CybrDisplay External Status Plugin

[gmarquina]

So... I need to ask a few questions...

1) What version of the IRTrans software is installed?

I'm using the following IRTrans software

Date: 02.01.08
irserver Version: 5.10.01
USB Driver Version: 2.02.04
VFD Driver Version: 2.6.0

2) What other software that drives the display, if any, is installed? (IE: what program is sending "Mediacenter" to the display)
3) Did you stop the other program, if any, before starting MediaPortal?

When installing IRTrans software I have the option to select a MCE compatible display driver. I think this is the software that shows the word "Mediacenter" when accesing the display. I've uninstalled it and though the CybrMage display plugin still doesn't work, that word does not appear on display. I hope this is a clue.

EDIT: After doing some research into the MCE303 case... I have a few additional questions...
4) Are you sue that the display is an IRTrans display??? The ahanix website does not list this case, but the software that is available for download is for a Matrix Orbital LK series display...
5) How is the display connected to the computer? USB? Serial port? Parallel port?

Well the only reference I have is that it is a Samsung 16T202DA1E VFD. That's what the info in the web pages says in fact http://htpc.mce701.com/info/mce303b.html. In the link you can see detailed instrtuctions and all the info I have about the case and the display. It is connected by a USB connector.

The display works fine with MS Windows Media Center. But I really prefer Media Portal. In fact there are just two things which work fine in Media center and I cannot get to work with Media Portal. The first, what we're talking now, the display. The second is the scheduling system. Media Portal is not resuming from standby. But I'm trying to resolve one thing at a time. First, the display.

Thank you very much again for your help and the great work you're doing!

[sWORDs]

CybrMage, would you be interested to add tcp/ip, so that feedback to an advanced remote (pronto, amx, creston, urc etc) or a pda would be possible?

[fanoI]

Originally Posted by cybrmage

This one should fix it...

Now the stars (*) are correctly showed

There is only a little thing the default configuration is that the bar lenght is 8 and in this way the second line is
half empty (my display is a 2 * 16 display)...

If I change this in the configuration it returns to 8 after I press OK... is unmodificable

I've tried to change directly the xml file and now works as expected.

fanoI

[Mercbac]

On my first dedicated HTPC I am running MP 0.2.3.0 with SVN from 2008-03-14 and TVE3 SVN of same date in single seat on Vista 32-bit.
I have copied the CybrDisplayPlugin.dll to C:\Program Files\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\plugins\process and configured it for "SoundGraph iMON USB VFD/LCD Plugin v03_16_2008b", using USB as port. All of this on a Silverstone GD01MX case (which uses the LCD as far as I know). My iMon manager software is running with its icon in the system tray and FrontView set to "automatic" (although setting it to "never" doesn´t change anything).

With all of this, nothing happens on my LCD when I start MediaPortal. Well, no change occurs, I should say, because it just continues scrolling the date and time, or if I activate "Media Information" on Frontview´s "auto mode" tab, it just displays the text "Home".

iMon Software is version 6.20.0830 (Silverstone), which was supplied with the case.

Is there anything obvious I have missed here, or do I need to submit logs?

[fanoI]

You can try to set the "3rd party" in the option section to "3rd party uses..."

I find that manager is pretty annoyng always after resuming resets its state to no "3rd party" and the plugin stops to
work and the remote set the pad to mouse

Now I've terminated it and plugin works well (and remote too but I'm using Girder)... I think I could disable it from
automatic execution, too

If setting 3rd party doesn't works try to close it I think the plugin uses only the dll and the manager is unusufel,
as always

fanoI

[cybrmage]

Originally Posted by gmarquina

I've uninstalled it

Reinstall it... Doing an uninstall removes the IRTrans server as well as the client program... which is needed...

After you reinstall, make sure that the client program is NOT running and that the IRTrans server IS running.

Also, The LCDHype driver requires that the DLPortIO DLL is installed... make sure that it is.

Originally Posted by gmarquina

That's what the info in the web pages says

Good enough... I just wanted to make sure... as this specific case is marketed under the same name by several different vendors with several different displays.

so... do the reinstall and make sure DLPortIO is installed and post new logs so we can see if anything has changed.

Originally Posted by sWORDs

CybrMage, would you be interested to add tcp/ip, so that feedback to an advanced remote (pronto, amx, creston, urc etc) or a pda would be possible?

I don't have any of the devices you mentioned... do you have specifications for them?

Originally Posted by fanoI

the default configuration is that the bar lenght is 8 and in this way the second line is
half empty

Until you press pause.... then the work "paused" fills the line... For the defaults, I used the values that you originally posted...

Originally Posted by fanoI

If I change this in the configuration it returns to 8 after I press OK... is unmodificable

I'm looking into this.

Originally Posted by Mercbac

do I need to submit logs?

Originally Posted by cybrmage

IF you post asking for support, you MUST turn on "extended logging" in the plugin and POST YOUR MEDIAPORTAL.LOG FILE. Without the log, support is NOT possible.

[fanoI]

Originally Posted by cybrmage

Until you press pause.... then the work "paused" fills the line... For the defaults, I used the values that you originally posted...

Mmm I think I'm a little unclear when the file is played I see correctly the [------] but they are centered as my display
has 16 chars for line... if that was the my original values maybe as it did't work I've tried strange experiment and then I've forgotten it

I think 16 or best the columns of the configured display is the right default value, here.

Originally Posted by cybrmage

I'm looking into this.

Thanks after these little modification is perfect for me

fanoI

[sWORDs]

Because the Pronto supports ECMAScript for XML (E4X), all what would be needed would be a xml file with the data. Which then could be shared by Apache or IIS.

I can build a pronto module then so others can easily add it. The above is just a sample, it will look way better then that and will be a lot more advanced. The xml can be plain (or maybe sideshow compatible would be nice, someone could build a sideshow gadget). Maybe the xml could be a general option, so that the vfd/lcd display also functions.

Another possibility would be real tcp/ip, but that would mean a lot more work for the both of us.

[Mercbac]

You can try to set the "3rd party" in the option section to "3rd party uses..."

fanoI: Thanks, I now figured out that I actually had the display type under advanced in the CybrDisplay plugin set to LCD instead of LCD2. Now, when I click on Test Display, it actually displays the text "CybrDisplay" (didn´t do anything before). I have also set the option in iMon manager to "use 3rd party" and then exited iMon manager, but when I start MediaPortal all that happens is the backlight of the display goes on, but there is nothing displayed at all....

Could it be that I am missing some config file, because the button for "Configuration Editor" in the plugin config is greyed out.

[GhoSe]

cybrmage are you going to provide the sourcecode for your nice plugin soon? I like to make a driver for LCDStudio for it.