Powerlink Comptability

[Madskp]

Guy wrote:

“Strange – I have tried inserting it again, but if that doesn\u0027t work, here it is as an attachment

Thanks that is working and very informative regarding the behavior

 

Location: Denmark

[Guy]

I just amended the attachment/photo slightly to reflect the fact that on the Essence there is actually a short (3-4 second) delay before the voltages on pins 4&5 drop (whilst the music fades out).

I am leaving the Essence/Passive set up for a few days to see if I experience any longer term problems using a fully wired RJ45 to PL lead.

Location: Warwickshire, UK
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[Madskp]

Guy wrote:

I am leaving the Essence/Passive set up for a few days to see if I experience any longer term problems using a fully wired RJ45 to PL lead.

Great, then we can see if the long term issue that Steve mentioned in that other thread do apply in your case

Location: Denmark

[Guy]

Madskp wrote:

“\nGuy wrote:\nI am leaving the Essence\/Passive set up for a few days to see if I experience any longer term problems using a fully wired RJ45 to PL lead.\nGreat, then we can see if the long term issue that Steve mentioned in that other thread do apply in your case”

I have had to pack the equipment away again today, but in the two weeks that the Essence Mk2 has been set up, the standard, fully-wired RJ45 to PL cable worked perfectly to turn the Passive on and off at the appropriate times.  There is a delay after using Bluetooth, but this is expected because the Essence waits a while (by design) to send the power-off signal over the PL socket.  At random times (pre- and post- shutdown) I checked the voltages at RJ45 pins 4&5 and they were identical.

For the last week or so I added my Beoplay M3 to the mix to see if additional NL devices had any effect, but there was no change to behaviour.   I didn’t add the NL/ML Converter (or any ML devices) to the test, so that is one thing that could potentially affect the Essence/PL behaviour, but I doubt it would make any difference.

Location: Warwickshire, UK
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[Madskp]

Guy wrote:

I have had to pack the equipment away again today, but in the two weeks that the Essence Mk2 has been set up, the standard, fully-wired RJ45 to PL cable worked perfectly to turn the Passive on and off at the appropriate times.  There is a delay after using Bluetooth, but this is expected because the Essence waits a while (by design) to send the power-off signal over the PL socket.  At random times (pre- and post- shutdown) I checked the voltages at RJ45 pins 4&5 and they were identical.

Thanks for coming back on this. I think I will leave the info in the first post as is then for know.

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

Guy wrote:

I have had to pack the equipment away again today, but in the two weeks that the Essence Mk2 has been set up, the standard, fully-wired RJ45 to PL cable worked perfectly to turn the Passive on and off at the appropriate times.  There is a delay after using Bluetooth, but this is expected because the Essence waits a while (by design) to send the power-off signal over the PL socket.  At random times (pre- and post- shutdown) I checked the voltages at RJ45 pins 4&5 and they were identical. For the last week or so I added my Beoplay M3 to the mix to see if additional NL devices had any effect, but there was no change to behaviour.   I didn’t add the NL/ML Converter (or any ML devices) to the test, so that is one thing that could potentially affect the Essence/PL behaviour, but I doubt it would make any difference.

Thanks for coming back on this. I think I will leave the info in the first post as is then for now

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

Thanks for updating on this Guy.

Based on that I will leave the info in the first post as is for now then

Location: Denmark

[CharlieWednesday]

I got my BC8500 and BG8500 out of storage this weekend, so was able to carry out one more test:

Test 5 – BC8500  > MLL2AV > BL Penta – Partial Pass

Connected via PL Mk2 cables so they will transmit the display data, but no display on the Pentas.  Sound was fine, but no display.

 

Note that I have the 8500 out of storage, my intention is to use it as my main audio system in my office (replacing the BS4).  I’ll be attempting to connect equipment from three generations to see if it all works together, and I’ll report back when I’ve got it all wired up and let you know.  This is the plan:

Main Audio System:

• BC8500 (Opt.0) > BL Converter 1611 > ML Junction Box

Then from the ML Junction Box:

• ML Junction Box > BV7 (Opt.2)
• ML Junction Box > BL Converter NL/ML
• ML Junction Box > BL Gateway

Then for digital audio:

• BL Converter NL/ML > BS Essence Mk 2

The BS Essence Mk2, BL Gateway and BL Converter NL/ML are all also connected via NL.

The speakers are connected to the BV7, being BL Penta (front), BL 600o (rear), BL 7.1 (TV centre) and BL 7.4 (cinema centre).

It’ll probably take me a while to get it all wired up.  I know that the BC8500 will want to go to Phono while the Essence will want to go to N.Radio in response to the PH remote command, but I should be able to get around that using the IR Mapping capability of the NL/ML converter.

I’ll report back here with the results.

Location: Liverpool
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[Madskp]

CharlieWednesday wrote:

I got my BC8500 and BG8500 out of storage this weekend, so was able to carry out one more test: Test 5 – BC8500  > MLL2AV > BL Penta – Partial Pass Connected via PL Mk2 cables so they will transmit the display data, but no display on the Pentas.  Sound was fine, but no display.

Thanks or taking the time to test it. I thought for sure that configuration would work with the dispays on the Penta’s.

CharlieWednesday wrote:

I know that the BC8500 will want to go to Phono while the Essence will want to go to N.Radio in response to the PH remote command, but I should be able to get around that using the IR Mapping capability of the NL/ML converter.

Yes probably you can make some workaround, maybe an unused video source can be used. However I am unsure how it will work with the BV7. Probably ok if that video source is not setup to a connection on the BV7

 

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

Madskp wrote:

CharlieWednesday wrote: I got my BC8500 and BG8500 out of storage this weekend, so was able to carry out one more test: Test 5 – BC8500  > MLL2AV > BL Penta – Partial Pass Connected via PL Mk2 cables so they will transmit the display data, but no display on the Pentas.  Sound was fine, but no display. Thanks or taking the time to test it. I thought for sure that configuration would work with the dispays on the Penta’s.

I did go through all my MCL2 documentation but did not find any mentioning of the speaker display data not being showed with a MCL2AV.

Can I ask if you did have the equipment in the same room when testing and if so if the  BC8500 was in option 0? Reason for asking this is that the soundpath will work even if there is a problem with the data connection between the BC8500 and MCL2AV, and both units would be activated by your remote presses thus giving the impression that it works as intended

 

Location: Denmark

[CharlieWednesday]

Today I attempted my experiment using both a 1611 converter and an NL/ML converter in the same system.  It didn’t work.

The 1611 is doing its job – my speakers are connected to my BV7 TV and if I select Phono (or N.Radio) as a source, my BG8500 starts up and I hear it, and I can control it by remote.  Therefore the 1611 is doing its job – taking the A.Aux link from my Beocenter 8500 and bringing it into my ML network.  And yes – I did ensure everything else was already connected before I powered the 1611!

However, I cannot get sources to play from my Essence Mk2.  I have tried using the NL/ML converter’s options to make it work but it won’t.  For example I have tried mapping source DVD2 (which was unused) to the Essence for N.Radio, but when I press DVD2 on my Beo4, I get nothing.  I’ve tried the same with N.Music too – but got nothing.

Using the B&O app (on Android), if I start to play digital music from my NAS, or B&O radio, it shows as playing in the app, but I get nothing else.

The NL/ML converter has a log page and all I am getting is this, when I try to select DVD2 as a source:

Mar 16 10:06:02 (none) BLC[1141]: [info]:Client disconnected. Message: Socket error. Error: Broken pipe, ErrorCode: 32 [Notifier.cpp:233]
Mar 16 10:06:02 (none) BLC[1141]: [info]:Dismissing HTTP Response due to errorState [Http.cpp:349]

So, it’s looking like the BL Converters from two generations aren’t going to talk to each other.  Shame.

I’ll leave it all wired up for now in case anyone has any questions, solutions or ideas!

Location: Liverpool
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[Madskp]

CharlieWednesday wrote:

“Today I attempted my experiment using both a 1611 converter and an NL\/ML converter in the same system.\u00a0 It didn\u0027t work.\n\nThe 1611 is doing its job – my speakers are connected to my BV7 TV and if I select Phono (or N.Radio) as a source, my BG8500 starts up and I hear it, and I can control it by remote.\u00a0 Therefore the 1611 is doing its job – taking the A.Aux link from my Beocenter 8500 and bringing it into my ML network.\u00a0 And yes – I did ensure everything else was already connected before I powered the 1611!\n\nHowever, I cannot get sources to play from my Essence Mk2.\u00a0 I have tried using the NL\/ML converter\u0027s options to make it work but it won\u0027t.\u00a0 For example I have tried mapping source DVD2 (which was unused) to the Essence for N.Radio, but when I press DVD2 on my Beo4, I get nothing.\u00a0 I\u0027ve tried the same with N.Music too – but got nothing.\n\nUsing the B\u0026O app (on Android), if I start to play digital music from my NAS, or B\u0026O radio, it shows as playing in the app, but I get nothing else.\n\nThe NL\/ML converter has a log page and all I am getting is this, when I try to select DVD2 as a source:\n\nMar 16 10:06:02 (none) BLC[1141]: [info]:Client disconnected. Message: Socket error. Error: Broken pipe, ErrorCode: 32 [Notifier.cpp:233]\nMar 16 10:06:02 (none) BLC[1141]: [info]:Dismissing HTTP Response due to errorState [Http.cpp:349]\n\nSo, it\u0027s looking like the BL Converters from two generations aren\u0027t going to talk to each other.\u00a0 Shame.\n\nI\u0027ll leave it all wired up for now in case anyone has any questions, solutions or ideas!”

I guess that your BV7 is setup as V.master (opt. 2), and if you have also setup the NL/ML converter as V.master they will conflict.

If you do not need to share the sources from the BV7 you could try to set it up as a link room (v.opt. 6) which can then get the sources from both the Audio master (1611+BC8500) and video master (NL/ML converter).

Hope that is usefull

Location: Denmark

[CharlieWednesday]

Thanks for the suggestion, but alas, it didn’t work.  The results were the same.

 

I also tried removing everything else out of the network – just the BV7 and the BC8500 connected together (via the 1611), and found something unexpected – if I select a source on the BC8500 panel, the speakers don’t power on.  They’ll only power on if I select a source on the remote.

I assume this is a limitation of the 1611, and that won’t work for me, so I’ll go back to using the BS4 in that room, I think.

Location: Liverpool
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[Madskp]

CharlieWednesday wrote:

“Thanks for the suggestion, but alas, it didn\u0027t work.\u00a0 The results were the same.\n\n\u00a0\n\nI also tried removing everything else out of the network – just the BV7 and the BC8500 connected together (via the 1611), and found something unexpected – if I select a source on the BC8500 panel, the speakers don\u0027t power on.\u00a0 They\u0027ll only power on if I select a source on the remote.\n\nI assume this is a limitation of the 1611, and that won\u0027t work for me, so I\u0027ll go back to using the BS4 in that room, I think.”

The direct control from the BC8500 buttons will only work if you also connect a powerlink cable between the 1611 and the BC8500.

That however does not explain the other issue

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

Oh and just remebered that the direct control from the Beocenter buttons also require the BV7 to be Video master, so willnot work with my suggestion to put the BV7 in v.opt 6

Location: Denmark

[CharlieWednesday]

I’ve been experimenting for the full afternoon today, I think I’ve tried every configuration and option available!  If I make one thing work, another stops working.  It seems that using the three generations together just isn’t going to work.

I disconnected the 1611 converter and BC8500, set the NL/ML converter as an A.Master, and then tried to use IR Mapping to activate N.Radio with a different source button, but none of it worked.  N.Radio on my Essence will only respond to the N.Radio button, no matter what I do in the NL/ML converter’s IR Mapping settings.

I have one option left – if I decide I can’t live without the BC8500 and BG8500 in my office (in place of the BS4 that I have been using), I could just get a cable  (RJ45 Powelink to to 5 pin DIN) to connect the Essence to the Tape.2 input on BC8500.  It means I would lose the ability to control N.Music or N.Radio with my Beo4/Beo6 remotes, but I might be prepared to live with that.  That would take the NL/ML converter out of the equation, and if so I might as well disconnect the BL Gateway too, as I don’t really have much use for that other than as an interesting toy.

 

• This reply was modified 2 weeks, 2 days ago by CharlieWednesday.

Location: Liverpool
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[CharlieWednesday]

Ah, I’ve just read this in the BL Converter NL/ML installation manual:

IR mapping settings are only relevant if Power Link speakers and IR receiver are installed.

By which it means PL speakers connected directly to the BLC.

I can understand why IR Mapping might only work via an IR Eye that is directly connected to the BLC.  I do have a spare IR Eye but I don’t have the correct cable top connect it to the BL Converter.  I’ll order one so I can give it a try.

I don’t however see why it says the PL speakers would need to be connected to the BL Converter directly for this to work.  That’s never going to work for me as I have a full set of surround speakers, hence they are connected to the BV7 TV.

• This reply was modified 2 weeks, 2 days ago by CharlieWednesday.

Location: Liverpool
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[Madskp]

Just noticed  that you mentioned IR mapping settings. Have you tried the sources mapped to ML in the NL/ML converter settings?

Location: Denmark

[CharlieWednesday]

In the BLC web settings there’s a Sources Visible on ML tab, an Experience Mapped to NL tab and an IR Mapping tab.  I’m pretty sure I’ve exhausted every combination of settings on all three of those tabs now!

I’ve ordered the cable for my IR Eye to connect it to the BLC.  I’ll see if I can experiment further with that.

I’ve also dug through some of my old stuff and found that I already have an RJ45-Powerlink to RCA cable, and I also have some RCA to DIN adapters, so I will at least be able to connect the Essence to the Tape.2 input of my BC8500, and control the Essence’s sources with the app on my phone.  At least that’s something.

Location: Liverpool
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[Madskp]

Actually never tried to get a source from NL to ML, only the other way. If I find the time I might try how it workswith a source from my Beoplay V1 TV to some ML equipment

Location: Denmark

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