LED status monitor

[wannabepvr]

Just set up a 3 LED system (GBPVR on, tuner 1, tuner 2) and it all worked very nicely first time using the standard config file. (well... I haven't checked the 2nd tuner yet....and am yet to play with the disk space bit... but the rest is great)

I don't recall the last time anything worked the first time!

Very happy. Well done betlit!

[simon]

Hi Betlit,

Thanks for looking at my problem for me. Sorry it has taken me so long to test, I didn't get an email from the forums telling me the thread had been updated.

The problem with the led numbers being offset by one too many doesn't seem to be fixed. As no one else seems to have the problem, don't worry about it as my changes to the xml file get around the issue.

The alert feature is fantastic. When I call paraled to reset the alert, do I use the command

Code:

paraled.exe epg

or

Code:

paraled.exe -epg

Also, once the alert has been triggered and the leds are flashing, will calling paraled cancel the flashing and reset the timer?

Thanks for all your work,

Simon

[betlit]

The problem with the led numbers being offset by one too many doesn't seem to be fixed. As no one else seems to have the problem, don't worry about it as my changes to the xml file get around the issue.

hmm... sorry, but i have to ask this: did you wire up the LEDs correctly? i will send you a little utility to check this.

The alert feature is fantastic. When I call paraled to reset the alert, do I use the command

Code:

paraled.exe epg

or

Code:

paraled.exe -epg

just epg. no slash, dash or whatsoever. if the name of your alert(s) has a space in it, you have to use quotes ("")

Also, once the alert has been triggered and the leds are flashing, will calling paraled cancel the flashing and reset the timer?

nope. i designed it that way (better: i was to lazy to implement more than the minimum) that the alert is not resetted until paraLED is restarted or the computer is rebooted (hibernation/standby wont have an effect on this, too).
this is because e.g. the epg update crashes or something, and a day or two later it works again. if the alert would be cancelled you could probably miss it.
since when 'someting' went wrong it is almost certain, you have to look at the config/logs/whatever, so you can kill and restart paraLED anyway.

[wannabepvr]

Recently installed the LED status monitoring and really I like it.

But after a day or so of running I get all my 3 LEDs flashing in together on ~ 1 sec cycle. This has every day or so since I set it up.

I don't believe I have any 'alarms' on - I am using the default .xml file from the posted download.

This goes away if I end paraLED task and then restart the .exe.

Any ideas what may cause this? how I stop it? are there any logs. etc that may help.

[simon]

If you are using the default xml file it has an alarm warning set as standard.

The xml file is below.

Code:

<config>
    <address>888</address>
    <frequency>3</frequency>
    <onlyoneled>false</onlyoneled>
    <checkspace>false</checkspace>
    <spacealert>single</spacealert>
<drives>
     <c>2048</c>
    <d>5120</d>
</drives>
<warnings>
     <epg>1440</epg>
</warnings>

<warningled>255</warningled>
<diode1>1</diode1>
<diode2>2</diode2>
<diode3>4</diode3>
<diode4>8</diode4>
<diode5>16</diode5>
<diode6>32</diode6>
<diode7>64</diode7>
<diode8>128</diode8>
</config>

Under the <warnings> section it has <epg> with a time period of 1440 minutes, which is 24 hours. If you delete the whole warnings section from your xml file, save it, then restart paraled it should solve the problem.

Simon

[wannabepvr]

Cheers! missed that bit.

[dazzyb2k3]

Hi Guys,

Just a quick question. I've been really wanting to incorperate the LED's into my setup for a while but my parallell port is used by my VFD display. Is there any reason why this wouldn't work through a parallel to serial converter or even a parralell to usb (I have both these adaptors lying around at the mo.) I was thinking it should be ok but thought it best to check before getting the soldering iron out

[betlit]

i'm a bit confused now... do you mean a gimmick which 'converts' a serial port into a parallel one? in this case i would speak of a 'serial to parallel'-converter...
the same for the second... i would call a parallel port which is plugged in into usb 'usb to parallel'...

if this is the case, my guess is that the serial to parallel convertor wont work (paraLED simply cannot access the parallel port).

but i think there is a good chance that a usb - parallel port should behave like a 'standard' parallel port. just get the address of the port from the device manager, convert it from hex to decimal, edit the paraLED config and voila.

if you have a volt meter you can simply plug the usb-thingie in, start paraLED or use this little utility i wrote for simon. just set one ore more LED to high and check the voltage on the accoring pin(s), before you begin to solder LTNT

[dazzyb2k3]

Sorry for the confusion. That's exactly what I meant. It was a late night and i'd had a couple of beers and got my mords wuddled up

Thanks for the tip re the volt meter. I do have one so i'll give it a check over the weekend and let you know the result.

[betlit]

no probs!

the 'standard status' of me is 'slightly confused' anyway.

and: no household is complete without a soldering iron and a volt meter