I have been working over the past month and a half learning and understanding the Pronto PRO and two way TCPIP communications. It is not easy. Here is where I am:
1) I have a Home activity that puts up a splash screen and monitors for a WiFi connection.
2) I have a full activity to control my Home Theater which is controlled by a PC that receives IR from an iPronto. (My version of AMX or Crestron.) The PC now accepts TCPIP in lieu of IR and the Pronto PRO sends TCPIP bursts (very short, very fast, very reliable) to the PC. Gets Ack/Nak feedback and can retransmit. I had to write about 200 lines of VB code for the PC to handle the IR data (Device Code, Key Code).
3) I have an activity to fully control SlimServer players. There is a startup mode where it discovers the players (up to 5, an arbitrary decision), allows selection of player, turns on audio system if required (Remember the Theater IR); a full display of what is playing (title, album, elapsed time, genre) and the same info for what is up next, the Play queue, and system status. No cover art because of Pronto PRO limitations. There is a Browse screen that allows you to browse the music library by artist, album, genre and playlist. you can then add to the playing que from these items in a sensible manner. Updates are dynamic and automatic as the music playing changes.
4) I am about to start on a full two way interface to Homeseer (Home Automation system) with the appropriate plugin using a modified version of the xAP protocol. Should take me about a month to do. I currently have this functionality all done on in wall touchscreens that use UDP instead of TCPIP.
5) I wrote a tool that parses the ProntoPro XCF files, and organizes all scripts in a point and click interface. As soon as you start heavy Pronto Scrip programming, you will see why! Double clicking brings up the editor that you have registered to handle files with the extension "js" on the selected script. You can update, syntax check, print, etc. limited only by what the editor can do. It will then write back (Save, Save As) an updated version of the xcf file.
6) I will make available this tool (5) and a full tutorial document on the IR emulation activity and the paradigm I use for building TCPIP based applications on the Pronto PRO. The tutorial has lots of code snippets with explanations. I will do the same for the SlimServer activity package and the Homeseer system. The first two items should be posted at my web site (
www.the-gordons.net) by this weekend. I have company coming in a few hours for a week, hence the delay.
My goal is to have evrything in the house controlled by the Pronto Pro. Questions and comments may be sent to me at
[email protected]. I am off to the airport.
Last edited by Barry Gordon
on July 22, 2007 14:21.