About this collection of protocolds and extra data

I started with formal electronics training in 1962 and discovered software in about 1972. Thus I have some knowledge about both the hardware and software worlds. When I was in the hardware part of the world I appllied for and got a formal FCC license it's number is P1-11SD-2335.

Almost all of my time at Pelco was spent in our Clovis office. During this time I made trips to 4 or 5 customers for on site support.

Since I left Pelco I have not had access to any Pelco procucts to verify that what I had documented years ago was valid, nor have I have access to any competior products to recheck how they operated.

Some of this data was generated at Pelco, other data came various vendors and competitors. The vendors and competitors had no input into what I have collected here.

For about 16 of my years at Pelco, I was running DOS under Windows XP. Somewhat before I left I was in the middle of transitioning to run using Windows 7 and some DOS. When using DOS I used the DJGPP package that gave me an "almost" Linux keyboard environnment. If I had stayed, I planned to start using the CYWGIN package.

When I left Pelco I had several updated PTZ Protocol files on my computer. However I did not get an opertunity to make copies of those files. Pelco said that they would make an "Image of my hard disk" and those files may still be avaiable from Pelco.

Some files are repeated here as their use may be logically used in several different areas. I am trying to make getting information about controlling PTZ cameras a easy as possiable, so I may have included the same data in more than one place.

Most files are in PDF format.

When I left Pelco they kept my computer. Now, 10+ years later, In general can not now regererate most of the PDF files that I made while an employee, There are several errors in the old PDFs that I would like to fix but that is impractable.

I have intentionally included data about non-Pelco products to help in understanding what Pelco has/is done/doing in PTZ control, however please remember that this data is at least 10 and sometimes over 20 and 30 years old, which may effect its accuracy. (Some of this data is dated 1994!)

At Pelco my major projects have included:

1. Optimizing other employee's software so that it would fit in the very small memory available on our early embedded computer chips. (32K was large on many of the chips and most of our software was in C.)
2. Building software to allow Pelco PTZ cameras to operate on other company's systems. Many times this involved internet research to get the protocol information that I needed. Other times we had "help" from various unknown sources. This resulted in several TXB (Translator Boards) being prodiced. At about the time that I was being layed off another group in our Colorado office was begining to build a TXB based on a Linux system. I left before the Linux based TXB was complete.
3. Maintenance of Pelco PTZ software to compensate for hardware changes This usually happened when:
   1. General product enhancement.
   2. One of our vendors changed their hardware due to "end of life" issues".
   3. When a customer made a "Special Modification Request (SMR).
4. Support to/for the production line.
5. Giving tours of the Pelco Plant.
6. Telephone support, when the Pelco Professonial customer assistance team was busy supporting other customers. I gave support when a new customer problem came up.
7. I have never been very good at spelling which should soon be obvious.

1. Converted the actual serial protocol from its RS-422/RS-485 electrical levels that Pelco and other PTZ manfactureres us, to RS-232 electrical levels. This was done by using one, or two depending on each capture, PV-130s units. (Which was what Pelco called level converters which were made by B&B Electronics.) Selecting and Using RS-232, RS-422, and RS-485, Serial Data Standards"
2. The actual protocol information was recorded using software from Frontline Test Equiplent (FTE).
3. The raw recorded protocol information was connected to my PC using the COMx (COM0, COM1, etc) ports.
4. The resulting capture file was then processed with a veraity of DOS and Linux like filters to make a more understandable file.
5. More details are in the Serial Data Analysis (SDA) set of files Serial Data Analysis.