ExternalDisplay - Beta Testers Wanted

[ralphy]

ExternalDisplay is a plugin that displays PVRX2 information directly to a variety of different external LCD and VFD displays. It is an alternative to solutions using iMONVFD, which is limited to the Soundgraph VFD, or LCDSmartie. ExternalDisplay is a PVRX2 port of MediaPortal’s ExternalDisplay.


Supported displays include HD44780, Crystal Fonz, iMON LCD/VFD, Toshiba, and VL Systems, although I have only been able to test the Soundgraph LCD (96x16 display – not the16x2 VFD)

Run the attached installer file and run ExternalDisplayConfig.exe. Please note that this plugin does not show up in GBPVR Config. Further documentation is in ReadMe.pdf in the plugins\ExternaDisplay folder.


Known Limitations

• XML deserializer does not work in settings.cs when run as a plugin. Brute force is used, but doesn’t have flexibility, and does not handle custom characters or isNull and isNotNull conditions within an AndCondition, or, OrCondition (This is only an issue if users decide to write their own xml file. I thought this might be a similar problem, but it doens't seem to be) [Fixed in Feb 20 release]
  
• Driver does not shutdown gracefully. Eg the iMON driver should shut down and blank the display, or display the clock, but doesn’t because all the threads just terminate. One solution is to wait for sub to implement a call to a ‘shutdown’ method in the plugin when PVRX2 terminates.
  
• Music non ASCII characters are not displayed correctly
  
• Soundgraph LCD sometimes has LiveTV and Recordings stutter/pause for several ten’s-hundred’s of milliseconds and then catches up. I am particularly interested to learn if this problem is widespread, or specific to my system
  
• Graphic Visualisations available on some displays are not supported by ExternalDisplay.
  
• Occasional SQLITE error upon shutdown.
  

TODO

• Display current position and duration of recordings (waiting for sub to provide a method to do this)
  
• Handle paused video/recordings (awaiting IsPaused Method)
  
• Interface to allow other plugins to send messages to the display
  
• Allow disk space monitoring of several drives, each with its own minimum space requirements
  
• Flash the volume message when button is pushed and already at 100%, or 0%. (is there a GBPVR method the send “volume button pushed”)
  

NOT TESTED

• Drivers other than iMONLCDg and DebugForm. Other drivers expected to work, since they are from MediaPortal.
  
• Use with MVPs [Support included in Feb 20 release]
  
• Vista
  
• Use with GBPVR - I think there might be problems.
  

There is no support for, nor is there any intention to support, the display of system parameters such as fan speed and temperature, so please do not ask for it.

If there are any problems, please post the logs when asking for help. I'll try my best, by having only the Soundgraph LCD, I may be limited in what I can resolve. I've also probably reached the limit of my C# and .net expertise - hence the large number of known limitations.


Note: I use CommonGBPVRUtilities.dll version 3, and the plugin will not work with version 1 of this dll (it will give and error described in post #2 of this thread.)

Edit: Note on CommonGBPVRUtilities.dll; Clarification on Configuration of the plugin
Edit: Jan 26 2008 - Attach installer for new Beta.
Edit: Jan 27 2008 - Removed the old beta version.
Edit: Feb 05 2008 - Please see this post to address problems with the default xml configuration files that cause a lock up when there is no LiveTV data returned from the EPG database.
Edit: Feb 20 2008 - New Installer includes the following:

• Default XML file to prevent lockups (Feb 05 edit)
  
• XML Deserializer now works correctly
  
• MVP support
  
• Additional debug logging
  

Edit: Feb 21 2009 - Please see version 0.2 release here

[dslowik]

I went ahead and gave this a shot tonight. I've got a iMON 16X2 VFD in my SilverStone case and I had the iMONVFD working fine before doing this. I moved the Plugins\iMONVFD folder so PVXR2 couldn't find it. I installed this software and ran the config utility that comes with it. I changed the display type to SoundGraph iMON Integrated USB VFD/LCD Driver and the Port to USB. I went into Advanced and set it to VFD. I also checked extensive logging when replicating this problem.

I started PVXR2 and started LiveTV. The VFD display did not change. I looked in the PVXR2 log and saw some lines that look like problems. I've attached the logs.

David Slowik

[ralphy]

The errors in the log referring to XML document is one of the "known limitations". Unfortunately, I can't tell exactly what is causing the first error.

Attached is a replacement dll with some more logging information to help me narrow down where the code is falling over. Please load this dll and re-post the logs. Also, the plugin will only work with 1.1.5, since it calls methods not available in prior versions.

Another thing you might like to try is the 'debug form' display rather than the Soungraph LCD/VFD and see if that works. The debug form will display the same data in a window - but I don't think the problem is in the VFD drivers, because from the logs, it doesn't even look like the code is getting that far.

[dslowik]

Attached is a replacement dll with some more logging information to help me narrow down where the code is falling over. Please load this dll and re-post the logs. Also, the plugin will only work with 1.1.5, since it calls methods not available in prior versions.

Here are the logs with the new dll.

I did try the DebugWindow (not in the logs), but didn't notice any new window appearing for the output.

[ralphy]

Sorry dslowik, no answers yet. The plugin appears to only run 3 or 4 lines of code before it throws the error for reasons I do not know. I'll think about this some more today, and see if thisthread comes up with any clues.

[dslowik]

No problem. I'll switch back to iMONVFD for now, but I'll leave ExternalDisplay installed in case you come up with something to try.

David Slowik

[OscarL]

Hi,
Nice plugin, however it seems as if it assumes that the install directory is C:\prgram files\devnz ....
I have a Swedish version of Vista and here the programs are in C:\Program\devnz...
As you can see in the attached log it still looks for externaldisplay.xml in the C:\program files\... dircetory.

2008-01-19 10:26:00.116 INFO [1] loadNewStylePlugins()...
2008-01-19 10:26:00.116 INFO [1] About to check 'C:\Program Files\devnz\gbpvr\plugins\Common' for plugins
2008-01-19 10:26:00.116 VERBOSE [1] About to check file: C:\Program Files\devnz\gbpvr\plugins\Common\Amazon.dll
2008-01-19 10:26:00.168 VERBOSE [1] About to check file: C:\Program Files\devnz\gbpvr\plugins\Common\Amazon.XmlSerializers.dll
2008-01-19 10:26:00.200 VERBOSE [1] About to check file: C:\Program Files\devnz\gbpvr\plugins\Common\Entagged-Sharp.dll
2008-01-19 10:26:00.245 VERBOSE [1] About to check file: C:\Program Files\devnz\gbpvr\plugins\Common\Interfaces.dll
2008-01-19 10:26:00.267 INFO [1] About to check 'C:\Program Files\devnz\gbpvr\plugins\ExternalDisplay' for plugins
2008-01-19 10:26:00.268 VERBOSE [1] About to check file: C:\Program Files\devnz\gbpvr\plugins\ExternalDisplay\ExternalDisplay.dll
2008-01-19 10:26:00.313 INFO [1] ExternalDisplay: .ctr called by plugin or config
2008-01-19 10:26:00.330 INFO [1] ExternalDisplay plugin starting...
2008-01-19 10:26:00.382 VERBOSE [1] ExternalDisplay.Settings: creating serializer
2008-01-19 10:26:00.386 VERBOSE [1] Looking for missing assembly in C:\Program Files\devnz\gbpvr\plugins\ExternalDisplay: ExternalDisplay.XmlSerializers, Version=0.0.2894.13578, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null
2008-01-19 10:26:00.386 VERBOSE [1] Looking for missing assembly in plugin\common: ExternalDisplay.XmlSerializers, Version=0.0.2894.13578, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null
2008-01-19 10:26:00.400 VERBOSE [1] Looking for missing assembly in C:\Program Files\devnz\gbpvr\plugins\ExternalDisplay: ExternalDisplay.XmlSerializers
2008-01-19 10:26:00.778 VERBOSE [1] ExternalDisplay.Settings: About to read C:\Program Files\devnz\gbpvr\Plugins\ExternalDisplay\ExternalDisplay.xml
2008-01-19 10:26:00.798 VERBOSE [1] Looking for missing assembly in C:\Program Files\devnz\gbpvr\plugins\ExternalDisplay: ExternalDisplay, Version=0.0.2894.13578, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null
2008-01-19 10:26:00.798 VERBOSE [1] Assembly found...
2008-01-19 10:26:00.801 VERBOSE [1] ...and loaded
2008-01-19 10:26:00.901 ERROR [1] ExternalDisplay.Settings: Error reading C:\Program Files\devnz\gbpvr\Plugins\ExternalDisplay\ExternalDisplay.xml
2008-01-19 10:26:00.912 VERBOSE [1] System.InvalidOperationException: Det finns ett fel i XML-dokumentet (5, 33). ---> System.NullReferenceException: Objektreferensen har inte angetts till en instans av ett objekt.
vid Microsoft.Xml.Serialization.GeneratedAssembly.XmlSerializationReaderSettings.Read16_Line(Boolean isNullable, Boolean checkType)
vid Microsoft.Xml.Serialization.GeneratedAssembly.XmlSerializationReaderSettings.Read18_Message(Boolean isNullable, Boolean checkType)
vid Microsoft.Xml.Serialization.GeneratedAssembly.XmlSerializationReaderSettings.Read19_Settings(Boolean isNullable, Boolean checkType)
vid Microsoft.Xml.Serialization.GeneratedAssembly.XmlSerializationReaderSettings.Read20_Settings()
--- Slut på stackspårning för interna undantag ---
vid System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializer.Deserialize(XmlReader xmlReader, String encodingStyle, XmlDeserializationEvents events)
vid System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializer.Deserialize(XmlReader xmlReader, String encodingStyle)
vid System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializer.Deserialize(XmlReader xmlReader)
vid ProcessPlugins.ExternalDisplay.Settings.Load()
2008-01-19 10:26:00.912 INFO [1] ExternalDisplay: Unable to Deserialize - Using Brute Force
2008-01-19 10:26:00.964 VERBOSE [1] ExternalDisplay.Settings.rdr.close
2008-01-19 10:26:01.049 INFO [1] ExternalDisplay.Settings: Loading drivers...
2008-01-19 10:26:01.085 VERBOSE [3] ExternalDisplay: initalizeTimer
2008-01-19 10:26:01.085 INFO [1] About to check 'C:\Program Files\devnz\gbpvr\plugins\legacy' for plugins
2008-01-19 10:26:01.085 INFO [1] About to check 'C:\Program Files\devnz\gbpvr\plugins\Weather' for plugins
2008-01-19 10:26:01.085 VERBOSE [1] About to check file: C:\Program Files\devnz\gbpvr\plugins\Weather\WeatherPlugin.dll
2

If that can be fixed I will be happy to continue testing.
Regards
Oscar

[iwan]

This looks like a great plugin, however the plugin never shows up in the Plugin section of config.

when starting PVRX2 the following is logged to pvrx2.exe.log:

As this is a german version of Windows XP, most of the error messages are in german, sorry for that.

[OscarL]

Sorry, I think my conclusions above where incorrect. Seems as it finds the file ExternalDisplay.xml but there seems to be an error in it.
The sentence " Det finns ett fel i XML-dokumentet" translates to "there is an error in the xml-document.
Enclosed is alos the pvrx2 log.

[ralphy]

This looks like a great plugin, however the plugin never shows up in the Plugin section of config.

when starting PVRX2 the following is logged to pvrx2.exe.log:

As this is a german version of Windows XP, most of the error messages are in german, sorry for that.

iwan, you are correct, the plugin does not show up in the Plugin section of config, nor does it show up in any PVRX2 menu. This is by design. To configure ExternalDisplay, run ExternalDisplayConfig.exe in the gbpvr folder.

Could you please post the complete logs? I can't tell what's causing the errors you've posted.

Sorry, I think my conclusions above where incorrect. Seems as it finds the file ExternalDisplay.xml but there seems to be an error in it.
The sentence " Det finns ett fel i XML-dokumentet" translates to "there is an error in the xml-document.
Enclosed is alos the pvrx2 log.

OscarL, This error message is nothing to really worry about, since as the next log entry states, 'Using Brute Force'. This error message is one of the Known Limitations in using the XML deserializer.

What display type are you using? The logs suggest that you were trying a Soundgraph driver, but the 'autodetection' code could not determinate the device type or firmware driver.