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Topic Summary

Posted by: Jan
« on: September 11, 2016, 06:32:41 pm »

To find out how the data are being sent from the broadcast automation system to the RDS encoder, the data can be temporarily redirected to a TCP/UDP logging application running on a PC. This helps to diagnose various issues, particularly as regards the configuration of either the software or the RDS encoder. The broadcast automation systems typically contain lots of options. Success depends upon a number of settings and things working together correctly. While correcting problems is usually quite simple, the difficulty lays in knowing where to look. The solution is given here.

Simple diagnostics step by step
  • Download and run the Packet Sender freeware utility.
    You may find it at http://packetsender.com or http://github.com/dannagle/PacketSender
  • Go to menu item File - Settings, select Network and enable either the TCP or the UDP server based on preferred protocol (TCP is recommended). Fill the server port which must be equal to the port configured in your broadcast automation system. Confirm by OK.
  • In your broadcast automation system, set the remote IP address temporarily to the IP address of the Packet Sender's PC. If the Packer Sender utility is running on the same PC as the broadcast automation, set 127.0.0.1
  • Now you should see incoming data in the Packet Sender. Once you get a representative sample of data, click on the Save Log button.
  • For further consultation of the log file content, attach the log file to an email or post it to this forum.

Most frequent situations (continually updated)
  • You don't see any data.
    The broadcast automation does not send anything, the IP and port is not configured right, communication protocol (TCP/UDP) does not match or there's some problem with blocking by firewall.
  • The ASCII string does not contain any prefix command.
    The ASCII string must always start with an ASCII command, like RT1=, TEXT=, DPS1ENQ= etc., depending on the RDS service you want to update. See the RDS encoder's manual for complete list of commands supported.
  • The ASCII string is not terminated by Carriage-Return character.
    The ASCII string must always be terminated by carriage-return character (0x0D), indicated in the Packet Sender as \r
  • You are about to update Radiotext, but it is not enabled in the RDS encoder
    Check the Radiotext 1 enabling switch in the Text setup.
  • For UDP protocol only: The 'from port' changes dynamically.
    In current firmware, the RDS encoder needs the outgoing port to be static since the RDS encoder 'locks' to the first outgoing port received and uses this port for bidirectional communication (sending replies to the commands etc.) as an alternative of 'real' connection as known from the TCP protocol.
    Whenever possible, it is preferable to use more robust TCP protocol instead of the UDP.