LinuxMCE Forums

General => Users => Topic started by: jondecker76 on August 07, 2008, 06:23:37 pm

Title: Re: Next Steps!!
Post by: jondecker76 on August 07, 2008, 06:23:37 pm
I wouldn't modify any of the standard templates in the web admin. Create a new one, but just refer to the other one as a basis for creating your own.

One reason for this is that you may wish to have your changes accepted into the SqlCVS system, but if you did it by modifying an existing template, if it were to be accepted (which it wouldn't be if it had a chance of modifying others good working devices) it would change that master device template, and probably upset a lot of people down the line. Where as if you mad a new template, you could get it into SqlCVS, and then a lot of people could benifit from your new template.

So short story is, in your local install it wouldn't hurt anything if you modified that device template (unless you had devices using that specific device template) - but for the above reasons it isn't a good idea.

Also, I prefer to create all of my device templates before running the setup wizard so that I can set everything up at once.

If you plan on using the setup wizard to set things up for you (connect the pipes etc...), when you create a new device template, on one of the first screens is a tick box "Create Device" that is ticked by default. I recommend unticking it. If it is left ticked, it will add a device automatically from the template you create, but won't set it up. While it doesn't hurt, it may cause some confusion later when you run  the setup wizard and notice it thinks you already installed that device. Or if down the line you wonder why you have multiples of the same device. So in short - if you are going to set it up manually, its ok to leave the Create Device tick checked, but if you plan on using the setup wizard, i recommend unchecking it.

One more tip - the device template you create MUST be in the A/V subcategories in order to be accessible from the setup wizard (it is hard coded). For your Dennon, put it in A/V->Amps/Tuners/Receivers (I think thats what its called, or similar... I'm at work right now). Otherwize, you won't find it in the list in the setup wizard...
Title: Re: Next Steps!!
Post by: jondecker76 on August 08, 2008, 01:12:33 pm
While I'm not familiar with your exact model of receiver, or its inputs - depending on the situation, it is possible for "Extra" device templates to be created. This is determined by the inputs page when creating the original device template. When you tell LMCE about the inputs, there are drop-boxes where you can specify a certain media type (this is not used in most cases). For example, if you create a TV template, you may have inputs:
AV1
AV2
HDMI1
HDMI2
Antenna

In the above case, you may want to assign a media type of LiveTV for the Antenna input as it physically is capable of generating its own media(and no media type for the rest of the inputs as they don't really provide a media type themselves, they just inport a media type from another device if that makes sense). In this case, you would end up with an "extra" device template to control the Antenna port. While it may not immediatly make sense as to why it is set up this way, consider the following:
You created your TV template (with a LiveTV Antenna input). You connect an antenna to the antenna input, and a DVD player to AV1.(lets also assume you have a device template for the dvd player)
When you are watching a dvd through the dvd player, LMCE switches to the AV1 input, and now any time you use CHannel up/down on an IR remote, it skips chapters on your dvd. Now use LMCE to switch to the LiveTV part of your tv. Now the Channel up/down will change channels on the tv tuner.
So in short, things are done this way so LMCE knows what device to send commands to, and which commands to send (in the above example AV1 does not have its own media type, so LMCE follows the pipe to the next device -dvd player-, which has a media type. Antenna Does have a media type, so there is no pipe to follow and this is the actaul device to control)

Its a little complicated to understand at first, but once you get it the entire idea behind pipes etc will all make a lot of sense.

So if you have a few different ports that do provide its own media type, I would say your extra device templates are normal in your case.
Title: Re: Next Steps!!
Post by: jondecker76 on August 08, 2008, 03:29:56 pm
I checked out the Yamaha templates, and there is a difference.. If you look at the Inputs for the Yamaha, none are selected as a separate Media type.
Basically you have 2 choices - treat the tuners as separate devices (by assigning a media type to the inputs), or don't select a media type, and use the related to fields as the Yamaha does.

I don't have a great deal of experience in this area, so I couldn't say for sure which one would be the best for your situation. Maybe spending sometime going through a bunch of other receiver templates would be helpful.. For each one, click on A/V properties, then at the top of the properties page, follow the Change/Explain link for the inputs and see how many emply each of the methods by seeing if they assigned media types to certain inputs.

I'd like to hear how you make out though, as I will be in the same boat at some time making a decision on the best way to add my receiver (which I currently don't use)
Title: Re: Next Steps!!
Post by: jondecker76 on August 08, 2008, 10:01:00 pm
why not try assigning media types for the inputs and having the tuners as separate devices? Just to try it out once, I assigned "Live TV" to the tuner on my TV and ended up with a separate device for it. Barring that, maybe give it a try with the TV remote screen with the related templates, i'm sure it would control most of what you need. Even better, fire up HADesigner and create a screen for it and use it. Thom has some great tutorials on it, and it really isn't all that hard to use (just a bit buggy)
Title: Re: Next Steps!! - Denon RS232 Rcvr Issues
Post by: jondecker76 on August 09, 2008, 10:46:32 pm
maybe you'll find some relief checking out /usr/pluto/pnp/20_DenonReceiver.sh
Title: Re: Next Steps!! - Denon RS232 Rcvr Issues
Post by: PeteK on August 10, 2008, 11:34:29 pm
I submitted a mantis change for a bug in the Denon template.  The serial parameters don't match the format that the GSD plugin is looking for.  See http://mantis.linuxmce.org/view.php?id=4267

You should be able to do this on your local machine until the batch is approved.
Title: Re: Next Steps!! - Denon RS232 Rcvr Issues
Post by: hari on August 11, 2008, 02:37:02 pm
I submitted a mantis change for a bug in the Denon template.  The serial parameters don't match the format that the GSD plugin is looking for.  See http://mantis.linuxmce.org/view.php?id=4267

You should be able to do this on your local machine until the batch is approved.

The denon template worked like a charm on the LinuxTAG booth (4306)

what did you change?

br, hari
Title: Re: Next Steps!! - Denon RS232 Rcvr Issues (Solved Slightly)
Post by: PeteK on August 12, 2008, 07:10:13 am
Hari--

This was on the AVC template (#71).

Here is my error log:

Error log
Device Denon Receiver, # 108    
Device Template AVC-A1SRA (RS232), device category Amps/Preamps/Receivers/Tuners, manufacturer Denon.   
    

01   08/11/08 19:26:07.970      Paritybit/Stopbit 8N1 NOT supported. <0x42164950>
01   08/11/08 19:26:07.978      IOPool::handleStartup Open() failed <0x42965950>
01   08/11/08 19:26:07.978      Failed Opening serial port: ttyS_55_0. <0x42965950>
01   08/11/08 19:26:07.978      IOPool::handleStartup Open() failed <0x42965950>


However, I tried it again tonight and noticed that this error does not stop the device from working.  I guess the fix is not needed after all?  Is  N81 the default when an invalid value is used?

Thanks,
PeteK