Getting RDS data from Beomaster 7000

 

Hi,

I would like to get access to RDS data from Beomaster 7000. I have two questions around it and I wondered if anyone who might know more about this system could share his opinion.

Q1:
Is RDS data from Beomaster FM tuner appears only on infrared link or is it possible to have it also on DATALINK bus? If it is possible, what is the command to request RDS info and how this RDS data looks like on the bus?

Q2:
How to request RDS data from Beomaster 7000? What is the IR command to request it?
I have Beomaster 7000 but I don’t have Beolink 7000. I have Beo5 and could potentially write custom IR commands there but have no idea if such command exists and if it does, what is its mnemonic.

I know those are a bit detailed questions and I do appreciate any comment on it.

Thanks,
Henryk

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Hi,

I guess there is nobody who might know something about two questions above?

Thanks,

Henryk

BeoMaster 7000 software version 1.0 and above will send RDS data to BL7000 provided the BeoMaster has a RDS module installed. The RDS module was removed sometimes to be used in other B&O products such as the Ouverture.

Henryk,

Just to add to Keith’s post, BeoLink 7000 had a special link room dock that allowed it to be charged while operating in a link room. But I think it would still transpond with a MCL2A box with the appropriate software (my BeoLink 5000 did).

I assume that all relevant status info - including RDS station name - must have been passed along the MCL2 bus to the MCL2A / MCL2AV / 2-way TV to give a correct status readout on the BeoLink 7000 in a link room.

I have not verified this.

A former Beoworld member Ridax has made a "BeoDisplay" that displayed the information from the MCL/Powerlink incl. RDS. His Project can be found here:

BeoDisplay (archive.org) 

and the serial data format can be seen in the B&O Datalink '86 Circuit Description.

 

Hope this give you some idea and I'm interested to follow your project as I also own a BM7000 and a Beo5 :-)

 

/steffen

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Hi Guys,

Thanks for all your notes. They are encouraging.

 

Keith,

Thanks for your note.

I have BeoMaster 7000 with RDS module in. I’m not 100% certain that RDS module works since I don’t have Beolink7000 but I apply my good faith here :)

 

Lawrencejmcook

Your note it is very encouraging. Thanks for it. I do have BeoLink5000 with partially working display. Are you saying that with BeoMaster7000 I could potentially get RDS data on it? I didn’t try that yet.

 

Skolesen

Thanks for point towards Ridax design. It answers one of my questions. Looking at his display module, the RDS data must be present on datalink bus in order for it to work.

What I don’t know and will try to ask him is: Is there a special command that requests RDS data or is it simply there when BeoMaster 7000 is in FM Radio mode and Radio station transmits RDS data.

I’m well versed into B&O Datalink '86 Circuit Description document. I have a working datalink interface now. Just need few more pointers there.

When I’m done with my gadget I’ll post it info on it on this forum. I plan to share all the code as well so maybe you might find some useful bits in it.

 

UPDATE

As I promised in note above I want to share here details of my implementation of datalink client.

An overview of solution can be found here: https://archivedforum2.beoworld.org/forums/t/47390.aspx

Details of C code that datalink master/slave is implemented can be found here: https://github.com/beomodern/Main_uP/blob/master/modes.c
and here:
https://github.com/beomodern/Main_uP/blob/master/inputs.c

This code works together with little hardware-like piece coded on PSoC that is described here https://github.com/beomodern/Main_uP/blob/master/Main_uP_code_datasheet.pdf (page 18 bottom right)

Cheers,
Henryk

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mhenryk:

Lawrencejmcook

Your note it is very encouraging. Thanks for it. I do have BeoLink5000 with partially working display. Are you saying that with BeoMaster7000 I could potentially get RDS data on it? I didn’t try that yet.

Hi Henryk,

No - to my knowledge the BeoLink 5000 does not display RDS info, and B&O has never said that it has this capability.

I was trying to draw a parallel between the two 2-way communicating remotes when used with an MCL2A. The MCL2A definitely carries the status info, and now, confirmed by skolesen, we learned that it carries RDS data too.

The real challenge is finding both a fully working BeoLink 7000 and BeoMaster 7000 with working IR transponder, and keeping them working. At least, thanks to Ridax’s thread, you may have at least an alternative to the BL7000.

Now I’m off to find someone to fix my 2 non-working BL5000s, BL7000 and BM7000. (Sigh)

If there is any repairer based in the UK willing to take these on, please message me.

Lawrence

If you can’t find one, you can send it over. BL7000 and BM7000. 

Beobuddy:

If you can’t find one, you can send it over. BL7000 and BM7000.

Thank you, Beobuddy. I’ll bear your offer mind.

I don’t have the original boxes, so I would prefer to drop them off at a repairer in England.

Lawrence

 I have BM7000 and BL7000 with RDS. AFAIK there is no switching for the RDS. It just appears on the BL7000 if the signal is there. It usually takes a few seconds to decode. I had link rooms in a previous property and the RDS worked in these just fine too. Even with the cheaper MCL.

I also had a BL5000. This does not show RDS, only the BL7000 is equiped for this and I believe not all of them had the module fitted from the factory?

I hope this helps.

There is a ‘soft button’ on the BeoLink 7000 to request an update Source -> Status which should refresh all data (presumably including the RDS info) so if you send that hex code over the datalink presumably all the relevant info would come back. Of course you’d need to capture and decode it but it sounds like you understand the MCL protocol anyway

 

Hi Guys,

 

Thanks again for all your notes and help here.

 

Lawrence,

I think I got it. No RDS in BeoLink 5000. I’ll abandon that path.

 

Beofile7,

Thanks for confirmation and for note about few seconds delay.

 

L Spad,

Since I don’t have BeoLink 7000, I have to figure out how to fake that “Source -> Status” command using Beo5.

 

What I did is as follow:

1. Using radio with RDS tune to a radio station and confirm RDS signal is there.
2. Using BeoMaster 7000 (with RDS module in it, I checked) tune to the same station.
3. Hook up oscilloscope to the DataLink pin on TV/AUX input (DataLink – New, as it is called in B&O Datalink '86 Circuit Description) and observe activity there.
4. Have a mobile phone camera looking at IR transmitters at the front of BeoMaster 7000.
5. Use Master Control Panel or Beo4 to tune to different FM radio stations.

What I observed so far is:

• On DataLink bus I can see command with FM radio station number that I select but no RDS data.
• On IR Tx I can see some activity when using Beo4 but not much. Make sense since Beo4 won’t request its update over IR (one way communication).
• On IR Tx I can see more activity when using MCP. This make sense since MCP requests more information back from BeoMaster about volume level and radio station FM frequency.
• Using “Status” button on MCP I can see activity on IR Tx when updating MCP but no activity on DataLink. Again it make sense since command is to update MCP only.

Unfortunately so far I did not came across any packets on DataLink that could resemble any sort of RDS info. There could be two reasons for it:

1. RDS module inside BeoMaster 7000 is faulty
2. I did not properly requested from Beomaster to send out RDS data.

Investigation is ongoing…

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Hi Everyone,

As I promised in note above I want to share here details of my implementation of datalink client.

An overview of solution can be found here: https://archivedforum2.beoworld.org/forums/t/47390.aspx

Details of C code that datalink master/slave is implemented can be found here: https://github.com/beomodern/Main_uP/blob/master/modes.c
and here:
https://github.com/beomodern/Main_uP/blob/master/inputs.c

This code works together with little hardware-like piece coded on PSoC that is described here https://github.com/beomodern/Main_uP/blob/master/Main_uP_code_datasheet.pdf (page 18 bottom right)

Cheers,
Henryk

Hi Everyone,

As I promised in note above I want to share here details of my implementation of datalink client.

An overview of solution can be found here: https://archivedforum2.beoworld.org/forums/t/47390.aspx

Details of C code that datalink master/slave is implemented can be found here: https://github.com/beomodern/Main_uP/blob/master/modes.c
and here:
https://github.com/beomodern/Main_uP/blob/master/inputs.c

This code works together with little hardware-like piece coded on PSoC that is described here https://github.com/beomodern/Main_uP/blob/master/Main_uP_code_datasheet.pdf (page 18 bottom right)

Cheers,
Henryk