v1.4
Changes in this version:
- Changed implementation to utilize more standard SwitchPower and RenderingControl services.
I’ve attached the relevant files here to be used until the plugin is approved in the App Store. The only things missing are the icon images which are unchanged from the previous version.
v1.2
Changes in this version:
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Support for C-series controllers (MCA-C5, MCA-C3)*.
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Changed incoming message parsing to allow for variable lengths.
- A known issue with “grouped” zones on C-series controllers exists that will lock up the controller if sources are changes rapidly. Russound is working on this issue.
v1.1
Changes in this version:
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RNET commands have been updated to the latest version. Per Russound, these should work with all CA-series and C-series controllers, as long as they are on the latest firmware. There has been a report of issues with the “Source” buttons on a C-series controller but I’m unsure of the version of firmware that controller was running. Any feedback from C-series controller users would be appreciated.
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Mute toggle button added.
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Additional controller messages parsed for “Display” window.
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Status feedback parsing revamped with explicit status requests no longer being needed.
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New icon for audio zones.
v1.0
Intro
This plugin was created for personal use but I wanted to share with the community as I know this has been requested a number of times. I’m not a developer but with the help of a few people on this forum, I was able to put this together. Below are some key bits of information for installation and use.
Devices
The only controller that I can say with certainty that this will work with is the CAM6.6(T) as that is what I have. The “set” and “get” codes were retrieved from a Russound RNET protocol document that states support for the CAM, CAV, CAA, and CAS series controllers, so my assumption is it will work with those, as well. As for any other controller, my fingers are crossed but I can’t promise anything. I’ve asked big517 to do some testing on an MCA controller and it doesn’t appear to work properly. If I can get a complete protocol document for the MCA implementation of RNET, I’ll happily put together an I_RNET.xml file for those controllers.
Connectivity
This plugin only works with serially-connected Russound controllers. I am personally using a FTDI-chipped serial/USB adapter on the back of the Russound controller with a USB extension cable connected to the Vera and it worked right out of the box. Search for “Serial Device Compatibility” and you’ll find a page that talks about these devices. In UI5, the serial port configuration is set in “Apps” > “Develop Apps” > “Serial Port configuration”. The settings you will need for communication to the Russound controller are:
Baud: 19200
Parity: none
Data bits: 8
Stop bits: 1
Installation
During the plugin installation process, you’ll see a message scrolling in the message window asking you to choose the serial port. In a new window you need to go to the same “Serial Port configuration” page and in the “Used by device” drop-down menu, select the RNET Controller. It will complete the process by installing the parent “Controller” device, as well as two child “Zone” devices by default. To add (or remove) zones, go to the parent device’s “Advanced” tab, scroll down to the “ZoneIds” variable, and enter or remove the Russound zones you want to control through Vera. Zones are separated by commas with no spaces.
Use
This should be relatively straight forward as it should mimic the use of a keypad. A few potential issues here:
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I was hoping to use a slider for the volume control but the Vera slider will only allow changes in 10% increments. This isn’t granular enough for me so I went with volume up/down buttons. If the granularity of this changes in the future, I’ll likely change this to a slider.
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In the “Control” tab of each zone is a Source Display. This will display a broadcast from an RNET-compatible source to each zone that is set to that source. The protocol document I used stated this would be a 42 byte long status but I found this to actually be 39 bytes long on the tuner module of my CAM6.6. I don’t currently have any other RNET-compatible sources so I can’t test if this changes by source. If anyone out there has an iPod dock and/or SMS3 and it’s not displaying the information you get on your keypad, let me know and I’ll have you run a couple of tests to figure out the byte length.
3) This may be specific to the tuner module I have but both the “Play” and “Pause” buttons also function as mute…independently. If you mute with one and unmute with the other, the Source Display will still show Muted/Unmuted. I can’t think of a way to address this so just know that if you do this, you’ll have to click each of “Play” and “Pause” again to clear the display. This must have been an old issue from an old build, the uploaded version does not have this problem. “Play” changes band, “Pause” mutes/unmutes, “Stop” seeks.
- I have not figured out how I want to deploy Party Mode on this yet. Once I figure it out, I’ll upload a new version of the plugin.
Well that is all I have for now. Please feel free to share any feedback and I’ll do my best to address issues with the limited resources/knowledge that I have in plugin development.