Grid of lighting scenarios as default for Orbiter

[Marie.O]

I know, but I'm using X10, not IR to turn my amps on and off. So no solution for this? Would be great if you could specify an X10 device as the power switch for your amps!

Unfortunately, there is currently no provision to have an on/off switch in front of any of the AV devices. But we had this discussion already, it ain't an easy task though.

rgds
Oliver

[totallymaxed]

I know, but I'm using X10, not IR to turn my amps on and off. So no solution for this? Would be great if you could specify an X10 device as the power switch for your amps!

Chris... understood.

However just powering the amps up does not allow you to switch to the correct input or control the volume. X10 is never going to allow anything more than basic power up of the amp... also some amps may not enjoy being powered up this way but I guess your aware of that problem already and your amps are suitable.

All the best

Andrew

[tschak909]

was about to type what totallymaxed just posted.

But basically yeah. You need to move to a signaling technique in which you can control the different a/v devices' functions.

X-10 just isn't gonna do that.

-Thom

[chrisbirkinshaw]

I actually have only one input! ADAT from my MD to my audio PC for transfer of 5.1 sound. Audio PC runs brutefir off a memory stick (stripped down approx 5MB linux) to do digital crossovers and room correction for phase and frequency response.

I've been doing the X10 thing with two systems for about a year. One has the on/off fired by an init script on the MD as it is dedicated to that MD, and the other is controller by a scenario as I don't wish to have it turned off always when the MD shuts down, as it does some other stuff (iPod etc).

[chriss]

I agree that only X10 (or similar systems) won't control your AV equipment, but in some use cases it might be useful to be able to do hard switching (instead of stand-by stuff over IR/RS232). What I have in mind is, e.g., active subwoofers, audiophile amplifiers that might not include a preamp  etc.

The remaining question is: can this be done as of today?

just my 2 cent
Chriss

[totallymaxed]

I agree that only X10 (or similar systems) won't control your AV equipment, but in some use cases it might be useful to be able to do hard switching (instead of stand-by stuff over IR/RS232). What I have in mind is, e.g., active subwoofers, audiophile amplifiers that might not include a preamp  etc.

The remaining question is: can this be done as of today?

just my 2 cent
Chriss

Well it can be done with ZWave enabled power strips... several of these are about to come onto the market from companies like POPP.eu and others. These allow you to power on/off each individual socket on the strip separately.

Alternatively you could use one of these http://catalog.bitsltd.us/power_strips/ strips...these sense the power state of a single device like a TV (plugged into the 'blue' socket) and then power off the other devices plugged into them based on that 'devices' state. You could also have a ZWave plugin module in the Blue socket so that powering on/off would be controllable from LinuxMCE.

Or more simply you could use a basic power strip and have the ZWave module just power off the whole strip - therefore powering off any devices plugged into it.

Andrew

[chrisbirkinshaw]

I went for the single appliance module feeding a powerstrip approach in both my installs.

Another complexity of my system is that it takes 40 secs for my audio processing system to boot up. This means I can't have it set to come on when media starts playing - it actually needs powering up during the MD boot process to give it enough time.

It would be nice to have some functionality whereby if no media has been watched for XX minutes then the amps, active subs etc are turned off. This however requires a countdown timer function and a way to reset it which does not appear to exist, or at least not when I inquired about similar functionality for use in my automatic hallway and kitchen lighting.

Regards,

Chris

[Marie.O]

It would be nice to have some functionality whereby if no media has been watched for XX minutes then the amps, active subs etc are turned off.

This is part of the regular LinuxMCE setup. It happens automatically. 15 minutes after the last media is played, all my audio and video devices are turned off

rgds
Oliver

[totallymaxed]

It would be nice to have some functionality whereby if no media has been watched for XX minutes then the amps, active subs etc are turned off.

This is part of the regular LinuxMCE setup. It happens automatically. 15 minutes after the last media is played, all my audio and video devices are turned off

rgds
Oliver

Yep... that works fine and is a standard part of our installs. But you need to control your other devices/equipment using either rs-232 or IR.

Andrew

[Marie.O]

To be nit-picking:

You need LinuxMCE to control your equipment. LinuxMCE needs to know the media devices are connected to a specific MD. And LinuxMCE needs to know how to turn on and off those devices. This can be done by using the Generic Serial Device, which, other than the name implies, can control stuff using RS-232, InfraRed, and system commands.

rgds
Oliver

[chriss]

This can be done by using the Generic Serial Device, which, other than the name implies, can control stuff using RS-232, InfraRed, and system commands.

I guess that's the piece of information we needed to know: you can not only control your devices by IR and RS232 but also by system commands...

Posde, thanks a lot,
Chriss

[totallymaxed]

This can be done by using the Generic Serial Device, which, other than the name implies, can control stuff using RS-232, InfraRed, and system commands.

I guess that's the piece of information we needed to know: you can not only control your devices by IR and RS232 but also by system commands...

Posde, thanks a lot,
Chriss

Yes you can use MessageSend to send any device a command/data. However the point is that 'out of the box' there is no support for using X10 or ZWave devices in the way that you are wanting to. Its certainly not impossible at all... but it will need some work to make it happen.

Andrew

[Marie.O]

This can be done by using the Generic Serial Device, which, other than the name implies, can control stuff using RS-232, InfraRed, and system commands.

I guess that's the piece of information we needed to know: you can not only control your devices by IR and RS232 but also by system commands...

A GSD contains Ruby code. Ruby code can do anything, including calling external programs.

rgds
Oliver

[chrisbirkinshaw]

Solution:

Add the following ruby code into a new template:

Off Code
`/usr/pluto/bin/MessageSend localhost 99 99 1 193`

On Code
`/usr/pluto/bin/MessageSend localhost 99 99 1 192`


Where 99 is the device id of the X10 device you want to turn on and off.

This is greate for controlling active monitors and powered subs.

[tschak909]

*YEAUGH* good god, will you guys PLEASE STOP DUCT TAPING THINGS TOGETHER?!

-Thom