Zalman HD135 VFD (VlSys Mplay) (2 Viewers)

[cybrmage]

Where did you get these identification codes from?

I have my sources!!! 8-}

Actually, I ripped them from the MHC executable... The MHC executable supports all those displays (except the MR700) and the LIS2 displays...

These here was a quote from "Dead never wear plaids" - Didn't see that?

Nope... never say that movie....

You risk to lose your major fan and most valuable tester because of a serious heart attack due to strange behaving displays!

You've been using an external display for long enough that strange behaviour shouldn't be surprising.... On the contrary, good behaviour from an external display would seem to be a better cause for a heart attack!!... Besides, a programmer's gotta get some fun somehow... You can relax... I'm done playing around with splash screens... 8-}

external control plugin which required IIS and .NET framework 3.0

Which plugin is that?? I didn't realize there was one that allowed remote control... I saw someone asking about such a plugin several months ago, but never saw a reply...

I've got a machine here (actually, one of my development rigs) that won't play video... It won't do anything that requires Direct3D.... After trying everything, it looks like I'll have to reinstall the operating system and all the frameworks again... I'm not looking forward to that... (last time I had to rebuild a development machine, It took me two days to get everything installed...)... I know how you feel... That really sucks...

did you ever get proper readings?

Yes... at one time we did get proper temperature reading (which is why I added the fan control options)... It stopped working at the same time as we got the correct behaviour of the sleep/hibernate/standby problem (waking the machine with the remote)...


whatsoever: a huge for all the stuff so far...

did you find out anything about that umlaut stuff?

Not yet. I haven't had a chance to look into it much further.

Is setting external characters a general feature of the external display driver?

Yes... and No.

Yes, The ExternalDisplay driver API has support for setting custom characters... But it is not dynamic... The custom characters are only sent to the display driver when the ExternalDisplay plugin is first started... After that, there is no way to change the custom characters... and the only way to send custom characters to the display from the ExternalDisplay pluging is to edit the message definitions in the ExternalDisplay.xml... This is not an easy task for someone who is not familiar with the sourcecode... IE: What is the window id for the media player when it is playing a DVD?

The other problem with custom characters is that each display (that supports them, not all do) handles custom characters differently... Some define characters row by row, some column by column... some support 8 x 8 characters, some support 8 x 8... some use MSB, some use LSB... and the ExternalDisplay plugin API does not define how the custom character data in the ExternalDisplay.xml is used...

JoeDalton, who was the original author of the ExternalDisplay plugin, has planned on a "message editor", but it was never developed.


Todays version has some changes to the MHC management code... basically, I first ask MHC nicely to close itself down... If it does not comply, we then force it to shut down... (this is to account for the possibility that cm|11's problem is due to the comm port not being released by MHC when we force it to shut down.)


Regards,

CybrMage

 

[cybrmage]

crappy forum software!!!!

 

[cml11]

On my computer it doesn't work still.

The "Manage MHC" feature is still experimental...

VFD still displays M.Play information.

This is because (according to your log), after MHC was killed, the driver was unable to open COM3...

If the driver is unable to open the comm port, it will restart MHC (If it forced it to shut down) so that you do not lose the remote control completely.

Are you sure that your display is on COM3???




Yes, I'am sure. It is only COM port in my system. Few times it runs correct, but mostly not. May be that I've to change something in COM3 setup? I'm sending port configuration screenshot if it can help.

I tried new version 01_06_2008. MHC control closes M.Play but not correctly. It leads to blocking of whole device including remote control. VFD and remote is blocked even if I disable M.Play before MP running or disable MHC control in driver. Device is rigt initiated again by manual run of M.Play after MP exit.

 

[Herr R aus B]

crappy forum software!!!!

Man! Get a break!

Yes, I'am sure. It is only COM port in my system. Few times it runs correct, but mostly not. May be that I've to change something in COM3 setup? I'm sending port configuration screenshot if it can help.

The COM port settings should be 34800baud, 8N1, Xon/Xoff - but I am sure, CyberMage's driver sets them correctly... Even more the log shows, that MHC wasn't killed and thus, the COM port will most certainlybe locked, which also can be seen in the log. Just a wild guess - whith what privileges are you logged on to windows? Maybe that all is related to a lack of privileges (as in not being allowed to kill a process or something) - I am running everything as administrator. I am not so deep into all that, but maybe it might be helpful if you add the user running the MP and MHC to the group "administrators" - at least to find out whether that's the reason... as one clearly can see in the log, the driver sends some termination signal and then waits a rather long time (some 3 seconds) before getting a timeout and then trying brute force which doesn't succed neither... and on my machine it worked as far as I saw it...

btw - czech really is a funny language all these stirng not found errors do you get ANY czech word from your MP?

[I have my sources!!! 8-}

Actually, I ripped them from the MHC executable... The MHC executable supports all those displays (except the MR700) and the LIS2 displays...

Mage the ripper...

These here was a quote from "Dead never wear plaids" - Didn't see that?

Nope... never say that movie....

You really missed something - it's probably one of Steve Martin's best movies as he fit snippets from the old 30s and 40s movies together and added additional scenes to that patchwork. One of the running gags in this movie is, that whenever someone says "cleaning woman" he goes completely berserk as his father left hismother and disappeared with their cleaning woman... You might see a lot of brilliant actors in one single movie as bogart, cagney, bergman, robinson, gable, stewart, cooper, davis, hepburn,... almost every popular actor from the good old times tho - see here and sorry for the wrong title I coudn't remember the original title

I'm done playing around with splash screens... 8-}

Sad - I liked them

Which plugin is that??

That one here. Yet another unfinished project obviously... But they added something like a SOAP based web service to MP - I thought it might be interesting as I urgently want to combine a very good germe
an tv guide application with MP. the browser is written in java and has a very well designed plugin concept, that would allow me to control external recording programs (MP). I don't like the program guide of MP, as as a german I am used to vertical program information (as pictures, actor lists, etc...). and the guide program I have here offers much more information - but as I said is done in java. I experimented with directly accessing MP's TV database - the dummy recordings I placed there were properly displayed but never executed. It's a sad thing, that MP still is a rather closed system - at least regarding the documentation and API thing...

I've got a machine here (actually, one of my development rigs) that won't play video... It won't do anything that requires Direct3D.... After trying everything, it looks like I'll have to reinstall the operating system and all the frameworks again... I'm not looking forward to that... (last time I had to rebuild a development machine, It took me two days to get everything installed...)... I know how you feel... That really sucks...

I got the next crash, when windows updated the .NET framework with security patches - crashes over crashes... this is rather crappy stuff.... but actually it runs. Next is to get an elder hauppauge PVR150 running, which I need for some stations I only can recieve via cable... will be the next adventure - but NOW I have backups

Yes... at one time we did get proper temperature reading (which is why I added the fan control options)... It stopped working at the same time as we got the correct behaviour of the sleep/hibernate/standby problem (waking the machine with the remote)...

Could it be bytes in the initialization sequence that don't belong there

Is setting external characters a general feature of the external display driver?

Yes... and No.

-------------------- 8< --------------------

someone who is not familiar with the sourcecode... IE: What is the window id for the media player when it is playing a DVD?

-------------------- 8< --------------------

JoeDalton, who was the original author of the ExternalDisplay plugin, has planned on a "message editor", but it was never developed.

All these never developed brilliant ideas... I lately stumbeled into a skin editor - but of course they stopped developing it right in the middle of their work some years ago... As for these anknown window handles - looking at th remote mappings and other stuff, sometimes there are strings as identifiers, sometimes numbers. Looking at the strings, they are not formed follwing any nomenclatura rules... Sad thing, as there are so many great features, but being all undocumented everything seems to have become chaotic, the moe complex MP became... If you look at the corresponding config files in XBMC, things are quite cler and well documented - it's a pity because I start getting used to MP... Must also be a pain for you coders tho...

Greetings and a nice start of the week tomorrow!

Axel

 

[cml11]

Yes, I'am sure. It is only COM port in my system. Few times it runs correct, but mostly not. May be that I've to change something in COM3 setup? I'm sending port configuration screenshot if it can help.

The COM port settings should be 34800baud, 8N1, Xon/Xoff - but I am sure, CyberMage's driver sets them correctly... Even more the log shows, that MHC wasn't killed and thus, the COM port will most certainlybe locked, which also can be seen in the log. Just a wild guess - whith what privileges are you logged on to windows? Maybe that all is related to a lack of privileges (as in not being allowed to kill a process or something) - I am running everything as administrator. I am not so deep into all that, but maybe it might be helpful if you add the user running the MP and MHC to the group "administrators" - at least to find out whether that's the reason... as one clearly can see in the log, the driver sends some termination signal and then waits a rather long time (some 3 seconds) before getting a timeout and then trying brute force which doesn't succed neither... and on my machine it worked as far as I saw it...

I don't use more accounts on that machine, it runs with admin rights. And with previous version it sometimes works, so I think that problem is somewhere else. Tried to set 34800 baud, but didn't help. All previous version of driver worked correctly with COM3 settings of that device. Only this last one cant work even if MHC control and M.Play SW is off. There must be something new, experimental, in it.

btw - czech really is a funny language all these stirng not found errors do you get ANY czech word from your MP?

Yes, I've very usable localization. Do you really want to make reviews on the languages?

 

[Herr R aus B]

[I don't use more accounts on that machine, it runs with admin rights. And with previous version it sometimes works, so I think that problem is somewhere else. Tried to set 34800 baud, but didn't help. All previous version of driver worked correctly with COM3 settings of that device. Only this last one cant work even if MHC control and M.Play SW is off. There must be something new, experimental, in it.

Well, setting the COM port parameters manually will have no effect, as the driver configures the COM port for its specific needs at startup. I will look at the new version tomorrow and see what happens here... Actually I have recordings running...

btw - czech really is a funny language all these stirng not found errors do you get ANY czech word from your MP?

Yes, I've very usable localization. Do you really want to make reviews on the languages?

german already is complicated, but czech is hell... at least, when you are not used to slavic languages at all Living in Berlin I always tried to pick up some polish, as this is just half an our from here - but its hopeless I once worked for this international logistics company EuroExpress - we were setting up the software at servisco in poland and quickstep in CZ - mostly friendly ppl (not to mention the great czech kitchen and the beautiful bohemian girls), but the languge???? In the east german part of my family we have a translator and she told me, that there are special sounds or sound combinations in the czech language that are that complicated to pronounce, that families partly celebrate when their children pronounce them properly for the first time. If that's true, then you know everything about how tough your language is But you gave us Karel Gott, Pilsen beer and Pan Tau - that's great - except Karel Gott maybe, who certainly is a great singer, bute it's all a matter of taste tho... And as my favourite uncle is half czech as well and of course is named Karel...

 

[cml11]

german already is complicated, but czech is hell... at least, when you are not used to slavic languages at all Living in Berlin I always tried to pick up some polish, as this is just half an our from here - but its hopeless I once worked for this international logistics company EuroExpress - we were setting up the software at servisco in poland and quickstep in CZ - mostly friendly ppl (not to mention the great czech kitchen and the beautiful bohemian girls), but the languge???? In the east german part of my family we have a translator and she told me, that there are special sounds or sound combinations in the czech language that are that complicated to pronounce, that families partly celebrate when their children pronounce them properly for the first time. If that's true, then you know everything about how tough your language is But you gave us Karel Gott, Pilsen beer and Pan Tau - that's great - except Karel Gott maybe, who certainly is a great singer, bute it's all a matter of taste tho... And as my favourite uncle is half czech as well and of course is named Karel...

I don't think that our language is something like hell Of course that it is different look from native speaking person or foreigner. Families celebrates first baby talk words of every child all over whole world and I guess that first words are not perfect anywhere. It isn't different here. May be that your family translator sees it too dramaticaly Karel Gott - I must agree at all. Pilsen beer - most known export article for many years, so there is very few people who don't know Czech through it Pan Tau - is he so much known? I never guess it

 

[Herr R aus B]

Rather Off Topic...

I don't think that our language is something like hell

That wasn't meant being an insult! I just tried to point out HOW difficult your language is. And it is But don't worry - ppl say the same about our language and I can't agree neither

Karel Gott - I must agree at all.

Well, from a professional view point (as in musics) one has to give in that he is a brilliant tenor. I once listened to him singing opera works and he was great - but what does he use his talents for? Singing the the lead track of that tv series "Bee Maja", which he is most popular for in germany? I mean in former west germany - he was much more popular in east germany before the wall fell. But living in berlin I knew him as well as I could watch east german tv and listen to east german radio.

Pan Tau - is he so much known? I never guess it

Oh yes - Pan Tau was one of my childhood's heros! He was and is very popular in east and west germany. Like most of czech movies and series for children, as they are known being very nice and full of funny details. And I liked them a lot when I was a child. I also remember that hospital series in the eighties. The title was translated to "The hospital at the city limits" or maybe "The hospital at the edge of the city" - that was fun. And they even did some new episodes a few years ago And then there was a pop singer called Jiri Korn (can't remember where to put all the accents on the letters) who was very popular in east germany and I thought he was great when I was a teenie... Well... the good old days... As you can see, czech culture is not completely unknown to us

 

[Herr R aus B]

I will look at the new version tomorrow and see what happens here...

I did look at it and don't have good news

1. I installed the new version, started the configuration tool, which crashed as in hung up. No log written. I dunno whether that#s even related to the new driver version tho...
2. Started it again and it came up and everything looked nice...
3. Started MP and the driver simply didn't start at all. No remote, no display, no fan control - nothing - see logs for test #1
4. Switched off (really off) the PC, restarted it and started MP again. Still nothing - see log for test #2.
5. Installed the previous version and it worked again - except the automatic fan control of course...

These lines from the log here tell me (in german - sorry, but even error messages are localized as it seems), that you didn't name the COM port properly - obviously you pass an empty string or a null pointer. The error text (marked blue) translates to "The PortName mustn't be empty.".

[FONT="Courier New"][SIZE="2"]2008-01-07 14:35:39.734375 [Info.][ExternalDisplay]: VLSYS_Mplay.Initialize(): CAUGHT EXCEPTION while opening port  - System.ArgumentException: [COLOR="Blue"]Der PortName darf nicht leer sein.[/COLOR]
Parametername: PortName
   bei System.IO.Ports.SerialPort.set_PortName(String value)
   bei System.IO.Ports.SerialPort..ctor(String portName, Int32 baudRate, Parity parity, Int32 dataBits, StopBits stopBits)
   bei ProcessPlugins.ExternalDisplay.Drivers.VLSYS_Mplay.Initialize()[/SIZE][/FONT]

Hope that helps

I also have some suggestions or requests - could you perhaps

• replace the repeat frequency combo box by slider that maybe increases the freq by steps of 10 or 50ms, where 0ms means repeat switched off - that might ease up finding the proper frequency because I want something between 200 and 300 - Furthermore it would save some controls in the dialogue
• rearrange the range of the fan speed percentage to linear values from 0% - 100% at least in 10% steps including 10% - 30%? That's because on 40% these fans are still very loud

That'd be nice if not too time consuming

Greets!

 

[cybrmage]

Herr R aus B: Yes the logs helped... (I get the exception on my system all the time... so didn't notice it...)

Here is an update...

Fixed bug where comm port name was lost (causing the exception... and total meltdown of the driver)
Expanded repeat delay... now settable using a trackbar from 0 to 500ms in 25ms steps.
Expanded fan control to include values of 0% to 100% in 10% steps.

Regards,
CybrMage