[Guy]

I will do some testing when I have time this week. There have been unsuccessful attempts to use BL Active stand-alone in the past, such as here: https://archivedforum.beoworld.org/forums/t/31173.aspx

My BL Actives are all Type 1636 SW1.1.

[Madskp]

Guy wrote:

I will do some testing when I have time this week. There have been unsuccessful attempts to use BL Active stand-alone in the past, such as here: https://archivedforum.beoworld.org/forums/t/31173.aspx My BL Actives are all SW1.1.

I will try that too. I have both a SW 1.1 and 1.6 as far as I remember.

One thing I will try to test is if it will run with a BLC 1614 connected on Masterlink, just to check if a Audio- or videmoster is required, or if its just the presence of Masterlink voltage, and or signals

[Guy]

Madskp wrote:

One thing I will try to test is if it will run with a BLC 1614 connected on Masterlink, just to check if a Audio- or videmoster is required, or if its just the presence of Masterlink voltage, and or signals

That’s a good idea – I don’t think I have a 1614 but I guess yours arrived as part of that large pile of black boxes you acquired!

[Madskp]

Guy wrote:

That’s a good idea – I don’t think I have a 1614 but I guess yours arrived as part of that large pile of black boxes you acquired!

Yes there are 10 of them as part of the mountain 🙂

Haven’t got any luck dealing any of them on, but then again the 1611 is a better option

[Keith Saunders]

This afternoon I have spent some time searching my boxes of manuals related to all the B&O converters. I have found a circuit diagram for type 1636 which is attached.

[Keith Saunders]

I should also point out that the type 1636 (EU) replaced the 1611.

In fact, all type 161x converters were replaced with 163x units when one was purchased. In other words if a 1611 (EU) converter failed, it must be replaced by a 1636 (EU)

[Guy]

Thanks for the 1636 schematic Keith!

Keith Saunders wrote:

I should also point out that the type 1636 (EU) replaced the 1611.

In fact, all type 161x converters were replaced with 163x units when one was purchased. In other words if a 1611 (EU) converter failed, it must be replaced by a 1636 (EU)

I must admit that I don’t understand this!

I can imagine the BL Active 1616 (two PL sockets) being replaced with Active Type 1636 (PL and PC sockets). However surely the BL Converter 1611 is used for a totally different purpose with PL and AAL inputs? Or is there another ‘EU’ version of the 1611 out there?

[Madskp]

Keith Saunders wrote:

This afternoon I have spent some time searching my boxes of manuals related to all the B&O converters. I have found a circuit diagram for type 1636 which is attached.

Great to have this diagram to do back up our testing. I can already see that I will have to revisit my measurements as SL-config is not connected to ML-sense (which doesn’t seem to be there at all).

Guy wrote:

Thanks for the 1636 schematic Keith!

Keith Saunders wrote:

I should also point out that the type 1636 (EU) replaced the 1611. In fact, all type 161x converters were replaced with 163x units when one was purchased. In other words if a 1611 (EU) converter failed, it must be replaced by a 1636 (EU)

I must admit that I don’t understand this! I can imagine the BL Active 1616 (two PL sockets) being replaced with Active Type 1636 (PL and PC sockets). However surely the BL Converter 1611 is used for a totally different purpose with PL and AAL inputs? Or is there another ‘EU’ version of the 1611 out there?

I am also a little puzzled about that as the 1610, 1611, 1612, 1614 and 1615 all converts between Masterlink and AAL datalink where the 1616, 1618, 1636, 1637, 1638 and 1639 all are link room products with IR and Powerlink connection + the added PC connection on the 163x series. Could it be that it was only units from 1616 onwards that was replaced by 163x? Maybe a text written in a cryptic way?

Anyway some followup testing to do with the functionality and many thanks to Keith for locating the diagram 🙂

 

 

[Madskp]

Just redid my measurements, and I must have followed a wrong trace when I did my measurements last, as there is no connection between Pin 1 SL-config and the Masterlink connector.

But still as the diagram also shows:

Pin 6 Data – is Masterlink Data –
Pin 8 Data + is Masterlink Data +

[B3OHACK3R]

Madskp wrote:

SL-config is not connected to ML-sense

You can see in the schematic that SL_Config is actually an output. The “CPU CARD” can set it’s SL_CONFIG pin low which will then provide a logic high signal (5V) on PC pin 1.
SL probably stands for slave. Maybe to tell a peripheral connected to the PC socket that the PC source was activated?

[Madskp]

Madskp wrote:

One thing I will try to test is if it will run with a BLC 1614 connected on Masterlink, just to check if a Audio- or videmoster is required, or if its just the presence of Masterlink voltage, and or signals

Tried to test the BL Active with a 1611 Converter connected as an audiomaster on the ML side just to get a baseline of things working. BL active in option 6.

All functions works as expected, I can choose all audio and video source from the ML side and get sound through powerlink, and I can use the PC input and get sound through powerlink.

Replacing the 1611 converter with a 1614 converter on the other hand will not make any functions work at all. The red standby LED on the IR eye will just keep lighted. SO no luck there

 

 

[B3OHACK3R]

Keith Saunders wrote:

In other words if a 1611 (EU) converter failed, it must be replaced by a 1636 (EU)

Sounds a bit strange. In the 1636 schematic you provided the circuit does not contain the typical ML power supply for the data lines. So in no case it could act as a ML master.

[B3OHACK3R]

Madskp wrote:

Replacing the 1611 converter with a 1614 converter on the other hand will not make any functions work at all.

The 1614 does not elevate the ML data lines. So no ML communication possible without a proper master. Either the circuit is not there at all or it is disabled by software. Not sure if I’ve seen a schematic of the 1614 so far.

[Madskp]

B3OHACK3R wrote:

Madskp wrote:

SL-config is not connected to ML-sense

You can see in the schematic that SL_Config is actually an output. The “CPU CARD” can set it’s SL_CONFIG pin low which will then provide a logic high signal (5V) on PC pin 1. SL probably stands for slave. Maybe to tell a peripheral connected to the PC socket that the PC source was activated?

The original peripheral for this connection was the first Beolink PC office box, shown in one of the first posts in this thread. The ML data pins and the SL_config pin was then connected to that. But if it makes sense that the BL Active should send some kind of signal to the BL PC office box when there was also the ML data I don’t know.

But if you can tell from the diagram that SL_config is and output then we might not have much use for that for input applications

[B3OHACK3R]

Madskp wrote:

The original peripheral for this connection was the first Beolink PC office box

Ah, true. Forgot about that.

Madskp wrote:

But if you can tell from the diagram that SL_config is and output then we might not have much use for that for input applications

Yes, definitively output-only in the schematic.

[Madskp]

B3OHACK3R wrote:

Madskp wrote: But if you can tell from the diagram that SL_config is and output then we might not have much use for that for input applications Yes, definitively output-only in the schematic.

Great to have that confirmed. Just for fun I did a voltage measurement on this pin and it reads 0.4V and fluctates when a command is pressed on the remote control

[B3OHACK3R]

Madskp wrote:

Just for fun I did a voltage measurement on this pin and it reads 0.4V and fluctates when a command is pressed on the remote control

Could also be IR data output that is replicated on this pin. A scope capture would reveal it.
So that when connected to that PC Office thing it could forward local IR commands directly to the PC. Just an idea…
In any case – not that much useful.

[B3OHACK3R]

Actually, anybody knows what the Powerlink RX function does? Been seeing that in a few schematics. TX is obviously for Penta, 4500, BL5. What about RX? Any speakers sending data back to the source? Was that ever implemented in any speaker?

Probably a provision for local controls or a IR receiver within a speaker? Now I’m somehow curious what happens if you connect an IR eye to the PL data pin…

[Madskp]

B3OHACK3R wrote:

Actually, anybody knows what the Powerlink RX function does? Been seeing that in a few schematics. TX is obviously for Penta, 4500, BL5. What about RX? Any speakers sending data back to the source? Was that ever implemented in any speaker? Probably a provision for local controls or a IR receiver within a speaker? Now I’m somehow curious what happens if you connect an IR eye to the PL data pin…

well even though it might be a little redundant it should be possible to connect a Beolink Passive / ML-MCL converter via Powerlink. The passive speaker ports on this box can drive an MCL system including IR eyes.

I have noticed on the diagrams for more than one Beomaster that the data connection is shared between Audio Aux Link, powerlink and MCL, but its not a given. However that suggest some form of comptability between these.

But functionality could of course be reduced on a product like the Beolink Active

I will do some more testing when I have a little spare time on my hands

 

[Madskp]

Madskp wrote:

well even though it might be a little redundant it should be possible to connect a Beolink Passive / ML-MCL converter via Powerlink. The passive speaker ports on this box can drive an MCL system including IR eyes.

Just did a test of this to see what happens. A picture of the setup here

From Top to bottom

iPod as music source – connected to AAL connector on – BL1611 working as Audio/video master – connected via Masterlink to – Beolink active with IR eye in option 6 – connencted with fully wired powerlink cable to – ML/MCL converter – connected with MCL cable to – MCL2AV with IR eye in option 1.5 – connected via PL connector to active speaker

What I tried to do is to cover the IR eye on the BL Active and activate the MCL2AV with and audio command. The MCL2AV is turning on, but the ML/MCL converter and the BL Active is not. only if I uncover the IR eye on the BL Active.

So I guess this apply for this situation:

Madskp wrote:

But functionality could of course be reduced on a product like the Beolink Active

Just to be sure nothing was wrong with the MCL data connection between the MCL2AV and the ML/MCL converter I tried to remove the BL active from the setup and connected the ML/MCL with ML cable to the BL1611 and it worked just fine.

I will have to make some cable adapters to make some more testing on this.

[Author]

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