IrScrutinizer: capturing, generating, analyzing, import, exp

[Barf]

Oh definitely some method of getting a plotted signal window to hang around is a huge plus for a small fraction of people that are trying to create there own protocol.

OK. So I add your request to the whishlist. Should not be really hard.

I wen on and saw the parmeterized view. Added notes to the lines, but when I went to export the text file all I get is the notes 'field followed by another line that says null.

OMG. I see I goofed up here. Sorry for that.

I probably did something wrong.

No. You found a bug.

What I'm looking for is a single line for each signal with the note and decode so that I can manipulate it in a spreadsheet so that I can have the note and OBC next to each other so that I can paste this into the RMIR/KM function page. I can get this from IR and IRScope, but can't seem to find an option that does this in IRScrutinizer.

My main idea is to teach RM to import and export the XML export from IrScrutinizer (called Girr for general IR Remote). I would like to take out the spreadsheet in your chain; therefore the table has several spreadsheet-like functions. But I would also like to have the copy-to-clipboard produce sensible result. Thanx for your feedback.

[Barf]

What I'm looking for is a single line for each signal with the note and decode so that I can manipulate it in a spreadsheet so that I can have the note and OBC next to each other so that I can paste this into the RMIR/KM function page. I can get this from IR and IRScope, but can't seem to find an option that does this in IRScrutinizer. As soon as the "note" is on a different line, it requires line by line entry, which is where I introduce all sorts of errors.

With, or without bug (I have fixed it in my development version, released shortly), the text export does not do what you want. It is intended to generate human readable output, for forum postings rather than for other programs to read, and is actually modeled after Makehex output, since people seems to be used to this. What you want is instead a spreadsheet-like export.

One of the many technological goodies that I have not talked about yet is the possibility to add new export formats. By modifying exportformats.xml (in the root of the install directory), the user can add his/her own export formats according to own needs. Here is a new version of
exportformats.xml, adding the two new formats "Spreadsheet" and "RM/functions", both generating "Tab separated files", using extension .tsv, which most spreadsheets seem to know about and know how to read. Replace the existing exportformats.xml by the new version. The file can be reloaded by Options -> Export formats database -> Reload, (or IrScrutinizer new started).

[vickyg2003]

Hi Barf, I was just in the process of shutting my computer down while I go out of town, and found I had IRScrutinizer running in the background. Since the icon on the taskbar was a java cup, I had assumed that was an instance of RM that I had opened by downloading. I had totally forgotten that it was running, so I had opened and run IRScope to do a capture, without any port locking issues, your program was very polite. But I had also disconnected my Widget to throw into my travel bag, and found that I had IRScrutinizer in an error loop. The black cmd window was churning away furiously and when I clicked on the icon in the task manager I had an IO Exception Message window. As you close it, it comes back, there is no way to get out of that short of killing it with task manager.


1) How do I end a capture session without closing the program?

2) Can you change the icon to be your icon on the taskbar, instead of the generic java cup?

3) Can you fix it, so that if an IO Exception occurs when you close the error message window, that it exits the capture session instead of continuously retrying?

[Barf]

1) How do I end a capture session without closing the program?

Probably first stop the capture thead on "Scrutinize remote", then close the hardware by, on Capture HW -> IrWidget pressing "Open" (which is supposed to be selected) so that it is no longer selected. But there is no real reason to do so, unless you really want to release the hardware.

2) Can you change the icon to be your icon on the taskbar, instead of the generic java cup?

will do. Is IrMaster doing what you want?

3) Can you fix it, so that if an IO Exception occurs when you close the error message window, that it exits the capture session instead of continuously retrying?

I think I have nailed this one down. Exceptions in the capture thread will now terminate the thread, cleanly. Good example of catching an exception too early...

Will be releasing version 0.1.1 soon, tomorrow or next week. (Writing on the documentation frantically.)

Thank your for the feedback.

[Barf]

Just released and uploaded version 0.1.1. Release notes: see the first message in the thread. All issues mentioned in the thread has been addressed -- thanx Vicky. Although the plot cloning is somewhat primitive...

The documentation, although thicker, still leaves a lot to be desired. Ask questions here on what is unclear.

A very minor issue: I just see that I failed to put the very latest IrScrutinizer.releasenotes.txt in the distributions. (The line "New export formats..." was missing.) The version in the thead, as well as the one on my website is the correct one.

Bengt

[Barf]

Version 1.0.0 has been released.

Release notes:

Code: Select all

Version: 1.0.0:
- Importing CSV parametrized and raw is now possible from clipboard.
- (HarcHardware) Fixed file descriptor leak in the
AmxBeaconListener/GlobalCacheListener. 
- If editing (open last export) fails, fall back to "open".
- Remove prefiltering when importing Girr (only GUI elements were
implemented)
- Generating: Bugs, (e.g. misbehavior when no D present in protocol), fixed.
- CCF of type 0100 are now parsed.
- Fixed bug when pressing cancel for createUser.
- now inquires for device data (manufacturer etc) when exporting
commands, can be turned off by Options -> Export options -> Inquire
device data.
- New option: "Ignore T on parametric learns".
- Parameters in the parametrized table can now be removed by entering an empty string
- The sequences in the raw table are now really read-only, previously
they could be manipulated, but the changes did not take
effect. (Editing could be implemented, but is probably not worth it.)
- Text importers now makes command names unique by appending "$" and a
number if necessary.
- Now a class IrpMaster for firing up the commmand line IrpMaster.
- If option Import/Open ZIP files is selected, will import from zip
files directly. 

gfb107's suggestion (export of the parametrized table to the clipboard) has been implemented. (So, making suggestions pays off )

The windows installer has been combined with IrMaster.

Bug reports and suggestions for improvement are as always very welcome.

Ohh... the documentation (included, or online) still is very rudimentary.

[3FG]

Using 1.0.0 on the Export pane and clicking Export Param. Remote saves the file to the Export dir. which I have specified if the requested format is Girr or Text. If the requested format is e.g. Spreadsheet, the file is saved in the default Export dir (e.g. C:\Documents and Settings\Dave\Local Settings\Temp\exports) which was set by the installation program.

[StephenR0]

I installed IrScrutinizer and it looks pretty good. I've been looking for a replacement for CaptureIR, which I've used for several years. CaptureIR uses the parallel port which is less available lately. Can you suggest the recommended hardware for me to get to use this program?

[Barf]

Using 1.0.0 on the Export pane and clicking Export Param. Remote saves the file to the Export dir. which I have specified if the requested format is Girr or Text. If the requested format is e.g. Spreadsheet, the file is saved in the default Export dir (e.g. C:\Documents and Settings\Dave\Local Settings\Temp\exports) which was set by the installation program.

Oops. Thank you for the bug report. It was a hard one. I was confused by "default... set by the installation program", and it took me rather long before I could reproduce it. Here is how I would describe it: After changing the export directory, the new export directory did did not take effect in all export formats.

Thus, the short time work-around is to restart the program after the export directory has been changed. It is not a show-stopper.

I have implemented a fix, that will be in the next release. Again, thank you.

[Barf]

Can you suggest the recommended hardware for me to get to use this program?

I assume you mean capturing? Except for "Lirc mode 2" they all work well:

- GlobalCache ITachFlex: Be sure to use Scrutinizer 1.0.0 or later. Works well, easy to set up, slightly pricy in comparision with other alternatives.
- IrWidget: works well, but almost impossible to get, unless you can build it yourself.
- IrToy: Small, cheap, reliable. Possibly slightly hard to get.
- (Serial) Arduino with OPL551 or the like (see this (from today). Potentially extremely accurate, cheap, reliable, but comparatively hard to set up.
- (Serial) Arduino with demodulating TSOP-xxxx or the like. Cheap, not very accurate, comparatively hard to set up.

[StephenR0]

I assume you mean capturing? Except for "Lirc mode 2" they all work well:

- (Serial) Arduino with OPL551 or the like (see this (from today). Potentially extremely accurate, cheap, reliable, but comparatively hard to set up.

Yes, right now I'm mostly interested in capturing. Potentially extremely accurate, cheap, and reliable sounds good. I've been following that thread with interest, although I have no experience with Arduinos. I assume that hard to set up means that it has to be programmed, right? I can probably handle that. Can you recommend specific hardware?

Edit: And it perfectly reasonable to say it's too early for a question like that.

[Barf]

What is "hard" is getting setting up the hardware, which involves either soldering or hooking up with .e.g. breadboard. Left leg of the OPL551 go to ground, the middle one to pin "8" (which in not necessarily the eight pin), the right leg to 5 Volts (3.3 Volts will not do).

If you want to solder, a pin-less Arduino Nano-clone with Atmel328 can be bought really cheap on Ebay, and appears quite suitable.

[Barf]

A very nasty bug was discovered lately, making it impossible to open a GlobalCache as capturing device. There is unfortunately no other work-around than to connect another GlobalCache to the LAN. Anyhow, I have fixed the bug in my development version.

So, if someone requires the bugfix right now, please let me know, and I will upload something, The next release will otherwise be in a few weeks or so.

(I think that preparing releases is both boring and time consuming, and prefer to spend time on development; right now I am working on improvement of the Arduino support, inspired by MikeT's excellent work.)

[mathdon]

Can you suggest the recommended hardware for me to get to use this program?

I assume you mean capturing? Except for "Lirc mode 2" they all work well:
...
- IrWidget: works well, but almost impossible to get, unless you can build it yourself.

Good news. IR Widgets are once again available, now through the TxSat Electronics store in the Market Place forum; see also the direct link http://www.txsat.net/.

[probono]

Congratulations Barf to this useful program. It is exciting to see readily available hardware (read: cheap hardware) such as Arduino supported.

In IrScrutinizer 1.0.0 I found what might be a bug: Some codes seem not to be sent via the Arduino.

For example, these do NOT send anything via Arduino:
GlobalCache, telefunken, tv, 702, Power On/Off, Transmit selected
IRDB, Samsung, TV, Load, Power, Transmit selected

Other codes DO send, e.g.,:
IRDB, D-LINK, MP3 Player, Load, POWER, Transmit selected

Have you considered moving the project to github? You would probably increase the chances of getting bugreports and pull requests.