Panasonic AW-E860

[alistermorton]

Do you have some way to check you USB converters are actually working Maybe put them in a pair of PCs and connect them laplink style and make sure you can get the two PCs to talk to each other. Then that eliminates one of the variables. Or put a scope on them?

[timsabre]

Is there any sort of debug window in that software to show what is being sent / received?

Perhaps try this software which lets you compose your own commands and see the response (if any)
https://www.microridge.com/comtestserial/

Then send [STX] QID  [ETX] (in hex characters, 0x02, 0x51, 0x49 0x44 0x03) which should send the camera model number back.

(or [STX] QSV [ETX] which should send the software version back)

Edited May 15 by timsabre

[skinda0]

No debug window I'm afraid with that software, it would be useful if there was!

So sending either of those commands, I just get a {NAK}2 response.

I can confirm that sending those commands on COM 8 and reading back on COM 9 I get the sent message back.

[timsabre]

Not sure what you mean {NAK}2 where is that showing up? Does that mean nothing is coming back?

 

[alistermorton]

The software Tim linked to has a debug window.

 

[skinda0]

14 minutes ago, alistermorton said:

The software Tim linked to has a debug window.

 

Forgot to mention, I have downloaded that software, I thought Tim was talking about the software I was using to control the camera 🙂

17 minutes ago, timsabre said:

Not sure what you mean {NAK}2 where is that showing up? Does that mean nothing is coming back?

 

So when I send the commands in the ComTestSerial software you linked to, I get the green sent message [STX] QID [ETX], and a {NAK}2 response in yellow.

If I use Putty as the terminal, I just get 2 as a response.

Either command results in a response of '2'

 

EDIT

Figured it out! I was being an idiot and sending text rather than HEX 🤪

Edited May 15 by skinda0

[timsabre]

Ah progress!!

so you are getting a reponse from the camera

 

[skinda0]

Finally yes! And I have just tried sending HZT, HZS, HZW For Tele, Stop, and Wide zoom controls and I can zoom by command 🙂

Now may be the time to do some arduino stuff to actually use buttons to control the zoom and focus over 232

 

I'm still confused as to why any piece of software I use will not control the camera though

Edited May 15 by skinda0

[timsabre]

If you have multiple USB-serial adapters, set up a loopback and use that test software to see what is being sent by the control software, that will tell you

[skinda0]

Good shout, I had a play and it's just spitting completely different long chains of commands out of the serial port. I'll stick to writing some code to do it all 🙂 thanks for the help!