How PowerScheduler / PVRScheduler work.. (1 Viewer)

[jcee]

While checking out these both apps/modules, I wondered how they are exactly supposed to work. I think some other users here feel the same and are confused, so maybe someone could explain to us...

I understand that PVR-Scheduler is an external app that can interface with MP and can transfer recording schedules from online website to MP. It could also put the system into standby(hibernate) and/or wake it up.

Here my main questions:

1. In MP plugins there are a couple of plugins: External Control II, PVR-Scheduler, Powerscheduler. What do they do? How do they interact.

2. Powerscheduler and PVR-Scheduler can both do the same: Putting the system into standby, so why prefer the one over the other? Do I get into trouble when using both?
Does one work without the other or do they depend on eachother?

3. Powerscheduler and PVR-Scheduler can both put the system in standby or hibernate. But how is wake-up addressed?
I understand that PVR-scheduler has an option to wake-up by CMOS-timer, but what is possible without? How does the PC wake-up from e.g. hibernation without CMOS-timer?
Is there ANY way to wake-up, when ones motherboard is not supported with CMOStimer?

4. Is there any roadmap to integrate these things a little bit more into MP?! When it comes to just having a video-recorder-replacement-PC, it is mandatory to have sleep/wake-up features.

I did some power consumption testing and I came out with this:

- PC running MP : 110W
- PC standby : 35W
- PC hibernation : 30W

What I find interesting: It consumes at least 30W, even when powered of by soft-off!!! I checked with a real power meter, so quite reliable..

One more question:

5. I enabled the powerscheduler plugin in MP and I scheduled some recordings. Then a day or so later I switch on TV, move the mouse as the screensaver has been switched on and a second later the screen is on.
I see a dialog box saying it will hibernate in x seconds!!!
(Note the system was not in standby)

I wonder how this can be seen!?!

I really do not understand how to really set all this up in the correct manner, maybe due to a lack of understanding. Believe me, I read the forum. But could someone give some remarks/explanations?! As said, this might me usefull to a couple other users too..

 

[infinite.loop]

1. In MP plugins there are a couple of plugins: External Control II, PVR-Scheduler, Powerscheduler. What do they do? How do they interact.

uhmmm......
where do you find PVR-Scheduler, in your MediaPortal Setup -> plugins?

if yes, then something is wrong in your installation. because it is a 3rd party plugin. which measn that it is not included in the MediaPortal releases.

if you want to know more about mediaportals inbuild powerscheduler look ::here::
if you want to know more about ACPI look ::here::

 

[CHli]

While checking out these both apps/modules, I wondered how they are exactly supposed to work. I think some other users here feel the same and are confused, so maybe someone could explain to us...

I understand that PVR-Scheduler is an external app that can interface with MP and can transfer recording schedules from online website to MP. It could also put the system into standby(hibernate) and/or wake it up.

Here my main questions:

1. In MP plugins there are a couple of plugins: External Control II, PVR-Scheduler, Powerscheduler. What do they do? How do they interact.

• External Controler II is a plugin used by MP Web Interface and PVR-Scheduler to send commands to MP.
• PVR-Scheduler is an external application developped by a third party which address the same problem as Powerscheduler see under.
• Powerscheduler is a MP Plugin which address the problem of waking-up/sending to standby, suspend-to-ram or suspend-to-hdd (hibernation) you computer when there is a scheduled recording or when a recording is over, etc. You can use My Alarms to wake up your computer at a certain time to use it as an alarm clock (starts playing radio or a sound of your choice) the wakup is done with Powerscheduler too.

2. Powerscheduler and PVR-Scheduler can both do the same: Putting the system into standby, so why prefer the one over the other? Do I get into trouble when using both?
Does one work without the other or do they depend on eachother?

Yes they do the same SO I think it's quite a bad idea to have them both running at the same time.

• Powerscheduler is supported by MediaPortal
• PVRScheduler and its plugin are not supported by MediaPortal
• There are no dependancies between them

3. Powerscheduler and PVR-Scheduler can both put the system in standby or hibernate. But how is wake-up addressed?
I understand that PVR-scheduler has an option to wake-up by CMOS-timer, but what is possible without? How does the PC wake-up from e.g. hibernation without CMOS-timer?
Is there ANY way to wake-up, when ones motherboard is not supported with CMOStimer?

When in complete shutdown I think there are only two ways of waking-up your computer automatically. Using CMOS time (must be supported by the motherboard) or another computer send a WOL packet to the network card and this start the computer.


4. Is there any roadmap to integrate these things a little bit more into MP?! When it comes to just having a video-recorder-replacement-PC, it is mandatory to have sleep/wake-up features.

PowerScheduler is contained in the standard MP release and just need to be enabled if not by default.

I did some power consumption testing and I came out with this:

- PC running MP : 110W
- PC standby : 35W
- PC hibernation : 30W

What I find interesting: It consumes at least 30W, even when powered of by soft-off!!! I checked with a real power meter, so quite reliable..


PC Standby : 35W was it the standard suspend mode (fan still spinning) or the suspend-to-ram mode (like hibernation but if there is a power outtage you loose the current computer status since it has not been written to non volatile memory)

30W for an hibernation seem pretty high !


One more question:

5. I enabled the powerscheduler plugin in MP and I scheduled some recordings. Then a day or so later I switch on TV, move the mouse as the screensaver has been switched on and a second later the screen is on.
I see a dialog box saying it will hibernate in x seconds!!!
(Note the system was not in standby)

Powerscheduler will bring you computer to standby only if it's on the home or basic home screen. Never saw this dialog was it a MP one or a Window's one ?

I wonder how this can be seen!?!

I really do not understand how to really set all this up in the correct manner, maybe due to a lack of understanding. Believe me, I read the forum. But could someone give some remarks/explanations?! As said, this might me usefull to a couple other users too..

In my case I'm using the powerscheduler and the standby forced to suspend-to-ram (S3 ACPI). I don't know about the current power consumption of my computer when in this mode.

Powerscheduler does a gread job to wakup my computer every day at 17h to grab the new EPG using the WepEPG grabber plugin once over the computer goes to standby mode again.

When there is a scheduled recording PowerScheduler does wakup and standby my computer too.

Thanks PowerScheduler.

The whole power management is a pretty complicated topic here are some interesting sources to read more :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Configuration_and_Power_Interface
http://thegreenbutton.com/forums/thread/97977.aspx
http://www.enterprisenetworksandservers.com/monthly/art.php?1049

 

[infinite.loop]

- PC standby : 35W
- PC hibernation : 30W

either your PSU is totaly crap (sorry for that) or your analyser is not working correctly, or your system is not entering S3/S4 correctly.

S3 will need more energy -> correct
but it should be ~10Watt in total
all fans + HDDs have to be off in S3 (PowerLED will be blinking)

S4 will need less power than S3
~ 5Watt
all fans + HDD + Power LED have to be off

So S4 will consume the same amount of power as if your system has been shutdown.
if not, something is wrong in your setup.

 

[jcee]

Thank you very much!!! I think I got it..

So its basically choosing to use PVR-Scheduler with its plugins OR just use the MP built-in powerscheduler if you do not need the web syncing features of pvr-scheduler.

I will check my setup, but the PSU is new. I am puzzled too.. Will let you know.

There is only one question that remains*): How is the PC able to wakeup from suspend-to-ram and even more.. from hibernate...?!

I understand that CMOS-timer is using the BIOS RTC-clock to wake up, so if we do not use CMOStimer, what actually makes it wake up?
I understood that in S3 and S4 the CPU is off.. In S4 everything is written to disk and the computer is off..

*) Tried to read the ACPI stuff, but did not find the answer..

 

[CHli]

look at the link I posted you

Especially : http://www.enterprisenetworksandservers.com/monthly/art.php?1049

"Programmatically Waking a Windows PC from Suspension"

 

[Marcusb]

Windows has built in functionlity to wake up the PC for scheduled tasks.
PowerScheduler simply tells windows to wake up the PC for a recording.

For the power draw, your results may be right. Manufacturers haven't really placed a big emphasis on using low power until very recently. If you check the standby power of even a monitor you will find it at around 5-10W just to keep the little standby light running and ready to wake up the monitor when it gets a signal.
Try checking the power draw when the PC is in soft off. As Chris said, it should be the same as when in hibernate.
Also remember that SM power supplies only operate at around 85% efficiency at very best, and these figures decrease when they are under less load. As such, in standby you are probably getting horrible efficiency.
Even in hibernate, the PC still can supply up to 10W to the USB devices (5v*2A) so this also comes into it.

 

[jcee]

Ok thank you. I will check the power consumption once again..

Nevertheless, I read the pages that are linked, but .. and maybe this is a little bit out of topic, because its doing what it is supposed to do... I am interested how the system could wake up from hibernate?! The CPU is off..

What happens when I unplug the PC and plug it in again..?! Does the wake-from-hibernation still work?! As far a as understood in the past a computer beeing in hibernation is completly off and one could pull the power plug..!?
Is this not right?

So what actually wakes it up?`Is it a hardware thing that is programmed by windows before switching off? Something similar to RTCclock?!

Here is an interesting quote from the linked page:
"..An application should also be aware that it may miss a scheduled restore. For example if the user hibernates the system but then unplugs the system or there is a power outage, it is possible that a scheduled restore would be missed and the application would not be able to do its work at that time. "

 

[infinite.loop]

What happens when I unplug the PC and plug it in again..?! Does the wake-from-hibernation still work?!

from hibernate (S4) -> yes (because the state of the PC is written to HDD)
from standby (S3) -> no, (because the state of the PC is written to RAM, and by pulling the plug, you kclear the RAM )

but you have to plug the power cord in again to make it realy work

For example if the user hibernates the system but then unplugs the system or there is a power outage, it is possible that a scheduled restore would be missed and the application would not be able to do its work at that time.

you seen the word "possible"?
with Windows, everthing is "possible"

 

[Juppe]

I have one question regarding Powerscheduler, how do you make it wake up the computer when its time to grap the new EPG, I use XMLTV to get EPG. Today I have to grab it manualy or make sure that the computer is alive at the time that I have set the EPG-graber to get the new data.