Christie CineLife+ 4 Series, Technical Reference

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The smallest step size for any parameter is always 1. For some controls, the value displayed on the
screen is a percentage, while the actual hardware has a range of 0 to 255. In such cases, the value
used for the serial communication is 0 to 255, not the percentage value seen on the screen. For
example, 0 equates to 0%, 128 equates to 50.2%, 255 equates to 100%.
Available message types
Message type Description
Set A command to set a projector parameter at a specific level, such as changing the
brightness.
Request A request for information, such as what is the current brightness setting.
Reply Returns the data in response to a request or as confirmation of a command.
Basic message structure
Understand the component fields that comprise a standard ASCII message.
Components Description
Start and end of message Every message begins with the left parenthesis character and ends with the right
parenthesis character.
If the start character is received before an end character of the previous message,
the partial (previous) message is discarded.
Prefix characters (optional) To acknowledge that C has responded, and/or maximize message integrity,
insert one or two special characters before the three-character function code:
• $ (Simple Acknowledgment)—Causes a dollar sign ($) character to be sent from
C when it has finished processing the message.
• # (Full Acknowledgment)—Causes an echo of the message as a reply to be sent
from C when it has finished processing the message.
• & (Checksum)—Allows a checksum to be put as the last parameter in the
message for verification at C.
Function code The C function you want to work with is represented by a three-character
ASCII code (A-Z, upper or lower case). This function code appears immediately after
the leading parenthesis that starts the message. In messages sent to C that
do not have a subcode, a space between the function code and the first parameter
(or special character) is optional.
+Subcode The C function you want to work with may have one or more subcodes that
allow you to select a specific source, image, channel or subfunction.
The subcode is represented by a four-character ASCII code (A-Z, upper or lower
case, and 0-9). This subcode appears immediately after the function code, with a
plus sign (+) character to separate the function code and subcode. If no subcode
exists, the plus sign (+) is also omitted. In messages sent to C that have a
subcode, a space between the subcode and the first parameter (or special character)
is optional.
Request/reply symbols If the controller is requesting information from C, a question mark (?)
appears directly after the function code. If C is replying, an exclamation
Communicating with the projector
C Technical Reference–Serial Commands 6
020-103075-05 Rev. 1 (09-2022)
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