Panther PN-6730-UXP, User Manual

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5.1 Controlling the Displays with RS232
Panthers can be controlled individually or in groups with RS232 commands. Each display must have a
unique address. Each display and the computer used for command must have the same baud rate set-
ting. Baud rate is not automatic, as it is in modems. If your installation does not control the display
with RS232 commands, skip this entire chapter.
To control lots of displays with RS232 commands,
each display must have a unique RS232 address. The
display’s address consists of two hexadecimal num-
bers:
• first digit: Group
• second digit: Unit
These two digits together make one address. There
are 256 unique possible addresses.
To set the baud rate
1. Press
MENU
.
2. Select Misc Control and press
ENTER
.
3. Select Baud Rate and press
ENTER
. This opens the
Baud Rate menu.
4. Highlight the baud rate that the computer uses at
its Comm Port and press
ENTER
.
!
The baud rate of the computer and the display must be
the same. The display does not automatically detect
the baud rate, as most modems do.
To set the address of a display
1. Press
PREV
to go back to the Misc. Menu. (Or
press
MENU
> Misc Control
ENTER
> RS232
Address
ENTER
. This opens the Address Select
menu.
2. Highlight Group, and use the left/right arrow keys
to change the Group Address. Range: 0–15, which
is 0–F in hexadecimal notation.
3. Highlight Unit and choose Unit Address for this
display.
! The addresses are shown in both hex (0–9, A-F) and
decimal (00–15). When sending commands to displays
with RS232, you always use the hex form of the
address.
1. Press
PREV
the menus.
What address to use
You may address the displays with any addressing
scheme you choose, but here are some things to keep
in mind:
• You can send a single command to all the displays
that have the same first digit. Example: You might
have two groups of Panthers, one with 0 as the
first number in the address, and one with 1 as the
first number. This is called group addressing.
• You can send a single command to all the displays
that have the same last digit. Example: You can
address all the displays that have 3 as the second
digit. This is called unit addressing.
• You can send a single command to all the displays
in each group. This is called global addressing.
• You can send a command to one display alone.
This is called single addressing.
How you construct commands to address displays
in these different ways is explained in the next sec-
tion, “Sending RS232 Commands” on page 94.
One thing you cannot do is change a display’s
address with RS232 commands. You can’t send an
RS232 command to display 17 and tell it to have
address 18. You can only change addresses with the
remote control.