Devices for Devs ?

[krambriw]

@barnabas1969

Are you interested Walter?

Well, not really, since I am not using EG in *the regular way*, I am actually more into the automation side and not the HTPC arena (still old fashion having a programmed Logitech Harmony remote for all such TV/DVD/SAT devices). Besides, I have no clue what functions would be good to have for such a plugin.

@all
I basically started to use EG once upon a time just because it could run my python scripts that I wrote for automation and scheduling of my indoor and outdoor lights as well as controlling other power consumers. Later migrated them to plugins that I have shared with the community but for my private need, this would really not have been needed at all.
Having my *house automation system* now running perfectly well since years in an out-dated laptop, I belong to those that says *some automation works very well in EG*.
However, if I would start all over again today, I think I would focus on migrating some of my plugins back to python scripts so that I could simply run them as cron jobs in Linux in a Raspberry Pi (this tiny thing is already working excellent with my Z-Wave, OneWire and the RFXtrx for X10 devices and similar). As per today, I'll keep my laptop with EG and the Pi separated but connected over the network, that is also just working fine.

Best regards, Walter

[zian]

I guess Pako doesn't wanna get "paid" for his efforts.
I'll check.

[zian]

PAKO!!!!!

Sent you $100 a few days back.
My PayPal shows you have not claimed it yet.
Put down the magic Python Wand and go get your money

[Pako]

Ah, it seems that there is some problem.
I do not know what is expected of me.
I never had the money to a PayPal account.
I only paid via PayPal (using credit card).
But now the card is no longer valid, and I have no other.
But I think that it should not matter?

Pako

EDIT:
It seems that I did it: payment accepted.
I'm sorry and thanks !

Pako

[barnabas1969]

Pako,

I do not have very much time to develop a plugin. I would love to have a plugin for the Pulse-Eight HDMI-CEC device. I have not done anything with it for the last few weeks.

If you are willing to begin development of the plugin, I will happily send you a Pulse-Eight HDMI-CEC device. However, this requires you to have a television which has HDMI-CEC capability, and a PC running Windows 7 with an HDMI video output.

Even the least expensive TV's that have been built in the last few years have limited HDMI-CEC capabilities. Some only support the ability to turn the TV on/off, and to change the HDMI input. This is OK.

If you own (or can borrow) a TV that has (at a minimum) the basic HDMI-CEC functions that allow turning the TV on/off and selecting an HDMI input, then I will send you a Pulse-Eight HDMI-CEC device.

Then, after you receive the device, if you create an Event Ghost plugin that meets the following criteria:

• Uses the Windows API that is supplied by Pulse-Eight, which can be downloaded here.
• Has a dialog box that allows the user to choose settings (for example, HDMI input and physical address).
• Initializes the Pulse-Eight HDMI-CEC device using the settings listed above when the EG plugin is loaded.
• Contains a working action to turn the TV on.
• Contains a working action to turn the TV off.
• Contains a working action to select an HDMI input port.
• Uses the API function to "destroy" the API instance when the plugin is disabled/unloaded.

When you have provided a plugin that does the things that I listed above, then I will send you a reward of $100.00 USD. It is OK if the plugin only supports the functions I listed above. If you can make it perform those functions, then I can expand it to perform everything else. The difficult part (for me) is the initialization.

I will gladly provide any help that I can. You can contact me by PM.

Please let me know if you would prefer to have the external or internal Pulse-Eight HDMI-CEC device. The internal one requires you to have an Intel motherboard which has a special header for the internal device. The external device only requires you to have an HDMI video output on your PC, plus a USB port (and, obviously, a TV with HDMI-CEC built-in).

[zian]

Pako,

I do not have very much time to develop a plugin. I would love to have a plugin for the Pulse-Eight HDMI-CEC device. I have not done anything with it for the last few weeks.

If you are willing to begin development of the plugin, I will happily send you a Pulse-Eight HDMI-CEC device. However, this requires you to have a television which has HDMI-CEC capability, and a PC running Windows 7 with an HDMI video output.

Even the least expensive TV's that have been built in the last few years have limited HDMI-CEC capabilities. Some only support the ability to turn the TV on/off, and to change the HDMI input. This is OK.

If you own (or can borrow) a TV that has (at a minimum) the basic HDMI-CEC functions that allow turning the TV on/off and selecting an HDMI input, then I will send you a Pulse-Eight HDMI-CEC device.

Then, after you receive the device, if you create an Event Ghost plugin that meets the following criteria:

• Uses the Windows API that is supplied by Pulse-Eight, which can be downloaded here.
• Has a dialog box that allows the user to choose settings (for example, HDMI input and physical address).
• Initializes the Pulse-Eight HDMI-CEC device using the settings listed above when the EG plugin is loaded.
• Contains a working action to turn the TV on.
• Contains a working action to turn the TV off.
• Contains a working action to select an HDMI input port.
• Uses the API function to "destroy" the API instance when the plugin is disabled/unloaded.

When you have provided a plugin that does the things that I listed above, then I will send you a reward of $100.00 USD. It is OK if the plugin only supports the functions I listed above. If you can make it perform those functions, then I can expand it to perform everything else. The difficult part (for me) is the initialization.

I will gladly provide any help that I can. You can contact me by PM.

Please let me know if you would prefer to have the external or internal Pulse-Eight HDMI-CEC device. The internal one requires you to have an Intel motherboard which has a special header for the internal device. The external device only requires you to have an HDMI video output on your PC, plus a USB port (and, obviously, a TV with HDMI-CEC built-in).

AWESOME!!!
And agreed barnabas.
Seems a guy/gal that comes up with a killer hdmi-cec app/plugin could also stand to make some big bucks.
(don't ask me how though)

But having same said plugin work in EventGhost As Is... Awesome Squared.

Question...
I am no coder/programmer and won't be anytime soon (EVER).
But... is there a way to develop for HDMI-CEC without having hardware for it?
Virtualization of some sort?
Just wondering.

Question II...
What's this? http://www.cec-o-matic.com/

[Pako]

... If you are willing to begin development of the plugin, I will happily send you a Pulse-Eight HDMI-CEC device. However, this requires you to have a television which has HDMI-CEC capability, and a PC running Windows 7 with an HDMI video output.

Unfortunately (I think I already wrote it here), we do not have any TV with HDMI interface (our TV only has SCART).
Personally, I completely stopped watching TV about 8 years ago.
HDMI is on my laptop and the monitor, but the monitor is not compatible with CEC.
So, as is obvious, in this case I can not really help.

Pako

[krambriw]

@barnabas
I think you should try again with the supplier to check if they really would not consider to start with some few simple script samples in python. They are obviously skilled in .NET so it should not be too complicated for them to make some python code for some of the basic features like connection, initialization and simple on/off commands. They would know their product best, have full sets of TV sets etc etc. If they are really interested....

From there on, it would be easier to continue and extend as you already said

[zian]

eventghost.net just got $118 or so from our Google Adsense account.

Need to pay for Domain.com eventghost.net domain charges for 3 or 4 years (about $50) soon (this month).

Rest of money...

???

Anybody want a doo hicky to code for?

Or pay off a site moderator or two?

What evs.

Suggestions will be considered.

[krambriw]

Keep for now, decide later?

BR Walter

Great work Zian

[krambriw]

Zian & others,

I just had a thought....

With EventGhost being such a magnificent software that we have proudly inherited, I personally think that one of the most important missions and responsibilities would be to try to make it *long lasting*. Which means continuous maintenance, new great plugins for whatever stuff and ideas the community might come up with, simply go by the flow.

To make this happen we need all skills and expertise we can bring up including all old timers (like myself) but even more important, we need to attract the next young generation to pay interest for this, they hopefully bring in new nice ideas and new technology skills.

Therefore, what about this idea: we could have a yearly poll for the 'rookie of the year' meaning The Newcomer that managed to simply make us astonished, creating the best,valuable and most visible footprint during the year.

Just an idea my friends,
Best regards, Walter

[Pako]

Therefore, what about this idea: we could have a yearly poll for the 'rookie of the year' meaning The Newcomer that managed to simply make us astonished, creating the best,valuable and most visible footprint during the year.

I think it is a good idea.
You have some candidates for 2013?

Pako

[krambriw]

Hi,
I was thinking we start monitoring during 2014....

A 'rookie' could also be someone being rather passive already registered but *suddenly* shows a great skill or starts contributing (with plugins, good suggestions, complex and valuable testing....)

[barnabas1969]

Question...
I am no coder/programmer and won't be anytime soon (EVER).
But... is there a way to develop for HDMI-CEC without having hardware for it?
Virtualization of some sort?
Just wondering.

Question II...
What's this? http://www.cec-o-matic.com/

I'm sorry that I didn't notice your questions sooner.

Answer I: No, I don't think it would be possible without some sort of hardware. The HDMI-CEC signaling is not the same as what you could do with an RS-232 or parallel port on a PC.

Answer II: That site will allow you to enter a string of hexadecimal characters, and it will tell you what it means. Or, you can click buttons to choose the actions you want, and it will output the hexadecimal string for you.


A user named kasinator has created an EG plugin which works with the Pulse-Eight HDMI-CEC device. His plugin simply uses the console application that comes with the device. It works quite well. Not as well as it could if it was a python script which directly accessed the Pulse-Eight API, but it works well enough for my purposes. Surprisingly, it's also quite stable.

I just posted another EG plugin which communicates with Roku internet streaming devices over the network. Roku devices are sold in the USA, and can access thousands of streaming "channels", with Netflix and Amazon Instant Video being the most popular.

Sky TV (a UK satellite TV company) sells an internet streaming device in the UK which is simply a re-branded Roku box... so the plugin should work for those devices too. It's called "Now TV" in the UK.

I'm sure lots of people will find a use for an EG plugin which controls a Roku device. In my configuration, I'm using the Roku plugin in combination with the libCEC plugin to make my TV think that the Roku box is HDMI-CEC compliant. I can now use my TV remote to control the Roku box and also to control my Media Center PC. It's a much nicer solution than using the remote control that came with the Roku, because that remote cannot control the TV volume.

[EdgarAuto]

Hi all,

I would like to chime in. EG is in fact great HA software. Reality is EG is more cutting edge than some of the the HA solutions that have been out there for year or are just now hitting the market.

I have been doing HA for a long time, just like many of you ( 15+ years for me) and as an Engineer I can tell you there is no silver bullet and I really don't think there will ever be one. It will always be a 'system of systems'. EG definitely has a niche in this ecosystem.
I use EG to meld my HA system with my robot controller (a very cool PLC called EZ Robot that is changing the world of robotics). I also use EG to interface my HA system with Tasker on my Android devices using AutoRemote. Two great examples where all the HA software out there on the market falls short and EG is filling the gap.

EG is definitely in the mix of HA applications and I would argue that things like XaP (oldie but goodie) and Autohotkey are still very much have contributions to the ecosystem of HA as well.

Just my .02