digital picture frame

[krys]

I took apart a laptop that I was using as an MD and reassembled it into a picture frame which is now hanging on my wall. It works and looks good. Now I would like for the core to send a command to turn this on and off at a certain time each day (say on at 7am of at 12pm) just to save some life on the lcd. Is this possible? The laptop has the wake on lan option in the bios.

[bulek]

AFAIK, waking up MDs via Wake-on-lan works currently (if not limited by certain HW). Just sniff logs when this happens and then do the same....

Regards,

Bulek.

[tschak909]

does

Code: [Select]

xset dpms force off
turn off the screen?

-Thom

[krys]

yes

[tschak909]

Well, I will release the Generic PC Workstation device as part of 0810, but until then,

You can create a new type of TV It has to be a member of the TV category under  a/v devices. you can use wizard > av devices > add new device > create device template to do this.

Make it a GSD device

and implement commands for Off and On.

for Off

Code: [Select]

system("xset dpms force off")

for On

Code: [Select]

system("xset dpms force on")

Make sure the TV is added, and it is part of the room.

You can then test it by going into the power menu and tapping display off.

If this works, then...

* The Display will shut off after x number of seconds, and will turn on when menu is triggered, unless set to 0
* You can send On and Off commands to the media director in events etc to turn the display on and off.

-Thom

[krys]

awesome, thanks Thom. I will try that out and post the results.

[krys]

I must not be setting this up correctly as the display off command is not working from the orbiter or from the admin page.
I went to wizard>devices>AV then clicked add device
I then selected a brand and under Device category I selected Generic Serial Device then Add device template
In the next screen I clicked the bottom radio button saying that it will be controlled via pluto GSD typed in a name and hit ok.

Now the way I set this up it appears under GSD's for the room, not AV equip, is this incorrect? After this I went to advanced and added the code you told me to and set the device up as a tv/plasma/lcd,  it didnt work either with the display off button on the orbiter or the send command link on the admin page.

[tschak909]

Oh, no. The category is TV/LCDs/Projectors < AV Devices, not GSD devices..

You merely specify that it is a GSD device when you first CREATE the template, and it asks you what type of device it is

-Thom

[krys]

I thought that might be the case, but when I specify it as a TV then create a device template it asked me about IR signals and stuff and it just didnt seem like it was going in the right direction. Also when it asked me how I wanted to control it I recall seeing GSD on the list, I seem to remember the options being usb, ethernet, rs232, etc. I will take another look when I get home. I wish I had it in front of me right now so I could be more specific.

[tschak909]

When you create a new device template, of any kind, you get three options, radio buttons:

Code: [Select]

* Create a Simple IR Device
* Create a serial device to control via GSD (use this one)
* Create a C++ device.

Next >>

-Thom

[krys]

It was late last night so I will give it another go when I get home....thanks for not 'TWACKING_ME_over_the_HEAD'

[krys]

I must be in the wrong place or something... on the admin page I go to wizard>devices>AV equip. It brings up the Av equip page and I hit the button add device. A pop up window appears where I can select the mfg and category. I put in mfg and use TV/plasma/lcd as the category. Under the dialogue "model not on the list" I hit the button add device template. This walks me through 6 screens, none of which give me 3 options.
However if i use GSD as the category instead of Tv/plasma/lcd i do and hit add device template I do get the 3 options that you refer to.
Sorry if I am missing the obvious here.

[tschak909]

okay, no. sorry. Looks like you found an interesting bug, here.

No big deal, just specify RS232 and save all the way through.

Then go to the new device you've created, click Advanced.

Then You'll see that it is indeed a Generic Serial Device, with the button to edit the Ruby Codes.

-Thom

[stampeder]

krys:

Here's another approach for you.
Get yourself a X10 appliance module for your picture frame. Also, buy a CM11A module and set up LinuxMCE to control it. It's well documented in the Wiki. Then you just set the X10 to turn on when you want it up and turn off when you want it off. Your picture frame should self boot and be ready for you when you want.

I have a number of touch screen in the house that I am going to use in the same fashion as you are doing. I plan to implement the X10 solution.

Incidently, I've been using the X10 solution since they came out originally in the 70's. I still have modules from then that are currently in day to day use.

Good luck.

[tschak909]

ew.

-Thom