User`s guide

Ethernet Control 17
Ethernet Control
All the commands that are supported via the serial interface are also supported
via UDP control over Ethernet. By sending UDP (User Datagram Protocol)
packets across a network, you can communicate with and control many
DVMHD’s simultaneously (using Unit ID’s) and/or independently.
Hardware and Software
Requirements
Any Ethernet capable show controller or PC with a network interface card can
send messages to units located on the same network. To use Ethernet control,
your control source must have a way to broadcast UDP packets containing
arbitrary message bytes to a specific UDP port number (XXXX). Each unit
must be connected to the physical network via the RJ-45 Ethernet connector on
the rear of the unit. All units must have different IP Addresses to reside on the
same Ethernet network. It is also good practice to assign each unit with a unique
Unit ID.
AMINet Protocol
The user data sent in the UDP packet follows our AMINet Ethernet protocol.
AMINet was originally developed for use with our Ethernet Machine which
provides an Ethernet backbone for communication between Alcorn McBride
Show Controllers. Now the same, easy to use protocol can be used to control
the unit. AMINet is a very flexible and robust Ethernet protocol that allows for
many different uses; however, only one of AMINet’s command op-codes is
necessary to transmit commands to the unit making the usage very simple.
Control Message Format
The control source will send a UDP packet that contains a unit Control Message
as the User Data in the packet. A unit Control Message is comprised of a few
bytes needed specifically for AMINet and some Command bytes. The
Command simply needs to contain an Addressed Pioneer / AMI serial protocol
command. For example, A unit Control Message containing the Command
bytes 7@?V<CR> would cause the unit on the network with Unit ID 7 to send
back a UDP packet containing its version information. Please see the Pioneer /
AMI Serial Protocol section for detailed information about the rest of the
command set.
The basic format of a unit Control Message is as follows:
0xF1 0x01 0x04 <Pioneer / AMI Command> <Checksum> 0xF2
The only bytes that change from message to message are the Command bytes
and the Checksum. The command corresponds exactly to an Addressed Pioneer
/ AMI command.