9-Pin Protocol
{{Short description|Communication protocol}}
The Sony 9-Pin Protocol or P1 protocol is a two-way communications protocol to control advanced video recorders. Sony introduced this protocol to control reel-to-reel type C video tape recorders (VTR) as well as videocassette recorders (VCR). It uses an DE-9 D-Sub connector with 9 pins (hence the name), where bi-directional communication takes place over a four wire cable according to the RS-422 standard.
While nowadays all post-production editing is done with a non-linear editing system, in those days editing was done linearly, using online editing. Editing machines relied heavily on the 9-Pin Protocol to remotely control automatic players and recorders.
Many modern hard disk recorders and solid-state drive recorders can still emulate a 1982 Sony BVW-75 Betacam tape recorder.
Sony's standard also specifies a pinout:
| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto;"
! Pin !! on master !! on slave | ||
| 1 | Frame ground | Frame ground |
| 2 | Receive A | Transmit A |
| 3 | Transmit B | Receive B |
| 4 | Transmit common | Receive common |
| 5 | Spare or ground | Spare or ground |
| 6 | Receive common | Transmit common |
| 7 | Receive B | Transmit B |
| 8 | Transmit A | Receive A |
| 9 | Frame ground | Frame ground |
This 9-pin RS-422 pinout has become a de facto standard, used by most brands in the broadcast industry. In the new millennium, RS-422 is slowly phased out in favor of Ethernet for control functions. However its simple way to perform troubleshooting means it will stay around for a long time.
In broadcast automation the Video Disk Control Protocol (VDCP) use the 9-Pin Protocol to playout broadcast programming schedules.
External links
- Sony 9-Pin Remote Protocol (Archived) [https://web.archive.org/web/20150601202908/http://www.belle-nuit.com/archives/9pin.html]
- Copy of Sony 9-Pin Remote Protocol [https://ftp.zx.net.nz/pub/archive/ftp.sgi.com/sgi/video/rld/vidpage/s9pin.html]
- Brainboxes serial port 9-pin protocol support [https://www.brainboxes.com/faq/sony-rs-422-pinout-db9]
- Drastic support of 9-pin protocol [https://www.drastic.tv/support-59/legacysoftwarehardware/37-miscellaneous-legacy/180-vvcr-422-serial-protocol]
- Blackmagic Decklink (a video capture/generation card) support of 9-pin protocol [https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/UserManuals/DesktopVideoManual.pdf?_v=1657522810000]
- Blackmagic Hyperdeck (an SSD recorder) support of 9-pin protocol [https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/UserManuals/HyperDeckHDManual.pdf?_v=1656918011000]
- Ross Kiva (a presentation server) RS-422 9-pin connector [https://help.rossvideo.com/kiva/Topics/Specs/Server/Ports.html]
- JLCooper [https://www.jlcooper.com/_manuals/legacy/MMC_Converters/MMC-9pin+_User_Manual.pdf]
- Grass Valley K2 Summit (a media server) RS-422 connections [https://wwwapps.grassvalley.com/manuals/k2_summit_v10.0/core/x-cc/content/topic/k2/pinout/r_RS422Pinout.html]
References
- Protocol of Remote-1 (9-pin) Connector, 2nd Edition, Sony, document number 9-977-544-13