🚀 go-pugleaf

In <710@philica.ica.philips.nl>, lex@philica.ica.philips.nl (Lex van Sonderen)
writes:
>For the last two weeks I have been trying to connect a Mac IIx to a
>Pioneer LD-V4200 LaserDisk player. I have the documentation of the
>Pioneer RS-232 port, I have the documentation of the Apple 8-pin RS-422
<port, BUT IT JUST WON'T WORK!
>
>Is there someone out there with the same connection, but then working?
>
>Please tell me the connections, or how could I test whether the Pioneer
>RS-232 is working?

I assume you have reversed the send and receive wires?
The connections are:

  Mac (Mini-8)  LD-V4200 (DB-15)
     2             4
     3             3
     4             1
     5             2

I have found that the best way to test a connection is to use a communications
program like Kermit or ZTerm.  This lets you talk directly to the player just
by pressing keys, and lets you zero in on problems such as baud rate and
connections without worrying about whether HyperCard or other software is
causing the problem.

I suggest you use the "?F" command, which will cause the LD-V4200 to return the
current frame number.  Since this returns a string of numbers, it helps you
make sure everything is going out and coming back correctly.  (To give the
command, just type ?F then Return while running the communications program.

Have fun!

Jim Taylor
Microcomputer Support for Curriculum  |
Brigham Young University              |  Bitnet: taylorj@byuvax.bitnet
101 HRCB, Provo, UT  84602            |  Internet: taylorj@yvax.byu.edu