Brightsign RS232 Interface

16 input RS232 (Serial Interface Board)

Features:

• Small footprint (3.0 x 2.8 inches)
• 16 inputs
• Terminal blocks for all input connections
• 5V (BrightSign) or 5 volts external  for standard RS232 connections)
• Baud setting: 38400,N,8,1 (standard serial configuration)
• On board LED's to indicate Power and Processor running.
• Can be directly mounted to the BrightSign RS232 connector (requires attaching screws to be ordered separately)
• 5 volts or 3.3 volts (jumper selected) +V.  3.3Volts is required for the AZ-Sense1 proximity sensors and PIR motion detector.

The TX/RX pins can be reversed with simple on board jumper (normal or reverse TX/RX pins).  This feature supports either style of RS232 cable (null modem cable or standard RS232 cable).  The standard RS232 cable has pins 2 and 3 swapped (pin2 of one end connects to pin 3 of the other end).

Operation: (Firmware 3.2)   When an input is grounded (set low), a string is sent out that represents the input (BrightAuthor compatible).  If multiple inputs are activated, successive inputs are reported.  I.E. If input 1 is closed, the "1" is reported.  Then if input 9 closes also, then the new input "9" is reported. When all inputs go high, then a zero is reported (switches have all been released).

The strings are:

• 0  =  "0",13
• 1  =  "1",13 (character "1" followed by a carriage return of chr(13))
• 2 = "2",13
• 3 = "3",13
• 4 = "4",13
• 5 = "5",13
• 6 = "6",13
• 7 = "7",13
• 8 = "8",13
• 9 = "9",13
• 10 = "10",13 ("1" followed by "0")
• 11 = "11",13
• 12 = "12",13
• 13 = "13",13
• 14 = "14",13
• 15 = "15",13
• 16 = "16",13

Contact HMS Electronics if you have need of other than 'strings' to be sent in response to inputs.

Important: IF using the external 5V power, remove the large red jumper wire. 

J4 Connector is utilized as a 3.5mm stereo 'RS232' connectors as is found commonly on products.  The same TX/RX pin swap is utilized.

Note: IF ordering this board and you need the 3.5mm stereo connector, email us to specify that you need the 3.5mm and not the DB9 connector.

RS232_Slides.BRS (BrightScript File) 

This script written for this 16 input board in 'ascii' mode.  It will play a slide to match the input number (slides 1 through 16).  

Un-Zip this file to the Root Directory of your SD card and rename the file RS232_Slides.BRS to autorun.brs.  All of the slides should be in the 'Slides' sub-directory.

Author: Richard Harkey
Revised: August 27, 2024