Can I use an RJ45 splitter to control both an sx80 and an sx20?

[EricMachuca1484]

Hi Folks,

So I'm in the process of designing a custom integrated AV system for a client. They currently that have two existing SX20's in two separate rooms. They also own an SX80 that will live in a remote rack. The two rooms have a divider which will make for a combined or uncombined scenario. The client would like to make separate calls with separate (PrecisionHD Camera 1080p12x)cameras when uncombined but be able to use the same cameras with the SX80 in the combined mode. Video is not an issue since there simultaneous HDMI and SDI. My dilemma (maybe)/ question is can I use an RJ45 splitter/dongle to control the cameras with both the SX20 and the SX80. Control would never be at the same time. The SX20's would use their handheld remotes in uncombined and be connected via the (cab-hdmi-phd12xs). The SX80 would use the Touch 10 and control connection would be custom made RJ45 to D-sub (rs232). Will something like this work? (see attached jpeg). Thanks in advance!!

[Wayne DeNardi]

Those splitters are a very cheap and nasty way of trying to make two 100Base-TX (which only uses 2 pairs of the 4 pair cable) be able to share a single 4-pair cable, then to break it back out again at the other end - they're wired as per this diagram:

These really won't help a lot in sharing cameras between codecs.

[EricMachuca1484]

Any suggestions. Would a standard 100baseT network switch work?

[Wayne DeNardi]

A network switch will not work as the PHD cameras are serial/visca control, not ethernet.

A camera can only be connected and controlled by a single codec at a time, and codecs that don't have cameras connected to them are likely to show errors

To switch the serial control between the codecs for a camera, you would need a serial switch.

The camera would have to be powered separately as the SX80 will not be able to power it over the cable like the SX20 does.

The SX80 only has very basic support for the 12x cameras, and the cameras cannot be daisy chained, so you may have an issue using both of them in the way you want to.  Using the PHD 12x cameras with the SX80 is not recommended.

[EricMachuca1484]

Noted!! I definitely am not looking to daisy chain and just so I understand basic support. Will PTZ and auto focus work? That's really all I need besides maybe recalling some camera position presets. Thanks.

[Wayne DeNardi]

For a single camera, yes, as you can only connect one camera's serial connection to the SX80's serial port.

[EricMachuca1484]

Sorry for the last "silly" question. Of course a net switch won't work. Thanks for the diagram. I see where this won't work as well. I mean I do have the pin-outs from Cisco. Minus the two pins carrying 12V its just normal rs232 connection. I guess I'll just have to make custom adapters to work in conjunction with Cisco's CAB adapters. 

[Jonathan Schulenberg]

The camera uses VISCA over IP; you cannot just splice the same Ethernet connection to two devices. The camera control must connect to one and only one Cisco codec. Divisible rooms are fairly common and very supportable; however, you need a good programmer, two SX80 codecs (now Room Kit Pro), and an external controller to coordinate events and send API calls to the codecs.

When combined, you can disable the controls and Proximity of the second codec so camera(s), inputs and outputs are all done on one codec. If you want to get fancy, you could use a DSP that reports audio levels of each mic/section to the primary codec. The secondary codec has an output set to self view which is cabled as a camera input of the primary codec. The DSP switches the camera input on the primary codec depending on the DSP levels.