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Author Topic: Home-brew PC based automation Dominic Espinosa Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1172 From: Boulder Creek, CA. Registered: Jan 2004 posted 01-04-2009 07:01 PM                     This may be better at home in the yack forum, or maybe not. You be the judge... So we bought a handsome Panasonic PTDW5100 DLP projector and a Samsung BDP-2500 blu-disc player a while back and the two are really good for those rentals where someone wants to watch their favorite movie or when suitable prints of certain repertory prints aren't available and the rights owner will allow it. We also use the 5100 with an alternative content server as well but that's a different story. I'd like to pick craniums today from the programmers and hardware hackers of FT. In the interest of usability and also because it's kind of fun I'm planning to use one of the many functioning PC's of old (I have a Duron 700 in mind for this) loaded with a stripped down Linux install to function as control for ... ready for this? The blu-ray disc player, projector, house lights, and CP650. I've settled on using the parallel port and SPST relays for the player, CP650 and dimmer control. The 5100 seems to provide control methods via the onboard network interface. I'm less worried about coding this interface. I intend to do the software-side of things with Perl and for ease of use will set the computer up with a light web server so it can be controlled via Mozilla from the managers station. Before I go out and buy a bag of relays however (I think I have everything else I need laying around) I wanted to sanity-check with you folks. Thoughts?  |  IP: Logged Robert LaValley Expert Film Handler Posts: 104 From: Tampa, FL Registered: May 2007 posted 01-05-2009 12:00 AM                     good luck! Take pictures of it when your done. I got this image of the back of the car in back to the future. haha. All kidding aside sounds like you have it pretty mapped out.  |  IP: Logged John Walsh Film God Posts: 2490 From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way Registered: Oct 1999 posted 01-05-2009 08:32 AM                     How's your programming skills? You can control the CP650 via the serial port; it would allow more options than just the hard button remote selects (is the network interface on a CP650 functional yet?). Opto-isolators for all IO.  |  IP: Logged Demetris Thoupis Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1240 From: Aradippou, Larnaca, Cyprus Registered: Apr 2001 posted 01-05-2009 02:51 PM                     I believe that your best solution would be to use a global cache interface. It offers you IR, serial and relay control and it's compatible with any pc or automation system. You can create a web page on your local network with full 2 way feedback on RS232 or IP controlled equipment. Demetris  |  IP: Logged Dominic Espinosa Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1172 From: Boulder Creek, CA. Registered: Jan 2004 posted 01-05-2009 03:37 PM                     quote: John Walsh How's your programming skills? You can control the CP650 via the serial port; it would allow more options than just the hard button remote selects (is the network interface on a CP650 functional yet?). Opto-isolators for all IO. My programming is decent. The only part of this project that will be new to me is using the parallel port but there are modules written for that already. I had considered the serial and network ports however the digital unit moves between locations, some of which have CP650s, some of which don't. As with all my projects I want to make it as compatible as possible and since all the equipment we're interfacing with supports pulse switching I figured that would be the best way to go. And yes, I will use optoisolators, thanks for the suggestion! quote: Demetris Thoupis I believe that your best solution would be to use a global cache interface. Indeed, that would be a great solution because it would eliminate the need to a.) power an IR emitter to emulate the remote for the blu-ray or b.) hack the front panel buttons to connect to the relays. However, I'm growing confident I can build build this system for about $40. Besides, hacking is fun Interestingly the blu-disc player has an ethernet port however the firmware doesn't seem to support remote control this way. In time I'm sure there will be a hack to facilitate this at some point but I've yet to see it. I do wonder how long it'll be before your a/v discs come with cues and the hardware with automation connections for your home theater. That would be sweet...  |  IP: Logged Dominic Espinosa Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1172 From: Boulder Creek, CA. Registered: Jan 2004 posted 01-14-2009 05:10 PM                     What a fun week it's been! There are a number of ways to accomplish what I'm trying to do. For one there's the suggestion above. For two there's a nifty kit that provides the DB25 plug, a PCB, relays, and a ULN2803 which is a fancy 8 channel optocouple with built in resistor on input/transistor on output. I've opted to order the parts I'm missing (already have relays, just need a couple more) so I'm going cheap but the kit would be the best route for a DIY project. So far I've got the port under control of a simple perl script and one channel is working under test conditions...Time to build up the rest!  |  IP: Logged Ryan Navaroli Film Handler Posts: 63 From: Athens, OH, USA Registered: Nov 2005 posted 01-14-2009 05:33 PM                        No insight to offer but this is very cool. Best of luck to you and please continue to keep updated.  |  IP: Logged John Walsh Film God Posts: 2490 From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way Registered: Oct 1999 posted 01-14-2009 09:22 PM                     Do you need to use the parallel port? Several places used to sell PCI cards ready with some simple IO decoding, and a 'blank' breadboarding area for your own interface design. They probably go for cheap nowadays.  |  IP: Logged Chris Iacofano Film Handler Posts: 15 From: Athens, OH, USA Registered: Jan 2009 posted 01-26-2009 06:59 PM                        Q-Lab is a very versatile program that might be able to fill this role for those without the programming skill. I'm setting it up now to feed our preshow slideshow to our three screens along with 3 separate feeds for our lobby, downstairs, and upstairs house music. I should start playing with the lighting in another couple of weeks, so I'll let you know how that works. http://figure53.com/qlab/ Mac only at the moment.  |  IP: Logged Eric Robinson Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 538 From: Santa Rosa, CA Registered: Jan 2005 posted 01-28-2009 02:38 AM                     Here's a great resource: controlanything.com This is the kind of stuff I could sit around and play with all day.  |  IP: Logged Jarret Chessell Master Film Handler Posts: 288 From: London, Ontario, Canada Registered: Jan 2009 posted 01-28-2009 10:13 AM                     One thing I've always disliked about showing content on video projectors is hiding desktops on power points and trying to make sure they don't see any dvd menus (which would be difficult to do remotely). What you might be better to do is get a little bit better of a PC and connect its video to the projector. You could then rip your dvd or blu-ray content to the hard drive and remove the menus and such. That way you could also setup macros for controlling lights, sound and not having to worry about cueing up the movie. (I'm not sure how easy that would be with a blu-ray, but dvd's should be easy)  |  IP: Logged Dominic Espinosa Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1172 From: Boulder Creek, CA. Registered: Jan 2004 posted 02-02-2009 03:02 PM                     quote: Jarret Chessell You could then rip your dvd or blu-ray content to the hard drive and remove the menus and such. Indeed, that would be the super-slick way to go. The thing is however we're already vested in a Blu-Ray player with 6 channel analog outs and such. I'm doing this project with a free PC and about $40 worth of hardware. It's a total no-budget solution to an annoyance really. I think if we do end up using it more I'll do something along those lines, but for now, controller peripheral equipment is the way for us to go. I'm not at all nixing the idea though. I think it's wonderful. So far, the "hardware" (my relay board) is roughly 4"x5", a bit smaller than the kits offered online. I'm building it on a piece of perfboard and running out to a terminal strip mounted on the back of the computer. I may replace the terminal strip though with a DB25 or something and just install a dongle in the houses we intend to use it in. The idea is easy configuration I'll have pics and a video demo up soon. I have 4 out of 8 relays installed and working, so I'm really just dragging my feet in the rest of the project. FWIW I'm using an 8 channel darlington controller UNL2803A 5VDC/.5A relay IC's. The UNL2803 is controlled with the 5vcc from the lpt port pins and through the transistors switches the -5vdc from a floppy drive connector in the computer to switch the relays. Simple, quiet, and dirt cheap. Woot!  |  IP: Logged Dominic Espinosa Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1172 From: Boulder Creek, CA. Registered: Jan 2004 posted 02-16-2009 04:49 PM                     Does anyone know if a Perl module for PJLink has ever been written? I just started writing one as I figure it's something someone else may need but I'd hate to finish and find out there was already one out there. I didn't see anything on CPAN so I'm assuming not. Still, never hurts to ask, right?  |  IP: Logged

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