Gilderfluke&Co Sd-50 Audio & Show Controllers - Manual (Page 24)

A) ! RS-232 Serial Port (Sd-50/0, Sd-50/8, Sd-50/40)
The serial command set is identical to, and compatible with all the RS-422 Serial Ports used on
Gilderfluke & Company products. One difference between the Sd-50/xx and most of our products is that
the serial port is the primary method used to configure it. A Sd-50/xx is normally configured through the
‘Mp3 Config.exe’ program. This configuration is downloaded to the Sd-50/xx each time the Sd-50/xx
is turned on, but only if there is a difference between what was already on it.
The Sd-50/xx has a serial ‘configuration’ mode which will allow you to check and modify the status
and configuration of the Show Control half of the Sd-50/xx. This is used to configure the animation half of
a Sd-50/xx if the audio half is not yet, or never is going to be used.
If a Sd/MMC flash card is inserted into the Sd-50/xx which has been configured using the ‘Mp3
Config.exe’ program, any changes you have made to the configuration through the serial port will be over-
ridden by what is on the Sd/MMC flash card.
The serial data signals from the Sd-50/xxʼs are brought out on a 1/8” three conductor ‘stereo’ socket.
Its pin out and cross connect to the standard serial port on a PC is as follows:
Rxd
Txd
gnd
IBM AT
S e r i a l
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
1
3
2
(ring)
(tip)
(sleeve)
The mnemonic for remembering the connections are: Ring = Receive, and Tip = Transmit.
The Sd-50/xx expects to see the serial data in the following format:
ONE START BIT
EIGHT DATA BITS
ONE STOP BIT
B) ! Sd/MMC Socket (Sd-50/0, Sd-50/8, Sd-50/40)
This is where you plug in the flash card that is used to store the sound that is played back by the Sd-
50/xx.
MMC (short for MultiMedia Card) was the original standard for flash cards of the size and shape used
in the Sd-50/xx. MMC flash cards have largely disappeared, replaced by the newer standard called Se-
cure Digital (Sd). Sd flash cards are slightly thicker than MMC cards, have a ‘write protect’ switch on them,
and a few more pins than a MMC card.
In addition to .mp3 and .wav SoundFiles, the Sd/MMC flash card usually contains the ‘Mp3 Config.exe’
program, the configuration files it creates (Sd-50.cfg, mp3-50.cfg, schedule.sch, etc.). Although not
needed by the Sd-50/xx, it is not unusual to store ‘back up’ copies of your shows and support files for
safe keeping. In this way, if you have to return to a job site years in the future, you will have the shows and
files needed to recreate and reprogram the installation.
Gilderfluke & Co.• 205 South Flower Street • Burbank, California 91502 • 818/840-9484 • 800/776-5972 • fax 818/840-9485
Sd-50/xx Manual / October 29, 2012 2:29 PM / page 24 of 120