Excerpts from the Sony Serial Protocol
28 November 1995

 

Basics: 38,400 baud, 8 data bits, Odd parity, 1 stop bit
Data Format: all values are in hex, as noted by the "h" suffix
  command/status sent by controller reply from VTR
Command/Status:   Sent by Controller:   Reply from VTR:
device type request ..... 00h 11h 11h ..... 12 11h DD TT csum
STOP   20h 00h 20h   10h 01h 11h    
PLAY   20h 01h 21h   10h 01h 11h    
RECORD   20h 02h 22h   10h 01h 11h    
STANDBY OFF   20h 04h 24h   10h 01h 11h    
STANDBY ON   20h 05h 25h   10h 01h 11h    
EJECT   20h 0Fh 2Fh   10h 01h 11h    
FAST FWD   20h 10h 30h   10h 01h 11h    
JOG FWD   21h 11h data, csum   10h 01h 11h    
VAR FWD   21h 12h data, csum   10h 01h 11h    
SHUTTLE FWD   21h 13h data, csum   10h 01h 11h    
REWIND   20h 20h 40h   10h 01h 11h    
JOG REW   21h 21h data, csum   10h 01h 11h    
VAR REW   21h 22h data, csum   10h 01h 11h    
SHUTTLE REW   21h 23h data, csum   10h 01h 11h    

 

Status:                
READ LTC TIMECODE 61h 0Ch 01h 6Eh ........ 74h 04h FF,SS,MM,HH,csum
READ VITC TIMECODE 61h 0Ch 02h 6Fh   74h 06h FF,SS,MM,HH,csum
READ ANY TIMECODE 61h 0Ch 03h 70h   (either of above)

 

Where:
DD, TT is a two-byte, machine-specific device type
Data (Jog/Shuttle Speeds) = 10**(N/32 - 2)
still = 0
x1/30 normal = 16 (10h)
x1/10 normal = 32 (16h)
x1.0 (normal) = 64 (40h)
x2.9 normal = 79 (4Fh)
x5.6 normal = 88 (58h)
x6.5 normal = 90 (5Ah)

 

shuttle fwd @ 2x speed = 21h, 13h, 4Ah, 7Eh

csum (hex checksum of entire message)
examples: see most messages above

FF (timecode frames) = packed BCD tens and units of frames
SS (timecode seconds) = packed BCD tens and units of seconds
MM (timecode minutes) = packed BCD tens and units of minutes
HH (timecode hours) = packed BCD tens and units of hours

 

Examples:    
12:34:56:29 = 12h, 34h, 56h, 29h
00:00:00:00 = 00h, 00h, 00h, 00h
01:02:03:04 = 01h, 02h, 03h, 04h
01:27:47:13 = 74h, 04h, 13h, 47h, 27h, 01h, FAh

 

RS-2/L Extensions to the Sony Serial Protocol
20 October 1999

 

 

Data Format: all values are in hex, as noted by the "h" suffix
  command/status sent by controller reply from VTR
  Command:   Response:
Power On (Sleep Mode): 00h 1Fh 1Fh   10h 01h 11h

VTR:

  Command:   Response:
Record Unpause: 20h 06h 26h   10h 01h 11h
Single-Frame Cue: 20h 07h 27h   10h 01h 11h
Frame Advance (-x1/5 speed): 20h 08h 28h   10h 01h 11h
Frame Advance (+x1/5 speed): 20h 09h 29h   10h 01h 11h
Insert: 20h 0Bh 2Bh   10h 01h 11h
Edit Search +: 20h 0Ch 2Ch   10h 01h 11h
Edit Search -: 20h 0Eh 2Eh   10h 01h 11h

Camcorder:

  Command:   Response:
Camcorder Start/Stop: 20h 0Ah 2Ah   10h 01h 11h
Camera Power On/Off: 20h 0F4h 14h   10h 01h 11h
Zoom Telephoto: 20h 0F5h 15h   10h 01h 11h
Zoom Wide: 20h 0F6h 16h   10h 01h 11h
Fader On/Off: 20h 0F7h 17h   10h 01h 11h
Backlight On/Off: 20h 0F8h 18h   10h 01h 11h
Superimpose Memory: 20h 0F9h 19h   10h 01h 11h
Superimpose Color/Mono: 20h 0FAh 1Ah   10h 01h 11h
Superimpose On/Off: 20h 0FBh 1Bh   10h 01h 11h
Focus Man/Auto: 20h 0FCh 1Ch   10h 01h 11h
Focus Far: 20h 0FDh 1Dh   10h 01h 11h
Focus Near: 20h 0FEh 1Eh   10h 01h 11h

Notes:

Single-frame Cue cues to previous record-in point + 2 frames.

The above Control-L/LANC extensions may not apply to all
camcorders in all modes.

Many of the above commands have not been tested. They are
all included for completeness.

To perform a Backspace Record, put deck into Still (Shuttle 0),
then send in Record, followed by Record Unpause. Allow time for
each command to execute.