More Slink commands for Slink Tuners/Amps

In my earlier post I said I had uncovered some new slink commands for Tuners in Sony Amps [and I assume any slink tuners they sell].

I mentioned then that there was a hex 48 command which returned station preset information, but that I wasn't sure what format it would be.

Well last night I got to work with the low level slink device file and have worked out *TWO* new slink commands for Tuners.

These commands are the [hex] 48 and 4a commands.

The hex 48 command will return the station name string the user can put against each preset station name. The 48 command returns the string for the requested station preset.

The hex 4a command will return the tuning information about a preset, e.g. the band [FM or AM] and what the frequency is of that preset.

I have not created .cde compatible entries for these two yet as I have not yet had time to test the entries however here is the packet structure in a cde like (compatible) format for someone who needs this information to use.

[you will need to encode the reply format into the tunerslr.cde file as well].

01001000ggggggggssssssss:preset_textinfo

# # this command returns the text associated with this station preset.

# gggggggg is the Preset Group # [hex 01 = A, 02 = B, 03 = C]

# and ssssssss is the slot # in the group, [hex] 01 to 0A

# will return a reply string in the format.

# # 01001000ggggggggsssssssscccccccc*13:preset_textinfo_reply

# # where gggggggg and ssssssss are the group and slot#'s as per the request

# and cccccccc*13 is a ascii string of 12 characters [+null delimiter]

# note that on my Amp only 8 characters are enterable so why it returns more

# than 8 I have no idea. The extra characters are always nulls.

# if the slot has no string against the preset, you get a error response of

# hex 10 to indicate the slot is empty.

01001010ggggggggssssssss:preset_tuninginfo

# # This command returns the Tuning information associated with this preset.

# gggggggg is the Preset Group # [hex 01 = A, 02 = B, 03 = C]

# and ssssssss is the slot # in the group, [hex] 01 to 0A

# will return a reply string in the format.

# 010001010ggggggggssssssssBBBBBBBBffffffffFFFFFFFF:preset_tuninginfo_reply

# # where gggggggg and ssssssss are the group and slot#s. BBBBBBBB is the Band

# indicator, hex 00 for FM, hex 01 for AM

# and ffffffffFFFFFFFF is the frequency encoded as a 2 byte binary value

# e.g. a reply of [hex] 4A030A00222E indicates group C, slot 10 is a FM station

# on frequency 8750 (or 87.50 Mhz as this is a FM station).

# A reply of [hex] 4A010A010534 indicates Group A, slot 10 is a AM station

# on frequency 1332 (khz).

# # # end of cde command info

I have also discovered that the [hex] 0a, 0b and 0c commands to the tuner do not produce a error reply [or any reply in fact]. These make me wonder if these commands can be used to set the preset station info [tuning and text]. Commands above 0c return a reply or a error indication. Commands below 0a are actions or return errors [e.g. commands 00 to 03 produce error replies, 04 to 09 are all valid commands, so it seems odd that these 3 commands don't appear to do anything and don't produce a error reply either.

My guess is that the command format I am probing it with is wrong, but I have no idea what it should be.

Anyone have any ideas on these 3 commands?

As far as I can see we are 'missing' 3 commands to the tuner via slink.

1. Switch bands from AM to FM and back - we have a button for this on th GUI

so it seems logical for a slink command to do the same to exist.

Note: if you switch bands via the GUI the station in this band you were last

using is the one tuned to]

We can sort of emulate this by sending a 50 command but this affects the

station tuned in so is not a ideal replacement.

2. Set the Preset tuning information [e.g. band and frequency].

3. Set the Preset Station Text information [e.g. KBBL]

So, the above 3 command codes which don't appear to work would logically be the ones which do these 3 things. [Of course there is not guarantee that there are even ANY commands supported on slink that allow you to do this, I am just surmising that these commands exist].

But I have no idea of what commands do what. I strongly suspect that one of these 3 unknown commands overwrote the Group C, slot 10 frequency entry in my tuner but I have no idea what of these 3 commands did that.

I may have to study my slink logs a bit more.

I also decoded the Mode command reply for the Tuner section as follows: The reply typically looks like [in hex]: 70020A40260C This is broken down into a reply packet as follows 01110000ggggggggssssssssBBBBBBBBffffffffFFFFFFFF:tuner_mode_reply where gggggggg and ssssssss are the current Group and Slot selected on the tuner. note ssssssss can be hex FF which means that the 'on screen' page for the the station preset groups is gggggggg, but that no station in the group is selected [i.e. the current station does not correspond to any preset station]. the BBBBBBBB is the band, hex 01 for AM and 00 OR 40 for FM, Note: the hex 40 in the mode reply indicates something about the FM station but I don't know what [it could indicate no text against the station name, a non-stereo FM station, or that this entry is a duplicate entry].

The ffffffffFFFFFFFF is the frequency as a 2 byte integer as per the other commands.

here is a sample mode reply: 70020A40260C Which indicates that the Tuner has preset B(1)0 selected [020A bit]. The 40 indicates its a FM station and the something else which I don't know yet. The 260C is the frequency 9740 or 97.40 MHz.

Heres another reply for a AM preset 70010A010534 Where 010A is the Group and Slot# [A(1)0 in this case]. 01 means AM station and 0534 is the frequency in hex (1332 Khz in decimal.)

If anyone has anything to add please do so.