In firmware version 1.08.02, the PRG commands and EPG commands seemed to work on the BCD436HP...
PRG entered Remote Mode, and the screen read "Remote Mode / Keypad Lock"
While in Remote Mode, you the DIR, etc. commands worked as expected:
DIR,BCDx36HP/audio/user_rec
DIR,<XML>,
<?xml version=“1.0” encoding=“utf-8”?>
<DirInfo>
<DIR Name=“2015-09-10_16-05-59” Date=“2015/09/10_16:05:58” />
<DIR Name=“2015-09-12_09-16-04” Date=“2015/09/12_09:16:04” />
<DIR Name=“2015-09-13_17-49-17” Date=“2015/09/13_17:49:16” />
<DIR Name=“2015-09-14_09-21-25” Date=“2015/09/14_09:21:24” />
<DIR Name=“2015-09-14_11-22-50” Date=“2015/09/14_11:22:50” />
<DIR Name=“2015-09-14_13-04-09” Date=“2015/09/14_13:04:08” />
<DIR Name=“2015-09-14_15-13-45” Date=“2015/09/14_15:13:44” />
<DIR Name=“2015-09-14_19-13-00” Date=“2015/09/14_19:13:00” />
</DirInfo>
If you wanted to download one of the audio files at this point, you could do so with something like:
FPR,BCDx36HP/audio/user_rec/2015-09-10_16-05-59/2015-09-10_16-05-38.wav
FPR,OK,72112
FRX
RIFF¨WAVELIST4INFOIART@Santa Claraey Regional Communications System (SVRCS)IGNR@Cities - San Jose - Parks/Recreationict (MROSD) - OperationsINAM@Police Ch. 1 - District R, D & V (North & Airport)26)ICMT@IPRDBCDx36HPIKEY%¨&/&KICRD20150910160542ISRCC131.8ITCH@ID:13305765ISBJ@Full DatabaseICOP****************unidFull DatabaseSanta ClaraOffConventional
AreaState CountyId=225 StCities - San JoseOff37.359010-121.77521015.5Circle
C-FreqPolice Ch. 1 - District R, D & V (North & Airport)Off460150000CountyId=225CGroupId=60319CFreqId=57281ÿÿÿÿ%¨&/&K`dddÿÿÿTçfmt @€>data@ÜÿÜÿÜÿÜÿÚÿÜÿÜÿÜÿÞÿÚÿ¤XØüÌ@–LýüNÔÿ$ÿèÿ2òýìVúâ.*þJü¾ÿ|ý¦žý´püB”þPþžÿ¬ðüÈ(RÿH÷ªøfüýâøÔÔÿ”¢ýFä.þ*.^ùÄDüŠÿ¤û.ÿ^úˆú˜Æ
(et cetera...all that garble after the file metadata is audio data)
Once downloading is complete, EPG would effectively power-cycle the scanner, leaving the user in a very unpleasant "E for Mass Storage / . for Serial Mode" screen without a timeout. So, the ability to periodically drop into PRG mode, download audio files and exit PRG mode was limited as it wasn't possible to resume scanning (and no, JPM,SCN_MODE did nothing (but make the scanner beep) while in PRG mode.)
With the new v1.10.02 firmware, the scanner will now timeout and default to serial mode rather than waiting {forever} for the user to make a selection. This is a HUGE step in the right direction!
Unfortunately, PRG and EPG both now return "ERR", behavior that suggests the new firmware does not recognize these commands at all. [With the exception of a few commands (SUS, sdc, UDP) that return nothing, any "known" command the 436 recognizes yields a response that echoes the command and appends any return data -- "VOL", for example, will return "VOL,7" if the volume is set to 7. "SQV" (with or without parameters) will return "SQV,ERR".]
The Release Notes for v1.10.02 state "Fixed a problem with the remote "EPG" command", but I've been unable to get EPG to do anything.
The only new command I could identify in v1.10.02 is "crg", and it doesn't seem to do much (yields "crg,ERR" with or without parameters appended.)
So, is there a new way to enter PRG mode, or has that very useful functionality been removed from the 436?
The combination of "PRG mode" and "timeout & default to Serial Mode on startup" could enable some great functionality on the BCD436HP, if only they played nicely together!
When the MNU/MSB/MSI/MSV commands were added to the command protocol earlier this year, Upman was kind enough to provide a link to updated documentation (thanks, Paul!) A link to fresh documentation for the latest firmware would be sooooooooo very appreciated.
By the way...if you're wondering "How do you get a list of all the commands the BCD436HP supports in a given firmware release?", the answer is simple...you write a bit of code that sends every three-letter combination from "AAA" to "zzz", and you log the combinations that give you something other than "ERR" (as well as the ones that give you nothing. Using every combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, that's 140,608 possible commands. The good news is that it goes pretty fast.
And, just for kicks, I've attached a couple of screenshots that demonstrate the BCD436HP can be just as colorful as its HomePatrol cousins!
PRG entered Remote Mode, and the screen read "Remote Mode / Keypad Lock"
While in Remote Mode, you the DIR, etc. commands worked as expected:
DIR,BCDx36HP/audio/user_rec
DIR,<XML>,
<?xml version=“1.0” encoding=“utf-8”?>
<DirInfo>
<DIR Name=“2015-09-10_16-05-59” Date=“2015/09/10_16:05:58” />
<DIR Name=“2015-09-12_09-16-04” Date=“2015/09/12_09:16:04” />
<DIR Name=“2015-09-13_17-49-17” Date=“2015/09/13_17:49:16” />
<DIR Name=“2015-09-14_09-21-25” Date=“2015/09/14_09:21:24” />
<DIR Name=“2015-09-14_11-22-50” Date=“2015/09/14_11:22:50” />
<DIR Name=“2015-09-14_13-04-09” Date=“2015/09/14_13:04:08” />
<DIR Name=“2015-09-14_15-13-45” Date=“2015/09/14_15:13:44” />
<DIR Name=“2015-09-14_19-13-00” Date=“2015/09/14_19:13:00” />
</DirInfo>
If you wanted to download one of the audio files at this point, you could do so with something like:
FPR,BCDx36HP/audio/user_rec/2015-09-10_16-05-59/2015-09-10_16-05-38.wav
FPR,OK,72112
FRX
RIFF¨WAVELIST4INFOIART@Santa Claraey Regional Communications System (SVRCS)IGNR@Cities - San Jose - Parks/Recreationict (MROSD) - OperationsINAM@Police Ch. 1 - District R, D & V (North & Airport)26)ICMT@IPRDBCDx36HPIKEY%¨&/&KICRD20150910160542ISRCC131.8ITCH@ID:13305765ISBJ@Full DatabaseICOP****************unidFull DatabaseSanta ClaraOffConventional
AreaState CountyId=225 StCities - San JoseOff37.359010-121.77521015.5Circle
C-FreqPolice Ch. 1 - District R, D & V (North & Airport)Off460150000CountyId=225CGroupId=60319CFreqId=57281ÿÿÿÿ%¨&/&K`dddÿÿÿTçfmt @€>data@ÜÿÜÿÜÿÜÿÚÿÜÿÜÿÜÿÞÿÚÿ¤XØüÌ@–LýüNÔÿ$ÿèÿ2òýìVúâ.*þJü¾ÿ|ý¦žý´püB”þPþžÿ¬ðüÈ(RÿH÷ªøfüýâøÔÔÿ”¢ýFä.þ*.^ùÄDüŠÿ¤û.ÿ^úˆú˜Æ
(et cetera...all that garble after the file metadata is audio data)
Once downloading is complete, EPG would effectively power-cycle the scanner, leaving the user in a very unpleasant "E for Mass Storage / . for Serial Mode" screen without a timeout. So, the ability to periodically drop into PRG mode, download audio files and exit PRG mode was limited as it wasn't possible to resume scanning (and no, JPM,SCN_MODE did nothing (but make the scanner beep) while in PRG mode.)
With the new v1.10.02 firmware, the scanner will now timeout and default to serial mode rather than waiting {forever} for the user to make a selection. This is a HUGE step in the right direction!
Unfortunately, PRG and EPG both now return "ERR", behavior that suggests the new firmware does not recognize these commands at all. [With the exception of a few commands (SUS, sdc, UDP) that return nothing, any "known" command the 436 recognizes yields a response that echoes the command and appends any return data -- "VOL", for example, will return "VOL,7" if the volume is set to 7. "SQV" (with or without parameters) will return "SQV,ERR".]
The Release Notes for v1.10.02 state "Fixed a problem with the remote "EPG" command", but I've been unable to get EPG to do anything.
The only new command I could identify in v1.10.02 is "crg", and it doesn't seem to do much (yields "crg,ERR" with or without parameters appended.)
So, is there a new way to enter PRG mode, or has that very useful functionality been removed from the 436?
The combination of "PRG mode" and "timeout & default to Serial Mode on startup" could enable some great functionality on the BCD436HP, if only they played nicely together!
When the MNU/MSB/MSI/MSV commands were added to the command protocol earlier this year, Upman was kind enough to provide a link to updated documentation (thanks, Paul!) A link to fresh documentation for the latest firmware would be sooooooooo very appreciated.
By the way...if you're wondering "How do you get a list of all the commands the BCD436HP supports in a given firmware release?", the answer is simple...you write a bit of code that sends every three-letter combination from "AAA" to "zzz", and you log the combinations that give you something other than "ERR" (as well as the ones that give you nothing. Using every combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, that's 140,608 possible commands. The good news is that it goes pretty fast.
And, just for kicks, I've attached a couple of screenshots that demonstrate the BCD436HP can be just as colorful as its HomePatrol cousins!