AMX panel internal functions

dthorson wrote:

What would you use this for?

Press a button to send a string to a device without having to code the event in NLS?

show popup pages without the need of an actual frame. For example for demonstration purposes

Good thread, I didn't know you could do this.

As for uses of this feature... maybe you could make a button that beeps 'BEEP', goes to the setup page 'SETUP', puts the panel in calibration mode '^CAL' etc. You could also build a volume control for the panel, but this wouldn't make much sense since the volume commands only accept discrete values (can only go to a certain volume level (no + or -), can only turn mute on (1) or off (0), no toggle).

mpullin wrote:

Good thread, I didn't know you could do this.

As for uses of this feature... maybe you could make a button that beeps 'BEEP', goes to the setup page 'SETUP', puts the panel in calibration mode '^CAL' etc. You could also build a volume control for the panel, but this wouldn't make much sense since the volume commands only accept discrete values (can only go to a certain volume level (no + or -), can only turn mute on (1) or off (0), no toggle).

I've tried using the ^CAL command in a command output, and I strongly advise against it. I also advise against using your master to send this command to the panel. Nine times out of ten, the panel detects a press on it's own that never happened, so you get the second calibration crosshair without having actually pressed the first. When you then press the second, you wind up miscalibrating the panel so badly it becomes non-functional.

A method that does work well for the command port is calling up pages like the keypad and keyboard popups and populating the prompt fields. I use it all the time in live projects.

Calibration

What do you do if you try to calibrate the panel and it doesn't respond to any touches after that? I pressed one crosshair and it got out of the calibrating screen and became non-functional. I have tried power cycling and reloading the programming. I have a MVP-8400i.

ericmedley wrote:

I've a good feature request for the panels.

it would be nice if the panel could allow you to assign a level to the battery level, .............

I don't know how many times I've seen panels mis-docked or left of their charger. the clients say the panel is dead or worse they blow out the batteries. If I knew in the program that the panel batteries were getting low or that the link signal was somewhat weak, I could catch a lot of stuff going on. for example I could send an email to the client saying that the Living Room panel needs to be plugged back into its charger, or put a text message up on the other panels in the home. etc....

You can monitor the battery levels. On the last Boardroom job I just did the NXI does exactly this and scripts an email to the CEO's PA to advise that the panel is going flat and that 'it needs to be returned to the docking station'.

In our demo system it launches a .WAV file through the main sound system asking for the panel to be docked! Kinda cheesy, but cool to prospective clients!

With respect to battery quality, I guess if you wanted to you could build a routine that monitors dock/undock status and from that status work out how long the panel has been undocked for, then compare the current battery level to the time off the charger etc. etc.

This would enable you to determine some trends and if the battery performance is ok. ie. if the panel was docked for 8 hours, the battery levels report 'full'. Panel is removed for 4 hours, battery level reports 'half'. Test again every day etc Build your performance trend table.

6 months down the track the performance curve may diminish perhaps so that in the above scenario, the battery level after 4 hours of the charger might equal 'quarter' not half.

Don't think I'd ever bother doing it actually, but you could certainly do it!

Haven't played with the RF meter apart from dragging them out to the users help page

JohnMichnr wrote: »

How do you do this - monitor the battery level from the master? I've been digging around a little and been unable to find anything.

Hi John,

Firstly assign a level port and level code which you will find in your TPD file under Project Properties>Sensors. Typically I use level port 1 and level code 8. Example based on this...

level_event [dvMVP,8]
    {
    if (level.value < 10)
        {
        // Trouble at the mill. Fire an email, play a voice msg etc...your panel is about to drop off the twig
        }
    if (level.value == 128)
        {
        // Alert the media...your panel is two things. Half full, and half empty all at the same time.
        }
   }

As the level_event is driven by the panel, you might want to write some logic to stop the messages from running when it is charging. I copy the level and compare it. If the val is greater than stored level it must be charging - even if it is under 10, so don't fire a low battery msg etc. etc.

I'm sure you get my drift.

HTH

JohnMichnr wrote: »

Hey - my panel is not only half empty, but dirty too.

Thanks!

Matches the code fragment I sent!

You're welcome!

:-)