788T Web Browser Controller (Mac/PC/Linux)

[jawharp]

Hey guys,

 

So I said I was done writing 788T controller software but here we are.  I wasn't happy with how unstable my last one was and how it was Windows only.

 

This one works in a browser with the Web Serial API, so it only works in chromium based web browsers:

• Google Chrome
• Microsoft Edge
• Brave
• Opera

and should be Mac/PC/Linux compatible.  I've tested it on Mac and PC.

 

On windows you may need to install the USB driver for the 788 found here: https://www.silabs.com/software-and-tools/usb-to-uart-bridge-vcp-drivers

 

 

To use it, set your 788T's connection mode to USB/WaveAgent and connect it via USB to your host computer.

 

Download the html file and open it in a supported browser.

 

On the bottom right click connect, and select the com port with your 788, it should appear as a CP210x UART interface.

 

This version is much more stable than my last one and is all around more responsive.  Arm tracks by clicking the track's meter, and rename it by clicking the track name.  The settings button currently does nothing, and I may release an update that lets you set some app user settings like color themes, etc.

 

Feel free to modify it however you want.  

 

If anyone is interested, I can also release everything I know about the 788's C. Link protocol and all my original files written in C# if you want to look into it/make your own software.

 

If the app fails to connect to your 788, try refreshing and reconnecting.  If that doesn't work, I've noticed that sometimes the 788's usb serial connection can get wonky.  Launching WaveAgent and connecting briefly through that seems to clear it up.  I'm still not certain why this happens or why WaveAgent fixes it.

 

 

I'm officially retiring from 788 software now.  

 

 

 

 

788T_Web_Controller.html

[codyman]

Very cool!  I'm having a problem though in that when I click connect, it's giving me a long list of serial devices and none work.

I'm using Kubuntu 26.04 and Chromium browser.

[jawharp]

Dang, I haven't had a chance to test on Linux yet.  Check the driver link in the post, there's a linux driver on that page that might help.  My guess is that there's no built in driver in your linux build for the CP210X and it has to be added.

[codyman]

Good news.  Got it working on a Chromebook of all things.  Found the USB controller right away and seems to be working!

[jawharp]

Cool cool!  One thing I did notice about the 788 in general that I forgot to mention was that if you change the framerate through C. Link, the change isn't reflected on the 788's LCD until you go into the menu and back out, then it refreshes.  So after you change it in the app menu, it may appear like the change didn't happen on the actual machine until you do that.  Not sure why this happens with that setting, but if you see it it's 100% a 788 thing and not the app.

 

 

Also forgot to mention, that this app should theoretically work on an android tablet that exposes the web serial API.  You would be able to use a direct usb connection between the tablet and the 788, but I don't have one to test with.

 

iPad's won't work because Apple doesn't let user apps do anything over a serial connection, it's all ethernet over usb and would require a dedicated iOS port of the app and a go between piece of hardware that you'd have to make that translates the ethernet commands to C. Link.  

 

If someone's feeling up to it they could probably write simple software for a raspberry pi that would do it, but I'm done for now haha.

[codyman]

3 hours ago, jawharp said:

One thing I did notice about the 788 in general that I forgot to mention was that if you change the framerate through C. Link, the change isn't reflected on the 788's LCD until you go into the menu and back out, then it refreshes.  So after you change it in the app menu, it may appear like the change didn't happen on the actual machine until you do that.  Not sure why this happens with that setting, but if you see it it's 100% a 788 thing and not the app.

Good to know.

Yeah actually using it with a Chromebook seems to be pretty ideal given it's way more powerful than an Android Tablet / has a keyboard and track pad / mine is even touch screen so I can just tap record/stop etc on there no problem.  Also, they are dirt cheap compared to normal laptops.

[jawharp]

Nice the touchscreen is pretty great

[Harris K]

I'm sure the answer is no, but curious if you've yet tested any combination of two 788ts connected through C link via this. I dmed you on the same topic a while back on your last project, lest you think more than one person had interest.

[jawharp]

Hey!  Yeah I remember your message.  So what I've found is that when the connection mode is set to Wave Agent/USB, that basically tells the 788 to use the usb port for all C. Link commands.  Sadly, this means that linking C. Link commands through the C. Link jack appears to stop working because the 788 is now using the USB port for the serial connection instead of the C. Link port which supports the multi unit linking.

 

The only method I have tried which has successfully accessed units further down the C. Link chain is via a custom RS232 to C. Link cable that i soldered.  I literally took an off the shelf usb to RS232 adapter and soldered the corresponding pins from the serial connector to the corresponding pins of a C. Link cable and the connection works just the same as through the USB port, but you are still able to target units further down the C. Link network because you are using the physical C. Link port.  I didn't pursue it since it involved custom hardware.

 

Theoretically you should be able to link any 7 series machine this way, I just never worked on it because it's kind of a niche use case.

 

What kind of linking are you trying to do? 

[Harris K]

Dont have a precise gameplan, but I long for C Link again and fantasize regularly about grabbing another 788 for a much tidier larger channel count kludge than I do currently, and I'm plenty willing to make my life too complicated to get there. I took iceman for a spin on my last such job, admire the dedication from you and I'd love to be q supporter for the sake if the rest of the harder-makes-smarter crowd.

 

So, I'd be flexible on my workflow if something made sense for yours.

 

 

Edit: The coolest version would be if the app could handle and display multiple machines seamlessly in one instance, but i bet it doesn't work like that. So two instances running across, say, two mid android tablets, that don't interfere with each other, like maybe a slave mode or something, would be totally workable and neat from my perspective. 

[jawharp]

As long as you don't need meters you can rely on for frame accurate display because of lag I think at least 2-3 788's would be usable if it were to be implemented, but again it would require a special cable and updated software to display it

[jawharp]

On 5/15/2026 at 11:58 PM, Harris K said:

Dont have a precise gameplan, but I long for C Link again and fantasize regularly about grabbing another 788 for a much tidier larger channel count kludge than I do currently, and I'm plenty willing to make my life too complicated to get there. I took iceman for a spin on my last such job, admire the dedication from you and I'd love to be q supporter for the sake if the rest of the harder-makes-smarter crowd.

 

So, I'd be flexible on my workflow if something made sense for yours.

 

 

Edit: The coolest version would be if the app could handle and display multiple machines seamlessly in one instance, but i bet it doesn't work like that. So two instances running across, say, two mid android tablets, that don't interfere with each other, like maybe a slave mode or something, would be totally workable and neat from my perspective. 

 

Okay, so I was curious and tried a second attempt at multi device linking for the first time in a couple years.  Turns out the original failed because my original program wasn't doing it right.  In the interest of my own free time (and sanity) I instructed ChatGPT to poop out this update.  

 

Here's what I put in:

 

- There is now a dropdown on the bottom to select the number of units you want displayed.

- Meter view/Track Naming/Track arming is available for all units downstream

- Scene/Take metadata is synced across units and displayed in the HUD.  Click the scene name to edit it and hit okay and the change is reflected across all machines.  

- The first unit in the C. Link network is considered "Unit 0," the second "Unit 1," etc.  For each unit after Unit 0, the scene names are given the prefix of their ID in the network to avoid duplicate filenames.  For example, 5A take 1 on unit 0 would be saved as "5A_T01.WAV" and on unit 1 it would be "01_5A_T01.WAV" etc.  I originally tried to append the end of the file, but the 788 doesn't allow special characters in the take number field, so I had to put the ##_ at the beginning of the scene name.

- False take/Letter up synced across all machines

- The software also acts as a watchdog for transport synchronization.  i.e. if you press record on any of the physical units, all will be toggled to record.  Stop and play should work too.

 

SETUP:

1. On the main 788T, connect the usb port to the PC as usual.  Set connection mode on that 788 to "WaveAgent/USB"

2. Connect the C.Link out port of the main 788T to the C. Link in port of the next unit with a C. Link cable.

3. For the second unit and each after that, set the connection mode to "CL Wifi"

4. For TC to sync across all units, set the slave units TC Mode to RXTC.

 

 

Hope you all like it.  Let me know if you use it and want anything else added I'll see what I can do.  

 

I'd say I'm done forever now with this, but I've done that about 3 times now...

 

 

 

 

 

788T_Web_Controller_multiunit_v18.html

[codyman]

The Multi Unit update looks great.  I put this software to use the last two days on set.  Worked great!

 

 

[jawharp]

Cool!  Glad it's working.  I updated the file in the older post, but I'll put a new link here too.  Track naming was being weird in the multiunit version but it's fixed now.   I also added an additional drop down at the bottom, so now there's the "Display Units" drop down that selects how many units' meters you want displayed, and then there's the "Settings Unit" dropdown which doesn't change anything with the main display, but changes which unit's settings are being changed in the other tabs.   

 

So now you can adjust routing, files, and settings on any of the units by selecting their index in the "Settings Unit" dropdown.

 

 

788T_Web_Controller_multiunit_v18.html

[Philip Perkins]

Thanks for all your work on the 788 app--heroic, you are!  Before you go, please tell us what the full system requirements are for the final version?   And does the app allow the computer to enter track names etc and save and load configs to the 788?

 

thanks!

 

phil p

[jawharp]

Hey!

 

Yeah, tracks can be armed and have their names changed.  It should allow you to view them all at once too so you dont have to switch from unit to unit to name everything. 

 

I hardcoded the file naming indexing so that there is zero chance of duplicate file names happening cause I feel like that would be a catastrophic failure in terms of file management/data getting overwritten.

 

So far no per-unit configs, but that's a great idea.  Do you mean like cloning routing/tc/recording spec options etc. from unit to unit so you can just copy them over?  I don't have much time right now to work on it but that sounds like a good feature to add in the future.

 

Try it out and let me know what you think or if you find any bugs/glitches/features you want.

 

Stay frosty