12
Sony Simple Camera Protocol
Rules
Request and Response
Requests and response correspond loosely.
There is no one to one mapping between requests and
responses: “No reply” means “I can’t process such a
command”.
Do not send anything if an error has occurred. Errors must be
handled the same as “No command”.
Responses from a Camera can be sent to your system
anytime without a request from your system. The status of
Camera can be changed by itself (Auto iris function, etc.),
changed by a camera operator’s hand manually or changed by
another control panel connected to the Camera. The Camera
sends status changes to all connected controllers.
Your system can ignore any responses not needed by your
system.
When to send
In the case of your system working as a controller for a
Camera, your system should send a parameter query that it
want to get.
Almost Sony Camera only send status when its status is
changed by receiving commands or its function (ex. automatic
iris control or etc.).
The status of your system can be updated by receiving status
responses from a connected Sony Camera by sending status
queries to that Camera (via CNA-1).
In another case, your system works as a Camera among CNS,
your system should send commands when its status is
changed (must behave like a Sony Camera). The commands
must be absolute commands in this case.
If Sony control panels receive no absolute command
responses from your system, they cannot update their status
and also cannot update the displays.
Therefore, the absolute command responses from your
system are necessarily for the control system.
Permission control (Panel Active control)
CNS supports operating multiple cameras by multiple control
panels. In case of using the Panel Assign Function, control
panels are assigned to Cameras by a CNS Master device,
such as MSU.
The assignment function allows duplicate assignment,
meaning one camera can be controlled by two or more control
panels. Control conflicts can occur in this case. Therefore,
permission control for the Camera is determined by the CNS
Master device, using Panel Active command.
If a network system with your system requires permission
control, your system should use Panel Active command and
your system’s Panel Active state should be controlled by the
CNS Master device because CNA-1 behaves in the same way
as the Sony Control Panel in RCP-mode.
In a single connection (CNA-1 configured Bridge mode of CNS
setting), the permission control is managed by CNA-1 itself.
Permission allows your system to send all available
commands. Without permission, your system can send only
Status Query commands (Control commands are rejected).
Permission control does not regulate receiving commands.
When your system receives permission using Panel Active
command, another control panel assigned to the same
Camera loses permission.
If your system does not want to affect the permission of
another control panel, your system can use Para command
instead of Panel Active command. Usage of Para command is
the same as Panel Active command. However, permission by
Para command does not allow controlling of Iris, Master Black
and sending Absolute Word command.
A configuration of CNA-1 “Panel Active Function Enable/
Disable” enables this permission control function. If Panel
Active Function is enabled, CNA-1 manages Panel Active
state and your system can use Panel Active/ Iris Active/ Para
commands. If the function is disabled, CNA-1 rejects these
commands.
Permission control is not necessarily in the network system.
Your system can ignore that and can send command if CNA-
1 configured “Panel Active Disable (default)”. However, if a
duplicate assignment is set to CNA-1 and another control
panel, conflict can occur between other control panels in the
no permission control state. Especially, Absolute type
commands will certainly conflict, and erratic Camera behavior
can occur. For this reason, pay close attention to Absolute
type commands
Panel active command examples:
Get current permission state
Send: “0b,90,01,00\n” => Receive: “0b,XX,01,81\n”
XX is ID of Master device. Value “81” means sender
(your system) has No permission
Send: “0b,90,01,00\n” => Receive: “0b,XX,01,82\n”
XX is ID of Master device. Value “82” means sender
(your system) has permission to control
Require the permission
Send: “0b,90,01,02\n” => Receive: “0b,XX,01,81\n” or
“0b,XX,01,82\n”
Release the permission
Send: “0b,90,01,01\n” => Receive: “0b,XX,01,81” or
“0b,XX,01,82\n”
