RE: USB-UIRT and xPL

["John B" <home-automation@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi,

> I'd like to have an xPL application that can send infrared
> codes with the USB-UIRT thingie...  The goal is to control a
> stereo receiver remotely.

OK - shouldn't be a problem - we have quite a few USB UIRT users on here
that are using xPL.

> I have two options : buy a $400 in-wall keypad that
> translates button presses to IR signals (Xantech, Niles,
> etc...), or, use software on my PC connected to an IR emitter.
>
> I'm confident that I can figure out how the xPL software
> works, and that I'll be able to configure it to send the
> signals I want.
>
> But before I buy the USB-UIRT and start putting time into
> this, I'd like to know what kind of interface I'll be getting
> with xPL.  It's all about WAF (wife acceptance factor) :-)

None.

You don't get an interface (i.e. a user interface) as such with the xPL
plug-in for the USB UIRT.
What you get is the ability to control the USB UIRT by sending it xPL
messages.

How you send those messages (i.e. the user interface bit) is entirely up
to you.

>
> Remember, my goal is to control a stereo receiver.  I want to
> be able to the the following signals to it : volume up,
> volume down, select source 1, select source 2.  That's it.
>
> With an in-wall keypad, it would be really intuitive and easy to use.
>
> On the PC (with xPL) though, what exactly will the interface be ?
>
> Will the xPL app always be on (e.g. a service started at each
> bootup), or will I need to double-click an app icon every
> time I'll want to control the stereo ?

The xPL USB-UIRT app is usually configured to run at startup, and stays
running. It puts an icon down in the system tray so you know it's there.
Double-clicking on the icon brings up a form that is used for learning
infra-red codes so that the USB UIRT can transmit them, but that's all
you get in the way of a user interface.

>
> Will I get an icon on the taskbar to open the xPL control window ?
>
> Will I be able to have a window with, for example, four
> buttons labeled "Volume up", "Volume down",
"Source 1",
> "Source 2" (in other words, will the interface be
configurable) ?

Basically the user interface can be whatever you want it to be.
Here are a few options:

1. A desktop shortcut for each function - e.g. volume up, volume down
etc. (you could also assign keyboard shortcuts to these)

2. A custom app that just shows a single window with buttons in it that
you can click for each function (you would need to have a little
programming knowledge in something like VB to do this)

3. You could create a simple web page with buttons on it that send out
the infra-red codes when clicked.

There are probably many other options as well, but those are a few that
came to mind.

If you give us more of an idea of the sort of user interface you're
thinking of, we can probably give you some more info.

HTH,

John