Beolink Passive IR eye

[Madskp]

Just bought an Beolink Passive /ML-MCL converter.

Have already tested that it works as and ML-MCL converter, and also just as an amplifier for passive speakers when connected to a powerlink output.

So just wan’t to find out if the Beolink passive part of it also works and am going to wire up an IR eye.

I have one extra IR eye, the rectangular type from and MCL2A/MCL2AV and was wondering if it can be connected.

Loooking at the wiring diagram  for the IR eye to the Beolink passive I can see that at least, Ground, +5V and IR is named the same, though with other wire coloring, but I think I can manage to see through that.

But the there is the two connections called SCL,I2C and SDA,I2C.

I haven’t found the naming for the MCL2A/AV IR eye in documentation, but On the MCL2AV PCB the two other connections are labeled BUS and CLK.

I assume that might mean they are not the same type of signals?

So will it work, maybe only partly If I only connect the ground, +5V and IR?

Thanks in advance for any inputs

[Guy]

I think it’s worth a try with just ground, 5v and IR and I think it will work. I have had good results mixing IR sensor with just those connections: I have used both VX sensor (old rectangular shape) and a BS3 sensor (circular) with my Beoport, for instance. I also successfully connected both those sensors to a LC2 in place of the IR board and it worked.

With regard to the other two connections, maybe SCL to CLK and SDA to BUS? I would think there’s a low risk of damage (but equipment may lock up until power is recycled) but then it’s not my equipment!

Looking forward to hearing results!

[Guy]

Digging back through my photos and the old forum I remembered that I had already mentioned using a VX sensor with ML devices:

This was the thread:  https://archivedforum2.beoworld.org/forums/t/5529.aspx

Where I stated:  The VX sensor works very well to allow remote control.  (And the little adaptor lead at the front allows me to use the VX sensor with newer ML devices without removing the 3.5 jack plug).

Of course the VX sensor only has the ground, +5v and IR connections.

And this was the photo that has since disappeared, showing the adaptor that I had made:

[Madskp]

Thanks for the input. Will try to wire up a cable, and great Idea with and adapter, Have actually also thought of making something for easy unplugging of the IR eye on the MCL2AV boxes, so might as well make a solution that works for more units.

 

[Madskp]

Ok, took some time to get here, had resolder some adapters to get hold on some 7Pin din connectors that wasn’t nessecary where they was used.

Tried hooking the rectangular IR eye from the MCL2AV up with just the three wires for ground, 5V and IR. And it’s working.

I can control my Beocord 3500 through 1611 + MCL2AV (with no IR eye), the mute button on the IR eye works, and holding it in for a couple of seconds make the system go to standby. The time butto makes the red light turn on, so I suppose this function will also work?

Tried hooking up the 2 remaining wires, but had no effect on the functionality from what I could test. I wonder if they only are for 2 way functions?

I also remembered I had a round IR eye that is used wtih my Beoport without any markings on the buttons. Will try to connect that and see if that also works.

[Madskp]

Madskp wrote:

I also remembered I had a round IR eye that is used wtih my Beoport without any markings on the buttons. Will try to connect that and see if that also works.

Tried to wire the round IR eye up today with all 5 wires on it. Tried it with both the 1611-MCL2AV-BC3500 combination and also with 1611-BM5500-BC3500.

All functions from the remote works. The volume control buttons on the IR eye works, The timer button turns the red light on. The play button will put the whole system in standby with a single press regardless of the two setups.

On the setup with the MCL2AV pressing the play button on the round IR eye again will activate the Beolink passive, but not the BC3500.

Doing the same in the combination with the BM5500 will also reactivate the BC3500 as described in the manual (start playing the last source that was used)

 

[Madskp]

Tried to disconnect the yellow and grey wire SCL,I2C and SDA,I2C in the round IR eye.

All remote control functions still working, but no lights, and no button functions working, so thats what they are for in the round version.

[Guy]

Interesting stuff!  So the ’round IR eye with no markings on the buttons’ is internally probably just a normal ML sensor, which usually has Timer at the top and Play at the bottom.   I have one, and just thought of it as a BS3 sensor (or Beoport sensor), although the buttons did indeed click I didn’t realise that they might work!

Here’s mine inside: (picture previously posted in my LC2 repair thread)

EDIT:  Just for reference, Yellow and Grey would be the (missing) connections 1 and 2 in my sensor.

EDIT 2:  And connection 4 would be White, in a ‘normal’ ML sensor.

[Guy]

Madskp wrote:

But the Mute button will put the whole system in standby with a single press regardless of the two setups.

So is the (round sensor) ‘Mute’ button actually the ‘Play’ button, or am I confused?

Here’s the front of a normal ML sensor:

[Madskp]

Yes it is probably the same one for a group of different products, but with different wirering and button front.

Of course there is the mute anomily but I wonder if that could be related to my Audiomaster not being ML, and/or new enough software version. It was the type 2020 MCL2AV I tried with, so might also try with the newer on to see if the behaviour is any different.

 

[Madskp]

Guy wrote:

Madskp wrote:

But the Mute button will put the whole system in standby with a single press regardless of the two setups.

So is the (round sensor) ‘Mute’ button actually the ‘Play’ button, or am I confused? Here’s the front of a normal ML sensor:

Yes its the play button I meant. But as mentioned the behavour is not as stated in the manual

[Madskp]

Madskp wrote:

Yes its the play button I meant. But as mentioned the behavior is not as stated in the manual

Ok, I might have to correct myself. Reading the instruction manual for the Beolink Passive again I can read that a press on play should turn of the passive, and a press again should activate the last played source, and that is working as it should when the BM5500 is used as Audio master.

So the Round IR eye is working as it should even thought it does not have the text and symbols on the front.

I think I just confused myself with the result of how the rectangular IR eye worked.

[Guy]

Madskp wrote:

Ok, I might have to correct myself. Reading the instruction manual for the Beolink Passive again I can read that a press on play should turn of the passive, and a press again should activate the last played source, and that is working as it should when the BM5500 is used as Audio master.

? that makes sense. And it’s easy to get confused with the number of permutations that you are testing!

Going back a few posts, it’s interesting about the functionality of the extra two wires on the rectangular IR eye. Being required for two-way IR would make sense, and potentially for the ‘timer’ function. I suppose that just because the timer light goes on, doesn’t mean a message has been sent to the Passive via the IR data connection – the IR sensor may still need to be interrogated by the system before the Passive responds to a Timer event.

I am collecting my mother-in-law’s BC9500 for repair later today and will have it for at least a week, so once I have ‘serviced’ it (doors and glass panels) I might have a play with some BL1611/Passive/MCL2AV/Converter options!

[Guy]

Madskp wrote:

I can control my Beocord 3500 through 1611 + MCL2AV (with no IR eye)

Sorry a further question from your earlier post: How exactly is this connected – and where does the Passive fit in?

[Madskp]

Guy wrote:

Going back a few posts, it’s interesting about the functionality of the extra two wires on the rectangular IR eye. Being required for two-way IR would make sense, and potentially for the ‘timer’ function. I suppose that just because the timer light goes on, doesn’t mean a message has been sent to the Passive via the IR data connection – the IR sensor may still need to be interrogated by the system before the Passive responds to a Timer event.

Agree about the timer function not nesesarely working just because the light is on. I don’t think I can test that as I don’t have the MCP 5550 to program timer settings.

However If you take a look at the diagrams for the MCL2A only the yellow wire is in use (for the speaker on/off circiut), and on the MCL2AV the yellow and the grey wire seems to be connected on the screw terminal (will have to double check that on the actual unit), so a little in doubt about the actual function of them

[Madskp]

Guy wrote:

Madskp wrote: I can control my Beocord 3500 through 1611 + MCL2AV (with no IR eye) Sorry a further question from your earlier post: How exactly is this connected – and where does the Passive fit in?

Hi again it’s connected like this:

BL Passive – ML – 1611 – datalink – MCL2AV – datalink BC3500

[Guy]

Madskp wrote:

BL Passive – ML – 1611 – datalink – MCL2AV – datalink BC3500

Got it! I was just being a bit slow about the 1611 -> MCL2AV connection from earlier trials!

[Madskp]

Guy wrote:

Madskp wrote: BL Passive – ML – 1611 – datalink – MCL2AV – datalink BC3500 Got it! I was just being a bit slow about the 1611 -> MCL2AV connection from earlier trials!

It has also been a while, but yes the same setup just with the passive instead of the BL3500

[Guy]

Madskp wrote:

Agree about the timer function not nesesarely working just because the light is on. I don’t think I can test that as I don’t have the MCP 5550 to program timer settings.

However If you take a look at the diagrams for the MCL2A only the yellow wire is in use (for the speaker on/off circiut), and on the MCL2AV the yellow and the grey wire seems to be connected on the screw terminal (will have to double check that on the actual unit), so a little in doubt about the actual function of them

Ah yes I had forgotten about that. I suppose for the MCL2A, the Mute just needs to ‘directly’ operate a relay on the same circuit board (only sending data for a long press), whereas in an MCL2AV everything is done with data? Linking yellow and grey ‘tells’ the IR sensor that it is connected to an MCL2AV, not an MCL2A.

Also, looking at the MCL2A circuit diagram there are two way arrows on the IR data (white) wires, and in the circuit MCL2AV it shows data in/out (connection B4), so two-way data would allow for any timer or indeed two-way IR functionality.

[Madskp]

Madskp wrote:

On the setup with the MCL2AV pressing the play button on the round IR eye again will activate the Beolink passive, but not the BC3500.

Did this test again, but this time with the MCL2AV type 2026 with the newer software.

This time it will reactivate the BC3500 when the play button on the IR eye of the BL passive is pressed, so functioning as described in the manual and as it is when used with the BM5500.

So it seems the newer MCL2AV software version functions better for this setup

[Author]

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