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Sony Xplod Wired Marine Remote Control - Rm-X60M/l


JoeMama

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Has anyone installed the Sony Xplod Wired Marine Remote Control - RM-X60M/L or something similar? There's two connectors (one for audio and another for Sony proprietary data bus.

I am trying to understand why there's an audio connector? Sony has implemented a proprietary bus which allows for the remote functions but I dont understand why there's a separate audio connection. I would think that all the functions on this remote commander are running over the data bus so why a second connector to connect audio? Maybe the volume control is not digital and uses some type of resistor analog sensing circuit? Seems odd.

Edited by JoeMama
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AHAAAAAAAAAAA....I finally found an article that explains how it works.......I spent several hours 6 months ago and could not find it. Guess I am lucky tonight.......I hate proprietary systems. My Sony head unit with this Unilink is way too confusing and its a pain just to get an Iphone MP3 player started. Now imagine shutting the engine constantly on and off and then restarting it while wakeboarding. But I have 2 remote commanders, so sucks that I am stuck with Sony for the head unit, otherwise I would have to replace the whole system. I will re-wire my stereo to stay on after shutting off engine.

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Unilink is a stereo peripheral connection system developed by Sony and used in some car audio systems (and to a lesser extent home systems) from Sony, Kenwood, Denon and a few others.

Physically it is a round DIN style connector with 8 pins (with 7 pins actually used), looking a lot like an ADB connector. One end of a cable is plugged into the Unilink port on the "Host" unit (i.e. stereo), and the other end is plugged into another device. That device will usually have another downstream port to plug into another device so you can have up to 7 devices all controlled from the Host. This can be 7 CD Changers, MD Players, VCRs or any combination of anything that has a Unilink interface.

The audio itself is handled via a separate audio connection usually called "Bus Left/Right" which sends the audio signals from the devices on the chain to the upstream back to the head unit, this means that any head unit that has a Unilink port will have Bus Audio In ports in the form of two RCA connectors.

One would assume that because it has audio in connectors, it can just accept audio right out of the box; this is not so. The audio inputs themselves are not activated unless there is something plugged into the Unilink port on the unit; And don't think you can just make a pigtail jumper to make it think there is something, either -- it won't turn on those ports unless it's a valid Unilink device.

This is because Unilink devices use the S-Bus protocol to communicate with each other; when the stuff is turned on the head unit polls all the devices on the chain and only accepts audio if if it gets a valid response in the protocol it understands.

There are ways around this; the first is to use a Sony XA-700 Auxiliary Activator; it is a Unilink device with two RCA inputs and nothing else. You plug it in to the Unilink bus, then plug your device into it and then you can input audio from any source; the downside it it retails for $99 USD.

Two non-Sony options are the Slink-e for $250 and a Gnunilink device for the cost of parts. The Slink-e is an Aux activator that also talks to the bus in a way that you can make text show up on the Head units display using serial data from a computer. The Gnunilink system is a set of code and schematics to make your own Activator using a PIC chip and some Free code, but requires PIC programming hardware and a Unilink connector (which you can get by buying a Unilink extention cable and cutting off the end you want).

The connector itself is an 8-pin (7 used) deal. Their functions are not too complex: Reset, SIRCS (S-Link Interface Remote Control System, for remote control host commands), Clock (for signal timing, about 8mHz, not the time of day), Data, Bus On, Constant +12v for memory preservation and a common ground.

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Has anyone installed the Sony Xplod Wired Marine Remote Control - RM-X60M/L or something similar? There's two connectors (one for audio and another for Sony proprietary data bus.

I am trying to understand why there's an audio connector? Sony has implemented a proprietary bus which allows for the remote functions but I dont understand why there's a separate audio connection. I would think that all the functions on this remote commander are running over the data bus so why a second connector to connect audio? Maybe the volume control is not digital and uses some type of resistor analog sensing circuit? Seems odd.

Thanks,

The Sony remotes work on a resistor-ladder style control. the 3.5mm cable is the actual control cable. The UniLink cable provides display information so you can see what you are doing with the remote. If you go look at the non-digital RMX-11M you will see it has the 3.5mm cable for control and a simple bullet-style connector to power the backlighting. There is no audio signal going to and from the remote.

FYI

Phil

KIcker

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The Sony remotes work on a resistor-ladder style control. the 3.5mm cable is the actual control cable. The UniLink cable provides display information so you can see what you are doing with the remote. If you go look at the non-digital RMX-11M you will see it has the 3.5mm cable for control and a simple bullet-style connector to power the backlighting. There is no audio signal going to and from the remote.

FYI

Phil

KIcker

Thanks, as it made no sense to have audio going to and from remote. Its just a bit weird that they have two cables. I would have expected them to design a product with one cable and send any/all info over the Unilink data bus. Sony needs to spend more time on their user manuals and show/explain how these systems work together. Alpine also does a bad job, my Alpine PDX manual is like 2 pages and I need a magnifying glass to read it.

So you work for Kicker???? what do you do there?

Thanks again !!!

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Thanks, as it made no sense to have audio going to and from remote. Its just a bit weird that they have two cables. I would have expected them to design a product with one cable and send any/all info over the Unilink data bus. Sony needs to spend more time on their user manuals and show/explain how these systems work together. Alpine also does a bad job, my Alpine PDX manual is like 2 pages and I need a magnifying glass to read it.

So you work for Kicker???? what do you do there?

Thanks again !!!

I am being careful not to violate TOU here.... :) Yes, I work at Kicker. I am the Marine and Specialty Markets product manager and sales guy. I do top level product concepts and manage our Marine, RV, and Powersports business.

Phil

Kicker

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I am being careful not to violate TOU here.... :) Yes, I work at Kicker. I am the Marine and Specialty Markets product manager and sales guy. I do top level product concepts and manage our Marine, RV, and Powersports business.

Phil

Kicker

Awesome. So, maybe you can help me. I have ground noise from head unit to stereo and replaced my cheap RCAs with Stinger 8000 series 20ft twisted pair. The noise got worse, so I measured the resistance between the Stinger GNDs and it was amazingly 1.6 Ohms. Originially I was going to use this in my truck and used it as a test in my boat. I expected a high quality twisted pair to also have thick wires with low GND resistance in case there is any ground noise as most stereo head units are single ended outputs. So know I dont think I want to use the Stinger cable in my truck and I would rather have a low resistance one instead. So what is the lowest DC GND resistance for a Kicker twisted pair that is about 20 ft? I am looking for the GND resistance between the two RCA ends of the twisted pair.

Edited by JoeMama
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Awesome. So, maybe you can help me. I have ground noise from head unit to stereo and replaced my cheap RCAs with Stinger 8000 series 20ft twisted pair. The noise got worse, so I measured the resistance between the Stinger GNDs and it was amazingly 1.6 Ohms. Originially I was going to use this in my truck and used it as a test in my boat. I expected a high quality twisted pair to also have thick wires with low GND resistance in case there is any ground noise as most stereo head units are single ended outputs. So know I dont think I want to use the Stinger cable in my truck and I would rather have a low resistance one instead. So what is the lowest DC GND resistance for a Kicker twisted pair that is about 20 ft? I am looking for the GND resistance between the two RCA ends of the twisted pair.

Thanks,

I will ask my guys but know this: If you have not taken the step to verify your head unit power and ground are both tied to exactly the same points as your biggest amplifier, you will most always be fighting ground noise... I will usually tell someone complaining of noise to quite litereally run both red and yellow wires from the head unit directly to the amp's positive power terminal lugs. Run the red wire through whatever swhtching you prefer so that you can turn the stereo on and off they way you want. Make sure to use a fuse for the positive power run from the amp to the head unit, right at the amp! :) Then also take your black head unit ground wire directly to the amp's negative power terminal. This puts the head unit at the same voltage potential as the amp, and you do not get current through the RCA's as a result of voltage potential differences.

An RCA cable is always going to have an impedance. That is not an issue if there is no voltage difference between your source and your amps....

Check out your head unit power wiring and I will ask about interconnect resistance/impedance. Move your head unit power wiring if it is still in the helm's wiring harness; my bet is that this will take care of your noise with the cables you have now.

Phil

Kicker

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