„LINK, LIGHT“ does not pass through too. I hope to get a ML Gateway compatibility list from B&O. Maybe the BS3000 needs a firmware update. Depending on the weekend weather I can check the behaviour with another audio and video source.

Andy

Instead of an update you will need a downgrade to a BS7000 I`m afraid. I had this setup some years ago with an AV9000, BS7000 in the mainroom and MX4000 and MCL2as in link rooms. Linked via Masterlink and converter boxes. LINK LIGHT commands were sent via ML without any problems, even timer controlled light sets from the BS7000. When I replaced the AV9000 with a BV7-40. The LINK LIGHT commands were still working, but not received by the BV7-40. When my BS700 and MX4000 were replaced by BS9000 / BV6-22 the LINK LIGHT commands didn`t work anymore.

If you have a BV7-40 MKIII or BS3 try to switch the ML Gateway function in the service menu to "on". Maybe that helps....(?)

Stefan

For a BeoLink Active or BeoLink Passive, the software version must be at least 1.6. Also, In order to enable ML Gateway on the Beolink Active or BeoLink Passive, you must enter the following buttons on the Beo 4:

/MENU/ /0/ /5/ /GO/

/STEP UP/

/GO/ 

What will MENU - 0 - 5 - GO - STEP UP - GO do? Will that enable BL active/passive to receive/send LIGHT- or LINK LIGHT commands?

If so, is there a similar procedure for a BV6, a BL 3500.....?

Stefan

You seem to know this ML Gateway quite well... I have got the following questions...

Which B&O products are compatible with the ML Gateway? And which aren't?

Do you know how the controller device connects to the ML Gateway over ethernet. Is it like a Telnet connection to a certain address/port.

Can several controllers connect to the same ML Gateway at the same time?

Thanks,

   Philippe

@ Stefan and beojeff: Thank you for the good information.

Unfortunately, I don’t have access to BV7-40 MKIII, BS3 BeoLink Active or Passive with firmware version 1.6. But, some minutes ago I was at my local dealer to ask for a firmware update of an old BeoLink Passive which has version 1.4. I hope this could be done. The technician will be back on Monday – hopefully with good news.

With a simple hardware I connected the MasterLink to a Windows PC via a standard serial interface (RS232) to capture ML messages. Attached is a screenshot of a little windows application (ML-Analyzer was a suitable name for it), which shows some messages. Now it would be a good time to have a detailed specification. Anyone?


Andy

Hi,

Some years ago i made a linux program that can control the PC2. It can control your basic MP3 collection and do some nice things with it. I reverce engineed the protocol until i had no time anymore..

Maby it will help you.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/kpc2/develop

Herwin Jan

Hello herwin,

Thank you very much for your contribution and joining the forum to post an answer. I believe your code could be very useful for reverse-engineering the MasterLink protocol. A fleeting glimpse at your code reveals that the information which comes via USB is not exactly the data which floats on the ML bus. So the BeoLink PC2 processor does some data shifting, packaging, etc.

Bye,
Andy

Thanks Herwin,

It is actually going to be very useful for me, for a different project I am doing with the Beolink PC 2.

I'd like to ask you 2 things...

Is your software emulating Beoport in Option 0,2,4 or 6?

How did you reverse engineer the protocol? Is there a software on the PC that would allow me to spy on the communication between the Beoplayer software and the Beolink PC 2 box over USB.

P.

By curiosity, how did you connect masterlink to your rs232 interface, could you share your setup ?

D.