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    Detect ON vs Standby

    I use a satellite set-top-box in my rack to distribute video around the house. I use a GC iTach for IR control and UltraJones's GCIR plugin for HSTouch integation. All works very well, apart form the fact that there is no discreet on/off for the STB. I thought using a GC Video Sensor would do the trick, but it reports as "on" as long as the device is powered on, but cannot tell whether the device is actually "on" or in "standby".

    Has anyone found a way to crack this conundrum? OTher than the Mk1 eyeball of course
    Author of Highpeak Plugins | SMS-Gateway Plugin | Blue Iris Plugin | Paradox (Beta) Plugin | Modbus Plugin | Yamaha Plugin

    #2
    I am playing around with the Aeon power monitor.. It is a 12" cord that should report energy usuage as well as on/off
    Ubuntu on the Intel NUC ( 8i5BEK ), 32 G, 250G SSD, V4 Pro 😎

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      #3
      It's a good idea (apart from the fact that Aeon don't make an EU version of that item). The power should spike when the device comes out of standby.
      Author of Highpeak Plugins | SMS-Gateway Plugin | Blue Iris Plugin | Paradox (Beta) Plugin | Modbus Plugin | Yamaha Plugin

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        #4
        Is the set top box DirectTV or Dish Network and what model number? I might have the discrete IR codes for power on and off.

        Ken

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          #5
          Detect ON vs Standby

          Thanks Ken, but it's a Multichoice DSTV decoder from South Africa and there are no discreet power codes I'm afraid.


          Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
          Author of Highpeak Plugins | SMS-Gateway Plugin | Blue Iris Plugin | Paradox (Beta) Plugin | Modbus Plugin | Yamaha Plugin

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            #6
            What outputs are on the device? I don't know how prevalent the SCART connector is outside of Europe but if there is one of them on the unit then there is a switching output on that I have used in the past to detect whether a device is on or off.

            Failing that the X10 Powerflash (if you do have one) supports audio as an input, if you have a spare audio output you could use that to detect whether it is on or not.

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              #7
              Detect ON vs Standby

              MrH that sounds like it would work but I don't have any X10 kit and am loathe to add yet another protocol to my house. Maybe it's time to hack up an amp circuit to drive a relay instead of speaker. You've got me thinking... Thanks.


              Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
              Author of Highpeak Plugins | SMS-Gateway Plugin | Blue Iris Plugin | Paradox (Beta) Plugin | Modbus Plugin | Yamaha Plugin

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                #8
                Here is another option. Are there any front panel lights that illuminate when the unit is on? If so, some sort of photo coupler could be used to generate a logic level.

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                  #9
                  Detect ON vs Standby

                  Ken, only a LCD display that goes from the time to the channel number, so again, not a lot of use sadly.

                  I'm going to try and put an Aeon Labs micro switch (Z wave) in to see if I can detect a higher power usage between on and standby but my worry there is those device report slowly and I'm not sure I'd get the instant feedback I'd need to detect on/off status reliably and timeously.


                  Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
                  Author of Highpeak Plugins | SMS-Gateway Plugin | Blue Iris Plugin | Paradox (Beta) Plugin | Modbus Plugin | Yamaha Plugin

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                    #10
                    Originally posted by beerygaz View Post
                    Ken, only a LCD display that goes from the time to the channel number, so again, not a lot of use sadly.

                    I'm going to try and put an Aeon Labs micro switch (Z wave) in to see if I can detect a higher power usage between on and standby but my worry there is those device report slowly and I'm not sure I'd get the instant feedback I'd need to detect on/off status reliably and timeously.


                    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
                    Using Current Cost appliance monitors (http://www.currentcost.com/product-iams.html) I did something similar, sort of OK results as those report every six seconds so not too much lag. I was trying to figure out when my DVD player was playing a movie to then set a movie mode, only problem being was that there was an overlap between the readings of when it was on and doing nothing to when it was on playing a movie so I had false triggers of where I thought the DVD was playing and it wasn't. Testing whether something is off/on should be OK though.

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                      #11
                      How about avoiding standby entirely and using a ZWave (or other) controlled socket to plug the stb into? Sounds like you have enough IR interfacing to allow you to power on the unit when you want to use it rather than trying to detect whether it is on?

                      Or does the unit power up too slowly or into standby mode?

                      Just a thought...

                      Jon.

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                        #12
                        Originally posted by mrhappy View Post
                        Using Current Cost appliance monitors (http://www.currentcost.com/product-iams.html) I did something similar
                        Nice idea, but those pins are a little too square for me here in South Africa

                        Originally posted by Jon798 View Post
                        How about avoiding standby entirely and using a ZWave (or other) controlled socket to plug the stb into? Sounds like you have enough IR interfacing to allow you to power on the unit when you want to use it rather than trying to detect whether it is on?

                        Or does the unit power up too slowly or into standby mode?

                        You guessed it, it's a satellite STB, so it needs tore-scan all of the satellite channels, etc. Takes about 3 min from power to usable and as you said, comes on in standby. If they had simply made discreet IR commands I'd be a happy camper.

                        To make things worse, I can't even leave it on and waste the power. If there's a firmware upgrade it gets pushed to the STB at about 3am and it restarts itself (you guessed it, into standby).
                        Author of Highpeak Plugins | SMS-Gateway Plugin | Blue Iris Plugin | Paradox (Beta) Plugin | Modbus Plugin | Yamaha Plugin

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