Some of the details of my setup are subject to a confidential NDA but I'm hoping you good folks could help with explaining the gist of how I should go about all this. I'm a complete newbie and will be outsourcing development so please bear with me.
The installation comprises of 3 core products:
a)..a sending device which I'll call the 'Transmitter or Tx' b)..several bespoke receiving devices which I'll call 'Receivers or Rx' c)..both the above are connected in a star (1 to many) formation via a Gigabit Switch (as its a 'over IP' install)
All 3 products are controllable via RS232 and are well documented with the usual commands/codes for functions such as on/off, volume up/down etc.
IR, OSD or the 'front panel' will NOT be used as we need to control these devices via a 'command console' - a fancy term for a touchscreen LCD with a fast, responsive and no frills GUI (a bit like how Crestron devices are controlled).
My dilemma is/are the following:
1)..not knowing which device to 'control'. As an example, if we wanted 'Rx 3' to STOP its output, we could 'tell it to do so' OR close the ethernet port its connected to on the switch.
2)..What sort of hardware should we consider? A HMI display? Crestron controller? Arduino? Other Serial Controller?
3)..Where can we find 'programmers' for this? Should we consider applications such as QT? What skill set should I be seeking?
Some other parameters:
- Ideally, we want a dedicated controller for our GUI as opposed to having a app or browser based interface on a fully blown OS. This is what concerns me about Rasberry Pi or other devices which could achieve the above. - hardware needs to be robust 'industrial' grade designed to remain switched on 24/7 - the hardware should have minimal 'boot' times so that our GUI is presented as soon as the 'controller' is switched on (again, don't want long 'boot' or 'loading' times) - the appearance of the GUI needs to be very basic - most of what I've seen is overkill for what we want
Am I correct in assuming that all 3 devices may have to be simultaneously controlled to give maximum flexibility? Is it even possible to have a 1 page GUI controlling 3 separate Serial Devices?
This setup, to me, seems either very straightforward or very complex and I'd like to get your advice on how I should proceed with the above.
