Hi all! Does anyone know of any documentation about the serial port on the back of these things? It would be fun to interface with the ports if there is any thing like hardware control or motor control available over the serial bus.
Tascam 688/644 (and others) serial port and protocol
- Thread starter bgencarelle
- Start date
As far as I can see from the manual, the serial port is only for connection to a serial sync unit, namely the Tascam Midizer, or some other device that does the same job. They don't mention any other functions.
Sure they dont mention other functions, but there has to exist a protocol somewhere. Has anyone done any datalogging on the serial port before? Is there a pinout somewhere?
SkywaveTDR
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Have you looked at the Midi device that they say to hook it to? Maybe that has what you need to know. I don't think there is a provision for motor control but deck function are said to be possible by a computer. Finding out the connector pin out is the first step then using or developing a control software is the next problem.
A lot of things are put into devices as a last minute add on from marketing with little warning to the engineering department- this is all the rush to market that causes a lot of equipment to be made cheaply and with a lot of errors in it.
Also maybe the service manual might show a connector pin description. Not all dB25 are for serial data- some of them are just contact closures like on the 122 Mk III.
A lot of things are put into devices as a last minute add on from marketing with little warning to the engineering department- this is all the rush to market that causes a lot of equipment to be made cheaply and with a lot of errors in it.
Also maybe the service manual might show a connector pin description. Not all dB25 are for serial data- some of them are just contact closures like on the 122 Mk III.
Skywave, I dont have access to a Midiizer, here in Germany they go for stupid amounts of money. Based on reading the 644, 238 and 688 manuals, it seems that the serial port is some sort of internal Tascam standard. They even refer to it as the "Tascam Serial Standard." If someone has a pinout of the port, I am willing to try some stuff with one of my USB serial adapters. I was thinking that a fun after market product would be something that could easily control things like stop, start and transport speed using a cheap modern micro.
