Debugging telnet remote control problem?

[BCGTech]

Bruce, what version are you running?

I've got 2 laptops with the following combinations of LF & SCS:

Old XP laptop: SCS 11.2.4, LF 2.12 (Build 260)

Newer W7 32bit laptop: SCS 11.3.8, LF 2.15.1 (Build 195) [a Beta build of LF]

I've been able to send Go commands to both versions of SCS from both versions of LF on the same laptop or between them. It hasn't worked every time and I've had to exit both SCS and LF and restart them on occasion to get it working. The surest way seems to be to get SCS started and listening, then start up LF and do the CONNECT command.

Sorry you're having such trouble with this. Personally, I'd rather go with MIDI, but LF can only receive and it seems to make more sense to have the lighting controller send commands to the sound controller than the other way around. Soon I'm going to be trying to get an ETC Element console to send MIDI commands to SCS and we'll see how that goes.

Bruce

[dbn]

I'm revisiting this thread nearly two years later. As far as I can tell, the problem still exists, and my continued testing *seems* to indicate a bug in SCS.

I understand there are multiple ways to setup LF and SCS to communicate. My preferred method, based on simplicity of configuration and cueing, is as follows:

SCS is the network client using the telnet protocol. It initiates a telnet connection over TCP to LF. LF doesn't have a telnet client mode, only server.

I see the telnet connection established. LF logs the remote connection in the command status window. It shows up in a netstat -a status display.

In LF, I use the Notes field on each required cue, and select the "Send notes to telnet connections" option. I place the SCS commands in the text of the Notes field. (I like this method, because it doesn't require any shortcuts or macros on the LF side to get it to work. Just the SCS command in the Notes field. Very simple.)

I know this works on the LF side, because when I connect to the LF telnet server using the Windows command line telnet console utility, I see the SCS commands displayed on the screen each time the cue is executed. Conversely, if I set up SCS as a telnet server and connect to it from the same telnet console, when I carefully type an SCS command, SCS does not recognize it.

As I said in an earlier reply in this thread, my preferred setup worked in older versions of SCS. I guess my question is has *anyone* gotten the connection method I've described above to work in the current version of SCS?

What other information would help to resolve this issue? For example, Wireshark traces of the TCP connection?

[dbn]

Here's the way I set up LightFactory (LF) and SCS so I could trigger sound cues from LF:

On the SCS side: Set telnet In as a cue control device and set the "role" as server listening on port 3100.

On the LF side: I set up some shortcuts to connect to the SCS computer and send a generic 'Go' or if needed specific SCS cues. The connect shortcut would execute the LF command CONNECT <ip address>, (note: no port # - CONNECT uses port 3100 and there's no option to change it). The generic 'Go' shortcut would execute SEND scsGo("0"). I included the connect shortcut in Cue 0 so the connection would happen at the beginning of the show. The send shortcut would then be included in any cue that needs to trigger a sound.

Bruce

THAT method works. My conclusion is that the (apparently still supported) mode of operation in SCS in which SCS acts at the TELNET CLIENT is just broken. I believe it's a bug. It would be very nice to be able to get if fixed. Please, Mike?

In the interim, I can use the method that Bruce suggests. It works. The need for "helper" shortcuts in LF to make it work means it's more cumbersome, and less attractive, but as long as it works, I have something to use for the upcoming show.