pinout order for RS422 to Ethernet adapter

[Bob Zelin]

this is what I use –
pin 1 – Red
pin 2 – Orange
pin 3 – Black
pin 4 – Green
pin 5 – nothing (you only get 8 wires)
pin 6 – Brown
pin 7 – Blue
pin 8 – Yellow
pin 9 – White (or gray)

I cannot imagine hooking up a Videohub without these adaptors.

Bob Zelin

[Chris Blair]

Hey guys…I looked into doing this in our facility about 18 months ago and people told me I was crazy. That you couldn’t do it. Something about latency issues. Well me being me I didn’t listen and I bought a RS422 to ethernet adaptor. I’ve been able to get it to see the video decks but have never been able to get deck control within our editing apps or our logging utilities.

I haven’t spent a great deal of time messing with it and still think I could get it working, but the RS422 to ethernet adaptor I bought has some pretty confusing configuration instructions and software utilities. The company I bought it from was nice and wanted to help but were clueless when it came to RS422 for broadcast. I thought RS422 was the same regardless. They claim broadcast video decks use different protocols than say robotic manufacturing equipment, which is where their device is mostly used.

Can you tell me what brand/model you guys use?

My goal was to hook 4 broadcast decks to a 4 port 422 to ethernet adaptor. Then, each edit suite could call up deck control via the virtual serial connections that their software setup. Not to mention ANY computer in our facility could theoretically grab deck control and log footage (we have a logging utility with our VelocityQ NLE that will run standalone). I even bought an 8×8 router to route video to 8 different PCs if needed so we could log anywhere. We do lots of videos with long interviews and it takes hours to log and transcribe prior to an edit so that’s the reason I wanted it.

Everybody on every forum I posted told me I was nuts. Couldn’t be done. Well obviously you guys are doing it! Or am I reading this incorrectly? I know Harris has it built into one of their advanced broadcast systems but I figured it was proprietary.

Any suggestions here are appreciated.

Chris Blair
Magnetic Image, Inc.
Evansville, IN
http://www.videomi.com

[Eric Hansen]

thanks bob, as always

hey chris

i’ve never used these adapters before, but decided to because of Bob’s suggestion. we’re using these in a purely hardware sense: https://bit.ly/5qX3Ee

i think you’re doing something completely different. i have edit systems with Kona cards with RS422 control. i also have target decks and a Blackmagic Videohub in between. the Kona RS422 is controlling the deck’s RS422 through the Videohub router. the ethernet is just acting as a cable with 8 internal strands. there’s no software or drivers or anything. these adapters are just using ethernet cable (not any IP protocol) to run the connection with an RS422 adapter on each end.

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Eric Hansen – The Audio Visual Plumber – http://www.avplumber.com

[Chris Blair]

Ah…I see. Our problem was having to make long runs of RS422 cable, which has limits on length from what I’ve been told and read (typically 50′ I was told). So we wanted to bypass that by using the RS422 to ethernet. It seemed a no brainer to put the decks onto our network to be able to control them that way.

Harris and another company have video routing based products that have the RS422 to ethernet setup that’s similar to what we’re wanting to do, so I know it’s possible. I wish I could find the the product model as reference.

I also talked to Panasonic reps about it and when I explained it they said there’s no reason it can’t be done (they just didn’t know of anyone doing it).

The software with this adaptor (Sena PS110) creates virtual serial ports based on the ethernet connections. The problem we’re having is getting the deck’s to respond to the commands being sent from the computer. The decks get the commands (there’s a utility to check what’s being sent back and forth), they just don’t respond back correctly. The reseller (Axxeon) thinks it’s a pin issue on the cables (which they supply)…so that’s why this thread caught my eye.

So I guess Bob’s doing it the same way you are??

Chris Blair
Magnetic Image, Inc.
Evansville, IN
http://www.videomi.com

[Bob Zelin]

Chris –
you are turning the simpliest thing into brain surgery. I am just using a DIFFERENT CONNECTOR. You can run RS422 on a twisted pair (CAT 5e cable or 9 pin control cable) for about 1000′. This has NOTHING to do with ethernet, other than the fact, that I am using ethernet cable, ethernet connectors, and RJ45 to 9 pin adaptors. The wiring is IDENTICAL to RS422 protocol, and this whole process has NOTHING to do with ethernet, or ethernet protocol. This is no different than sending an audio signal over HD-SDI video cable. It works fine. Its a PIECE OF WIRE ! This method, simply allows you to not have to solder 9 pin connectors, and have quick disconnects for products like the BMD router that have 72 RS422 ports.

Bob Zelin

[Chris Blair]

I understand what you guys are doing. You’re just using the simple connector adaptors.

The main issue we have is producers tie up an edit suite to view and transcribe hours of interviews. Adding deck control to the other edit suites using the simple adaptors doesn’t solve that. They still will tie up an edit suite.

Our goal is to setup a workstation for them to control any of our 4 broadcast decks and be able to see time code, video and hear audio. Our RS422 routers and switches are maxxed out. I didn’t want to spend several hundred dollars more on another RS422 router. Plus I already have the 4-port serial to ethernet device server.

I’m also trying to avoid running more cable in what are already maxxed out cable runs. I can barely fit the cables we have through the existing cutouts and runs we installed 6 years ago.

The benefit to what I’m trying to do is you’d be able to connect 4, 6, 8 or more decks to one or two multi-port serial device controllers, then connect one cable from it to your ethernet and you’re done. All deck control would be selected via virtual com ports. So if you’re on an edit station (or any computer on the network for that matter), you’d change your NLE or deck control app to the com port assigned to a particular deck and you’re instantly controlling it. For frame accuracy you’d still need reference signals, but that would likely already be run. If all your decks are in one room, this further simplifies cabling, since you just need short RS422 cables run into the serial to ethernet adaptor box, then connect that to an ethernet wall port.

Maybe that makes more sense. Yes your way is simpler. But it requires running a lot more cable, it requires me to spend several hundred more dollars on a router, not to mention money on the adaptors, ethernet cabling runs etc….and the time to install it all. I don’t mind trying to find new ways to do something and this is something that companies like Harris and others have already designed into their high-end routing solutions using EXACTLY the same serial to ethernet device server that I’m using. So I know it can work. It’s just a matter of getting the correct cables and software configuraion.

Chris Blair
Magnetic Image, Inc.
Evansville, IN
http://www.videomi.com