CybrDisplay External Status Plugin

[armandp]

To fix the display after it "hangs" i usually do this:

- Exit Media Portal
- Start IMON manager
- Set "3rd party is controlling IMON" and click Apply
- Go to Media Portal configuration and the CybrDisplay plugin configuration.
- Click TEST and display will function again.
- Close configuration
- Start Media Portal
- After this IMON manager resets the "3rd party is controlling IMON" to unchecked and it will function again till the next lockup

Hope this helps.

(allthough it is unrecommended by Cybr, i use the latest IMON manager beta software so i don't know if you'll have the option of 3rd party control)

[globaldonkey]

As promised. Used this test procedure:

1) run the test application
2) press a few button to ensure that the remote is working.
3) unlug the USB cable for the iMon device.
4) wait for the device removal tone from windows
5) plug the USB cable for the iMon device back in.
6) wait for the device insertion tone from windows.
7) press a few buttons on the remote....
8) report the results (are the button presses recognized? does the test application crash?, etc...)

Everything seemed to work after the disconnect / reconnect, although the output didn't seem like keyboard mode output from the pad, ie

2008-04-15 20:26:57.109375 - Received Input Command (Mouse)
2008-04-15 20:26:57.109375 - RAW HID DEVICE: \??\HID#Vid_15c2&Pid_0036&MI_00&Col01#7&23d1ddc3&0 &0000#{378de44c-56ef-11d1-bc8c-00a0c91405dd}
2008-04-15 20:26:57.109375 - RAW IMON HID MOUSE - lLastX: 0 lLastY: 2 Buttons: 0
2008-04-15 20:26:57.109375 - RAW IMON HID MOUSE - Ignoring


even though it was in keyboard mode.

[globaldonkey]

Originally Posted by Tide

I have it working again.

I had a hunch to launch a Direct X application to see if it would "reset" it. I opened MP with iMon Manager open (I am using the external display plugin which takes over iMon) I then closed MP. I have a setting in external display set to close display on exit I think and to reopen iMon Manger. I am not sure on these 2 settings I will check them. Anyway, it never has restarted Imon Manger on exit but I figure that is for another day. The good part is it did close IMon Manger from when it was initially running when MP started.

I opened iMon Manger. I then noticed my display (fontview) restarted on "Auto" mode. I had it set to never start fontview when iMon Manager starts. Somehow it magically changed. Something in this crazy process fixed it back.

Side Note: Whether i put the initial setting to keyboard or mouse in iMon Manger when I close iMon Manger the mouse stick no longer functions period. The numbers and the other default type buttons still work in Notepad but the mouse stick is dead. Maybe it will be different tomorrow.

I think I can explain some of what you describe, but some of it does not make sense and maybe cybrmage can fill in the blanks.

When you say "external display plugin" I assume you're talking about cybrdisplay, not the old original external display plugin by Joe Dalton? Certainly some of the behaviour you describe seems to match up with what I know of cybrdisplay.

The later versions of cybrdisplay definitely stop and restart iMON at MP startup, and I think also restart it on exit. Cybrdisplay also disables the frontview component on startup (ie sets it to never) because frontview and cybrdisplay conflict with each other and both try to write to the display if they are both enabled. It then re-enables frontview (sets it to automatic) when MP exits. This at least explains some of the behaviour you describe. You still need iMON Manager running though to allow the remote to work (well at least until and-81 can take all this work and integrate it into IR Server).

What you say in the side note is definitely not the way my system works. The raw HID device(s) still work even if iMON manager is not running, or even never started. Maybe you are running a different version of iMON Manager that disables them on exit? For reference:

My IMON Manager: 6.20.830 (Silverstone)
My F/W : iMON Firmware Ver 0x3601
My case : Silverstone LC16M


Per this link, Soundgraph call my device OEM VFD Type C. ie it has the duplicated play, stop etc buttons on the LC16M case, and the volume control.

::oundGraph::: Innovation of Human on Digital Network

[me1]

cybrmage:
Here are the tests done with the MCE remote.

Anything more?
TestWithMCEremote.zip

[chemelli]

Cybrmage,

I updated the plugin to the 12-04-08 version and the MediaPortal.log is now clean. Thx.
I noticed that during TV playback every 5 secs. the VFD display channel name and epg data even if I checked the blank VFD after 30secs idle.

Can you check this for me please ?

Simone

BTW, sorry MP is not in debug mode. If you need it let me know...

[Tide]

A little update:

Yes globaldonkey, you are right on. That is what I meant to say. It was late. I am using CybrDisplay. I am using a different LCD screen than you. I have the LCD2 screen. I am using iMON_7_01_0204_BETA_ENG as my driver.

Well iMon Manager has really started acting strange. I started a notepad document to document what was going on. If I posted it here you would all fall on the floor laughing. What I say in one sentence gets contradicted by something in another sentence. It seeems the iMon Manager will now not do anything regularly. If you try one thing then go back and try it again you get different results. It is very odd.

I think I will do a clean install on another partition and see what happens.

I am not sure how reliable these logs are but here you go.

[cybrmage]

Originally Posted by Tide

I think I will do a clean install on another partition and see what happens.

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is not your software that's operating incorrectly.... it's the display device....

Do a complete powerdown!!!!.... That means: shut down windows... physically go to your computer, reach around to the back of the computer and turn the switch on the power supply to the OFF position and wait one minute. Then turn the switch back on...

Most people forget that these devices do NOT turn off when the computer shuts down ( I even forget sometimes...).... When the computer shuts down the device is still powered by the +5VSB line of the power supply!!!! On my test system (Antec 430 Black case) , I leave the screws on the case top removed so that I can slide the top back and disconnect the +5VSB connector without having to remove the system from the TV stand.

[Ur[s]uS]

just wanted to pay respect to cybrmage and the work on this thread
antec v2 black, with lcd, on vista, running imon beta and cybr's dll, i have good response from mce remote
i've some tweaking to do, but must read the 34 pages of this thread and the others before asking any foolish questions
i'll be back !

[cybrmage]

Originally Posted by globaldonkey

Everything seemed to work after the disconnect / reconnect, although the output didn't seem like keyboard mode output from the pad, ie

2008-04-15 20:26:57.109375 - Received Input Command (Mouse)
2008-04-15 20:26:57.109375 - RAW HID DEVICE: \??\HID#Vid_15c2&Pid_0036&MI_00&Col01#7&23d1ddc3&0 &0000#{378de44c-56ef-11d1-bc8c-00a0c91405dd}
2008-04-15 20:26:57.109375 - RAW IMON HID MOUSE - lLastX: 0 lLastY: 2 Buttons: 0
2008-04-15 20:26:57.109375 - RAW IMON HID MOUSE - Ignoring


even though it was in keyboard mode.

What you are seeing is correct behavior... the device is sending a mousepad action as an HID mouse command... and the driver is ignoring it (the Y movement is too small to trigger a keyboard action in keyboard mode.... If the X or Y delta was greater than 10, it would trigger a mouse or keyboard action.. this is done to prevent an action when you accidentally brush the pad)


Keyboard mode:
2008-04-15 20:26:57.703125 - RAW HID DEVICE: \??\HID#Vid_15c2&Pid_0036&MI_00&Col01#7&23d1ddc3&0 &0000#{378de44c-56ef-11d1-bc8c-00a0c91405dd}
2008-04-15 20:26:57.703125 - RAW IMON HID MOUSE - lLastX: -2 lLastY: -10 Buttons: 0
2008-04-15 20:26:57.718750 - iMon RemoteEvent: 1250, False
2008-04-15 20:26:57.718750 - iMon HID Remote: 1250 (button = IMON_PAD_BUTTON_UP)

Mouse mode:
2008-04-15 12:44:31.093750 - Received Input Command (Mouse)
2008-04-15 12:44:31.093750 - RAW HID DEVICE: \??\HID#Vid_15c2&Pid_0038&MI_00&Col01#8&2ce7ba48&0 &0000#{378de44c-56ef-11d1-bc8c-00a0c91405dd}
2008-04-15 12:44:31.093750 - RAW IMON HID MOUSE - lLastX: 0 lLastY: 2 Buttons: 0
2008-04-15 12:44:31.093750 - iMon MouseEvent: DX 0, DY 2, Right: False, Left: False
2008-04-15 12:44:31.140625 - Received Input Command (Mouse)

The key lines are:
2008-04-15 20:26:57.718750 - iMon RemoteEvent: 1250, False
and
2008-04-15 12:44:31.093750 - iMon MouseEvent: DX 0, DY 2, Right: False, Left: False

indicating that the driver actually did something with the data.



The HID devices seem to have two modes....
1) the device appears as 3 seperate HID devices: Remote, Keyboard and Mouse... The HID Keyboard and HID Mouse devices are inactive, and all data is transferred to the PC over the HID Remote device.
2) the device appears as 3 seperate HID devices: Remote, Keyboard and Mouse... data is transferred to the PC over the appropriate device.

It appears that this is the sequence of events:
1) On device powerup - all three devices are active... device is in mode 1.
2) When iMon Manager runs... and is set to mouse mode, it sends a command that set the device to mode 2.
3) With iMon Manager running, pressing the "mouse/keyboard" button will send a command to the device to change it to the appropriate mode.
4) when iMon Manager exits, it leave the device in the last mode that was active...

Additionally, when a DirectX application that uses the DirectInput system ( such as DirectX Diag or MediaPortal ) is run, the device does a reset (with causes it to disconnect and then reconnect) and is in mode 1.

For our purposes, we want the device to be in mode 1 at all times.... this leaves various options...
1) determine the command to set the device to mode 1.
2) force a device reset to get the device into mode 1.
3) use a helper application to get the device into mode 1.
4) use an explicit set of instructions for use of the plugin.

Remeber, IR Server Suite does not run as a plugin inside MediaPortal... It is a global application for managing the remote.... so we can't rely on the device being in mode 1... the IR Server suite will start during windows startup...

option 1 is the ideal option, and give the most flexibility, but we will need someone with the device and a USB logger to determine the commands...

option 2 is the next best, but I don't know which part of the DirectInput system causes the device to reset... and adding DirectX and DirectInput to the driver will make it HUGE!! Also, so far the driver does not have any support for sending commands to the device... I would have to determine how to do that... (and USB programming on windows is a very inexact art)

option 3 is probably the easiest to impliment (since I don't have the iMon HID device)... Find the iMon installation, set the manager with the appropriate options, run it... wait a second to ensure it has done the deed, and then kill it

option 4 is, in my opinion, the least desirable option... it means that, if you run iMon Manager, and least the remote in mouse mode, the driver will know that the device has the mouse and keyboard active, but will not be able to change that behavior...

ok... So... opinions??? (sorry... I'm thinking out loud again... 8-} )

Originally Posted by globaldonkey

I think also restart it on exit.

only if the restart option is selected

Originally Posted by globaldonkey

Cybrdisplay also disables the frontview component on startup (ie sets it to never)

correct!

Originally Posted by globaldonkey

It then re-enables frontview (sets it to automatic) when MP exits.

if the restart option is selected, correct!

Originally Posted by globaldonkey

You still need iMON Manager running though to allow the remote to work (well at least until and-81 can take all this work and integrate it into IR Server).

The sweet part about all this work on the test app is.... The test app IS the plugin for IR Server Suite.... As soon as we get the test app working, I change a compile flag, and we have the IR Server Suite plugin....

Originally Posted by globaldonkey

For reference:

My IMON Manager: 6.20.830 (Silverstone)
My F/W : iMON Firmware Ver 0x3601
My case : Silverstone LC16M

You are using different hardware than Tide is... Tide has a Firmware ver 0x3801 LCD... I don't know which version of iMon he is running....

Each version seems to have it's own peculiar quirks (both hardware versions and iMon Manager versions)...

Originally Posted by globaldonkey

Per this link

I think we are going to change the slogan to something more fitting... like...

::oundGraph::: Destruction of the Human on Digital Network

Originally Posted by me1

cybrmage:
Here are the tests done with the MCE remote.

Anything more?

Very helpful!! Thank you...

Please run the tests again with the test app 15 (once I post it a little later.... lots of logs to go through... 8-} )
It looks like the device is mapping the "ok" and the "clear" buttons to the same keycode... that could be a problem... Also, an additional log with just the "ok" and "clear" buttons being pressed (10 or 15 times) would be helpful...

Are you able to run the device disconnect test (please see post re the disconnect test from yesterday)??

Originally Posted by chemelli

during TV playback every 5 secs. the VFD display channel name and epg data even if I checked the blank VFD after 30secs idle.

I'll think about it.... 8-}

It will be fixed in the next release.

[chemelli]

Originally Posted by cybrmage

I'll think about it.... 8-}

It will be fixed in the next release.

in advance

Simone