Palm Remote update (was cheap control/whole hose display)

[James <James@xxxxxxx>]

Just a quick note to say how this little project is going.

For those who don't know what it is:

To network(as in TCP/ip) Palm pilots to act as HA remote control and
display units. The palm displays buttons or faders that are controlled
by a PC server which in turn triggers x10/xap/dde/udp commands to your
existing system. Hardware is any palm connected through a serial
inverter to a siteplayer.  The server is a vb app. Communications
are
via UDP(from palm) and http(to palm)

As it is now

The palm software currently has two screen options, a 10 button screen
and a 4 fader screen. The PC server currently can send dde and udp
commands as a result of the palm buttons/faders being pushed. All
screens are controlled by simple text files in a simple directory
structure, as in 1.txt 2.txt etc. for pages in a directory called
19.168.1.250 or whatever IP the unit has.  In theory you can have
unlimited pages for unlimited devices (well limits of hard disk and IP
range!).  Backlight and beeping are both server controlled as is a
simple timeout that returns a palm to it's main menu after 60secs of
inactivity. The hard buttons on the palm will operate independently of
the displayed screen so that you don't have to look at the screen for
some standard functions like lights on/off etc.
Current page speed is about .6 between to 10 button screens however a
button screen to fader screen takes longer at .8 sec and fader screen
to
button is the slowest at about 1.2 sec.  These are only 33Mhz
machines
so this seems to be a good as it gets.  I have found it good enough
for
normal use though. The palms may be slow but they seem stable, no
crashes so far....
As the palm is slow the "screens" are all preset and unchangeable
in
design. The things that can be changed are titles, button labels and
what happens when a button is pushed.It's simple but faster than
transferring some html page

Coming Soon

Extra screens on the palm:
5 Button screen
1 fader screen
Information screen (for caller id/alarm etc)
5 button 1fader screen
Support for xap. Initially to display caller ID on all palms but
ideally
to output control information as well.
Control for an external LCD/VFD through a serial switch

I am still working on the hardware interface.  It is very simple
but
will need a PCB. Currently the test unit uses the siteplayer dev board
as the serial interface.

That's it really,  I will tell you more when I know more!!

Sorry no website yet but soon....

James

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