Turn Projector On / Off at Specific Times

[stevieboi]

Hi All,

 

We have a projector in our main school hall which we would like to turn on / off automatically at set times - for example - on at 8.30 am and off at 4pm. We often forget to turn it off!

 

In this instance, the projector is showing information from our Digital Signage system. As the PC controlling this cannot be turned off, the usual 'Turn off after x minutes of no signal' does not help us.

 

The projector is a Panasonic PT-DW6300E. It has both Network and Serial ports, and I am wondering if there is any software or utility available that would send an on or off command over serial or ethernet?

 

Has anyone done this in any way before?

 

Thanks!

Stephen

[smalljoshua]

Depending on your coding abilities, you could do this yourself.

 

You just need to send the correct serial string at the correct time. Something that should be able to be knocked up in an afternoon.

 

Josh

[jason5d]

that projector has that functionality built in - check your instructions

there's also a web browser app built in

[stevieboi]

Jason5d - What is this option called? I can only see the 'No Signal Shut-Off', which doesnt help.

 

smalljoshua - this sounds promising - do you have an example of the code needed and the correct serial commands?

 

Thanks for your help!

[Peter F]

Here's the Manual

 

Page 39 starts to tell you how to control the projector through a browser window.

Turning it off is a couple of pages later.

 

 

Cheers,

 

Peter

[smalljoshua]

Note: I've not tried this, I'm just going off of what looks right. I could whip this up in an afternoon if you get really desperate but I couldn't make it pretty/couldn't guarantee it in a production environment.

 

The serial commands would be in the manual or other documentation. As for the code, you're looking at something like this for the date/time event.

 

Then, you need to register an event handler for the callback event. This in turn would send your serial string to the previously selected and configured serial port/USB-Serial adapter. (Depending on the Network protocol used, it might be easier to use that)

 

You'd set this up for every time you'd want to send a serial command. You could either hard code everything or do it so you can specify a time and string in a UI to allow for future changes.

 

Josh

[Shez]

I've not used networked Panasonics before but have a lot of networked Hitachis. Assuming they're similar, set up an IP address (or set to use DHCP (you'll want your networking folks to reserve an IP for it so it's always the same)) on the projector, point a browser at it and off you go. The Hitachis have loads of options controllable from the web interface, including comprehensive scheduling so I'd hope that Panasonic do likewise.

[pritch]

*sigh*

 

All this talk of "knocking something up in an afternoon". Why so complicated? Any else here remember batch files?

 

Create two text files. Call them 'proj_on.bat' and 'proj_off.bat' or something. In the files, put:

 

@echo off
echo [whatever] > com1

 

[whatever] is the text string for turning the projector either on or off, as appropriate. Where I've written com1, that could vary depending on what your machine has its serial port set as; you'll be able to tell in Device Manager in Windows. Then, using a scheduling tool of your choice (does Windows still have one built in?), get it to run the appropriate batch file at the desired time.

[AHYoung]

Its there in the unit, or alternatively doesnt your signage system also have an rs232 port, that way you schedule the ons and off the same as the content, much less hassle as if the times change on one you dont have to change the other. You can also control pretty much any display as well. alternatively hows this for the luddit approach. stick a cheapo 2 way vga splitter inline and power that of a 2.99 24hr plug in timer, that way you have the scheduling and the display turns off with loss of signal and wakes up again. Or if you want a box to do it all, you can use an AMX event controller that has calender scheduling of rs232 commands. The Hex panasonic codes which from memory are actualy POWER _ON or POWER_OFF with an additional ID , but they are generally available and its easy stuff if you understand the basic concepts....

 

 

[PJG]

When we purchased our digital signage this was a feature that was in development. In the mean time we produced our own solution using ip based rs232 interfaces (they are sub £100) then using a few lines of code in vb (I can send you this if you want) we created exe files that we ran at the correct times. We did have a problem with the interfaces locking up so we just put them on time clocks which cycled the power every so often.

 

 

I also have a extron ir/rs232 remote for a projector in our theatre this does have a timer off function. So you could turn it on at around 9 each day and after a set number of hours if it has not been turned off the remote will issue the command to shut it down this cost about £120 for the ir only version. No need to feed in the term dates with this one.

 

 

[Dicky]

I am wondering if there is any software or utility available that would send an on or off command over serial or ethernet?

 

Has anyone done this in any way before?

 

Thanks!

Stephen

 

Yes, I have that very projector.

I use the network port and the Panasonic software runs 24/7 in the background on the PC that also provides the content to the projector to turn it on and off.

Was very easy to set up and it does exactly what you need to do.

All the info is in the manual and on the Panasonic website, including the software to download, the only thing you need is an RJ45 cable from the projector to the PC, (or via a switch) and the ability to change network settings on the PC.

PM me if you need more details, but it's not too complicated.

 

Dicky

[bruce]

You say that turning off is the main problem, not turning on.

 

Most digital signage systems will have a timed "screenblank" function - you could schedule the screen to go blank at 4.30, and set the projector to

shutdown after 2 mins of no input.

 

 

We use this method with large NEC monitors, which have an auto-standby function, but more importantly for us an auto-on function when signal is restored. So they turn off automatically when we close, and back on just before we open.

[sleepytom]

http://panasonic.net/avc/projector/software/multiprojector.html

 

The Panasonic software for projector management includes scheduled start stop.

 

I don't get why everyone seems intent on reinventing the wheel. These days almost all decent projectors have IP based management software, it can always be downloaded from the manufacturers website and is often mentioned in the user manual.

[sleah]

These days almost all decent projectors have IP based management software, it can always be downloaded from the manufacturers website and is often mentioned in the user manual.

 

Although the short throw Epsons we've started installing don't seem to have management software, only a means of sending the image to the projector by IP :(

Whereas the Hitachi implementation is great!

[sleepytom]

epson can't even make a decent printer. god knows why people buy their projectors?? (ok they are cheap)

 

I've been having amusing times trying to get RS232 codes for an epson home cinema projector, after a couple of days on the phone to the tech support I actually spoke to someone who was sat in front of the service manual for the machine, which apparently made zero mention of the rs232 port! I suggested to them that the codes are most likely the same as the published ones for their other machines but they could neither confirm nor deny this. Sadly access to the machine is a little hard for me (it's several hundred miles away) otherwise I'd just hyperterminal it up and see if I can break it.

 

Others can be less than forth coming too, it took me months to track down the sanyo RS232 control software (mentioned on sanyos websites and press released but nobody at sanyo could find the download!) IP based management of sanyos is an add on in the form of the PJNet organiser, which I would probably go for if the damn thing didn't bolt on to the OUTSIDE of the projector! Oh well you get what you pay for I suppose!