Contemporary Research ICA-FT6 User manual

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Product Manual
ICC-STA/ICA-FT6
Entertainment Access System
Ver. 4.3 December 20, 2005

Contemporary Research 2 ICC-STA/ICA-FT6
Table of Contents
Overview.............................................................................................................................................3
ICC-STA Specifications .......................................................................................................................4
Physical.................................................................................................................................................4
Connections...........................................................................................................................................4
Audio ....................................................................................................................................................5
RF Tuner...............................................................................................................................................5
iCC-Net..................................................................................................................................................5
Options .................................................................................................................................................5
ICA-FT6 Specifications........................................................................................................................6
Physical.................................................................................................................................................6
Connections...........................................................................................................................................6
User Interface........................................................................................................................................6
Panel Wiring .......................................................................................................................................7
ICA-FT6 Panel Wiring..............................................................................................................................7
ICC-STA Control Wiring...........................................................................................................................7
Installation .........................................................................................................................................8
Overview...............................................................................................................................................8
Panel Connection and Power...................................................................................................................8
RF Coax and iCC-Net Operation...............................................................................................................8
Control System Update...........................................................................................................................8
RS-232 Device Control Protocol .........................................................................................................9
Overview...............................................................................................................................................9
General protocol specifications ................................................................................................................9
Command String Structure......................................................................................................................9
RS-232 ICC-STA Commands.............................................................................................................10
RS-232 ICC-STA Response Strings...................................................................................................11
Channel/Source Status Response String (ST command):..........................................................................11
Audio Status Response String (SV command): ........................................................................................11
RS-232 ICA-FT6 Commands .............................................................................................................12
iC-Net Setup and Control..................................................................................................................13
RS-232 Terminal ..................................................................................................................................13
iC ToolKit Software...............................................................................................................................13
RS-232 Control System Protocol ............................................................................................................13
iC-Net Control Protocol.....................................................................................................................14
Overview.............................................................................................................................................14
Command String Structure....................................................................................................................14
iC-Net STA Commands......................................................................................................................15
iC-Net Responses..............................................................................................................................17
Response String Structure.....................................................................................................................17
iC-Net Zones .....................................................................................................................................18
System Map ......................................................................................................................................19
Typical RF and ICC-Net Signal Flow .................................................................................................20
Safety Instructions...........................................................................................................................21
Limited Warranty and Disclaimer.....................................................................................................22

Overview
The Contemporary Research ICC-STA Entertainment Controller is a versatile iCC-Net device featuring
an onboard tuner for entertainment channels, stereo headphone/speaker audio, 125 channel access,
switchable AV inputs, and interactive RS-232 operation with an ICA-FT6 6-button FeatherTouch panel.
In addition the unit supports contact closure inputs and outputs to handle special needs and control
applications. Fully programmable, the unit can restore all settings on power-up from non-volatile
memory.
The ICA-FT6 FeatherTouch Panel simplifies access to entertainment media using six lighted control
buttons, an 8-character LED text display, and stereo headphone output. The elegant, compact metal
enclosure is available in a wide variety of custom finishes, and is easily surface-mounted in aircraft
bulkheads, as well as wood and metal furniture and cabinets. Constant illumination of the six control
buttons is provided by two dual-color LEDs that change the color of the button to show status. All
buttons can be custom-engraved to suit the application.
High-speed 2-way control and feedback is carried over the same RF coax as the entertainment
channels. For custom systems applications, all ICC-STA controllers, ICA-FT6 panels and other CR
devices can be accessed from a single RS-232 port on an ICC-HE Head-End Network Controller.
ICC-STA Entertainment Tuner
•Tunes up to 125 CATV, HRC, IRC or broadcast channels
•Delivers headphone/speaker level stereo audio with adjustable volume level
•Stores channel list in memory for simplified channel up/down access
•Networks through the CATV RF cable using an ICC-HE Head-End Network Controller
•Displays text channel labels on ICA-FT6 LED display when channels are changed
•Includes stereo A/V inputs to display video from PCs, video games, and other sources
•Restores all operation status after loss of power from data stored in non-volatile memory
•Attaches to flat surfaces
ICA-FT6 FeatherTouch 6-Button Panel
•Features machined aluminum enclosure, custom-plated in a variety of metals
•Snap-mounts into wood, metal and plastic surfaces
•Operates using six always-illuminated, custom-engraved buttons
•Shows current entertainment source text on 8-character LED display
Contemporary Research 3 ICC-STA/ICA-FT6

ICC-STA Specifications
Physical
Size: 11.475" [291.5mm] wide x 1.30" [33mm] height x 5.1" [129.5mm] deep
Weight: 1.5 lbs [0.68kg]
Enclosure: All aluminum with durable black powder coat paint
Mounting: 8/32 self-clinching nuts are provided on the bottom and sides
Mounting bolts should not protrude into the enclosure more than ¼ inch
Connections
Power In: 2.1mm coaxial jack (inside center conductor PWR+)
DB-9 male connector for locked power connection, identical to coaxial input
Pin 4 = PWR+
Pin 5 = GND
15 to 30 VDC, 24 VDC typical (may be unregulated)
130 mA @24 VDC (no load, audio muted)
210 mA @24 VDC (full volume to headphone/speaker)
300 mA @24 VDC (ICA-FT6 panel, full volume to headphone/speaker)
North American version includes UL/CSA listed wall power supply
Panel/Control: DB-25 female for panel and audio connections, includes RS-232, power and
solid-state contact closure inputs and outputs.
Indicators: LEDS indicate operation status
Net: Green LED for iCC-Net bus, flashes once per second if active
COM: Yellow LED stays on, flashes when receiving control data
ERR: Red LED indicates a problem within the unit
Terminal: RJ-11 input for RS-232 control, 1200 baud, 8 data bits, no parity, and 1 stop bit
Communication is linked with the Panel/Control RS-232 port so the Terminal port
can be used to monitor and mimic control panel operation
Pin 1 = TX
Pin 2 = RX
Pin 5 = GND
RF In: BNC female, 75 ohm impedance
External Inputs: Video - RCA female jack, NTSC composite
Audio – 2 RCA female jacks, unbalanced stereo, 20K ohms impedance
A/V Outputs: Video - RCA female jack, NTSC composite
Audio – 2 RCA female jacks, unbalanced stereo, 1K ohms impedance
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Contemporary Research 5 ICC-STA/ICA-FT6
Audio
Response: BTSC Stereo Total Harmonic Distortion (THD): 1% maximum, 0.3% typical
BTSC Stereo Channel Separation: 25dB minimum, 30dB typical
BTSC Stereo Response: 50Hz to 12KHz
Mono Total Harmonic Distortion (THD): 0.5% maximum, 0.1% typical
Mono mode frequency response: 20Hz to 20KHz
Audio Level: 500mV RMS typical output level at max volume
Volume level 0dB to –62dB and mute in 64 steps
RF Tuner
Frequency Range: NTSC television 55.25 to 801.25 MHz, 62.5KHZ fine tune resolution
Maximum Input: +20dBmV
Video Gain: ±5% maximum, 2% typical
Video Phase: ±3 degrees maximum, 2 degrees typical
iCC-Net
Operation: Carried over the same RF coax connection as TV channels
Data Receive: Mid-band VHF, 74.7MHz, sent from IC Head-End Network Controller
-25 to +35 dBmV signal level
Data Transmit: Sub-band, 5.6MHz sent to Head-End Network Controller
±80 KHz max carrier deviation
+49dBmV nominal
Options
24 VDC central power supply
ICA-FT6 6-Button Control Panel

ICA-FT6 Specifications
Physical
Size: 4.75" [120.65mm] wide x 2.125" [53.98mm] height x .75" [19.05mm] deep
Weight: 6 oz [170 g]
Enclosure: Machined aluminum enclosure, plated with custom finish
Mounting: Surface mounted, friction-fit, spring clips included
Connections
Control/Power DB-9 male connector, Positronic locking style, installed on 10” cable
Power: 12-24 VDC, 135mA @ 11.2V, 75mA @ 24 VDC
Pin 6 = PWR
Pin 5 = GND
RS-232: 1200 baud
Pin 1 = GND
Pin2=RXD
Pin3=TXD
Audio: Stereo headphone audio (optional 3.5mm jack)
Pin7=COM
Pin8=Right
Pin 9 = Left
User Interface
Buttons: Six, backlit by two dual-color LEDs, color indicates status
Options include amber/green or red/green LEDs
Custom-engraved keycaps
LED Display: 8-character alphanumeric amber LED display
Contemporary Research 6 ICC-STA/ICA-FT6

Panel Wiring
ICA-FT6 Panel Wiring
The connection cable for the ICA-FT6 includes RS-232, DC power, and stereo headphone audio (optional).
9 Left
7 COM
8 Right
6 PWR In
5 GND
Audio COM 25
Audio Out L (8-32 ohm load) 24
Audio Out R (8-32 ohm load) 23
Panel PWR (+12 VDC) 16
Panel GND 15
RS-232 TXD 6
RS-232 RXD 5
2 RS-232 RXD
1 Chassis GND*
3 RS-232 TXD
DB-25 Male
ICC-STA
DB-9 Female
ICA-FT6
*Wire to airframe or earth ground, if available
Pin 1 Chassis GND is connected to the metal bezel of the FT6 and should be tied to Earth or Airframe GND, or
left unconnected.
ICC-STA Control Wiring
Some applications may require special features, such as ICA-FT1, 2 or 3 panels or other types of contact
closure switches, as well as devices activated by a low-voltage closure. The following diagram illustrates the
optional control features included on the ICC-STA.
DB-25 Male
ICC-STA
Audio COM 25
Audio Out L (8-32 ohm load) 24
Audio Out R (8-32 ohm load) 23
Panel GND 15
Input 4 - Channel Down - Closure to GND 13
Input 3 - Volume Up - Closure to GND 17
Input 1 -Channel Up - Closure to GND 21
Input 2 - Volume Down - Closure to GND 19
Output 1 Switch to GND, 35V,50 mA Max 12
Input 5 - Closure to GND 11
*FT1-3 Panel PWR (+5 VDC) 4
Contact Closure GND 22
Contact Closure GND 18
Contact Closure GND 20
Output 2 Switch to GND, 35V,50 mA Max 10
Input 6 - Closure to GND 9
*+5 VDC power on Pin 4 factory option
Contemporary Research 7 ICC-STA/ICA-FT6

Installation
Overview
The ICC-STA architecture provides a common link for 2-way RS-232 control with an ICA-FT6 panel, and 2-way
system control over RF coax to a control system. To simplify system programming, the STA and FT6 manage
volume up/down, channel up/down and text display by themselves. The control system handles special and
system-wide functions such as audio paging, attendant/concierge call, light on/off or other custom applications.
In typical installations, the flow of communication is as follows:
1. Pressing Volume or Channel buttons on the ICA-FT6 send an RS-232 command to the ICC-STA.
2. The ICC-STA responds, sending a channel label to the ICA-FT6 LED display when a channel changes.
3. Pressing a special button, such as LIGHT, sends a command (KK) to the ICC-STA, and the ICC-STA
passes the command (K response) to the ICC-HE Head End.
4. The ICC-HE passes the command to the control system, which will turn on the light and send a UX
command back through the ICC-HE/ICC-STA/ICA-FT6 data path that changes the status of the LIGHT
button LED.
5. Note that each ICA-FT6 control button is constantly backlit by two dual-color LEDs, usually yellow/green
or red/green. The on and off state is indicated by the LED color.
Panel Connection and Power
1. Install ICC-STA into surface.
2. Connect the ICC-STA to the ICC-STA. In most cases, you’ll simply connect the custom DB-9 female-to-
DB-25 male cable between the panel’s DB-9 and the ICC-STA’s DB-25 connector.
3. Connect DC power to ICC-STA.
4. Connect Video Out to display device
5. The Net LED should turn on and stay lit (indicates power on, no network communication)
6. At this point, if units have been pre-programmed, you should be able to operate channel and volume
functions, with channel text displaying on ICA-FT6 display, and the COM light will flash to indicate data
activity.
RF Coax and iCC-Net Operation
1. Connect the RF Coax cable into the RF In input on the STA.
2. If the iCC-Net signal is operating, the Net LED will blink once per second.
3. Now you can use iC Toolkit software at the iCC-HE Head End Controller to check and change device
numbers, and to display the current ICC-STA firmware or device number on the ICA-FT6 panel. You can
also load in tuning rings and channel labels using the same tool.
Control System Update
The best practice for this type of installation is to include a list of initialization commands within the system
programming. These commands will “teach” the controllers and panels all the tuning rings, channel labels, RS-232
strings, and any other parameters needed for operation, then forcing the panels to show the ICC-STA device
number. The commands can be programmed to be sent when the Reset button on the ICC-HE Head End
Controller is pressed for 5 seconds. Since a single command can be sent to a group or all devices, this process
usually takes less than a minute.
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Contemporary Research 9 ICC-STA/ICA-FT6
RS-232 Device Control Protocol
Overview
The ICC-STA full duplex RS-232 scheme enables a system programmer to control ICC-STA and ICA-FT6
functions. All commands are sent as ASCII strings. No delays between characters or commands are required, as
data is interrupt driven and buffered.
The 2 status groups are: Channel/Source Select and Audio Levels/Mode. Each of the groups has one ASCII
status response string containing all of the status data for that group. The current status string of a group is
sent from the ICC-STA whenever a valid command for that group is received from the iC-Net bus, the RS-232
ports (Terminal or Control port), or the ICA-FT6 panel. In addition, both strings are sent when the units power
up.
In most installations, the installer will connect the ICA-FT6 to the ICC-STA Panel port, apply power to the ICC-
STA, and then communicate to both via the ICC-STA Terminal port. Communication is linked between the
Panel/Control RS-232 port and the Terminal port so that both send and receive the same data. This allows the
Terminal port to be used while an ICA-FT6 control panel is installed, providing the ability to monitor and mimic
control panel operation, as well as to setup and control both devices from a single RS-232 port.
Communications settings are fixed at 1200 baud, 8 data bits, no parity, and 1 stop bit.
General protocol specifications
Characters in command strings to the ICC-STA and ICA-FT6 are common ASCII keyboard characters.
Command strings begin with the ASCII > (greater than symbol) as an 'Attention' character and end with
carriage return - ASCII CR, Hex $0D, or keyboard Enter - as an 'End-of-command' character.
Responses begin with the ASCII < (less than symbol) as an 'Attention' character and end with a carriage return
followed by line feed an ASCII LF or Hex $0A as 'End-of-command' characters.
A carriage return is required at the end of each command and is assumed in all examples.
Command String Structure
[Attention] [Command] (Parameters) [Return]
Attention Single character (>) starts the string
Command A two-character command
Parameters Added attributes to some commands
Return A carriage return ends the command string, you may use ASCII CR, Hex $0D, or keyboard
‘Enter’ in programming. For simplicity, the programming examples in the manual will not show
the ‘CR’ – so remember, you’ll need to add it in your control code.

Contemporary Research 10 ICC-STA/ICA-FT6
RS-232 ICC-STA Commands
CMD Function Description
EN Echo Enable >EN
Enables character echo so you can see typed characters on
screen.
EF Echo Disable >EF
Disables terminal character display (default).
TT= Select tuned channel (2-126) 126=External AV inputs
Selects channel 28 only if 28 is present in current TR
Ex: >TT=28
TC= Force tuned channel (2-126) 126=External AV inputs
Selects channel 39 regardless of current TR
Ex: >TC=39 or >TC39
TU Tune channel up Selects next higher channel in stored Tune Ring
TD Tune channel down Selects next lower channel in stored Tune Ring
VU Ramp volume up Starts volume ramping up
VD Ramp volume down Starts volume ramping down
VL Ramps volume to level (0 – 63) Sets volume to specific level
VM Volume Mute on Mutes audio
VX Volume Mute off Restores audio volume to previous level
VT Toggle Volume Mute Alternates audio mute on and off
VV Stop volume ramp Stops volume ramping
VW Save volume level Save current volume level, default when unit powers up
To power-up to last level, set volume to zero (VL) and save.
KK= Send Key Response Instructs ICC-STA to send an iC-Net “K” response string with the
included value to the ICC-HE.
ST Request Channel/Source status
Returns Channel/Source status response string Ex: >ST
SV Request Audio status Unit sends Audio status string
DV# View device number >DV — Shows STA device number in Terminal.
DV#n
Change device number >DV#nnn Changes current device number to specified number
Ex: >DV#306 sets device number to 306
ID Show STA Version >ID — Shows STA ID and firmware version on Terminal
Z] Reset units >Z]
Reset FT6 and STA
A carriage return is required at the end of each command use ASCII CR, Hex $0D, or keyboard ‘Enter’.
The ‘=’ sign for parameters may be omitted if desired, though it is helpful for clarity in checking programming.
Leading zeros may be included or omitted from command parameters.

RS-232 ICC-STA Response Strings
Typical: [Attention] [Unit#] [data ...data] [cr] [lf]
ICC-STA status response strings contain ASCII characters similar to those used for the same functions
in command strings. An ASCII 'carriage return' and ‘line feed' follow each response string.
Channel/Source Status Response String (ST command):
Audio Status Response String (SV command):
Contemporary Research 11 ICC-STA/ICA-FT6

RS-232 ICA-FT6 Commands
The following commands apply to the ICA-FT6.
CMD Function Description
Note that FT6 buttons are always backlit—the button state sets color of LED. Typically,
a green LED indicates on, while yellow is used for off. Other colors are available, and
the color “polarity” can be switched via programming.
L0= Turn Off >LOn
Turns off a specific button LED, 1-6
L1= Turn On >L1n
Turns on a specific button LED, 1-6
L2= On/Off Pattern >L2dd
Turn all buttons on and off by sending a decimal representation of the on buttons.
Ex: >L2=12 — Turns on buttons 3 and 4, others are off
1 On = 1 4 On = 8
2 On = 2 5 On = 16
3 On = 4 6 On = 32
L3= LED Polarity >L3dd
Set the polarity (color of LED when on and off) by sending a decimal “map” of the
buttons. Off sets the normal mode, On switches on/off colors.
L4=
Group Off >L4dd Turns off specified button LEDs. Similar to L2, but turns off specified buttons only,
leaving others alone. Ex: >L424 — turns off buttons 4 and 5.
L5=
Group On >L5dd Turns on specified button LEDs. Similar to L2, but turns on specified buttons only,
leaving others alone. Ex: >L524— turns on buttons 4 and 5.
L9=
Brightness >L9n Sets LED brightness of all buttons.
1 = 13% 5 = 53%
2 = 20% 6 = 80%
3 = 27% 7 = 100%
4 = 40%
K
Press String >Kn(string)(\r) [use \r in place of $0D] Set button press string (0-32 characters) for specified button, sending no characters
clears display. Ex: >K1>VU — starts STA volume ramp up
K0 Press Clear >K0 — Clears all button press strings
KZ Start String >KZ(string)(\r) [use \r in place of $0D] —Send string on power-up or reset
J
Release String >Jn(string) (\r) [use \r in place of $0D] Set button release string (0-32 characters) for specified button, sending no characters
clears display. Ex: >J1>VV — stops STA volume ramp
J0 Release Clear >J0 — Clears all button release strings
DM Display String >DMtttttttt
Sends string to LED display, 8 characters maximum. Note that the ICC-STA will
automatically send channel label text to the FT6 upon channel change.
V6 Show Version >V6 — Shows FT6 and version on FT6 display
Contemporary Research 12 ICC-STA/ICA-FT6

iC-Net Setup and Control
RS-232 Terminal
Employ standard Windows Terminal program through the ICC-HE Program port, set to appropriate COM port
and RS-232 parameters, default is, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit.
Command Code Description
Commands shown in ASCII and end with carriage return (Decimal 13, Hex $0D,
or Enter key.
Response displays * character to signify end of characters, or times out if no
characters are received after 2 seconds.
Tip: Just hit Enter to repeat any Terminal command.
Echo Enable EN >EN — Enables character echo so you can see typed characters on screen.
Echo Disable EF >EF — Disables terminal character display (default).
Version VE >VE — Displays HE software version.
Reset Z! >Z! — Performs system reset.
iC ToolKit Software
Most of the general setup and testing operations can be performed through iC Toolkit, including setting the
system Tune Rings, entering Channel Labels, changing device numbers, commanding all devices to show STA
and FTA ID, and system troubleshooting.
RS-232 Control System Protocol
The remaining setup and control operations can be performed through the control system itself. By creating
commands sent on power-up (see iC-Net Zones and System Map) the control system can define basic system
operation, including Channel Labels (TN command), Operating Parameters (TM), Tuning Rings (TR), and ICA-
FT6 setup using the UX command. By addressing commands to the global device number, 4095, all devices can
be updated and reset at the same time.
Contemporary Research 13 ICC-STA/ICA-FT6

Contemporary Research 14 ICC-STA/ICA-FT6
iC-Net Control Protocol
Overview
RS-232 control for up to 4000 Tuners, TV Controllers, and Display Controllers is provided through an iC-series
Head-End Network Controller. The ICC-HE Head-End manages iC-Net communication over RF Coax to ICC2-
format controllers as well as ICW-format controllers over twisted-pair Cat3/5 wiring.
Each unit is assigned a unique device number from 1 to 4000 to which control commands are addressed. The
devices are organized into 16 zones of 255 devices. All the devices in each zone will respond to a single “virtual
device number” — one device number that represents all devices in each zone. There is also a global device
number, 4095, that will command all devices in the system. This feature dramatically speeds up system
operation and programming, because one command can affect an entire group of devices—or all. To take
advantages of this feature, review the section iC-Net Zones in this manual.
In most applications, we reserve the first group of devices, 1-255, for components operating on a connected
control system. Zones 1-16 are used for CR TV Controllers, Video Display Controllers and Tuners. As it’s unlikely
any system will use all 4000 devices, this may be a good device standard for your system as well.
The Remote RS-232 port on the Head-End Network Controller can communicate from 1200 to 38.4K baud. The
factory default setting is 19.2K baud, 8 data bits, No parity, and 1 stop bit.
Command String Structure
Characters in command strings are expressed in a combination of hex and ASCII characters. For clarity, the
following protocol examples use the following conventions:
•Single-byte hex numbers are preceded by the ‘$’ symbol
•ASCII characters or strings are enclosed in single quotes
•Numbers not marked as hex or ASCII are a single decimal byte
•Parameters shown in < > brackets are single byte
•A series of multiple commands or parameters are set apart by [ ] brackets
•Commas separate the bytes, but are not part of the protocol
•Double quotes enclose the command string, but are not part of the protocol
Command format:
“$A5,<dh>,<dl>,<ncb>,<cmd1>,<para> [<cmdN>]"
$A5 Starts the command
<dh> The zone or high order byte of the device
<dl> The unit or low order byte of the device (0 for global zone)
<ncb> The number of command bytes to follow
<cmd1> The first command byte
<para> Command parameters (not used by all commands)
[<cmdN>] Multiple commands can be concatenated, with byte count added to <ncb>

Contemporary Research 15 ICC-STA/ICA-FT6
iC-Net STA Commands
Command Code Description
Operating
Parameters TM “$A5,<dh>,<dl>,3,’TM’,<setting>” (7 bytes)
Sets up key functions in the unit
bit 7 – 3 = 0
bit 2 – Channel up/down operation, 0=Tune Ring, 1=Send Key response
bit 1 – Numeric channel labels, 0=num labels off, 1=num labels on)
bit 0 – Alpha channel labels, 0=alpha labels off, 1=alpha labels on
Tip: In most ICC-STA entertainment systems, Channel up/down should be set to
0, Numeric channel labels to 0, and Alpha labels to 1. When Alpha labels are
active, the ICC-STA will automatically send the label text string to the ICA-
FT6 display whenever a channel is changed. No control system programming
needed. Is that cool or what?
Volume
VL “$A5,<dh>,<dl>,3,’VL’,<vol level>” (7 bytes)
Sets volume level
0 = Mute
1 – 63 = Minimum level (1) to maximum volume (63)
Set Volume VW “$A5,<dh>,<dl>,2,’VW’ ” (6 bytes)
Saves current volume level in memory, default when unit powers up
To power-up to last level, set volume to zero (VL) and save.
Marquee Chan T2 “$A5,<dh>,<dl>,3,’T2’<channel> ” (7 bytes) – Sets default power-up channel
Sets default channel selected when unit powers up
T Channel Up TU “$A5,<dh>,<dl>,2,’TU’ ” (6 bytes) – Tunes to next channel up in Tune Ring
T Channel Dwn TD “$A5,<dh>,<dl>,2,’TD’ ” (6 bytes) – Tunes to next channel down in Tune Ring
Force T Channel TC “$A5,<dh>,<dl>,3,’TC’, <channel>” (7 bytes) – Tunes to a specific channel
126 = Select STA external A/V input
Select T Channel TT “$A5,<dh>,<dl>,2,’TT’ <channel>” (7 bytes) –
Tunes channel if included in Tune Ring
Closures Y- “$A5,<dh>,<dl>,3, ‘Y’ <I/0 Port>’ ” (7 bytes)
Turns the two internal closures on and off. Closure 1 is typically used to control the
optional buzzer, Closure 2 typically used to control an external camera power relay.
“$A5,<dh>,<dl>,3, ‘Y10’” turns Closure 1 off
“$A5,<dh>,<dl>,3, ‘Y11’” turns Closure 1 on
“$A5,<dh>,<dl>,3, ‘Y20’” turns Closure 2 off
“$A5,<dh>,<dl>,3, ‘Y21’” turns Closure 2 on
Channel Labels TN “$A5,<dh>,<dl>,<ncb>,‘TN’,<channel>,<label>” (variable bytes)
Stores an ASCII string as the channel label. The text will display on the ICA-FT6 if
the feature has been activated by the TM command.
Ex1: “$A5,<dh>,<dl>,3,‘TN’, ‘7’, ‘PBS’ ” STA sends PBS display text to ICC-FT6
when 7 is selected
Ex2: “$A5,<dh>,<dl>,3,‘TN’, ‘7’ ” Clears alpha label for channel 7
Ex3: “$A5,<dh>,<dl>,3,‘TN’,0,0” Clears all alpha labels

Contemporary Research 16 ICC-STA/ICA-FT6
Command Code Description
Tuner Mode SO "$A5,<dh>,<dl>,3,'S0',<tune mode>" (7 bytes)
Sets tuner mode to CATV or Broadcast/Antenna
0 = CATV
1 = Broadcast/Antenna
2 = HRC
Tune Ring TR “$A5,<dh>,<dl>,<ncb>,’TR’, [<chan 1>, <chan N>]” (variable bytes)
This command stores a Tune Ring, a series of preset channels accessed by channel
up/down commands.
Ex1: “$A5,<dh>,<dl>,6,’TR’, 5,4,8,11” sets ring to channels 5, 4, 8 and 11
Tip: The ring follows the stored order, channels do not have to be in ascending
order
x
Ex2: “$A5,<dh>,<dl>,2,’TR’ ” clears the Tune Ring, locks unit to current channel
Tip: In the above mode, the channel up/down response is sent to the Head-End,
so the system will know the user is trying to change channels. In response,
the system could change channels on a media sources, like a VCR or
satellite.
Ex3: “$A5,<dh>,<dl>,8,’TR’, $82,5,$87,11” sets channels 2-5 and 7-11. You can
specify a range using MSB bit for the first channel; the next byte is the last.
Control String UX "$A5,<dh>,<dl>,2+string length>,'UX'<string>" (variable bytes)
Sends an RS-232 string (ASCII, decimal, or hex) directly to the TV display.
Ex: "$A5,15,255,6,'UX,’>V6’,13" Displays FT6 rev on FT6 display on all units
(3840+255=device 4095 – global device)
Show Firmware V6 “$A5,<dh>,<dl>,2,’V6’ ” (6 bytes)
Shows STA firmware version on FT6 display (STA Vn.n) See UX above for how to
send the equivalent command to the FT6.
Show Device V2 “$A5,<dh>,<dl>,2,’V2’ ” (6 bytes)
Shows STA device number on FT6 display (DV=nnnn)
Ex: "$A5,15,255,2,'V2" Displays STA device number on all units online
(3840+255=device 4095 – global device)
Channel Status ST "$A5,0,0,3,'ST'" (6 bytes)
Requests channel status
Volume Status SV "$A5,0,0,3,'SV'" (6 bytes)
Requests volume status
Device Status SP "$A5,0,0,3,'SP'" (6 bytes)
Queries the Head-End for the number of devices present on the network and the
number of devices expected.
Channel ? T? “$A5,<dh>,<dl>,2,’T?’ ” (6 bytes) – Request response for current channel (Ver
4.3)

Contemporary Research 17 ICC-STA/ICA-FT6
iC-Net Responses
The ICC-STA will send a response over the network whenever there is there is a change in status or command
from a panel.
Response String Structure
Characters in response strings are expressed in a combination of hex and ASCII characters. For clarity, the
following protocol examples use the following conventions:
•ASCII characters or strings are shown enclosed in single quotes
•Numbers shown that are not in single quotes are a single decimal byte
•Parameters shown in < > brackets are single byte
•A series of multiple commands or parameters are set apart by [ ] brackets
•Commas separate the bytes, but are not part of the protocol
•Double quotes enclose the command string, but are not part of the protocol
Command format:
“ ‘<’,<dh>,<dl>,<nrb>,<rb1>, <para1> [<rbN>]"
‘>’ Starts the response
<dh> The zone or high order byte of the device
<dl> The unit or low order byte of the device (0 for global zone)
<nrb> The number of response bytes to follow
<rb1> The first response byte
<para1> Associated parameters, if any
[<rbN>] Multiple responses may be included
Response Code Description
New Channel T “ ‘<’,<dh>,<dl>,2,'T',<new channel>" (6 bytes)
Sent in response to T? command.
Key K “ ‘<’,<dh>,<dl>,2,'K',<Key>" (6 bytes)
Sent when unit receives a KK command from the ICA-FT6. In ICC-STA applications,
the Key character will be sent from the Head End Controller to the control system,
triggering a programmed activity.
The Channel Up/Down functions (22 = Channel Up, 23 = Channel Down) are sent
only if enabled in the TM command (Bit 2 = 1). The Channel Up/Down responses will
also be sent if the Tune Ring contains no channels – see Ex2 in the Tune Ring
command section. In most case, you’ll want to turn the Channel Up/Down Key
operation off.
Tip: In our ICC-STA applications, we send Key characters 1-128 to trigger various
control functions in a control system, such as attendant call or light on/off. We’ll use
characters 129-134 to indicate a release of a specific button. For example, a “130”
indicates the release of button 2 (130-128=2).

Contemporary Research 18 ICC-STA/ICA-FT6
iC-Net Zones
To simplify controlling groups of devices, iC-Net is divided into 16 zones of 255 devices. All the
devices within each zone can be controlled simultaneously by sending a command to a single “virtual
device number”.
For example, noting the zone chart below, if we send a Channel 32 command to device #256, all
controllers numbered between 257 and 511 will instantly switch to that channel. If we send a Tune
Ring list to device #4095, all devices in the system will be updated.
This is an immensely powerful feature, because most systems can only address one device at time. So
if you need to turn off all 50 TV in a zone, you would need to send 50 commands. In addition to the
hassles of creating multiple commands, there would be a long delay between the first and last
command. One command, instant response is easier.
As we noted before, we reserve Zone 0 for devices used in the central control system, then use 1 -15
for iC-Net devices. This structure may be useful for your application, or you could use Zone 0 just like
any other iC-Net zone.
Zone First Device Last Device Virtual Device
0 1 255 0
1 257 511 256
2 513 767 512
3 769 1023 768
4 1025 1279 1024
5 1281 1535 1280
6 1537 1791 1536
7 1793 2047 1792
8 2049 2303 2048
9 2305 2559 2304
10 2561 2815 2560
11 2817 3071 2816
12 3073 3327 3072
13 3329 3583 3328
14 3585 3839 3584
15 3841 4000 3840
All Zones 4095
Tip: You've probably figured out that you never want to assign a virtual device number to an
actual device in the system. If you assigned #1536 to a device, all the TV controllers in Zone
6 would respond every time you sent a command to that one device.

Contemporary Research 19 ICC-STA/ICA-FT6
System Map
One of the key tasks for iC-Net integrators is to create logical System Map, assigning device
numbers to controllers so they fall into physical zones useful to the client (or the programmer). The
device mapping could be sorted by type or location; whichever suits the application.
In several applications, we grouped the devices by panel type, panels that share identical button
layouts and features. Typically, we program the control system to set iCC-Net device operation
whenever the system resets (see
RS-232 Control System Protocol on page 13). Using the Zone
commands we can send set-up commands to all the devices in the group by using the Virtual Device
number.
iC-Net Zone Zone Device
1 Panel Type 1 256
260
261
262
263
2 Panel Type 2 512
560
561
562
563
3 Panel Type 3 768
860
861
862
863
All Zones All 4095

Typical RF and ICC-Net Signal Flow
The diagram below shows the structure of a typical Contemporary Research media retrieval system.
One of the key aspects for iCC-Net communication is to provide a forward and return (sub-channel)
path for data.
Contemporary Research 20 ICC-STA/ICA-FT6