Controlling a Video Projector - RS232C with LoR

[coasterbp]

Hey everyone. I'm trying to add Virtual Santa into my display this year, so I want to be able to have Lightorama send a command to my projector to turn on the lamp to the projector and turn it off at the end of the display.

I'm using a Proxima 6850+ projector that has a 15 pin D-Sub control port. Here's the manual.

http://www.projector.com/manuals/Proxima/DP6850.pdf

The control section is in the back.

I want to be able to turn the lamp on and off using my computer and the control port. I see the codes that I have to send, but I'm a bit unfamiliar if there is any additional hardware/software to get this to work correctly.

Any help anyone?

Thanks!

-=CoasterBP

[pdowns]

You shouldn't need any additional software. You can put the control codes in separate files (per this manual a hex 3E to turn off and hex 3F to turn on). Those hex values just happen to be a numeral 3 and 4 in ASCII, so you may luck out on file creation.

You can send data to a serial port with the DOS COPY command.

In your startup sequence have LOR execute a "Windows Command" (.bat file) with contents similar to this:

COPY ON.TXT COM1: (or whatever COM port you are connected to)

ON.TXT consists of one character, a 4. No carriage return or line feed. ONE byte only.

Do the reverse in a shutdown sequence.

COPY OFF.TXT COM1:

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As long as you have a COM port on your computer, you won't need additional hardware. My new PC I built this year doesn't have any COM ports, so I would have to go buy a serial adapter.

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I've always have the vision of 100% LOR control of my display. Somehow, I have never succeeded. I am always turning something on by hand (like my FM transmitter, or an LED message sign, or virtual santa, or ...) or I walk around to see if it all really DID turn on.

[coasterbp]

Thank you thank you thank you!

This will take some trial and error on my part, but you have given me a GREAT direction to start at!

Thanks again!

-=CoasterBP

[thevikester]

coasterbp wrote:

Thank you thank you thank you!

This will take some trial and error on my part, but you have given me a GREAT direction to start at!

Thanks again!

-=CoasterBP

Coaster...did you copy the DVD onto your computer?? I have the DVD myself, running through a DVD player, then to the projector, but if there is a way to do as you are saying...that would be much preferenced...the other question is, the virtual santa would be running the whole time, but you only want him projected on occassion, is that correct??

[coasterbp]

Yeah, I'm not entirely sure HOW I'm going to have it set up, but right NOW, the computer that runs the show is in my garage, but the window that I want to eventually have the Santa in, is upstairs on the other side of the house.

I don't want to move my show computer up there for troubleshooting purposes, but maybe I will have too.

My original thought was going to have the DVD playing the whole time and then just have LOR turn the projector on during showtimes and then off when shows are finished...

But now that I'm thinking about it, I might rip the Santa sequences from the DVD and then incorporate them into the sequences. That doesn't change that I need to turn the projector off/on using LOR though.

-=CoasterBP

[thevikester]

coasterbp wrote:

Yeah, I'm not entirely sure HOW I'm going to have it set up, but right NOW, the computer that runs the show is in my garage, but the window that I want to eventually have the Santa in, is upstairs on the other side of the house.

I don't want to move my show computer up there for troubleshooting purposes, but maybe I will have too.

My original thought was going to have the DVD playing the whole time and then just have LOR turn the projector on during showtimes and then off when shows are finished...

But now that I'm thinking about it, I might rip the Santa sequences from the DVD and then incorporate them into the sequences. That doesn't change that I need to turn the projector off/on using LOR though.

-=CoasterBP

I was just runnin this by my cohort, and seems like the computer will need to be near the projector since thats the linking factor...what I plan on doing is having Santa run the entire time like I'm currently doing, but go through and see what time elements that he is speaking, because I should be able to have Santa video start at the same time as my sequences since they will both be on the computer.

Then time sequences with fades outs or song endings, whatever, and create mp3's of Santas voice, and incorporate that directly into the show, so when he is speaking, only his voice is heard. I too have my computer quite a ways from the projector, but if I can get my ELL's to work a little more consistenly, I can move my show computer. The ELL"s , first year using, have been crappy with how they work for a little bit, then stop, not sure what the issue is, since they have worked at some point, its not a frequency issue, so unsure on that.