MXnet 1G & 10G RS-232 Mode Benefits and Drawbacks

The RS-232 mode of an MXnet 1G and an MXnet 10G endpoint determines how the endpoint handles RS-232 communication to/from external devices.

RS-232 Mode 2

RS-232 Mode 2 is the default option for 1G and 10G devices. RS-232 mode 2 Sets the RS-232 module of an endpoint to "Guest Mode Type 2 (Redirection)", a mode which allows external devices to interface with the RS-232 communication channel of the endpoint.

    This allows the CBOX to send an RS-232 string to the MXnet endpoint, which the endpoint will immediately forward out of its corresponding RS-232 port.

        Consider RS-232 Mode 2 as routing the endpoint's RS-232 subscription to the CBOX. 

Below is a list of features that are provided by an MXnet 1G endpoint being in RS-232 Mode 2:

o    EDID Management

o    Firmware Updates (MCU)

o    HDCP Input Management

o    Light Control

o    Dynamic LCD/OLED Information (IP Address & Custom Name assignment)

o    Model Name Information

o    Serial Number Information

o    RS-232 Command Executions sent directly from the CBOX to an endpoint

RS-232 Mode 1: 

RS-232 mode 1 sets the RS-232 module on an endpoint to "Type 2 (Redirection)". This RS-232 mode "frees up" the RS-232 subscription from the CBOX to the specified endpoint, allowing a user to route the RS-232 subscription from an encoder to a decoder for "true" bi-directional RS-232 communication from encoder to decoder or vice versa.

    This can be used if a job site only needs to send RS-232 control to a sink device using a dedicated RS-232 controller instead of through a full-fledged control system (therefore through the CBOX), or if the RS-232 control method being used is incapable of processing over IP. 

For MXnet 1G, Since setting an MXnet endpoint to RS-232 mode 1 also closes the CBOX's method of communicating to the MCU of an endpoint, below is a list of features that are no longer available to an endpoint if setting to RS-232 mode 1:

8. EDID Management
9. Firmware Updates (MCU)
10. HDCP Input Management
11. Light Control
12. LCD will still be on, however the information on the LCD will no longer populate
13. Model Name (Unless queried by CBOX prior to setting endpoint to RS-232 mode 1)
14. Serial Number (unless queried by CBOX prior to setting endpoint to RS-232 mode 1)
15. RS-232 Command Executions sent directly from the CBOX to an endpoint

Please note that other than RS-232 executions from the CBOX/Future firmware updates, all of the above features that will be lost is not detrimental to continued usage of an MXnet 1G System and are only primarily used during initial system setup.