Re: USB-UIRT and xPL

["J P" <snakedjip@xxxxxxxxx>]

Thank you John,

This is exactly the type of answer I was looking for.  I do have
programming knowledge, and so this will be the perfect solution for
me :-)



--- In ukha_xpl@xxxxxxx, "John B" <home-automation@j...>
wrote:
> 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