Sony Production Switchers (Serial Tally)

Driver Maturity

Production

Recommended for normal production use.

Caution

Compatibility Note: This information is a general guide and may be incomplete, may not match a specific project implementation, and is subject to change as supported products and versions evolve. Confirm the exact implementation and requirements for each project with Riedel and the relevant equipment vendor, then validate the required functions end to end in the target environment before deployment.

Minimum hi Version: v1.3.0

Overview

The integration implements the Sony^® Serial Tally protocol used across multiple generations of Sony production switchers. Connect directly to a switcher's Serial Tally over IP endpoint when available, or use a serial-over-IP gateway for an RS-422 connection.

Available buses, Tally address ranges, Source-label operations, and Crosspoint operations depend on the selected switcher and its Serial Tally configuration.

Network Requirements

Connection Model: Outbound from hi
Bandwidth: Control traffic only.
IP Version: IPv4 (IPv6 support varies by vendor - verify before relying on it)
Firewall: Allow outbound TCP from hi to the configured Serial Tally data endpoint and, when used, the Moxa gateway control port. No callback to hi is used.

Standards Conformance

Standard	Conformance	Notes
Sony Serial Tally	Vendor protocol	Tally Source-label and supported Crosspoint exchange

Operator Workflow

UI Surface in hi: Routing Matrix, Tally, and Dynamic Labels
Capabilities: Sony Serial Tally, supported Crosspoint status/control, and Source-label updates
Routing Semantics: Supported Sony switcher buses are represented as Sources and Destinations for Crosspoint control.
Tally / UMD Relationship: Tally state is sourced from the switcher's own Tally engine; hi reflects the switcher's Tally state into the wider system.
Notes for Operators Familiar with the Vendor's Own Tooling: Configure ME layout, macros, and engineering settings in the vendor tooling. hi exposes the supported Tally, label, and Crosspoint surfaces.

Connection Methods

Connection: Sony Serial Tally

Connection Details

Property	Value
Protocol	Sony Serial Tally
Transport	TCP
Default Port	950
Authentication	No credentials are configured in hi for the Sony Serial Tally connection
Encryption in Transit	Not provided by the Sony Serial Tally connection
Connection Model	TCP client
Required License	hiBase
Traffic Flow	Outbound from hi

Connection: Optional Moxa Serial Gateway Control

Connection Details

Property	Value
Protocol	Moxa serial-gateway control
Transport	TCP
Default Port	Not used for a direct IP connection. For a Moxa gateway, `966` is the control port of serial port 1.
Authentication	None configured in hi
Encryption in Transit	None
Connection Model	TCP client
Required License	hiBase
Traffic Flow	Outbound from hi

Required Configuration

Parameter	Description	Default
Host / IP Address	IP address or hostname of a supported switcher model	-
Data Port	Configured Sony Serial Tally over IP endpoint or serial-gateway data endpoint	950
Moxa Control Port	Optional serial-over-IP gateway control port	0, not used
Tally Data Size	Tally address size, `128bit` or `256bit`. Match the Tally data size configured on the switcher. Older Sony switchers support only `128bit`.	`256bit`
Video disconnect	Source number that hi routes when an operator sets a Destination to disconnected. Leave it empty when not used. You can change it after creation.	Empty

Device-Side Setup

Follow Sony Production Switchers (Serial Tally) Integration Configuration for the device-side and hi-side configuration steps.

Supported Features

Feature	Access	Exposed Operation and Scope
General-purpose Tally	Read-only input	Receive red and green Tally for GP1 to GP8 with 256-bit Tally data, and for GP1 to GP4 with 128-bit Tally data.
Background Key Utility DME and Output-assign State	Read-only input	Receive the documented bus and output assignment status.
Crosspoint Control	Read/write	Set the Crosspoints exposed through Sony Serial Tally, and read Crosspoint changes back into hi.
Source Labels	Read/write	Receive Source names, and send hi Dynamic Labels to the switcher. hi sends labels as ASCII and truncates them to 16 characters.

Device Coverage

Tested With identifies devices that have been tested with hi. Potentially Compatible (Not Yet Verified) identifies devices that use the same protocol or connection method but have not been tested with hi. Device-specific configuration, firmware, and feature support can affect results.

This integration supports the Sony XVS and MVS range.

Tested With

Sony XVS Series
Sony MVS Series

Supported Product Range

Sony XVS-9000, XVS-8000, XVS-7000, and XVS-6000
Sony XVS-G1
Sony MVS-3000X
Sony MVS-6000
Sony MVS-7000X
Sony MVS-8000, MVS-8000A, MVS-8000G, and MVS-8000X

Potentially Compatible (Not Yet Verified)

The following series and model families use the Sony Serial Tally interface:

Sony DVS-9000
Sony MLS-X1

Known Limitations

Model-specific buses, address ranges, and writable controls depend on the Serial Tally implementation and setup of the connected switcher.
Sony Serial Tally carries no user name, password, or encryption. Keep the switcher and gateway on a trusted control network.
The switcher drops an IP Serial Tally connection that stays silent for ~3 minutes. Reconnect after a network interruption and verify that the Node synchronizes again.
The Tally data size must match between the switcher and hi. A mismatch can prevent correct Tally reception.

What's Not Supported

Macro or shotbox authoring, ME setup, and engineering configuration.
Transition, key, wipe, snapshot, macro, and timeline control. Sony provides these only through its optional Automation Interface Software on supported XVS systems.
Virtual GPI and GPO control.
Yellow Tally, and GP5 to GP8 Tally with 128-bit Tally data. The Sony Serial Tally protocol provides them, and hi does not decode them.
Firmware updates, software updates, panel calibration, and configuration backup.

Trademarks

Note

Sony, DVS, MFS, MVS, XVS, and MLS are trademarks of Sony Group Corporation.

RIEDEL Communications is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially partnered with Sony unless explicitly stated.