Analog cable TV (UK)

I'm working on using HackTV to generate signals which an old UK Analog cable box can receive and decode.

This turned out to be relatively easy, for clear (unencrypted) channels:

• Channel width is 8MHz, PAL-I system. This is the same as UHF broadcast PAL-I.
• A UK frequency map is present in the Cisco/Scientific Atlanta Broadband Databook on page 18, or on Toner Cable Equipment's Reference Guides page.

I have two boxes:

• General Instrument (aka Jerrold, later Motorola)
  • CFT-2100 “Customer Friendly Terminal”
    • One believed to be ex NTL (London or Southampton) – seems to be active (F0 code is E0)
    • One believed to be ex MK Cable (Milton Keynes Cable) – seems to be inactive (F0 code is E1, 'timer expired', all channels are 160MHz)

As the NTL box is currently active, I'm leaving it alone for now, and concentrating on the MK Cable box.

• Recordings of the control channel (106.5MHz, 122.7MHz, etc) from any GI or Jerrold cable system (but especially UK systems like MK Cable or NTL Analog).
• Software used to monitor or send data in Jerrold format, especially ones which can handle channel maps, e.g.:
  • Magicboxes Jerrold Logger (ideally the registered version!), aka Magiclog, Magiclog.zip, Magicboot
  • RS232 Comm Tool by “¢hav£¡rø” / chaveiro (RS232TOOL.zip, super2-rs232.zip, rs232-ttl.gif)
  • Test Bench Pro
• Manuals, documentation (especially service manuals)
  • Any manufacturer but especially GI/Jerrold/Motorola
• Cable boxes
  • UK models only, any model
  • General Instrument / Jerrold / Motorola – any, preferably older than the CFT-2100
• Analog cable headend equipment, software disks, and similar – especially:
  • General Instrument, Jerrold or Motorola:
    • ACS series headend controller (software or full system)
    • Video scramblers and modulators
    • Manuals
  • Other manufacturers – anything

If you have any of these, please contact me.

• General Instrument CFT-2100 boxes:
  • Generate valid FSK data to unlock the MK Cable box (requires figuring out or reprogramming the Sitecode and possibly Group Serial Number)
  • Figure out how the scrambling works (may require finding and borrowing old discarded headend equipment)
  • Implement scrambling in HackTV

DAVIC – early cable modem standard: http://web.archive.org/web/20160304073906/http://www.piptel-uk.com/davic-specs

• GI ACC-4000 Addressable Controller manual – the headend controller used in many systems which used GI/Jerrold set-top boxes. Gives a good idea what can be configured.
  • Wanted: ACC-4000, OSD Edit or Message Editor System software and other documentation
• Phrack 52-13 – summary of the capabilities of the ACC-4000, list of supporting equipment