+44 (1223) 979580 office@harkwood.co.uk Cambridge, UK
The reference guide for cmdBridge is available for download in .pdf format. Note: the version available will be for the current firmware release. Should your unit not display the features, consider updating the firmware.
We can assist in developing translations or at least get you going. Please get in touch via e-mail in the first instance; please include your unit serial number.
Questions and Answers
Yes, you could. However, that is a very resource intensive process, and general control systems lack the unique features that cmdBridge offers to make things easier to configure and deploy.
Key differences between using a standard control system and cmdBridge are below:
cmdBridge is cheaper than all but the most simplistic control system.
Staff qualified for the control system, licenses, and development environment are not required.
For rapid deployment, an engineer can be instructed to use spare projector 3, retrieve a pre-configured cmdBridge, set the physical interface parameters, and activate stored translation 5. This process only requires a few minutes and does not require the involvement of a programmer.
cmdBridge has multiple power sources available. Just plugging it into a computer to configure it will power it. No additional power supplies are required.
An integral dual port 10/100 Ethernet switch makes deployment easier.
You can change the MAC address of cmdBridge to match the faulty equipment, so no network changes are required for deployment.
Capture mode will snapshot a working system, creating half of a translation file automatically just as fast as you can operate the system. The data is de-duplicated, too, with the context-sensitive nature of the command reply structure maintained.
cmdBridge can hold up to 32 translation files internally for rapid deployment. Select the translation, configure the source and target physical interface, and cmdBridge is ready.
cmdBridge boots in seconds. By the time you finish reading this, cmdBridge will have already booted up and be ready to use. To be of use, a translator must boot up before the control system starts to send commands.
cmdBridge translations are physically interface agnostic. Therefore, whether the physical interfaces are different or operate at different speeds doesn’t matter.
Sorry to say it, but the best answer is for you to read the cmdBridge reference manual. The full syntax of the command translation file is at the end, along with an example.
To give you a sneak peek ahead of you reading the manual, here is a small configuration file example.
desc = “EPSON EB-535W to NEX NP-M302WA (mute example)”;
var mute = 0;
command {
desc = “Set Mute ON”;
source_cmd = “4D 55 54 45 20 4F 4E 0D”;
target_cmd = “02 10 00 00 00 12”;
reply {
desc = “Reply Mute ON OK”;
target_reply = “22 10 01 20 00 53”;
source_reply = “3a”;
set mute = 1;
}
}
command {
desc = “Set Mute OFF”;
source_cmd = “4D 55 54 45 20 4F 46 46 0D”;
target_cmd = “02 11 00 00 00 13”;
reply {
desc = “Reply Mute OFF OK”;
target_reply = “22 11 01 20 00 54”;
source_reply = “3a”;
set mute = 0;
}
}
command {
desc = “Get Mute status”;
source_cmd = “4d 55 54 45 3f 0D”;
reply {
desc = “Variable based reply, off”;
source_reply = “4d 55 54 45 3d 4f 46 46 3a”;
flag = conditional;
if (mute == 0);
}
reply {
desc = “Variable based reply, on”;
source_reply = “4d 55 54 45 3d 4f 4e 3a”;
flag = conditional;
if (mute == 1);
}
}
end
The good news, you do not need special software to edit configuration files. The file itself is just plain text, so even something like Notepad can be used to edit a file.
If you use the capture mode in a working system, cmdBridge will generate a template file for you. This will be pre-populated with the commands and replies from the live system.
However, be careful about some editors trying to be helpful, specifically by changing the ” marks into snazzy open and closing quotation marks. This will be a sure way to get a syntax error when uploading a config file.
No, it isn’t. While the console port is USB, it appears on your computer as a serial port. So you need to ensure you have the correct settings for everything to work as it should.
The settings you are looking for are 230400 baud, 8 bits, and no parity.
Not very long at all. By the time you have read this answer, cmdBridge will have booted, read any stored translation file, set up the interfaces, and be ready to go.
If the equipment being replaced uses a DHCP assigned IP address, you can clone the MAC address of the faulty equipment onto cmdBridge. If the replacement equipment is also IP, set the loan equipment to a new IP address and plug it into one of the two Ethernet ports. Give cmdBridge the IP address of the loan equipment, and you’re good to go.
There is no requirement for the local IT team to update their DHCP server.
Tips
The USB Mini-B console port can also supply power to cmdBridge, so no additional power supply is needed to configure it.
For deployment, cmdBridge could use a simple USB charger for power if a dedicated 12V DC supply isn’t available.
Some devices leave their USB ports powered, so you may be able to power cmdBridge from the replacement target device without the need for any additional sockets or supplies. Be sure to check that port doesn’t go to sleep after a period, though.
We recommend a couple of terminal emulation software packages, one for Windows and one for Apple Macs. We use these pieces of software for development work, so we know they work very well.
For Windows users, we recommend PuTTY ( https://www.putty.org ), which is free and works on basically anything.
For Apple Mac users, the recommendation is Serial by Decisive Tactics ( https://www.decisivetactics.com/products/serial/ ). However, this application isn’t free. However, if you work with serial interfaces, this software is likely the most effective tool available. And no, we get nothing for recommending them. It’s just outstanding software.
So you have taken on support for a new customer.
You can save time by taking a cmdBridge into the most critical locations/systems and running it in Capture mode. Then, with cmdBridge installed, exercise the control system (take note of what order you press the buttons). CmdBridge will store the various commands and replies as the system operates, numbering them sequentially. The captured data, pre-formatted as a translation config file, can be saved onto a USB memory stick.
You now have the existing system operation recorded. Add in the commands/replies for your loan stock items, and you have a working translation ready to deploy. Up to 32 different translations can be stored internally in a cmdBridge for instant recall when deploying the loan equipment.
Firmware Updates
The current version of cmdBridge firmware is v2.1.0
The firmware may be downloaded via the buttons below. As a minimum you will need:
- A USB memory stick formatted with FAT or FAT32 file system
- You will need a USB port and terminal software to connect to the cmdBridge console port.
Depending on your Windows installation, you may also need the Microchip USB Serial driver, also available to download below. Generally Windows 10 and newer computers will automatically detect cmdBridge, but older versions may not and need the driver.
Apple Mac OS will automatically detect the cmdBridge USB Serial.
Instructions
- Copy the downloaded firmware image to a USB memory stick.
- Insert the memory stick into cmdBridge, then enter the following command.
sys firmware load filename
- The firmware will be verified, and if OK, cmdBridge will reboot and load the new firmware.