PJLink is a fixed industry-standard protocol for controlling and monitoring projectors over the network. Unlike RS232, it needs no protocol to build – Axion Displays Radar already speaks the full standard. Point a device at a PJLink-capable projector’s IP address and polling starts immediately.
Use this instead of (or alongside) an RS232 Protocol Library entry whenever the projector supports PJLink over its network port – no serial cable, no command list to maintain, and it works the same way across every manufacturer.
Setting It Up
- Open the device’s Edit page ( → Edit).
- Under , fill in:
- PJLink IP Address – the projector’s own network address, e.g.
192.168.0.100. This is the one field that actually matters – leave it blank and PJLink polling has nothing to connect to. - Port – defaults to
4352, the PJLink standard port. Only change it if the projector uses something else. - Password – only if the projector has a PJLink password configured; leave blank otherwise.
- PJLink IP Address – the projector’s own network address, e.g.
- Save.
Leaving IP Address blank leaves the device’s current PJLink setup untouched – it doesn’t clear anything already configured. If these fields appear locked, this device needs a one-time setup step, just reach out and we’ll take care of it.
No RS232 protocol needs to be assigned. The two are entirely independent – a device can have PJLink configured with the RS232 Protocol dropdown left on --Unassigned--, or have both set up at once (see Combining PJLink and RS232 below).
What Gets Polled Automatically
Once the IP address is set, every poll cycle reads:
Class 1 (every PJLink projector supports these):
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Power State | Standby / On / Cooling / Warming |
| Shutter State / Mute State | Derived from the AVMT command |
| Input Source | Mapped to a readable name (HDMI 1, DisplayPort, etc.) |
| Available Inputs | The full list the projector reports supporting |
| Fan / Lamp / Temperature / Cover / Filter / Other Error | Each one OK, Warning, or Error |
| Lamp/Laser Hours | Highest reported hour count across all lamp banks, shared with the same field RS232 protocols use |
| Manufacturer, Model, Projector Name, Other Info | Identification fields |
Class 2 (only if the projector supports it – detected automatically):
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Serial Number, Firmware Version | |
| Filter Hours | |
| Freeze State | |
| Current Input Name, Input Resolution, Recommended Resolution | |
| Lamp / Filter Replacement Model |
Nothing here needs configuring – it’s the fixed standard, not a per-device command list.
Sending Commands
A device with a PJLink IP address configured automatically gets a fixed set of buttons in the modal and Automation Scheduler, with no setup required:
- Power On / Power Off
- Shutter Open / Shutter Close (also mutes/unmutes video+audio, per the PJLink spec)
- Input: <name> – one button per input the projector reports supporting (from the Available Inputs list above), generated dynamically per device.
These are also what Axion Displays Radar routes a generic Power On / Power Off / Mute / Unmute automation or widget action to, for any device where PJLink is the only control method available.
Combining PJLink and RS232
A device can have both a PJLink IP address and an RS232 protocol assigned at the same time – useful when a projector exposes more detail over RS232 (e.g. brightness, contrast, warp/blend settings) than PJLink’s standard covers, but you still want PJLink’s zero-config network fields. When both report the same field (e.g. power_state, laser_hours), the RS232 reading takes priority – PJLink only fills in the gap when RS232 doesn’t report that field on a given poll.
Troubleshooting
- No data appearing at all – double check the IP address and that the projector’s PJLink feature is actually enabled in its own network settings (many projectors ship with it off by default).
- Connects but every field is empty – usually a password mismatch; PJLink authentication fails silently from Axion Displays Radar’s point of view (it just gets no valid reply), so re-check the password field.
- Some Class 2 fields never appear – the projector may only support PJLink Class 1. Check the PJLink Class value once basic polling is working.