is it possible to check if a monitor is on?

[maxthebuilder]

Hello,
Is it possible for girder to check if a monitor (LCD TV on DVI) is physically ON or OFF?
My guess - it's not possible but maybe I am wrong?

I have a dual monitor setup and want girder to do things differently depending on whether 1 or 2 monitors is on...

Thanks!

--max

[Treetop]

Two inexpensive and simple methods come to mind...
How to monitor the status of a device using its status light (http://www.cocoontech.com/index.php?showtopic=1505)

How to monitor an appliance on/off status via an X-10 signal. (http://www.cocoontech.com/index.php?showtopic=41)

If you use Girder to turn the TV on and off, you could also track the state within girder. The downside is if someone manually turns the tv on/off or uses a different remote.

I'm sure others will have some others ideas as well

[maxthebuilder]

Treetop,
I realize that this can be done in the way you quoted..
It's not exactly what I was wondering about...
I thought, there could be something in Win XP which actually senses the state of a monitor...

I switch on the TV with a remote. The same remote wakes up the HTPC + smaller monitor.

What I am trying to achieve:

- HTPC in "Audio" mode = only Small monitor ON and is (of course) the primary. Large monitor is disabled.

- HTPC in "Media" mode + Small and Large monitors ON. Large monitor is Primary. (Default mode)

So, what I want is once HTPC wakes up, Girder sniffs the system and if the large monitor is OFF girder actually DISABLES it.
(Otherwise, most of the Windows stuff goes to teh primary monitor which is off - this makes it impossible to opreate the system. I have Ultramon and NVidia utilities running - they are told to move everything to the correct monitor but they fail often).


Two inexpensive and simple methods come to mind...
How to monitor the status of a device using its status light (http://www.cocoontech.com/index.php?showtopic=1505)

How to monitor an appliance on/off status via an X-10 signal. (http://www.cocoontech.com/index.php?showtopic=41)

If you use Girder to turn the TV on and off, you could also track the state within girder. The downside is if someone manually turns the tv on/off or uses a different remote.

I'm sure others will have some others ideas as well

[Treetop]

I thought, there could be something in Win XP which actually senses the state of a monitor...
VGA and DVI are only one-way. It may be possible via Serial connection though.

Girder doesn't sniff the system as much as it just sneers at it. ;)

[maxthebuilder]

I've been having this problem for ages and just cannot find a solution...
Maybe some kind soul will help me here...

Long story short - I need to be able to have everything (but full screen applications) to open on the secondary monitor not primary.

There's an option in Nvidia desktop manager (open applications and dialog boxes on a specific monitor) but it doesn't seem to work in most of the cases.

I guess it's all Nvidia's fault..

Just started experimenting with Girder TaskCreate event.. This one seems to work.

Anyone with similar setup/problems?

Thanks!





VGA and DVI are only one-way. It may be possible via Serial connection though.

Girder doesn't sniff the system as much as it just sneers at it. ;)

[NeoMorph]

Girder doesn't sniff the system as much as it just sneers at it. ;)

http://www.neomorph.net/smiley/roflmao.gif

Oh that's going into my quotes file... sheer classic that.

Onto the problem itself... I don't think it's a two way system so you can't check if a monitor is on. Only if you went and added a bit of hardware could you check this and if you aren't happy with doing that you are pretty much stuffed I'm afraid.


=== WARNING: OPENING UP MONITORS EXPOSES HIGH VOLTAGE ===
=== ONLY DO THIS IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCED IN ELECTRONICS ===

If you are happy with doing hardware mods you could figure out the wiring to the led and wire up a reed relay to it... then add a link to a cheap usb joystick and then use the HID plugin to sense if the relay is on. I did this with my xbox as it has got no remote on-off switch and you can't tell if it's on or off without this sensor mod. To turn it on and off I used a Velleman K8055 USB Experiment Interface board which lets me turn on the xbox from anywhere I want.

So yeah it's possible but not without some hardware modding... and the red warning messages are understating the danger of opening TV's and monitors... not so much with LCD's but still dangerous (says the guy who has had more shocks than ElectroMan heh) even to me and I have had training in electronics test and service mechanics.

=== WARNING: OPENING UP MONITORS EXPOSES HIGH VOLTAGE ===
=== ONLY DO THIS IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCED IN ELECTRONICS ===

[maxthebuilder]

Thanks Neomorph..
Yeah.. I do realize it's possible by adding some more hardware but again I was just wondering if windows was somehow aware of the monitors on/off status. I searched these forums a bit and saw this Q was asked before - the A is "no".

Could you please tell me more about the "joystick" part? I know nothing about joysticks..

Thanks!


http://www.neomorph.net/smiley/roflmao.gif

Oh that's going into my quotes file... sheer classic that.

Onto the problem itself... I don't think it's a two way system so you can't check if a monitor is on. Only if you went and added a bit of hardware could you check this and if you aren't happy with doing that you are pretty much stuffed I'm afraid.


=== WARNING: OPENING UP MONITORS EXPOSES HIGH VOLTAGE ===
=== ONLY DO THIS IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCED IN ELECTRONICS ===

If you are happy with doing hardware mods you could figure out the wiring to the led and wire up a reed relay to it... then add a link to a cheap usb joystick and then use the HID plugin to sense if the relay is on. I did this with my xbox as it has got no remote on-off switch and you can't tell if it's on or off without this sensor mod. To turn it on and off I used a Velleman K8055 USB Experiment Interface board which lets me turn on the xbox from anywhere I want.

So yeah it's possible but not without some hardware modding... and the red warning messages are understating the danger of opening TV's and monitors... not so much with LCD's but still dangerous (says the guy who has had more shocks than ElectroMan heh) even to me and I have had training in electronics test and service mechanics.

=== WARNING: OPENING UP MONITORS EXPOSES HIGH VOLTAGE ===
=== ONLY DO THIS IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCED IN ELECTRONICS ===

[NeoMorph]

The cheap joystick method is a cheap and easy way to add external sensors to Girder. You could even use an old usb mouse. HID stand for Human Interface Device. Basically you dissassemble the joystick or mouse and find the switches. You then wire the contacts to a long piece of 2 core wire and then add it to your relay... When the relay gets triggered it trips the relays contacts which make the joypad think that someones pushed a button and generates an event.

Now in Girder you have the HID plugin (open help in Girder and then search for HID and then find the configuration page). You can then make Girder respond to the button press or even just check it..

I personally haven't used this method but it seems easy enough. I'll dig out my *grumble* old Microsoft Joystick that wasn't actually supported in XP even though it was a damn Microsoft product. Way to go Bill... hah.. what an apt name. Anyway, I'll see if I can knock up an example for you if you think you are up to doing the mod. It's a pretty easy mod if your led is just on and off version but a little harder if it's one of those 3 state leds that show on,off and standby.

What make and model of monitor is it by the way?

[maxthebuilder]

I might use this joystick trick some day.. Thanks much for the tip! (and for that USB Experiment kit - is it easy to program/control?)

It's actually a TV - Olevia 32 inch LCD (with DVI in). Don't remember the model - one of the first ones - 2 years old. MUST.. RESIST.. THE urge to upgrade.... :)


The cheap joystick method is a cheap and easy way to add external sensors to Girder. You could even use an old usb mouse. HID stand for Human Interface Device. Basically you dissassemble the joystick ..

What make and model of monitor is it by the way?

[NeoMorph]

I might use this joystick trick some day.. Thanks much for the tip! (and for that USB Experiment kit - is it easy to program/control?)

It's actually a TV - Olevia 32 inch LCD (with DVI in). Don't remember the model - one of the first ones - 2 years old. MUST.. RESIST.. THE urge to upgrade.... :)

Ahhh... Not an easy job then... You would have to strip the monitor back off and then go digging to find the led... then wire it up and make sure there are no wires showing...

There may be another way to do it without actually opening the monitor but I'm not sure if it is possible (or yes it is but is potentially dangerous if you don't do it right heh). I just need to do some tests before I mention it but I think it could work. If I don't appear for a while it's because I'm in hospital ;)

[maxthebuilder]

Measure the current, perhaps?



There may be another way to do it without actually opening the monitor but I'm not sure if it is possible...

[NeoMorph]

Siphon off some of the current via induction... Gonna try it tomorrow but I don't see much of a problem. I just want to be careful is all. I just need to dig out my notes from the electronics course as I don't trust my memory.

[Treetop]

Measure the current, perhaps?

How to monitor an appliance on/off status via an X-10 signal. (http://www.cocoontech.com/index.php?showtopic=41)

http://www.clicksmilies.com/s1106/traurig/sad-smiley-067.gif

[NeoMorph]

One thing I forgot to ask... where in the world are you as this will make matters worse. I'm in the UK with 230/240v while the US it's 120v. Something I knock up in the UK won't work the same in the US.

If it was vice versa (knock something up in the US and bring to the UK) would end up with fireworks most likely.

Well I've had a look where I thought my electronics manuals were and I found my oscilloscope but no manuals. I have a feeling they are right at the back of a very full store cupboard and without them I would be rather nervous as my idea would mean building a diy transformer and rectifier (basically 4 diodes and a couple of capacitors). The split current transformers sound a good idea as it could be removed as needed.

Without my manuals I wouldn't even try this as it has the possibility of doing rather nasty things with AC voltage. If I find the manuals in the future I'll post the findings here (I've got some automation modding projects that I'm going to post here sometime in the future).

[maxthebuilder]

I am US 110V.
Thanks for experimenting - don't get hurt!


One thing I forgot to ask... where in the world are you as this will make matters worse. I'm in the UK with 230/240v while the US it's 120v. Something I knock up in the UK won't work the same in the US.