Dante's Infrared Remote Manager
Plug-in version 1.3.x for AutoM8it
Click here to download it now
All the functionality of the Infrared Remote Manager (and more)
is now included in a plugin (both input and output)
for the well known Home Automation Framework
Description
This is the version 1.3.x of a plug-in for the AutoM8it framework.
It is available as both input and output plugins in a single package. You can combine the input and output infrared events as you want, there is no restriction.
For the full description of the framework and to download it, including help file, you can go to the AutoM8it web site.
This plugin includes the main functionality of the stand-alone Infrared Remote Manager Application, plus the capability to monitor infrared input for specific commands and then raise the trigger to the AutoM8it framework.
It can be used in the same time as the output plugin, on the same COM port. In the future this will be able to share the same COM port with the digital I/O card (16in/16out+8 sources AV selection), which is now under development.
Starting with the version 1.3.x Frank's FirM infrared zoning system is supported by this application.
You can now choose the zone (1-8) where the command must be send or display the zone number (1-8) of the received command and more.... if you select zone 0, then the respective input event is validated without requesting the zone number from the FirM interface.
The main window of the plugin is almost the same for both of them, including the list of the defined events and the COM port status. For the input plugin you get the monitoring status too.
The form used to add a new event is common for both plugins. You can select from the list of available protocols, then commands. By default the Event Name is filled with the name of the chosen command and the Event Description with the name of the command "from" Name of the protocol, but they can be edited afterwards.
By default the event is enabled, but can be disabled with a simple click. When everything is ok, click on OK.
Zone number listbox is available only if the FirM interface is selected in the configuration window.
The configuration window for the input plugin is based on the full functionality of the IRM standalone application. Click here for a complete description and the online help.
There are only small differences: the existence of the OK button used to return to the AutoM8it framework and the FileExit menu is missing.
You cannot exit directly from the configuration window, you have to close the main AutoM8it application.
The web interface for the input plugin only display the list of the defined input events.
Some usage examples: define an input event for a specific IR command and then define the output event as another output IR command or list of commands. You can then let's click on the DVD power on and start one by one the DVD player, the TV and the DD receiver and close the light in the living too(:-).
The main purpose of this plug-in is to configure the infrared hardware interface from inside the AutoM8it framework and then define outputs events which can be triggered by the input events trough the framework.
This will allow you to define specific events as with, let's say, the TV remote to define unused buttons as functions from another device (even in another room).
A small example: use the TV-TV command from the living TV remote (which has no effect if you look at the TV) and define it as an input event. Then trigger with this input the "start air conditioning system in the bedroom" output event or ON/OFF the light from the same room using the X10 output plug-in. This is just an example. You can define any pair of events you want, not only from the Infrared plug-ins.
The graphical interface is integrated in the framework interface.
To configure the infrared hardware interface (COM port and output type) you must click on the InfraredOut [Output Plugin] bar.
Then you will get the following configuration wiindow for the output plugin:
You can choose the right COM port (only from the available ones) and the interface type (DTR based or TxD based).
If FirM interface is available, check the small box. Then the TxD radio button will be disabled, because TxD based send interface and FirM cannot work on the same COM port.
The main plugin isplay is automatically refreshed after the configuration changes
If for some reason the selected port cannot be used, in Port Status line the message will be "UNAVAILABLE", with a red background.
You can now start to define output events from the AutoM8it framework. See AutoM8it Manual for details.
In the client web browser, the plugin window appears like that:
It is very close to the standard Web interface of the Infrared Remote Manager. You can select the desired protocol and click Load to load the full list of available commands for that protocol. For full documentation see the online help of the standalone version.
The rest of the functionality is AutoM8it framework based, so you can see the event map. logs, etc.
The plugins installer (irmplugin.exe) is included in a zip file named irmplugin.zip and can be downloaded from here.
To install the plugins just unzip the file and double click on irmplugin.exe.
Everything is installed automatically. You can install the application in any directory, by default "C:\Program Files\Autom8itdotcom\IRM"
The configuration file, used to store protocols/commands/parameters and to learn all the available remote commands is shared by the two plugins, the same the hardware driver DLL (win32ser.dll)
Enjoy the new tool!
01-Oct-2002: First beta release of the output plugin(v0.1.x)
04-Oct-2002: First beta release of the both plugins, in the same package
- input plugin available - input events can be defined and IR commaands learned
- web interface for the input plugin events
03-Nov-2002: Version 1.3.x... major update... see the standalone version for a list of updates
If you want to receive an e-mail when a new version is released, please click here.
Wish list (functions to be implemented in the future releases):
- the same as on the main application (IRM) wish list... still wait for your feedback;
- to be continued...
I kindly ask you to send me any bugs, comments and/or suggestions to:
The development of this application depend a lot on your feedback.
Thank you in advance for your help.
visitors
starting with 06 September 2002, based on
Page ranked by
Last update on 03 November 2002
