewhat setup specific but I can confirm the following:
1. You can use a 1614 converter in the same network as a 1611 converter with no conflicts.
2. You can use a 1614 converter or a 1611 converter as an interface for the Lintronic converter as per the application note above.
3. The beolink video cannot be used to sample commands from the master link to the intronic in the same was as the above converters. It can however be used to put commands onto the masterlink as described in the application note above.
Thanks to everyone for their help, support and useful suggestions