Different Centronic USB Sticks / Repeater vs. Transmitter

[ole1986]

Please post comments related to different Centronic USB Sticks here.

Previously discussed in #13

[gregg-ai]

Hi Ole,
My test done yesterday was to check if the CC51 can send command to receivers using the new USB key.
The this test I swapped the initial (old) Centronic USB key of CC51 with the new key.
The test was not OK. During the test I done a Centronic usb reset using the setting option expecting that this will change the mode "repeater" of the new key to appropriate one. But the new USB key remains in "repeater" mode.
Moreover, when I return to initial mode (CC51 with the old key), the CC51 was not able to action motors....I think that the Centronic reset function has clear the pairing table in CC51.
Before repairing all Motors, I done a restore configuration of the CC51. In the CC51 there is a USB storage key where the system do a daily backup. So I used the last backup to restore CC51 configuration.
After this restore, the CC51 is operational, the CC51 is able to action the motors without (re)pairing them.
In conclusion, the receiver codes are stored into the CC51 config files.
I tried to open a backup file, but the file is crypted and I don't know with what.

In answer to yours questions :

• In purchased a new USB key in aim to manage the Centronic devices through my home automation which is Jeedom based (solution like FHEM)
• I contacted Becker support to request them the procedure to change the new USB key mode and get working on CC51.

For solving my problem, the alternative is to send Centronic commands through CC51 inside using a USB key attached to my Intel NUC in aim. But I don't know how to take control of CC51....

[fredmoro]

Don't mention to Becker, that You want to use the stick with other device, because they won't give any hint or support. Just describe the problem, that your new stick didn't worked with CC51. Let's see what they say to it.

Local support claimed to me, that the "new" stick can work either as a repeater or even as a transmitter. If that's true, then the CC51 shall be able to use the "new" stick, without any trick.
please contact me in email: fredmoro@gmail.com

[gregg-ai]

Hi,
For sure, I will not mention the usage "outside" CC51 ;-)
Have you a phone number or a specific email address to reach the Becker support team ?

[fredmoro]

Well, I have one technician, but I think the support will forward you to him.. I mailed him directly , after Hungarian support gave his mail address. But he didn't answered, instead they replied through Hungarian support, that what I want is considered hacking, therefore they won't help. But I don't have cc51, and I told them what I want with the stick. So I may give you the mail, but need a story how you got the address :)

[Selaron]

Hi, did you find a solution?
My sticks' device path is /dev/serial/by-id/usb-BECKER-ANTRIEBE_GmbH_B_MONITOR_v114-if00.
If I run screen /dev/ttyACM0 15200,cs8 and press the keys h i t n r l m s it outputs:

[h]elp_[i]nit_c[t]rns_i[n]fin_[r]ecsx_[l]inesx_[m]ode_r[s]si
Cont_Transmit
Infineon_Rcv
SX_Reg_Rcv
SX_IRQ1_Rcv
0x06
0xA4

While i outputs nothing.

While in screen and pressing buttons on the remot control, I see one line of data which seemes to be received by the stick:
Its an 8 byte HEX sequence prefixed with T.

The shutter motor does not react on centronic.py --send TRAIN ... or TRAIN2019 commands when in learning mode. It only "clacks" once when switching to learning mode and that's it.

[DmxLarchey]

Hi @hphde,

I am trying to figure out why my stick fails and I already observed that the RF frames generated by the USB stick are somewhat different from the RF frames generated by the physical remotes, see #37.

In particular (but that is not the sole difference), physical sticks always send (two or more) codes for pushing a button, and a two codes for releasing a button. The USB stick just repeats the same message 3 times. Also the preample of the RF messages have a slight difference.

I would like to identify/compare the version of my key wrt. to your own keys. I understand the first one you bought failed while the second one works. If I run screen <path-to-serial-dev> 115200,cs8, and then type h, then i then r, I get the following output:

 Functions: [q]up, [s]stop, [y]dn, [x]prog3s, [v]prog9s, [r]Read RSSI, [i]Version Info, [h]Help - info  

 Info:  Centronic-II  PC-Central 868MHz V201 [2022-04-06] 

 RSSI: -111 dBm

Would it be possible for your to perform a similar test and give me the outputs for the keys you own? Possibly, if you have another version, the help message and the keys to type could be different. I am particularily interested in the Version Info which gives the firmware version I guess. Mine is Centronic-II PC-Central 868MHz V201 [2022-04-06].

For what it is worth, here are some pics of the stick I do own:

• the rear side of the USK stick:
  
• the front side of the internal PCB:
  
• the rear side of the internal PCB:
  

Opening up the plastic casing was easy and non-destructive, with my own nails...

[darth-hp]

I tried the screen command without any effect

[DmxLarchey]

@hphde Thank you for trying to give help! I appreciate very much.

Did you try typing the h (for help) key while in screen? Sometimes, not often, my own key does not respond and I need to plug it, unplug it and then run screen before it responds to the help request. Also, screen must have exclusive access to the key during the test.

[darth-hp]

I tried several times also with minicom without success

[DmxLarchey]

Ok thx for trying. I guess the revision of the dongle you have does not have a terminal interface for direct interaction. I have also seen others have a different interface than the one I have.

[darth-hp]

Hello guys,

I bought this Centronic stick and it reports as usb-Becker-Antriebe_GmbH_CDC_RS232_v125_Centronic-if00 under /dev/serial/by-id/ running Linux 5.15.74-1-pve. Note the tiny difference in lowercase as in comparison to the centronic-stick.py usb-BECKER-ANTRIEBE_GmbH_CDC_RS232_v125_Centronic-if00. Additionally it's also linked to /dev/ttyACM0.

Further info:

for u in /sys/bus/usb/devices/*; do [ -e $u/idVendor ] && [ $(cat "$u/idVendor")  = "2638" ] && echo "Centronic stick found in $u with productid $(cat $u/idProduct) and version: $(cat $u/bcdDevice) - $u" ; done
Centronic stick found in /sys/bus/usb/devices/1-8.3 with productid 0013 and version: 0125 - /sys/bus/usb/devices/1-8.3

I do have a TC445-II and when I start pairing I hear a clack at the cover but nothing happens at the cover when I run ./centronic-stick.py --device /dev/ttyACM0 --channel 1 --send TRAIN which prints something like

Sending code 0000000002010B00B80000001737B021010100819B to device /dev/ttyACM0
Sending code 0000000002010B00B90000001737B021010100001B to device /dev/ttyACM0
Sending code 0000000002010B00BA0000001737B0210101008199 to device /dev/ttyACM0

It tried to run the script in listening mode but I never saw anything. No matter if I tried pairing or just sending some command from the TC445.

Any ideas?

[DmxLarchey]

As a complement, here is what I can get with the command

screen /dev/serial/by-id/usb-Becker-Antriebe_GmbH_CDC_RS232_v125_Centronic-if00 115200,cs8

which open an interaction windows with the serial device

# push "h" key
 Functions: [q]up, [s]stop, [y]dn, [x]prog3s, [v]prog9s, [r]Read RSSI, [i]Version Info, [h]Help - info  

# push "i" key 
Info:  Centronic-II  PC-Central 868MHz V201 [2022-04-06] 

# push "r" key
 RSSI: -119 dBm

[DmxLarchey]

Listening with SDRSharp, the USBStick actually send a signal over RF, of a strengh comparable to the Becker EC545-II remote. So the problem does not seem to come from a bad antenna for sending the signal.

[darth-hp]

My solution was to buy another stick, see #14 (comment)

[DmxLarchey]

Ok thanks. So you have no idea why the other one did not work?

[darth-hp]

Unfortunately not and I did no further analysis

[ole1986]

Hi,

My shutter were shipped with a TC-4410-II. So I could only test it with CC31
Its odd that even the listen mode does not receive any codes.

So maybe the USB Stick devices might have different filtering.
Would be really interesting to get raw result from am CUL on 868,3 Mhz

[darth-hp]

lsusb reports:

Bus 001 Device 004: ID 2638:0013 Becker-Antriebe GmbH CDC RS232 v125 Centronic

I have ordered mine from the link I posted above. I had a talk with Steuerung123 - it's exactly the same stick. They list it twice on purpose.

[darth-hp]

I ordered a new stick. It's absolutely identical from what I can tell. I did not look on the inside. This one works now.

[hehoffmann]

Did you try again to get the first stick running? I bought a stick with the article number B40352000410 (here) and analogous to yours, my lsusb throws Bus 001 Device 008: ID 2638:0013 Becker-Antriebe GmbH CDC RS232 v125 Centronic.
As soon as I plug in the stick, the path /by-path appears in the directory /dev/serial, but not /by-id as so often mentioned and stored in the script.
Any idea what the problem could be or did only the new purchase help?

Edit:
I found out that on my computer with Manjaro the stick is displayed in /by-id. Consequently, it must be the Raspberry or the OS (or missing dependencies).

[jonasbark]

@darth-hp from where did you end up buying a working one? Mine from teso-shop seems to be incompatible as well.

[darth-hp]

Becker Centronic Stick V2

[jonasbark]

Thanks. I ordered the same stick from them, but it is not working either. What we see in #21 (comment) is missing from the stick. Can you confirm that your stick looks like in the comment?

[DmxLarchey]

@jonasbark and @darth-hp,

This is what I am wary about ... how to be sure I do not order another copy of a stick that is not working. Besides, it seems the reference in the product Becker Centronic Stick V2 is both 4035 000 0410 and 4035 200 0410 which of course does not help ...

[jonasbark]

I ordered the stick from:
https://www.steuerung123.de/product_info.php?info=p1046_.html&no_boost=1
https://teso-shop.de/hersteller/becker-antriebe-gmbh/676/usb-funk-stick-centronic-fuer-cc41
https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0983XS7ZG?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

None of them work and none of them look like in this comment. Not willing to give up, yet...

[DmxLarchey]

Looks pretty much the same as mine ... and I failed to get it work so far.

[jonasbark]

@DmxLarchey I tried it all again and to my big surprise my stick actually works. I used another USB Adapter (my Laptop doesn't have USB 2.0) and during a screen session I was finally able to see signals. Now also the two commands worked:

sudo ./centronic-stick.py --send TRAIN --channel 1
sudo ./centronic-stick.py --send DOWN --channel 1

I'll continue testing.

[DmxLarchey]

@jonasbark

Thanks for the follow up. I do see signals coming from other hardware remotes but the training signal that my USB remote sends is not received properly by the Becker motor. As discussed here:

#37

there are some differences between the RF signals of the hardware remotes and of the USB remote.

But I will try with USB2 only port to see if there is any difference. I have not tried this yet. Thx for the suggestion.

[DmxLarchey]

@DmxLarchey ... Now also the two commands worked:

sudo ./centronic-stick.py --send TRAIN --channel 1
sudo ./centronic-stick.py --send DOWN --channel 1

@jonasbark by "worked", do you mean you got feedback from the motors, ie clack-clack ?

[jonasbark]

Yes, exactly.