XM works in Timetrax, not RR

bruha · 04-06-2006, 09:59 PM

I have an XM commander box with a DIY serial cable connected to the COM2 header on a VIA MII. When I open TimeTrax, everything works perfectly. When I open up XM inside RR, it doesn't work. I am using the iDrive skin.

In the RRconfig, I have XM Serial Port set to "2", and have played around with the 'Use Line-In Plugin' and 'XMPCR mode' with no luck. Has anyone else experienced this problem and what can be done to fix it? Everyone once in awhile, perhaps after a reboot, XM will magically in RR, but it usually doesn't.

guino · 04-06-2006, 10:18 PM

I've never heard of an XM Commander box .. I only know of XMPCR and XMD1000.. so you may be referring to one of the two ... if you have a XMPCR (the USB version of the XM tuner), you need to check the XMPCR mode option in RRConfig or it won't work, if you have the XMD1000 then you need to leave that unchecked.. now, if you have some 3rd version I don't know about.. most likely it will not work.

bruha · 04-06-2006, 10:31 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by guino

I've never heard of an XM Commander box .. I only know of XMPCR and XMD1000.. so you may be referring to one of the two ... if you have a XMPCR (the USB version of the XM tuner), you need to check the XMPCR mode option in RRConfig or it won't work, if you have the XMD1000 then you need to leave that unchecked.. now, if you have some 3rd version I don't know about.. most likely it will not work.

I'm sorry, it is the XMD1000 which I am powering through the 12V/ACC/GND plug on the box itself instead of power through the serial cable.

guino · 04-06-2006, 11:31 PM

Now, you're saying it works with TimeTrax.. is this plugged through the TimeTrax Dongle or directly ? I'd suggest you try a 3rd application like FrodoXM, etc.. I'm assuming you are closing out of TimeTrax before launching RR.

bruha · 04-07-2006, 10:47 AM

What is the Timetrax dongle? I have a cable running from the XMD1000 to the COM2 serial header on the VIA MII mobo.

GizmoQ · 04-08-2006, 12:31 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by guino

I've never heard of an XM Commander box .. I only know of XMPCR and XMD1000.. so you may be referring to one of the two ... if you have a XMPCR (the USB version of the XM tuner), you need to check the XMPCR mode option in RRConfig or it won't work, if you have the XMD1000 then you need to leave that unchecked.. now, if you have some 3rd version I don't know about.. most likely it will not work.

I run Commanders in my cars and they are just high end XMD1000 s with an external control head and FM antenna slicer. The XM model # is XM-RVR-FM-001. It is exactly the same size and function as the XMD1000 with the addition of an internal FM transmitter and separate power connector.Because the commander's control head uses the com port they had to add a separate power source connector. I like it cause when my tablet isn't in the car, I can still control/listen to XM using the commander controller and my headunit.

One drawback I haven't been able to resolve is that it will only display 16 characters as opposed to the 32 available through the XMD.

Quote: Originally Posted by bruha

What is the Timetrax dongle? I have a cable running from the XMD1000 to the COM2 serial header on the VIA MII mobo..

I have both and believe me the serial setup is much better. The serial solution has power and signal in the connector - period - DONE. The Timetrax interface adds cables, connectors, power, and requires additional USB drivers. I thought it would be a cleaner solution since it was USB, but as far as I'm concerned its strictly a last resort for those people with no more serial ports available. And way overpriced at $80.

hank_kls65 · 09-06-2006, 11:48 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by GizmoQ

I run Commanders in my cars and they are just high end XMD1000 s with an external control head and FM antenna slicer. The XM model # is XM-RVR-FM-001. It is exactly the same size and function as the XMD1000 with the addition of an internal FM transmitter and separate power connector.Because the commander's control head uses the com port they had to add a separate power source connector. I like it cause when my tablet isn't in the car, I can still control/listen to XM using the commander controller and my headunit.

One drawback I haven't been able to resolve is that it will only display 16 characters as opposed to the 32 available through the XMD.

I have both and believe me the serial setup is much better. The serial solution has power and signal in the connector - period - DONE. The Timetrax interface adds cables, connectors, power, and requires additional USB drivers. I thought it would be a cleaner solution since it was USB, but as far as I'm concerned its strictly a last resort for those people with no more serial ports available. And way overpriced at $80.

GizmoQ,

On your Xm commander, are you running that with RR and if so, are you having any luck doing so. I am trying to use the same thing but I can only get it to work if I setup to not use xmpcr start/exit rr, then set for xmpcr, start/exit rr, then finally start rr. Strange, but that is the only way my xm works.

Let me know what you are doing.

Hank

bruha · 10-29-2006, 07:19 PM

Guino, I found that if I open Pyro's XMTest program and then close it, it initializes the XM Direct and the XM commander so they both work in RR. Attached is a log of the data over COM2,

[29/10/2006 19:08:58] - Open COM2 port (C:\WINDOWS\system32\ntvdm.exe)

[29/10/2006 19:09:01] - Written data

5a a5 00 03 74 00 01 ed ed 5a a5 00 04 74 02 01
01 ed ed 5a a5 00 03 74 0b 00 ed ed

[29/10/2006 19:09:03] - Read data

5a a5 00 04 e4 01 00 80 02 68 5a a5 00 04 e4 01
00 82 02 6a

[29/10/2006 19:09:07] - Written data

5a a5 00 05 00 10 10 10 01 ed ed 5a a5 00 02 00
ed ed 5a a5 00 06 10 02 01 00 00 01 ed ed

[29/10/2006 19:09:10] - Read data

5a a5 00 1b 80 01 00 00 33 11 06 20 03 05 00 00
00 09 06 22 20 04 08 52 36 44 31 36 30 52 5a 04
79 5a a5 00 01 e0 01 e0 5a a5 00 06 90 01 00 01
01 00 01 98

[29/10/2006 19:09:17] - Close port

Is it possible to modify RR so it sends the same commands that the XMTest program sends to the unit?

guino · 10-29-2006, 10:29 PM

If you make a log using portmon (www.sysinternals.com) I can try to work it out -- but without the unit to test it, it's not going to be simple. IF you do make the log, make sure it has time stamps and that it is showing the data in Hex

bruha · 10-29-2006, 10:43 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by guino

If you make a log using portmon (www.sysinternals.com) I can try to work it out -- but without the unit to test it, it's not going to be simple. IF you do make the log, make sure it has time stamps and that it is showing the data in Hex

What is the name of the monitoring tool from that website?

guino · 10-29-2006, 10:48 PM

http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/Portmon.html

GizmoQ · 10-30-2006, 12:21 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by hank_kls65

GizmoQ,

On your Xm commander, are you running that with RR and if so, are you having any luck doing so. I am trying to use the same thing but I can only get it to work if I setup to not use xmpcr start/exit rr, then set for xmpcr, start/exit rr, then finally start rr. Strange, but that is the only way my xm works.

Let me know what you are doing.

Hank

Like I just said in this thread (Powering XM Commander), I use the commander almost exclusively in RR. Quick and dirty recap of above thread - power the commander via external plug, setup RR for XMD, works flawlessly every day, everytime..... until XP decides to corrupt the driver

which happens to me about every 9 months or so, but thats more a defrag issue.

Read above thread for a more detailed answer.

bruha · 10-30-2006, 07:25 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by GizmoQ

All the time! RR doesn't care if its a commander or an XMD, it doesn't see any difference in my boxes. They may have changed something in the newer commanders (I haven't bought on in over a year) but the trick for me was initializing the USB driver. Its been a while but it sometimes would initialize as an HID Device and I had to manually update that so it would come up as a serial port.

Otherwise, I know RR initializes the port at startup so I believe if you're running a fast PC or cut power to the Commander everytime you shutdown or both, RR is trying to initialize a box thats not ready. Try powering the external power connector, plug it into the commander, and run Timetrax to initialize it outside RR. Then close Timetrax, wait 10-15 seconds and run RR. Everything should work. I think I remember this issue once before, but since all mine are powered off the external connector it doesn't affect me.

Another benefit of using the external power connector and FM modulator (at least for me) is I get to listen to the last XM station tuned without the PC or Commander headunit just by dialing it in on the headunit.

My Commander is at least a year old, so I think we're dealing with the same hardware. To get it to work, I do the aforementioned TimeTrax open/close. I found out I can run Pyro's XMTest and it also works (faster to do this at the moment).

I have the two types of boxes sitting right here and I'm only having problems with the Commander (same problem hank_kls65 is having). Both boxes work in TimeTrax, Pyro XMTest, Frodo, etc, but there is something wrong with RR that it doesn't initialize the Commander properly. I am using a serial connection; maybe since you use USB, your USB driver initializes the box (and not RR). Can you post the USB driver you are using? Maybe I'll make a cable tonight and test out the USB route.

bruha · 10-30-2006, 07:45 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by guino

If you make a log using portmon (www.sysinternals.com) I can try to work it out -- but without the unit to test it, it's not going to be simple. IF you do make the log, make sure it has time stamps and that it is showing the data in Hex

Guino,

Attached is the log, is it in the format you expected?

Thanks for you help,

GizmoQ · 10-30-2006, 12:42 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by bruha

My Commander is at least a year old, so I think we're dealing with the same hardware. To get it to work, I do the aforementioned TimeTrax open/close. I found out I can run Pyro's XMTest and it also works (faster to do this at the moment).

I have the two types of boxes sitting right here and I'm only having problems with the Commander (same problem hank_kls65 is having). Both boxes work in TimeTrax, Pyro XMTest, Frodo, etc, but there is something wrong with RR that it doesn't initialize the Commander properly. I am using a serial connection; maybe since you use USB, your USB driver initializes the box (and not RR). Can you post the USB driver you are using? Maybe I'll make a cable tonight and test out the USB route.

Believe me serial is the best way to go! You didn't mention whether you tried the external power connector, I would assume the 12V constant in it keeps the initialization stored in memory somewhere allowing for instant on.

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