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Ah that is interesting. I already have 2 of those older rectangular IR receivers which came with MCL2A and MCL2AV. Of course they have bare wires rather than a DIN connection that the 1657 requires, but it’d be easy enough to fit one and I think I can see how I would wire it up on other thread you posted a link to!
You just need a 7-pin DIN plug. Here are the pin numbers from the soldering side:
Then the IR transceiver cables need soldering as follows:
Brown – Ground – pin 2
Green – 5v – pin 6
White – IR data – pin 7
Leave the yellow and grey wires unconnected.
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As madskp said above, many of the sensor are interchangeable – I did a few tests here to show the limitations of each: https://forum.beoworld.org/forums/topic/beolink-passive-ir-eye/page/2/#post-45813
Tests were done with a BL Active, but connection to a Passive would be similar.
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If I recall correctly Beocenter 9000 has a 12v ‘relay’ output, designed to be used to switch on auxiliary devices. It wouldn’t take much to use this 12V output, reduced to 5V, to trigger the Beolab speakers over powerlink. Perhaps this has been done before.
Alternatively, something like this would work to trigger powerlink speakers with a line-level input: https://shop.oneremote.dk/shop/69116-powerlink-aux-adaptor/4154-powerlink-aux-expander/
EDIT: A second hand Playmaker (or even Beosound Essence) would also work if set to fixed volume output and with IR disabled. Playmaker/Essence both have an auto-sensing 3.5mm aux input (twin phono input for Essence) and powerlink output, albeit you’d need to convert the latter from RJ45 to normal powerlink with adaptor cables.
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A little down this page looks to confirm that the wirering for the Essence and the NL/ML converter is the same although different color coding is used in the examples https://forum.recordere.dk/bo-din-kabler-connection-div-diy_topic7820_page47.html
Thanks for that – useful to know that I am at least trying to get it right, albeit without the Tx Rx connections!
The RJ45 cable that I used matches the T-568B standard colours of the second diagram. It would seem that B&O use those cables for 20m and great, but have a bespoke cable colour scheme for their 10m version.
Interesting that the photo at the link actually shows an Essence Mk1 – on the Mk2 the IR socket moves to the right of the Powerlink (one of the things I was checking when I bought mine!)
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Glad it worked!
I have often found them full of leaking batteries – clearly the owner never knew there were batteries fitted and probably thought that they were powered from the phone line. There’s also an A/V volume control that will clip onto the side of the Beocom 1600/2400/2500 landline phones – just add a 4.5v battery box to make a useful under table remote! (not the first time I have shown this photo! 😀)
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I can’t remember if I ever dif try an IR eye on my NL/ML converter. If I find some time I will take a look at how that reacts
Thanks – that would be useful. It would also be useful to know if there is anything in the NL/ML converter’s menu that enables IR control.
I have just tried an MCL transceiver (brown, green, white wires as gnd, 5v, and IR). Only difference here is that I get a re-assuring red light in the transceiver when I transmit (I didn’t get that with the ML eye).
(BTW. Each time I try something different I am trying first to set the Essence in A.OPT 1 – I’ve also tried L.OPT 1.)
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One thing i note when looking at the wirering diagrams for the IR eyes in the Beolink Handbook is that Essence and Core for that matter is not mentioned. I would expect the wirering to be as for the Beolink Converter NL/ML, but you never know.
Yes I noticed that, but every other B&O sensor with RJ45 is using pins 1, 4 and 7 for 5V, Gnd and IR data respectively, so I see no logical reason to be different! Steve at Sounds Heavenly used to sell a cable to connect an older ML IR eye to the Essence, but he can’t comment on DIY solutions such as this. Relevant thread here: https://archivedforum2.beoworld.org/forums/p/20753/170471.aspx#170471
I just set up a BL1611 with BL Passive and ML IR eye and checked sensor voltages. Fully connected, IR data voltage is approx 4.2V dropping to 3.7v when IR is transmitted (similar to your MCL results). Interestingly, if I then disconnect the ML sensor pins 1 and 2 (SCL and SDA), remote control still works but IR data voltage drops to 1.8V, increasing to about 4v when IR is transmitted. I can’t work out any logic to this, as SCL/SDA seems to be a discreet circuit within the sensor, other than sharing the 5V supply. (Also, the red standby light doesn’t work if SCL/SDA are disconnected, but I was expecting that.)
BTW. could there be a software issue with the Essence, like feature removal in newer versions og first added after ceartain software revision? Pure guesswork from here
Yes, it’s quite possibly SW related. I updated the Essence to the latest version 2.5.55678.170713653, but past updates have addressed IR control issues, as you can see from this list: https://update.bang-olufsen.com/products/58ba6c9e15524870a403957cdfbee6ab
It wouldn’t be the first time that a SW update has cancelled an earlier fix!
Not sure where to go from here – maybe I’ll approach B&O Tech Support?
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I just tried to disconnect the IR data pin on the MCL2 AV. On the screw terminal of the MCL2AV I hav 4.95V. on the loose wire from the IR eye I have arround 2.6 volt. As I understand this type of signaling the tramitting part should try to pull the voltage down.
Where you are measuring the 1V and 0.4V could you try to disconnect the wires to see if voltage from the IR eye differes from that from the Essense?
Thanks for checking that. Measuring IR wire when disconnected gives 0v at Essence, and 1.2V at sensor, the latter increases to approx 4V when IR transmitting. It is behaving as if the Essence is expecting IR data on a different pin!
I just repeated everything with BS3 sensor – same results.
I will find something else to connect the ML sensor to – maybe BL Active or Passive, and see how the voltages change.
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Under the little flap where the notepad goes?
Yes – this is where it is.
A bit awkward but folds down from the top.EDIT: Folds from right to left – see photo attached to Beozips post here: https://archivedforum2.beoworld.org/forums/p/42465/309140.aspx#309140
EDIT 2: From Beocom 1401 manual:
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Having checked an ML sensor circuit diagram (within Beolink Active service manual) , I suspect the sensor – will now try a BS3 sensor. Watch this space 😀
EDIT: ML Sensor circuit diagram:
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That does not sound right. I just double checked on a MCL2AV, and the voltage between ground and IR data is normally 4.95V and drops to some place between 4 and 5 V depending on the key pressed. I have also seen this behaviour on other setups.
So is the 5V at the IR data produced by the powered IR eye or does it come from the source (Essence or MCL2AV)?
One thing you could do is to meassure on the bare ends of the rest of the wires in the network cable if any of them have a voltage arround 5V. That could indicate if the Essence has a different wirering.
Just checked whilst just +5V and ground connected to IR eye. All connections at 0V with the exception of Pin 2 which reads -5V (which makes sense at that would be data Rx in a fully wired sensor).
I wonder if the Essence needs the correct ‘JOIN’ type IR sensor with data Tx and Rx also connected in order to carry out some sort of handshake and work properly?
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Back home now! Answers in bold below:Have you used a cut over network cable to make the connection? I have seen some network cables that do not follow the standard color coding for example what comes first the white/orange or the orange. Yes a cut network cable, but used a magnifying glass to look through the clear connector to check colour coding against pins. Pin1 White /Orange, Pin 4 Blue, Pin 7 White/Brown
If possible can you check the connection between the RJ45 connector and the screw terminal in the IR eye for continuity? Checked and fine for all three connected pins
When connected can you measure 5V between Ground and +5V in the screw terminal of the IR eye? Yes
Also when connected can you meassure a voltage around 5V between ground and IR data screw terminal of the IR eye? No, it’s about 0.4V
If yes can you see the voltage changing when pressing a key on the BEO4? Pressing transmit shows momentary change from 0.4V to about 1V
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Sorry madskp I posted without seeing your post – got to go out now but will have a look later!
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I am still unable to work this out! I have checked the Essence RJ45 and there is 5V between pins 1 and 4, so the IR eye is receiving power.
There is a menu setting in the Essence’s settings remote control menu that has a tick box against ‘Match mode 4 and mode 0’ – anyone know what this is for? I have tried on and off, to no avail.
I have tried a second IR eye in case the first is faulty – no change. I will try a BeoSystem 3 IR eye next, or maybe an MCL eye. With just IR, +5V and gnd connected, either should work.
I can’t help feeling that there is a setting in the Essence that I am missing, but I am struggling to find any guides regarding IR control.
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+1 for FLAC. I used Exact Audio Copy to do mine.
One good thing about FLAC is that it’s then easy to use that high quality FLAC copy to convert to other (‘lesser’) files types if needed in the future. eg My last car wouldn’t play FLAC from SD cards, so I converted a playlist of FLAC files to 320kbps mp3.
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Old thread I know, but I too now have an Essence Mk2 and am trying to connect a older hockey-puck IR eye with the timer button, exactly as jelop attempted unsuccessfully above.
I have connected exactly as in the diagram above, with just +5v, Gnd and IR data connected, but I can’t get any response from the Essence, even when trying to put it in A.OPT 1. There are no indications from the IR eye, not even a red light when the IR is transmitting.
Does anyone know of any tricks to get the Essence Mk2 to respond to Beo4, IR control?
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Ah, pity we didn’t try the other BM7000 first!
Does the ‘faulty’ BM7000 accept the Option setting without problem? I can’t remember if there is an indication on the front panel when you set A.OPT 1 or whatever. Maybe compare it with your ‘working’ BM7000.
There could well be an internal fault in the BM7000 – other than checking for broken data connections to the extra pins of the Speaker 2 sockets I don’t know what else to suggest.
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Great news about the Beoport/PC2. You may wish to have a read of some of my experiences in this thread: https://forum.beoworld.org/forums/topic/beoport-beoplayer/page/3/#post-39476
Mine worked a lot better once I realised that I needed to install he Beoport software, rather than the Beoplayer software!
There are still a few problems with internet radio – mine won’t play BBC radio stations for more than 30 seconds which is annoying, but I think it’s a BBC format problem. BFBS, Classic FM and Danish stations (eg DR P1, 2 and 3) are fine. There is still some strange windows behaviour where it mutes the BeoNetRadio sometimes when you change stations – you have to open the PC’s volume mixer to unmute. It happens on both Win10 and 11 (but not Vista!) and I haven’t found a fix.
Will you be using it with a PC or Mac, and if the latter what operating system does you computer have?
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Thanks Guy. Yes, I am thinking of another Ouverture or a BS3000. Would they automatically be older than a BC2 or a BS4?
Ouverture was produced 1994-2003
BeoSound 3000 was produced 2000-2006 (There was also the BS3200, similar but with a built in hard drive – I have read many reports about problems with the hard drive, hence probably best avoided)
BeoCenter 2 was produced 2004-2012
BeoSound 4 was produced 2006-2010
With all the above, I would look for condition rather than age.
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So I have ordered a new laser for the faulty BeoSound 1 – it’s on the way from China and I’ll let you know how I get on.
I wanted to start using the new SW2.5 BeoSound 1 with the clock, so I removed the CD mechanism from one of my working SW1.3 (no clock) BeoSound 1s and fitted it in the new one – despite being a slightly different CD module (VAU1255/01 rather than VAU1255/21LF, it works well. When swapping the laser modules I was careful to keep the display module (PCB3) with the original main board to avoid any SW incompatibility or Pin Code conflicts.
Here’s the working mechanism that I moved:
The ‘donor’ BeoSound 1 now needs a good internal clean – a job for tomorrow:
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