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CAC Controller

A premium web-based controller for Pioneer CAC-V3000 / V3200 / V5000 / V180M commercial CD autochangers.

Control your Pioneer CD autochanger from any device on your network through a modern, mobile-first web interface. Built with Node.js and designed to run headless on a Raspberry Pi.

License Node Platform

Overview

The CAC Controller turns a Pioneer CD autochanger into a network-controllable music server. It communicates via RS-232C serial protocol, provides a real-time web interface over WebSocket, and maintains a full CD library database with metadata from MusicBrainz.

Browser (Phone / Tablet / PC)
    |
    | HTTP + WebSocket (LAN/WLAN)
    v
Node.js Server (Raspberry Pi)          <--- Optional: Hub (central dashboard)
    |                                        connects via REST API + WebSocket
    | RS-232C Serial (9600 baud, 8N1)        using API key authentication
    v
Pioneer CAC CD Autochanger

Multi-Changer Architecture (Hub/Node)

Each CAC Controller instance runs as a standalone Node. An optional Hub can connect to multiple Nodes across the network for centralized monitoring and control. Each Node remains fully functional on its own — the Hub is purely additive.

                    ┌──────────────────┐
                    │    Hub (central)  │
                    │   Dashboard App   │
                    └───┬────┬────┬────┘
          REST API +    │    │    │    REST API +
          WebSocket     │    │    │    WebSocket
        ┌───────────────┘    │    └───────────────┐
        v                    v                    v
┌───────────────┐  ┌───────────────┐  ┌───────────────┐
│  Node: Living │  │  Node: Studio │  │  Node: Bar    │
│  Room (RPi)   │  │    (RPi)      │  │    (RPi)      │
│  CAC-V3000    │  │  CAC-V5000    │  │  CAC-V180M    │
└───────────────┘  └───────────────┘  └───────────────┘

Features

Player Control

  • Dual Player Support - Independent control of both CD players (V3000/V3200/V5000)
  • Full Protocol Implementation - All 27 execution commands and 14 query commands
  • Real-time Status - Live updates via WebSocket for player mode, track number, elapsed time, and disc number
  • Volume Control - Digital attenuator with 256 steps (0 to -80 dB)
  • Speed Control - Playback speed adjustment from 90% to 110%
  • Fade - Programmable volume fades with configurable duration

Playback Modes

  • Continuous Play - Automatic crossover between both players when a disc ends
  • Gapless Play - Pre-cues the other player for seamless transitions between discs
  • Shuffle - Three modes: current CD, both players, or the entire changer (random disc loading)
  • Playlists - Server-side playlist engine with intelligent dual-player management, CD pre-loading, and drag-and-drop reordering

CD Library

  • SQLite Database - Persistent storage for all CD metadata, tracks, playlists, favorites, ratings, and play history
  • MusicBrainz Integration - Search by artist, album, barcode, or disc TOC; automatic metadata and cover art download
  • Cover Art - Upload custom covers (JPEG/PNG/WebP), client-side resize, or automatic download from Cover Art Archive
  • JSON Import - Import existing CD databases with preview/edit UI, slot reassignment, mojibake repair, and format auto-detection
  • Advanced Filtering - Filter by genre, artist, year, or label; sort by multiple criteria
  • Search - Full-text search across all CDs and tracks
  • Bulk Operations - Select mode with checkboxes for batch deletion
  • CD Library Editor - Inline editing of all CD metadata (slot, title, artist, year, label, genre, notes) with searchable combobox dropdowns, 47 preset genres and 71 preset labels, custom values addable inline, recently used values at top, value management (rename/delete with bulk update), filter bar with "no value" option, sort controls, and cover thumbnails

CD Scanner

  • Single Slot Scan - Load a disc, read its TOC (track count, total duration), and catalog it
  • Range Scan - Batch-scan any range of slots with real-time progress via WebSocket
  • Full Scan - Scan all slots (up to 300 or 500 depending on model)
  • Abort - Cancel a running scan at any time

Additional Features

  • GPIO Power Control - On/off button to control a relay via configurable GPIO pin (e.g., to power the CAC unit). Uses pinctrl — no additional packages required on Raspberry Pi
  • Favorites - Mark individual tracks or entire CDs as favorites; dedicated Favorites page with filter tabs (All / CD Favorites / Track Favorites)
  • Ratings - 1-5 star rating system for tracks and CDs with filterable views
  • Play History - Automatic tracking of all played tracks with timestamps and actual play duration
  • Play Statistics - Top tracks, top CDs, top artists, genre distribution, and activity charts with configurable minimum play duration threshold
  • Backup / Restore - Full database export and import as JSON (CDs, tracks, playlists, favorites, ratings, play history, settings); separate ZIP export/import for all cover images
  • Cover Thumbnails - Cover art displayed in History, Favorites, Ratings, and Playlists sections
  • Serial Terminal - Direct serial command interface for debugging and advanced control
  • Bilingual UI - German and English, auto-detected from system locale or manually selectable
  • Mobile PWA - Responsive design, installable on home screen, works in fullscreen
  • Systemd Service - Runs headless on Raspberry Pi, auto-starts on boot, auto-reconnects serial port

Supported Hardware

Model Capacity Players Baud Rate Volume Speed
CAC-V3000 300 CDs 2 9600 / 4800 Yes Yes
CAC-V3200 300 CDs 2 9600 / 4800 Yes Yes
CAC-V5000 500 CDs 2 9600 / 4800 Yes Yes
CAC-V180M 18 CDs 1 4800 No No

CAC-V3000 DIP Switch: DIP switch 3 must be set to ON for 9600 baud. All DIP switches OFF = 4800 baud.

Hardware Requirements

Option A: External USB-Serial Adapter

  • Raspberry Pi (Zero W, Zero 2 W, 3, 4, or 5) or any Linux system
  • USB-to-Serial adapter (RS-232C, e.g., FTDI FT232R or similar)
  • Serial cable with 15-pin D-Sub connector (RS-232C) to the Pioneer CAC changer
  • Network connection (WLAN or Ethernet)

Option B: Internal RPi Zero W Integration

The Raspberry Pi Zero W can be mounted inside the CAC chassis for a fully integrated solution:

  • Power: HLK-PM01 AC-DC converter (230V→5V, 600mA) tapped from the AC inlet before the power switch, with T500mA fuse
  • Serial: Direct TTL connection at the RSIF board input (handoff from MCDR board) — both boards are under the right side cover (viewed from front). Voltage divider (1kΩ/2kΩ) for 5V→3.3V level shifting on RXD; TXD (3.3V) connects directly (5V TTL threshold = 2.0V)
  • Power Control: JQC-3FF-S-Z 5V relay module on GPIO17 to switch the CAC power (Active HIGH, 10kΩ pull-down)
  • Network: Mini USB to USB-A female adapter + TP-Link TL-WN722N USB WiFi stick with SMA female connector, routed via SMA cable to an external antenna (the metal chassis acts as a Faraday cage)

See the detailed documentation for wiring diagrams and pin assignments.

RSIF Board MCDR Board TL-WN722N

Software Requirements

  • Node.js >= 18.x (20 LTS recommended)
  • npm (included with Node.js)
  • Build tools for native SQLite module: build-essential, python3

Quick Start

git clone https://github.com/NFDiJee/cac-controller.git
cd cac-controller
npm install
npm start

Open http://<your-ip>:3000 in any browser.

Installation on Raspberry Pi

See INSTALL.md for detailed step-by-step instructions including:

  • Node.js and build tools setup
  • Serial port permissions
  • Systemd service configuration
  • PWA installation on smartphones
  • Troubleshooting guide

Configuration

All settings are configurable via the web UI under More > Settings:

Setting Default Description
Serial Port /dev/ttyUSB0 Path to the serial port (auto-detected dropdown in settings UI)
Baud Rate 9600 9600 for V3000/V3200/V5000, 4800 for V180M
Model CAC-V3000 Your Pioneer changer model
Max Discs 300 Maximum slot count (300 or 500)
Web Port 3000 HTTP server port
Language auto Auto-detect, German, or English
Stats Min Seconds 30 Minimum play duration (seconds) for a track to count in statistics
GPIO Relay Pin (empty) BCM pin number for relay control (e.g., 17). Empty = disabled

Hub / Network Settings

These settings enable a central Hub to discover, monitor, and control this Node remotely. All fields are optional — the controller works fully standalone without them.

Setting Default Description
Node Name (empty) Display name for this node (e.g., "Living Room")
Room (empty) Room or location identifier
API Key (empty) Shared secret for Hub authentication (generate via UI)

When an API key is set, the Hub can authenticate via X-API-Key header (or ?apikey= query parameter) and gains full access to all API endpoints — including library editing, playlists, scanner, settings, and everything else.

MusicBrainz Settings

To use MusicBrainz metadata lookup, you must register your own application credentials:

Setting Description
App Name Your application name (e.g., "MyCACController")
Version Application version (e.g., "1.0")
Contact Your email address (required by MusicBrainz ToS)

REST API

The server exposes a full REST API for programmatic control:

Player Control

Method Endpoint Description
GET /api/player/:id/state Get player status
POST /api/player/:id/play Start playback
POST /api/player/:id/pause Pause playback
POST /api/player/:id/stop Stop playback
POST /api/player/:id/load Load disc { disc, track }
POST /api/player/:id/eject Eject and return disc
POST /api/player/:id/next Next track
POST /api/player/:id/previous Previous track
POST /api/player/:id/track/:num Play specific track
POST /api/player/:id/volume Set volume { value: 0-255 }
POST /api/player/:id/speed Set speed { value: 90-110 }
POST /api/player/:id/fade Fade { target, duration }
POST /api/player/:id/raw Send raw command { command }
GET /api/player/states Get all player states

Library

Method Endpoint Description
GET /api/library List all CDs with tracks
GET /api/library/:slot Get single CD
PUT /api/library/:slot Update CD metadata
DELETE /api/library/:slot Delete CD and covers
POST /api/library/bulk-delete Delete multiple { slots: [...] }
POST /api/library/bulk-update-field Bulk rename/delete field value { field, oldValue, newValue }
POST /api/library/:slot/move Move CD to different slot { newSlot }
POST /api/library/:slot/cover Upload cover (base64)
GET /api/search?q=... Search library

MusicBrainz

Method Endpoint Description
GET /api/musicbrainz/search?q=... Search releases
GET /api/musicbrainz/release/:id Get release details
POST /api/musicbrainz/apply/:slot Apply metadata to slot

Playlists

Method Endpoint Description
GET /api/playlists List all playlists
POST /api/playlists Create playlist
GET /api/playlists/:id Get playlist with items
PUT /api/playlists/:id Update playlist
DELETE /api/playlists/:id Delete playlist
POST /api/playlists/:id/play Start playlist playback
POST /api/playlists/stop Stop playlist
PUT /api/playlists/:id/reorder Reorder items { itemIds: [...] }

Statistics

Method Endpoint Description
GET /api/stats Play statistics (top tracks, CDs, artists, genres, activity)
DELETE /api/stats/reset Reset all play history

Backup

Method Endpoint Description
GET /api/backup Export full database as JSON
POST /api/backup Import database from JSON backup
GET /api/backup/covers Export all cover images as ZIP
POST /api/backup/covers Import covers from ZIP upload

Node API (Hub Communication)

These endpoints require API key authentication (X-API-Key header). They provide convenience aggregations for Hub discovery and monitoring.

Method Endpoint Description
GET /api/node/info Node info (name, room, model, stats, players)
GET /api/node/status Live status (players, scanner, serial)

Note: When authenticated with an API key, the Hub can access all endpoints listed above (library, playlists, scanner, settings, etc.) — not just the /api/node/* routes. The API key middleware applies globally to all /api/* routes.

Power (GPIO Relay)

Method Endpoint Description
GET /api/power/status Get power status { configured, on }
POST /api/power/on Power on (GPIO HIGH)
POST /api/power/off Power off (GPIO LOW)

Other

Method Endpoint Description
GET /api/favorites List favorites
POST /api/favorites/toggle Toggle favorite
GET /api/ratings List ratings
POST /api/ratings Set/remove rating
GET /api/history Play history
GET /api/stats Library statistics
GET/PUT /api/settings Get/update settings
GET/PUT /api/playmodes Get/set play modes
POST /api/import Import JSON data
POST /api/scanner/scan Start scan
POST /api/scanner/abort Abort scan

WebSocket

Connect to ws://<host>:3000 for real-time updates.

Hub WebSocket: Connect to ws://<host>:3000/?hub=1&apikey=<your-key> for authenticated hub connections. Hub clients receive a hubInit message with node metadata on connection, plus all regular broadcast messages.

Message Type Direction Description
init Server -> Client Initial state on connection
hubInit Server -> Hub Node info + initial state (hub connections only)
playerState Server -> Client Player status change
scanProgress Server -> Client Scan progress update
scanComplete Server -> Client Scan finished
playModeChange Server -> Client Play mode changed
continuousSwitch Server -> Client Automatic player switch
playlistUpdate Server -> Client Playlist state change
playlistComplete Server -> Client Playlist finished
serialConnected Server -> Client Serial port connected
serialDisconnected Server -> Client Serial port lost
serialError Server -> Client Serial communication error
serialResponse Server -> Client Raw serial response (for terminal)

Project Structure

cac-controller/
├── server.js                 # Express + WebSocket server entry point
├── package.json
├── cac-controller.service    # Systemd unit file
├── src/
│   ├── database.js           # SQLite database (better-sqlite3)
│   ├── serial.js             # Serial port connection with auto-reconnect
│   ├── protocol.js           # Pioneer CAC serial protocol (commands, queries, parser)
│   ├── player.js             # Player manager (polling, state, continuous/gapless/shuffle/playlist)
│   ├── scanner.js            # CD scanner (TOC read, slot scanning)
│   ├── musicbrainz.js        # MusicBrainz API + Cover Art Archive integration
│   ├── gpio.js               # GPIO relay control (power on/off via pinctrl)
│   ├── routes.js             # Express REST API routes
│   └── websocket.js          # WebSocket manager (broadcasts state changes)
├── public/
│   ├── index.html            # Single-page application
│   ├── css/
│   │   └── app.css           # Full application styles (dark theme)
│   ├── js/
│   │   ├── app.js            # Frontend application logic
│   │   └── i18n.js           # Internationalization (DE/EN)
│   └── covers/               # Uploaded cover art images
├── data/
│   └── cac-controller.db     # SQLite database (auto-created)
├── INSTALL.md                # Raspberry Pi installation guide
├── LICENSE                   # MIT License
└── README.md                 # This file

Database Schema

The SQLite database contains the following tables:

  • cds - CD metadata (slot, title, artist, year, genre, cover, MusicBrainz ID, barcode, label, country)
  • tracks - Track metadata (title, artist, duration, ISRC)
  • playlists / playlist_items - User-created playlists
  • play_history - Automatic play tracking with duration measurement
  • favorites - Favorited tracks and CDs
  • ratings - 1-5 star ratings
  • settings - Application configuration (key-value store)

Pioneer Serial Protocol

This project implements the complete Pioneer CAC serial protocol as documented in the official Programming Manual (Version 2.0, May 1993).

Communication Parameters

  • Baud Rate: 9600 (V3000/V3200/V5000) or 4800 (V180M)
  • Data Bits: 8
  • Stop Bits: 1
  • Parity: None
  • Terminator: CR (\r)
  • Max Command Length: 20 characters

Command Format

All commands are prefixed with the player ID and PS (Player Select):

<player_id>PS<command>\r

Example: 1PS001ZSPL\r selects player 1, loads disc 001, and starts playback.

Supported Commands

  • 27 Execution Commands: Player select, disc select/return, start, reject, play, pause, scan, search, stop marker, auto-cue, volume, speed, fade, and more
  • 14 Query Commands: Player mode, disc number, track number, time code, TOC info, model name, disc status, and more

Updating

cd /opt/cac-controller
git pull
npm install
sudo systemctl restart cac-controller

Uninstalling

sudo systemctl stop cac-controller
sudo systemctl disable cac-controller
sudo rm /etc/systemd/system/cac-controller.service
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo rm -rf /opt/cac-controller

License

MIT License - See LICENSE for details.

Acknowledgments

  • Protocol documentation based on the official Pioneer CAC-V3000 Programming Manual (Version 2.0, May 1993)
  • Inspired by the CCC project by Jonathan Dupre
  • Uses MusicBrainz API for metadata lookup
  • Uses Cover Art Archive for album artwork

Disclaimer

This is an independent open-source project. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Pioneer Corporation or any of its subsidiaries. "Pioneer" and "CAC" are trademarks of Pioneer Corporation.

About

Pioneer CAC CD Autochanger Controller — Web-based remote control for Pioneer CAC-V3000/V3200/V5000/V180M via RS-232C on Raspberry Pi. Dual-player, CD library with MusicBrainz, scanner, playlists, play statistics, favorites, ratings, GPIO power relay, PWA, i18n (de/en), and Hub API support.

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