[Madskp]

markg2000 wrote:

Good observation, I incorrectly said there are “four MCL 2A Type 2046 boxes connected to 7 speaker pairs.” Actually, there are seven MCL 2A Type 2046 boxes connected to 7 speaker pairs.

ok that makes sense

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

markg2000 wrote:

I have four MCL 2A Type 2046 boxes connected to 7 speaker pairs

Just out of curiosity do you need the Expander when you only have four MCL 2A? The system Manual 89-90 states that yoo need it above four link rooms and/or if the cable lengt exceeds 500 feet

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

The MCL 2ABLI and MCL 2AV are both compatible with other MCL 2 equipment.

However non of them will work as replacements for the MCL2 Expander as they do not have the circitry for amplifiying the data signal and supplying power to the MCL units after the expander.

If you are not able to find a expander replacement you could look into alternative options depending on how many link rooms you have and how easy it is to do new cabling in your home.

The BM5500 can be connected to Masterlink link room products with the addition of a Beolink Converter 1611 or 1612

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

 

Guy wrote:

An observation: If you disconnect the ML cable after initiating the BL Active with PC, the source will continue to play and you can adjust volume using remote or IR puck buttons, but you cannot turn off using either remote or buttons.

Interesting observation. Maybe it’s only source selection and standby that needs Masterlink to work since volume control keeps working

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

B3OHACK3R wrote:

Madskp wrote:

So my question to the datalink bits and bytes experts of this forum is if the handshake between a Master unit and a datalink Beocord/Beogram require a microchip with some software, or if it could be solved by a more simple electronic circiut?

Yes, it requires some kind of software and a microcontroller to “fake” that connection. The datalink protocol between BeoGram and a master is much simpler than the “Audio Aux Link” datalink but in any case you are not getting away with it without faking a digital message on the data pin.

Thanks for the answer. Was really hoping for a simple identifier like a certain resistor value or something.
But of course for the intended purpose of the product from B&O’s side this should not be an issue

Thanks again for clarifying

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

Great with an answer from Oneremote, even though its not a clear answer.

Guy wrote:

My BL Active is SW1.1 also. Leaving aside connection of a OneRemote source, it could be worth trying a later SW BL Active (1.3 or 1.5?) to see if that works stand-alone with a source to the PC input – anyone able to do so?

my recent testings in this thread was with a BL Active SW 1.6, and that does not operate stand alone.

There could of course have been a version in between that was working differently.

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

You will need a Beolink converter type 1611 between the BC9500 and the Beolink NL/ML converter. The 1611 converter will translate between Masterlink and the datalink interface on the BC9500.

As for appearance in the app others might chime in, but I believe it will show up as the NL/ML converter

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

If it was working before the building works I woulds suspect the Masterlink cable connection. The only setup of the BL2000 in a masterlink system is an option setting which should be intact even when unpowered.

However you can try setting it by pressing List + standby at the same time. Then press list until option shows in the BEO4 display. The press go and list again until it shows L.OPT. Then press 6 and go.

The speaker should now be set to option 6 which is a link room that can respond to both audio and video commands.

By the way whicjh command do you use to activate the working speaker?

The service code you are mentioning should only be nessecary If you are connectiong an audio device directly to the Masterlink connector on the speaker without the use of the 1611 converter

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

If it turns out its a cable issue you could use either the AUX port on the Ouverture with the phono or n.music command. If you are using BEO4 remotes you will have to find this as a soft button via the LIST button.

Using the 1612’s AUX input will hower react to any Video source buttons and therefor be easier accesible.

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

If you also have a RCA to minijack adapter you could try starting combing that with your RCA to din cable.

If not try searching for B&O Aux cable minijack and you will probably find the right one

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

When using the Aux connector the volume of the Mac Mini should be set relatively high.

You should be able to use the same Aux cable with the 1612 when used as a video source. Masterlink cable between the 1612, Ouverture and link rooms.  If that also has low volume the AUX  cable could be configured wrong (output instead of input)

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

If you want the music from the Mac Mini playing on the whole system you could connect it to the AUX connection on the Beosound Ouverture.

however if the AUX connection is already in use fo other equipment you can use the 1612 to get an extra AUX connection (the connector labeled AAL) that is activated with video commands (TV, V.MEM, DVD etc). This however require you do not have any B&O tv’s in the rooms as this would make conflicts in operation.

The PC input on a Beolink Active will only play music in the room with the Beolink Active, so might not be what you want.

Hope this help you on the way

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

Madskp wrote:

well even though it might be a little redundant it should be possible to connect a Beolink Passive / ML-MCL converter via Powerlink. The passive speaker ports on this box can drive an MCL system including IR eyes.

Just did a test of this to see what happens. A picture of the setup here

From Top to bottom

iPod as music source – connected to AAL connector on – BL1611 working as Audio/video master – connected via Masterlink to – Beolink active with IR eye in option 6 – connencted with fully wired powerlink cable to – ML/MCL converter – connected with MCL cable to – MCL2AV with IR eye in option 1.5 – connected via PL connector to active speaker

What I tried to do is to cover the IR eye on the BL Active and activate the MCL2AV with and audio command. The MCL2AV is turning on, but the ML/MCL converter and the BL Active is not. only if I uncover the IR eye on the BL Active.

So I guess this apply for this situation:

Madskp wrote:

But functionality could of course be reduced on a product like the Beolink Active

Just to be sure nothing was wrong with the MCL data connection between the MCL2AV and the ML/MCL converter I tried to remove the BL active from the setup and connected the ML/MCL with ML cable to the BL1611 and it worked just fine.

I will have to make some cable adapters to make some more testing on this.

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

B3OHACK3R wrote:

Actually, anybody knows what the Powerlink RX function does? Been seeing that in a few schematics. TX is obviously for Penta, 4500, BL5. What about RX? Any speakers sending data back to the source? Was that ever implemented in any speaker? Probably a provision for local controls or a IR receiver within a speaker? Now I’m somehow curious what happens if you connect an IR eye to the PL data pin…

well even though it might be a little redundant it should be possible to connect a Beolink Passive / ML-MCL converter via Powerlink. The passive speaker ports on this box can drive an MCL system including IR eyes.

I have noticed on the diagrams for more than one Beomaster that the data connection is shared between Audio Aux Link, powerlink and MCL, but its not a given. However that suggest some form of comptability between these.

But functionality could of course be reduced on a product like the Beolink Active

I will do some more testing when I have a little spare time on my hands

 

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

B3OHACK3R wrote:

Madskp wrote: But if you can tell from the diagram that SL_config is and output then we might not have much use for that for input applications Yes, definitively output-only in the schematic.

Great to have that confirmed. Just for fun I did a voltage measurement on this pin and it reads 0.4V and fluctates when a command is pressed on the remote control

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

B3OHACK3R wrote:

Madskp wrote:

SL-config is not connected to ML-sense

You can see in the schematic that SL_Config is actually an output. The “CPU CARD” can set it’s SL_CONFIG pin low which will then provide a logic high signal (5V) on PC pin 1. SL probably stands for slave. Maybe to tell a peripheral connected to the PC socket that the PC source was activated?

The original peripheral for this connection was the first Beolink PC office box, shown in one of the first posts in this thread. The ML data pins and the SL_config pin was then connected to that. But if it makes sense that the BL Active should send some kind of signal to the BL PC office box when there was also the ML data I don’t know.

But if you can tell from the diagram that SL_config is and output then we might not have much use for that for input applications

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

Madskp wrote:

One thing I will try to test is if it will run with a BLC 1614 connected on Masterlink, just to check if a Audio- or videmoster is required, or if its just the presence of Masterlink voltage, and or signals

Tried to test the BL Active with a 1611 Converter connected as an audiomaster on the ML side just to get a baseline of things working. BL active in option 6.

All functions works as expected, I can choose all audio and video source from the ML side and get sound through powerlink, and I can use the PC input and get sound through powerlink.

Replacing the 1611 converter with a 1614 converter on the other hand will not make any functions work at all. The red standby LED on the IR eye will just keep lighted. SO no luck there

 

 

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

Just redid my measurements, and I must have followed a wrong trace when I did my measurements last, as there is no connection between Pin 1 SL-config and the Masterlink connector.

But still as the diagram also shows:

Pin 6 Data –  is Masterlink Data –
Pin 8 Data + is Masterlink Data +

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

Keith Saunders wrote:

This afternoon I have spent some time searching my boxes of manuals related to all the B&O converters. I have found a circuit diagram for type 1636 which is attached.

Great to have this diagram to do back up our testing. I can already see that I will have to revisit my measurements as SL-config is not connected to ML-sense (which doesn’t seem to be there at all).

Guy wrote:

Thanks for the 1636 schematic Keith!

Keith Saunders wrote:

I should also point out that the type 1636 (EU) replaced the 1611. In fact, all type 161x converters were replaced with 163x units when one was purchased. In other words if a 1611 (EU) converter failed, it must be replaced by a 1636 (EU)

I must admit that I don’t understand this! I can imagine the BL Active 1616 (two PL sockets) being replaced with Active Type 1636 (PL and PC sockets). However surely the BL Converter 1611 is used for a totally different purpose with PL and AAL inputs? Or is there another ‘EU’ version of the 1611 out there?

I am also a little puzzled about that as the 1610, 1611, 1612, 1614 and 1615 all converts between Masterlink and AAL datalink where the 1616, 1618, 1636, 1637, 1638 and 1639 all are link room products with IR and Powerlink connection + the added PC connection on the 163x series.  Could it be that it was only units from 1616 onwards  that was replaced by 163x? Maybe a text written in a cryptic way?

Anyway some followup testing to do with the functionality and many thanks to Keith for locating the diagram 🙂

 

 

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

Guy wrote:

That’s a good idea – I don’t think I have a 1614 but I guess yours arrived as part of that large pile of black boxes you acquired!

Yes there are 10 of them as part of the mountain 🙂

Haven’t got any luck dealing any of them on, but then again the 1611 is a better option

Location: Denmark

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