[mythtv-users] DirecTV (RS232-to-RJ11 cable) -- I think I figured out my problem!

[Ray Olszewski]

First, please do not apologize for "being long". Troubleshooting cabling 
problems is always a matter of detail, and I'd much prefer to wade through 
some irrelevancy than to hit "I think I got that part right" in the middle 
of a report. And in facf none of the detail you provide is irrelevant, anyway.

At 08:39 PM 6/9/2003 -0400, John Klimek wrote:

>http://www.pcmx.net/dtvcon/ -- this is the diagram that I tried to follow.
>
>If you turn the phone connector (RJ22) upside (so you can see the gold
>pins), I ordered them like this (top to bottom):
>
>1 (white)
>2 (white)
>3 (red)
>4 (black)

In looking at the URL, I can't really see which way they expect you to 
orient the RJ22 connector. Were I to guess, I'd make the same guess you did 
... but that still eaves it a guess, albeit a shared one.

>Then, I cut a 75' (I think its 75', it appears longer than 50')  RJ11 cable
>just to make my RJ22 cable longer.  Now, I connected these two cables like
>this:
>
>RJ22 --> RJ11
>1 - (white) --> Green
>2 - (red) --> Red
>3 - Not used
>4 - (black) --> Black

Note that between these two descriptions, the location of the (red) wire 
moved from position 3 to position 2. Is this just a typo or does it reflect 
a wiring error?

If it is a wiring error ... as I read the wiring diagram at te URL you 
reference, this is the pin for RX (that is, the line the PC receives data 
on). Miswiring it would cause replies from the DirecTV device not to reach 
the PC, no matter how you wired the DE9 end.


>Now, I cut an older cable that was used to connected an external modem to a
>desktop.  One end was DB25M and the other was DB9F.  I cut off the 9-pin
>female connector.  It has 9 pins which are holes (I'm assuming this means
>DB9F).
>
>Following the diagram, I connected as follows:
>
>RJ11 --> DB9F
>1 - (white) --> 5 (Brown)
>2 - (red) --> 2 (Red)
>4 - (black) --> 3 (Orange)

Another notation problem. Pin 1 on the RJ11 (above) was Green, not (white). 
This time, though, I assume you are just still using the RJ22 color codes, 
not making a wiring error.


>I used a multimeter (to check continuity) to check which hole on the DB9F
>connector went to which colored wire.
>
>Now, before I added my "extension" (RJ22 --> RJ11), I used these hole (pin?)
>assignments for the DB9F connector:
>
>5 4 3 2 1
>  9 8 7 6

There are pins inside the holes, so I still call them pinouts. If you are 
viewing the connector from the "outside", this one is the right pinout set 
for a female connector.

>The cable transmited, but DTVCON always gave a "Timeout" error when waiting
>for a response.
>
>Now, I tried reversing my DB9F hole assignments:
>
>1 2 3 4 5
>  6 7 8 9
>
>The cable transmits, but again recevies a "Timeout" from DTVCON.
>
>My "reversed" hole assignments I think I have confused with a DB9M
>connector.

Me too.


>Sorry for this being so long but I'm trying to be as through as possible so
>you could help me =)
>
>Thank you so much.
[old stuff deleted]