Motorola Cable Box serial port

[CharlesLinquist]

My Motorola 2244 Cable box has a serial port. Google-ing got me to the SAGE discussion list, where someone posted a plugin for SAGE that controls the cable box directly through the serial port.

Does anyone know how I can get Beyond TV to send data to the Motorola box?

[ascully]

I use the serial port on my motorola its built into BTV 3.5 automatically, just run through the setup wizard and choose your cable box then select the serial tuner and next the model of your box. Works like a charm here

[RobertH]

Please be aware that this requires a specific firmware version to be on the box and your cable provider must not have disabled the serial port in order for this to work.

[CharlesLinquist]

Will this work on BTV 3.4.4?
I'm still having a minor issue with 3.5 (it downloads, but won't show program guide), so I haven't upgraded yet.

[Barnsie]

I guess I'll jump in on this thread, as my question is pretty similar. I just replaced my old comcast cable box and this time around they gave me a Motorola dct-2524(? the last digit might be something else, going from memory). It's got the serial port, and I'm reading that Comcast has them enabled in a lot of the units used by the members of the tivo forum.

I've got the box running with a usb-uirt at the moment, but my questions are embarassingly basic. Do I just use a standard serial cable, or do I need something specific to the Motorola? Do I need to install a driver on the system, or is the link only connected when btv is running?

Thanks,

Barnsie

[PBMax]

CharlesLinquist,

Try deleting your channel lineup from the setupwizard and create a new one. The new channel lineup will be associated with the tuner and the guide should show up.

You can also set the correct channel lineup to your tuner from the webUI under Settings->Audio and Video Inputs->Edit Settings->Channel Lineup

[ascully]

You need a standard serial cable female to female ends, and you need no drivers it simply works when BTV is active

[Barnsie]

Originally Posted by ascully

You need a standard serial cable female to female ends, and you need no drivers it simply works when BTV is active

Thanks ascully. I guess I'll have to give it a go. Maybe I can stop worrying about the runts moving the usb-uirt....

Barnsie

[tjstraz]

I have a Motorola DCT2244 that has a serial connection. I have been trying to get it setup using a serial cable through Beyond TV with no success. Is there a way to tell through the cable box setup program to determine if the serial connection is enabled on the unit? My digital cable provider is ComCast.

Thanks

[queonda]

Originally Posted by ascully

You need a standard serial cable female to female ends, and you need no drivers it simply works when BTV is active

So this means pin to pin? or 2<--->3 swapped?

[Barnsie]

Originally Posted by queonda

So this means pin to pin? or 2<--->3 swapped?

Here's the standard cable I bought on ebay (maybe $6 with shipping). I'd say pin to pin, but male>female. Works great with my Comcast Motorola box and BTV3.5, but it's sort of sad to see the usb-uirt all alone on the shelf.

Serial Extension Cable
DB9 M/F 6'
Cable: DB9
ExtensionJacket: PVC
Length: 6'
Connector 1: DB9 Male
Connector 2: DB9 Female

Barnsie

[SprDtyF350]

Originally Posted by tjstraz

I have a Motorola DCT2244 that has a serial connection. I have been trying to get it setup using a serial cable through Beyond TV with no success. Is there a way to tell through the cable box setup program to determine if the serial connection is enabled on the unit? My digital cable provider is ComCast.

Thanks

I also have Comcast and asked them if the port was active and was told no. The lady said they were supposed to be doing it someday but she could not tell me when.

Randy

[tjstraz]

Well, I called ComCast tech support and they told me that the 2244 that I had would not work. They informed me that I needed an "L" model. So I took my unit to the local Comcast center and exchanged it for a 2224. Hooked it up and still no luck. I'm not sure what I'm going to do.

Tim

[Barnsie]

I haven't tried to use any of the 22** boxes that Comcast has provided, but the most recent ones theu gave me are 2524's, and they both work perfect. Most of the earlier three were clearly used by someone before me while the 2524s are pristine. They still have the peel off plastic over the channel displays.

Maybe you could call around to your local offices and see who has a 2524 in stock? I'm in central Jersey, but I'm sure that they are elsewhere as well.

Barnsie

[ttech]

I have a 2500 box and I am having no luck getting it to work either, I really want to get this working because I have heard that the IR blasters are not very reliable.

I work for the cable company and we have our own programmers that wrote our billing software, I am having them look into the serial port enabling. What I would like to know is if there is any way to check to make sure that BTV is sending the commands out the serial port to the DCT 2500? I am not sure if the DCT,PC or BTV is the problem.